Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Let your power shine!"

(„• ֊ •„)

━O━O━━━━━━━━━
・:。𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧「 ✉️ 」・:三
━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Cast ᯓ★

carmen sommers aka
mystic falls' disney princess
[virgo, twenty-five, human ]

ian somerhalder as damon salvatore
aka the big bad vampire
[ gemini, twenty-five, vampire ]

think of this as a oc story/fic, i don't own the vampire diaries nor any of its characters, don't forget to vote and comment on the story # !

Chapter Text

I haven't given much thought about how i'd die, only that it would be in place of my loved ones. The memories i've experienced deep in my heart have never felt the need to fear death and only to welcome it with open harms.

But, i'm getting ahead of myself.

My name is Carmen Sommers and this is my story of heartache, love, and the supernatural. And it all starts after college. Where i'll be returning home.

══════════════

Boxes galore, and commotion from behind the closed door of my dorm room. Setting the last thing in one of the boxes, i tape it shut. Someone hugs me from behind.

"I'm gonna miss you!" That was my dormmate and best friend, Ivory Ordóñez, She has dark brown hair, Almond skin, and brown eyes. Her personality is a bit fiery but she means well. She held tears in her eyes.

Tears were also prickling in mine. I turn towards Ivory and hugged her. "I'll miss you too! I promise to text you every day until my heart stops beating."

Both of us comically cry into each others
arms. After a while, we separate.

"I can't believe we'll be apart. This is a new step for us. No one can replace you." Ivory spoke, saddened.

"Nor you. It'll just be like before we met, except i'll be thinking of you." I try to reassure. "You'll be the wife, and i'll be the husband that was sent to war."

Ivory laughed. "Yeah, and when you come back home, i would anounce that i'm pregnant and we live happily after as a family." We end with one last hug.

"Where you going?" I ask.

"Well, i plan on working at this new company that wanted to try out. I'll see where fate takes me after that." She answered honestly. I smile at her.

"I hope you get everything you've always wanted. Don't forget to invite me to your future wedding, unlike that time where you accidentally left me at Disneyland."

I playfully tease her. She shoves me.

"Will you ever let that go!" We both laughed at the memory. Seeing as it's getting late, we bid our farewells.

AN: Ivory will only be mentioned,
and not appear in future chapters

I haled for a taxi to take me to the airport. Getting to the airport receptionist. "One ticket to Virginia."

"You're flight boreds in an hour." They
tell me. I nodded and took my seat.

══════════════

( hours later, your lazy writer doesn't
want to write unnecessary shit )

Here i am. Mystic Falls. The town were nothing ever happeneds. I wonder how Aunt Miranda and Uncle Grayson are doing. And seeing my only two favorite cousins in the world. I can't help to be excited to see their surprised faces.

I arrived home seeing that nothing changed from when i was last here. Knocking at door, i expected to see Miranda or Grayson, but not my own mother.

"Mom? Where you doing here?"

"Carm?" She stares in shock. I smiled. "I'm home." She quickly runs over to me and hugs me tightly.

"My daughter's home." We laughed. I searched the house. "It still looks the same from when i left it. How is everyone? How's Aunt Miranda and Uncle Grayson?" The question sparked a somber look. "What's wrong?"

"Carm, you see, while you were away, Aunt Miranda and Uncle Grayson got into an accident on the Wickery Bridge with Elena. She survived, but they're gone."

She explained carefully.

My eyes widened. "Gone? As in… they're dead?" I just couldn't believe what i was hearing. I just saw them before i left, and you mean to tell me that was the last time i'll see them! My legs almost gave out on me, but mom carried me to the couch. "What about Little Jere?"

"He's changed since you left. He hangs out with the wrong crowd, and has been doing drugs since the accident." I covered my mouth. 'My Jeremy?!'

"I should've been here for them. I'm such a terrible sister." I voiced. Mom cupped my face and held my face to hers. "No, you are not! They both didn't want you to give up on college for them. They know how much it meant to you."

"But i could've worked something out. I had plenty of opportunities." My mouth quivered. "And you were here taking care of them while i was still gone. I'm sorry, mom." I cried out. She puts my head on her chest. "It's alright, baby."

I had finally calmed down, drinking some water, and talking about what else i'd missed. Later, i decide to vist their grave. The Mystic Falls Cemetery. 'I never thought i would have to set foot in this place.' I thought, creeped out with the atmosphere. Searching for awhile, i found the tombstone. "In Memory, Miranda Sommers-Gilbert and Grayson Gilbert – May 23rd, 2009, Loving Parents."

I traced my fingers across.

"Hey Aunt and Uncle. It's your only niece, Carmen."
I spoke. "I had just came back from college. I was
looking forward to telling you guys about it."

Tears weld up. "Didn't think the last time i'd see you was leaving here. You two hugging me and crying for the fact that i'll be gone for awhile. It was really great there, i made a friend there–a best friend–more to speak. You would've liked her." I paused. "I miss you guys already. I tried to keep my promise of calling everyday, but it was very overwhelming. You're probably scolding me right now."

I laughed softly.

I put my hand on the tombstone. "Don't worry, i promised to take care of Elena and Jeremy. Me and Mom will be fine."

I smiled and went to stand when i see a crow behind me on a tombstone. I tilted my head as it copies me. "Why, hello there." I walk over towards it.

I scratched under its chin. It flapping its wings happily. "I don't have any food for you right now, but if i happen to see you anywhere, be sure to fly to me for some food." I noticed that it was hurt on the side of its body. "What happened there?" I tried to peak at the wound, but it flies away before i could. 'I wonder what happened to the poor thing.'

I turned back to my Aunt and Uncle's grave and smiled. Soon, i take my stuff and leave the cemetery. I, then, arrived at the Mystic Falls Grill. Walking through the doors, i spot an open spot at the counter. "What would you like to–Carmen!?" A voice suddenly yelled.

'That voice!' I gasped. "Matt?!"

He runs over to me and picks me up, twirling me around. "Carm! I can't believe you're here!" He said.

"In the flesh!" We both laughed.

He sets me down. "It's been a long time
since i'd seen you. How have you been?"

I nodded. "I've been good. I just came from the cemetery for Aunt and Uncle." He smile immediately fades. "Yeah, mom told me when i asked her about them. How's Elena?"

"She's been good. We don't really talk much after the breakup." He sadly mentioned. I put my hand on his shoulder. He gives me a half-hearted smile. "I understand with everything, i just thought she'd wanted to work it out with me, you know. But, i'll respect her choice, even though it's eating.me up."

"Trust me, you'll move on sooner or later while meeting the most beautiful girl in Mystic Falls. I can promise you that!" I declared, triumphantly. He laughed.

"It was nice seeing you, but i need to get back to work. Bye Carmen!" We waved eachother goodbye and I sat down.

"Carm?!" I feel arms wrap around me. "Care!" I, practically, jump for joy at the sight of my best friend, Caroline Forbes.

"My Best Friend from another mother! Oh, how i missed you! You have to tell me everything! Did you meet any cute guys there? Don't want anyone to corrupt my ray of sunshine." She said. "Caroline! I told you that no one was looking to date me." I laughed. "I wasn't interested in being in a relationship, with my studies and i had Ivory with me, she was the one to get all the guys."

"Me and her have got to talk. I need to see for myself if she's threatening my spot as number one bff." She spoke.
I laughed. "Let me know how that works out.

"Speaking of, where's Bonnie?" She turned around. "She's around here somewhere…" i shook my head, as soon as Elena and a guy came in. "Elena…" I mumbled.

Seeing her from far away, she looks truly happy. And it seems to me that-that guy has a little something to do with it. All eyes in The Grill are on them like in a fairy tale.

I walked over to them. "Hey Elena."
I waved just as she turned.

"Carmen?!" She gasped. The guy looks at her and frowned his eyebrows. She quickly walks over to me and hugs me.

"How's my favorite cousin?" I smiled. "Wha-when did you get back?" She asked. "Just a couple of hours ago. Been walking around town and talking with old friends. I also went to see Aunt and Uncle." I carefully said.

She tenses up, but immediately puts away.

"I'm sorry i wasn't here. I would've called you know." I told, fidgeting with my hands. I held her hands with mine. "But i'm here now, and i won't be leaving anytime soon." I smiled.

She returned it back.

"And i don't believe we've met,
I'm Carmen." I held my hand out.

He takes it. "Stefan."

══════════════

"So, you were born in Mystic Falls?" Caroline interrogated. "Mm-hm. And i moved when i was still young." He responded. "Parents?" Bonnie asked.

"My parents passed away." It got quiet as soon as he finished. "I'm sorry." Elena spoke. "Any siblings?"

She added.

"None that i talk to. I live with my uncle." He explained.

"So, Stefan, if you're new, then you don't know
about the party tomorrow." Caroline cuts in.

"And why haven't you've told me about it?"
I hold a hand over my chest.

"It's a back-to-school thing at the falls." Bonnie explained. Stefan faces Elena. "Are you going?" To which Bonnie, not even wait for Elena to Respond, replies. "Of course she is."

I put my thumbs pointed at myself. "And i'll
be there to make sure you don't drink."

══════════════

Tomorrow rolled in and i arrived at the party. Teens drinking, some more than that. I find my way around, searching for Elena, or someone i knew.

I find Elena talking with Bonnie. Heading over, i sees them laughing. "Wait! You need a crystal ball!" Elena takes an empty beer bottle and hands it to Bonnie. She suddenly looked spooked when they touched hands. "What?"

"That was weird. When i touched you, i
saw a crow." She said, fearfully.

"What?" Elena, also sounds spooked.

"A crow. There was fog. And a man." She told us about
what saw. "I'm drunk, it's the drinking. There's nothing psychic about it." Elena doesn't answer.

"Yeah, i'm gonna get a refill." She quickly walks away. "You've seen a crow too?" I asked. She nodded. "Was it in the Cemetery?" She widened her eyes.

"But it can't be the same one, right? It'd been too much of a coincidence. Maybe what happened with Bonnie was off, but don't think anything of it." I told her. She nodded. "Okay."

I looked around, seeing Stefan looking towards us–well, more like Elena. "I'll see you later, i need to take care of somethings." I lied smoothly. 'She'll be fine.' I thought.

I see a familer blonde hair swaying tipsly. "Caroline? Oh, Care." I head over and grab her arm, putting it over my shoulder. "Hey Carm! How you doin?"

"Worried for my best friend that she's drunk off her rocker." I spoke, clearly. "I'm fine! Trust–!" She hiccups. "Me."

"I can clearly see that you're not. Let's go to the Grill and get you some water." I continue to walk with her on me.

══════════════

Me and Caroline are sitting down. Bonnie came
over and told us what happened with Vicky.
'Poor Vicky and Matt. I wonder how's he doing?'

"You sober yet?" Bonnie asked.

"Keep drinking. I gotta get you home. Get me home." Bonnie voiced. I pick up the cup of water a feed it to her.

"Why didn't he go for me?" She asked. "Stefan?" Caroline nodded. "He didn't see you like that, Care. You shouldn't have to compete with Elena, when there are plenty of men who would love the girl in front of me." I praised on. "Now, chin up, drink more water, and head home."

She laughed and wiped her tears. "You're right. You're always right when it comes to me." I hugged her back.

"Take care, Care." I called out. "Make
sure she gets home safe." I asked Bonnie.

"I will." She grabbed her and Caroline's stuff and water. I watched them leave. "And then there was one." I mumbled.

I drink my water.

Feeling eyes on me, i turn my head to a man with raven hair and ocean blue eyes. He sends me a smirk and tilts his head towards himself. Curiosity got the better of me and i, in turn, walked over. 'This is how horror movies usually start! What is wrong with you?!' My head yelled.

But my heart didn't listen.

"Hello stranger." I spoke. "What can i do for you?" He
gave me an interested look. "Nothing. I saw a beautiful women in need of a chat." He does a weird thing with his eyes but it's kinda working. "How could you tell?" I ask.

"By your frowned eyebrows, and you look like you had a long day." He honestly answered. "Wow, you're good. Don't tell me you're psychic too." He gave an amused expression.

"Something like that." He thought
for awhile. "Damon." I blinked.

"What?" I ask.

"I'm Damon. My name." He said clearly.
"Yeah, um, i'm Carmen." I smiled.

Chapter Text

I wake up in my old bed. "When did i get home?
I couldn't have been drinking…" I pondered the thought,
but it's like my mind went blank. 'That's weird.'

I shrug it off. "Maybe it wasn't anything to worry about. Why don't i go see what Mom's doing?" I get ready and walk downstairs. Seeing Mom get ready for something. "Morning, Mom. What are you doing?"

Grabbing a cup of coffee.

"Going to Jeremy's Parent-Teacher
Conference." She explained.

"You usually have your hair down." I took a sip. "It was Elena's idea." I raised a brow. "I know. I was surprised myself. She was all feisty earlier." She noted.

"Must be because of a special someone." I smiled. "It's good that she becoming more happy. Ever since…"

I paused.

"It's okay, Sweetie." She puts a hand on my shoulder. I smiled gratefully. "I'm going to go see Matt, see how's he doing." I told her. "Alright, i'll see you later."

I nodded. Finishing my coffee, i leave out the house
and headed towards the hospital. Seeing Matt
next to Vicky, i knocked lightly on the door.

He quickly picked his head up. "Hey, Carmen." He said sleeply. "Hey. How is she?" I asked carefully. "She's doing alright. She just hasn't woken up since last night. She said that a vampire attacked her." He recalled the moment.

"A vampire? Was she high
or something?" I questioned.

"That's what i think." He told.

"Well, whatever it was that attacked her, it left a pretty good wound." I tried to lighten–the already sad–mood.

He lightly chuckled. "Thanks Carmen. For being here." I nodded and hugged him. 'It's truly terrible what happened. And it couldn't have happened to nicer people.' I thought, looking at Vicky's sleeping body. "I'm here if you need me."

He nodded into my stomach.

"Visting hours are over." A nurse came by.
We turned around and nodded.

"I'll see you later. Okay, Matt?" I asked.

"Yeah, okay." We hugged and left the room. We went our separate ways, but it sounded like he went back, and i heard screaming coming from Vicky's room.

"What's wrong?!" After running back,
seeing a nurse and Matt come running.

"She seems fine." Seeing Vicky asleep,
and not screaming anymore.

Matt seems to have saw something and walks away. I don't follow him, still looking at Vicky. "What's going on?"

══════════════

"I was talking with Grams. She said that the comet is a sign of impending doom. Last time it passed over Mystic Falls, there was alots of death. So much blood and carnage, it created a bed of paranormal activity." Bonnie explained.

"Mm. Yeah, and then you poured Grams another shot…and she told you about the aliens." Caroline sarcastically said.

"I think it's cool, Bonnie. Something about the history of this town is wonderful. Except the Confederacy era." I spoke. Bonnie gave me a thoughtful smile. "So, then what?" Caroline interrogated Elena. "So, then nothing."

"You and Stefan talked all night. There was no sloppy first kiss, or touchy-feely of any kind?" Caroline asked.

"Nope, we didn't go there." Elena answered honestly. "Caroline, they just met. And this is Elena we're talking about, of course they wouldn't go that far yet." I told Caroline. Elena gave me an "offended" look.

I smiled playfully.

"Not even a handshake?" She continues to ask. "I mean, Elena, we are your friends. Okay? You are supposed to share the smut." She covered my ears when she said smut. I looked at her confused, but didn't comment on it.

"We just talked for hours." Elena justified. "Okay, what is with the blockage? Just jump his bones already! Okay, it's easy. Boy likes girl, girl likes boy. Sex." She whispered that last part to Elena. I still was confused by her hands.

"Profound." Elena sarcastically said.
"Hmm." Caroline shakes her head.

Elena seems to be in thought. "Oh no, Care. You've convinced her." I say, watching as Elena grabbed her stuff.

"Where are you going?" Bonnie asked. "Caroline's right. It is easy. If i sit here long enough, i'll end up talking myself out of it instead of…doing what i started the saying what i was gonna do." Elena then left. "She's a woman on a mission. 10 bucks saying that she chickens out." I stated.

"I'll take that bet." Caroline said.

"Actually, i would love to meet the astound Stefan Salvatore, the man who's got my cousin all love-struck." I take my stuff and quickly ran off to Elena.

She turned around. "What are you doing?" I smiled. "Moral support." Elena shakes her head, but lets it go.

Arriving at the boarding house, it looked to be maybe hundreds of years old. "Wow, you're boyfriend is rich."

"He's not my boyfriend." She chuckles. "Well, i know rich people when i see one. Maybe he's a bank robber. Let's go before he notices that we're on to him." I joked.

She knocks on the doorbell twice.

Not receiving an answer, she tries the doorknocker on the door. But it suddenly opens. "Elena, isn't this breaking and entering? It's a bad time since he's not here." I called to her.

"Stefan?" She calls out. Going further into the house. "Stefan?" The door in front of me opens wider.

"Please tell me that you just saw that? I think this place is haunted." I say, quickly walking over to Elena.

A crow suddenly cocks back, flying into the house. Scaring us, we quickly turned around, but i come face-to-face with a chest. Looking up, i gasped as i see a handsome man with blue eyes and raven hair. "Sorry, we were just–"

"The door was just…" Elena said, looking
at the door, that was now closed.

"You must be Elena." He said. "I'm Damon, Stefan's brother." He introduced. "He didn't tell me he had a brother." Elena spoke, confusion evident on her face.

"He said "none that he talks to" It's clear that they don't have the best relationship." I noted to Elena.

I was still close to Damon, so i scooted away. Catching a strange look from him, it's quickly wiped away. "Well, Stefan's not one to brag. Please, come. I'm sure Stefan will be along any second." Damon guided us around. "Wow! I told you they're rich!" I laughed. "There doesn't happen to be a Mrs. Salvatore, could there?" I inquired jokingly.

He chuckled. "No. But i'll make sure to let you know." I couldn't stop admiring the place. The dinning room, the resting area, damn, even the kitchen.

"It's a little kitschy for my taste." He admits.
"I can see why my brother's so smitten. It's about
time. For a while there i never thought he'd get
over the last one. Nearly destroyed him."

"The last one?" Elena asked. "Yeah. Katherine, his girlfriend." I see her shake her head, meaning that they haven't talked past relationships yet.

"Oh, you two haven't had the
awkward ex's conversation yet." He catches on.

"Nope." I putt my hand on her shoulder. "But that doesn't mean that you're the "rebound girl". Everyone's had past relationships before they've met the one." I encouraged. "He seems like a good guy, so i doubt that's the case."

"Well, i'm sure it'll come up now. We all know how those…relationships end." He told us in a strange tone. "You say it like every relationship is doomed to end." Elena inquired.

"I'm a fatalist. Hello, Stefan." He said without looking back. We turned and saw Stefan behind us. "Elena, Carmen, i didn't know that you two were coming over." Stefan said.

"I know, i should have just called–" Elena was cutt off by Damon. "Oh, don't be silly. You're welcome any time. Aren't they, Stefan? You know, i should break out the family
photo albums or some home movies. But…i have
to warn you. He wasn't always such a looker."

"Thank you for stopping by, Carmen, Elena. It's nice to see you." He kept his eyes on Damon the whole time he was talking. "Yeah, we…should probably go."

"It was nice meeting you, Damon." I looked back at him. And he gave me a smirk, that told me it was fake.

"Great meeting you too, Elena." But he didn't even look at her, and he picked up my hand and kissed it. "Especially you, Carmen." My heart wouldn't stop beating and my legs turned to jelly. Elena grabbed my other hand and pulled me away. She stops when Stefan was in front of her.

"Stefan? Stefan?!"

He looks at her and moves to the side, still glaring at Damon. We soon left the house and headed home. We tell Mom all about what happened earlier.

"He's on the rebound and has raging family issues." Elena told, mixing her oatmeal. "Well, at least it's an ex girlfriend. Wait till you date a guy with mommy issues or cheating issues…or amphetamine issues." Mom numbered out the men she dated. The front door opened and Jeremy came in. "Jeremy!" I quickly ran over to him and hugged him.

"Carmmy?! When did you
get back?" He smiled immediately.

"I've been here these past two days. I just never caught you at a right time." I say as we unlocked from our hug.
"How's my little Jere?" I ruffled his hair.

"Well, i'm guessing Aunt Jenna already told you about the drug use. And this girl i've been seeing for awhile now." He fixes his hair. I smiled. "Even though i'm not happy with the drugs, but i understand that you're coping with what happened to Aunt Miranda and Uncle Grayson."

I spoke in a bittersweet tone. "Thanks, Carmmy."
He hugged me again, but tighter. "Will always be
here if you need your cousin Carmen." I chuckled.

He goes to go upstairs, but mom yelled for him. "Jeremy, where were you?" She quickly walks over to the staircase.

"More stoner stories? Look, Jenna. I get it. You were cool. And so that's, that's cool." He gives a thumbs up.
He continues to head up, but mom wasn't having
that so she chucked an apple at him.

"Ow! Why? Why-why did
you do that?" He asked, painfully.

"Listen up! Quit ditching class or you're grounded! No discussion." She commanded him. It doesn't look to be working, since he chuckled lightly.

"Parental authority, i like it. Sleep
tight." He finished off, walking upstairs.

"Just give him some time, mom. All teenagers go
through this phase. He'll someday come out of it."
I put my hand on her shoulder, comforting her.

══════════════

Today was the night of the comet. Everyone getting ready, decorations everywhere, me, Elena, and Bonnie are handing out flyers for a program. I got alot of flyers handed out.

I meet up with Caroline. "I guess i'll have to give you those ten bucks." I giggled. "She made it through. And i happened to meet his brother that he–supposedly– doesn't talk to." I told her everything that happened at the boarding house.

"Sounds like to me that he might be your Prince Charming. I mean, come on! The kiss on the hand! That's the most romantic thing a man can do." Caroline gawked at the gesture. "Just tell me, and I'll have your wedding by next Tuesday."

"Caroline! Fairy tales don't exist. Even if they did,
i wouldn't want to be poisoned by a red apple or have an evil step family." I discouraged the thought.

"Who knows? alot can happen." She said. "Let's go and find a place to settle. And maybe find Elena and Bonnie later."

══════════════

Night comes and people have already been settled down and sitting on the grass, waiting for the impending comet.

Me and Caroline carry candles for Elena and Bonnie, after handing the rest out. Spotting them, Caroline holds out the last two. "Hey, we got some candles."

"Hey." Elena greets. She ventures forward and came across Matt. They both light their candles, creating a sweet moment. I awed at the two.

She then walks away and lit Stefan's candle. I look at Matt and see him look heartbroken. I went to comfort him, but someone came and light my candle.

"Thanks." I smiled.

They walked away and i go to find others to light. Seeing one, i light their candle, but as i was about to leave, someone grabbed my arm.

Spinning around, my back hits someone's chest and come face-to-face with Damon Salvatore. "Hello, Carmen."

"D-Damon, what're you–" i was cut off by his fingers on my lips. I gasped. "I don't want Stefan to know that i'm here. I kind of snuck out without his permission."

I frowned my eyebrows. 'Stefan to know?
But we're not even near Stefan.'

"So, this is the party for the comet. I expected
something more…over the top." He admitted. He said
something, but i didn't hear it clearly enough.

"Well, i'd say it's cute, for a comet that comes
every–what, a thousand years." I say appreciating the work to put this all together. He chuckled. "I guess you're right, it's simplistic enough." I laughed. "It was nice seeing you, again. I gotta go before Caroline starts calling the cops."

He nodded and lets me go. I didn't even realize that
I was still on him. My face instantly goes red.

══════════════

Looks like when i got to the grill, it was already chaotic. Vicky, Matt's Sister, is now missing from the hospital, and now everyone is on a man-hunt for her.

I'm with Matt right now. We happened to come across Stefan. "Hey, have you seen my sister?" Matt asked Stefan.

"No, sorry." He answered.

"I can't find her. She's missing." Stefan gives a strange look as soon as Matt said she was missing. "I'll keep an eye out for her." He goes to leave, but Matt stopped him. "Hey. I saw you at the hospital yesterday." He told him. I looked at Stefan confused. "Did you?" He inquired.

"What were you doing there?" Matt interrogated. He walks up to us. "Visting." He said, almost monotone.

"Yeah, come on Matt. Let's just go." I could sense a tension between the two. Quickly wanting to separate them.

"Visting?" He said it like he didn't believe it. "You know…Elena and i have known each other for a long time. I mean we might not be together right now, but i look out for her. And i'll always look put for her." He admitted to Stefan.

Stefan turned around like he heard something. "Excuse me." He left me and Matt, watching him leave.

"Don't you think something's off with him?" He asked me. "Honesty? No." I answered. "I guess as long as
he doesn't hurt Elena, me and him won't
have a problem. Why? you think he's weird?"

"I don't know. But let's continue searching for my sister." I nodded and we continued on. We soon find her and take her to the Grill. And Matt was re-patching up her bandage that was ruined. "She said that you found her wondering around. So, um, thanks."

"Yeah." He nodded and went over to Bonnie and
Caroline. I looked over to them and see Bonnie
quickly leave. "What happened?" I mumbled.

"Hey, Vicky. How are you?" I asked her.
"Feel like i've been hit with a train, but i'm alright." She
went to laugh, but immediately groaned in pain.

"just take some painkillers and
you'll be in tip-top shape." I say, optimistically.

"Will do, Carmen." She takes my suggestion to heart. I smiled and went to head to my home. Entering, i heard commotion from Jeremy's room.

Walking upstairs, i heard mom talking to Elena about the Parent-Teacher Conference yesterday, and on their teacher, Mr. Tanner. Knowing that it wasn't anything serious, i headed to my room. 'It was such a long day.'

A yawn escaped my mouth,
i got unready and went to bed.

Dreaming about my days in college, these past
couple of days with Mom, Elena, And Jeremy. And i unexpectedly had a dream about Damon.

It felt so real, like i wasn't even dreaming. We held hands and stared at each other lovingly and then…

He's face suddenly turned dark and red vains covered his eyes and fangs grew from his teeth. I stared, but i wasn't scared. I put my hands on his face and smiled warmly.

It caught him off guard. And before I know what
happened next, my alarm woke me up. 'Damon.'

Chapter Text

"So, what about Stefan?" I asked skeptically to Bonnie. "When i gave him Elena's number and email, i touched his hand and got a really bad feeling."

"That could just be best friend intuition, Ivory once
had it with a guy that was trying to flirt with me
when we were hanging out. And she turned out
to be right..." I paused, drifting off.

"Actually! So that's why i haven't been able to stay near him. I keep having this feeling everywhere he is." Bonnie expresses loss of comfortably.

"Elena probably knows what she's doing. And if you turned out to be wrong, you can apologize and share a tub of ice cream." I suggested, a smile sprung on my lips. "Thanks, Carmen." Bonnie hangs up the phone. I sighed.

"It's tiresome being the only one who everyone goes to for advice. I should probably start paying people. $5
each for the Mystic Falls Friendship and Relationship Connoisseur Guru, Carmen Sommers!" I anounced and waved my hand to visualize a written banner.

I laughed. "I should probably go. I've
been in this room for too long."

Going downstairs, i grab my bag and headed out. My first stop was the Mystic Grill. Sitting down, I looked around.

"What would you like?" Vicky asked me. "Vicky? I didn't expect you to be working with what happened a couple of days ago. How are you feeling?" I asked.

"Good. Matt hasn't left my
side ever since." Vicky rolls her eyes.

"That's what big brother's are for. They call you nicknames and mess with you, but they'll always love you." I spoke, lovingly. "He's just worried about you."

She chuckles. "Yeah."

"I'll just have a glass of water." She nodded and left. I tapped my nails on the table out of boredom, but soon came across Caroline chatting with Matt.

'What's going on there?' I thought curiously. 'Looks like Caroline found someone who likes her. Way to go!'

I smiled.

"I knew this is where i'd find you." A voice said
from behind me. Turning around, i see that
Damon, using his usual smirk, looking at me.

"Does that mean you've been stalking me?" I raised an eyebrow. But a second later, laughed. "Hello, Damon."

He sits down next to me. "What's a girl
like you doing alone in this place?"

I sighed. "Needed some fresh scenery. I've been couped in my room for the past couple of hours." I admitted, groaning and putting my head down on my arms.

"Sounds to me like it's something more than that." He told me. I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

"It's…complicated." I admitted. "I thought everything was going to be easier when i returned, but…"

"It's not what you expected." He finishes for me. I nodded. "Yeah. I can't tell my Mom, Elena, or Jeremy. Everything's just going to hell. With Vicky's attack, would like to know that it's all behind me."

He puts his hand on mine. Creating a shock through out my body. "Everything is going to get better for you."

I stared into his eyes, and my heart
warmed with a strange feeling.

Before i could say something, Vicky
showed up. "And here's your water."

I mouthed thanks and she left. I turned around and saw that Damon wasn't here anymore. "Oh, when did he…" i trailed. I sip my water and shrugged it off.

I get a call from Elena. "Could you stay for dinner? I'm
trying to get Bonnie to warm up to Stefan, and
i want you there to make sure nothing goes wrong."

"Sure. I'll be there." I nodded, even though she couldn't see.

"Good. See you later." She hangs up. I sighed. "Why
do i always get myself into stuff that is obviously
turning into a bad idea." I looked at the time.

"Carmen! Hey! I haven't seen you since
yesterday." Caroline's voice called to me.

"Yeah, been busy." I got an idea. "Well, we're having a
dinner party at our house, and it's the perfect time
to hang out." Caroline instantly smiled.

"Of course! I'll make sure to pick a cute outfit." She hugs
me and leaves quickly. "Okay…?" I said, unsure of
her implications. "That's Caroline for you."

══════════════

Bonnie and Elena were setting up food,
while i just set the table. "You explain it. Last night,
i'm watching Nine-O, a commercial break comes on
and i'm like "i bet it's that phone commercial". And sure enough, it's the guy and the girl with the bench, he flies to Paris and he flies back. They take a picture."

Elena laughed. "Oh, come on. That
commercial's on a constant loop."

"Fine. Well, how about this? Today i'm obsessed with numbers. Three numbers, i keep seeing eight, fourteen, and twenty-two. How weird is that?" Bonnie asked. "And that's never happened to you before the end of summer break?"
She shook her head no at my question.

"Maybe we should play the lottery." Elena joked. "Have you talked to your Grams?" She puts the noodles on a plate.

"She's just gonna say "it's because i'm a witch". I don't wanna be a witch. Do you guys want to be a witch?" Bonnie asked.

"I don't wanna be a witch." Elena instantly answers.
"I think being a witch would be cool. Casting spells, and cursing those who bully you." I admit.

Elena and Bonnie gave me a
horrified look. "But i'm only kidding."

"And putting it in a nice bowl isn't
fooling anybody." Bonnie retorts.

"Okay, serving spoons. Where are the serving spoons?" Elena asked, going to the cabinets. I go to tell her,
but Bonnie beat me to it. "Middle drawer on your left."

She pointed to the drawer.

Shrugging, when me and Elena gave her a look. Elena opened the drawer and took out a serving spoon. "Okay, so you've been in this kitchen like a thousand times." Elena tries to explain.

"Yeah. That's it." Bonnie said, not
believing the possibility of magic.

Our doorbell rings. "That must be Stefan." I walked over to the door and see Stefan on the porch. "Come on in. We've been waiting for you."

Moments later, everyone was eating dinner, in
awkward silence. I kept trying to get some tension
out of the way, only receiving one word answers from Bonnie, and Stefan just brushing it off. "Did Tanner give you a hard time today?" Elena asked Stefan.

"Well, he let me on the team, so…i must have done something right." He answered. Elena laughed. "Bonnie, you should have seen Stefan today. Tyler threw a ball at him, and–"

"Yeah, i heard." Bonnie cuts her off.

I sip my water awkwardly, looking from Bonnie to Elena, and back. "Maybe Bonnie could tell you about her family."

"Um, divorced. No mom. Live with my dad." She answered. "Not the response i was looking for." I mumbled.

"Hmm." He nodded.

"No, about the witches." Elena clarified. Stefan quickly turned his head at "Witches". "Bonnie's family has a lineage of witches. It's really cool."

"Cool isn't the word i'd use." Bonnie disagrees. "Well, it's certainly interesting. I'm not too versed but i do know that there's a history of Celtic druids that migrated here in the 1800s." Stefan explained the historical moment.

"My family came by way of Salem."
Bonnie told him, starting to warm up.
"Really?" She nodded. "Salem witches?"

"Yeah." She smiled and played with her food. "I would say that's pretty cool." He admitted. "Really? Why?" She asks.

"Salem witches are heroic examples of individualism and nonconformity." He explained. She nodded. "Yeah, they are."

Another doorbell ring. "There's Caroline!" I quickly ran to the door, opening it and seeing her and…Damon?

"Surprised?! We brought dessert." She said, holding up a cake. I gasped. "Hope you don't mind." He anounced.
"No, i just didn't think that this was your type of scene." I said, voiced my thoughts. "But, the more, the merrier."

I opened the door more and moved out of
the way. Caroline, cheesily walked in the
house, and Damon walked inside.

"This is a nice place you've got here, Carmen." He looked around. "Yeah, it's home." I smiled at the compliment.

"I hope i'm not intruding." I waved him off. "No, of course not. You're welcome anytime." I repeated what he said to me and Elena when we first met.

"What're you doing here?" Stefan asked from behind me. "Just wanted to get to know my brother's girlfriend more. And see her adorable cousin." I blushed.

"He-he can't stay. Can't you, Damon?" Stefan asked his brother, giving him a glare in the process. "No, it's alright. He can stay. I invited Caroline, which in turn made Caroline–for whatever reason–invite Damon." I confessed.

"Thanks, Carmen." He walked away. I turned to Stefan. "I really didn't know that he was coming." I whispered.

He sighed, but gave me a reassuring nod. Saying "It's not your fault". I smiled thankfully and walked into the living room, where everyone was sitting.

"I cannot believe that Mr. Tanner let you on the team. Uh, Tyler must be seething. But good for you. Go for it." She congratulated. "That's what i always tell him. You have to engage. You can't just sit there and wait for life to come to you, you have to go get it." Damon added.

"Yeah, Elena wasn't so lucky today. It's only because you missed summer camp." Caroline scoffed. "God, i don't know how you're going to learn all the moves." I put my hand on her leg, signaling for her to stop while she can.

"I'll work with her. She'll get it." Bonnie defends Elena. "Or we could put her in the back…" Caroline trails off.

I face-palmed. "Oh, Care."

"Hey, you know, you don't seem
like the cheerleader type." Damon pointed out.

"She used to be more fun. But now she's not so much." I widened my eyes, mouth agape. "Caroline!" I yelled. She puts her hand over her mouth in shock.

"Elena! i didn't mean…" She quickly
apologized, looking guilt-ridden.

"It's alright, Caroline. I'm fine." Elena smiles weakly. I could tell it hurt her, but she didn't want to make it worse.

"I'm soory, Elena. I know what's it like to lose both your parents, in fact, Stefan and i have watched almost every single person we've ever cared about die." Damon said, in a somber tone.

I took his hand in mine. I smiled, comfortly. He gives me a confused look, but doesn't comment on it.

"We don't need to get in to that right now, Damon." Stefan warned Damon. He scoffs. Oh, you know what, you right, Stef, i'm sorry, i…the last thing i wanted to do was bring her up. Ha" Damon struck a nerve with Stefan.

'Katherine?' I thought. Looking at the two brothers. 'She really must have messed up their relationship.'

Later, i'm putting away the dirty dishes and i hear footsteps. "One more." Damon said as he hands me the glass cup, but it slips from my fingers and almost breaks, untill Damon caught it on time.

"Nice reflexes." I smiled. "Earlier, did you mean Katherine?" I asked, hoping that i didn't cause a negative response.

"Mm-hm." He helps me put the dishes in the dishwasher. "How did she die?" I asked. "In a fire. A tragic fire." He told me, a saddened tone in his voice.

"Recently?" I watched his expression.
"It's like it was yesterday." He said.

"You must have loved her too. I can tell by how you talk about her." I admitted. "I know the feeling of loss, so…" He gives me a confused look. "I think it's best to get along with Stefan. You both lost someone you loved–even if it was the same woman–and you two need each other in your time of grieving."

His mouth just opens when Bonnie and
Caroline shows up. "Hey, need some help?"

"Sure, why not?" He goes to leave. Caroline and Bonnie watched him go and Caroline hung her mouth open.

"Okay, Carmen, i love you, but he was totally flirting with you!" Caroline whisper-yelled to me. I frowned my brows. "What? Caroline, no he wasn't."

"Bonnie, you agree with me!" Caroline turned to Bonnie. She raised her hands in surrender. "I'm not getting into that."

We all laughed. Elena coming in later
to help. "What's going on here?"

══════════════

Me and Caroline are saying our goodbyes. "Make
sure to tell me all about what's going on with you and Damon later. I need all the juicy details."

"Sure, Caroline. You have my word." I put one of my hands behind my back crossed my fingers. I hugged her.

"I'll see you tomorrow." She laughed and
walked away. I chuckled. Watching her
leave, when Stefan walked over to me.

"Hey, so…Carmen–" I cut him off. "I know what you're about to say. There's nothing going on between us."

He blinked. "How did you…"

I winked. "Call it a superpower. And also that you've been staring at me while i was talking to Damon. You're not so subtle on the way you act with him."

He laughed nervously. "Don't worry, my lips are
sealed." I zipped my lips with a hand motioning
of a zipper. "Just don't have Elena be in the middle
of your guys disagreements. I'd prefer it
be someplace else rather than here."

I see Elena walking upstairs. "Go get her.
She needs some happiness in her life."

He nods and walks over to Elena,
hand-in-hand. I smiled at the two.

I yawned and headed to my room. Getting undressed and in pj's, i climbed into bed and turned off my light.

I dreamed of Damon again. This time we were making out. I've never dreamt of someone more frequently than now.

"Oh, Carmen, the sound of your heart beating is music to my ears." He moans into the kisses. "Just one little taste, and it'll all be over."

Before i could speak, his face transforms like it did with my first dream. And again i wasn't scared. He grows fangs and sink his teeth into my neck, but i don't feel pain at all.

In fact, it's a exhilarating feeling. My moans
escaped my mouth and I dig my nails into him.

Nothing could have prepared me for
this. But, i didn't want to stop.

He lets my neck go and looks at me. Seeing his mouth stained with my blood, springs unwarranted feelings.

I quickly kiss him back, but more roughly this time. 'Carmen, snap out of it!' I unlocked our lips and turned my head. "Who–" Damon shushes me.

He turns my attention back to him. And i'm back under his spell. The voice was quickly gone. We continued kissing but a ringing sounded, waking me up.

I groaned. I searched my room for a sound but heard nothing. "Maybe it was just Mom or Jeremy." Seeing that it was still night out, i headed back to bed.

I touched my neck, but i don't find a wound. "Some crazy dream i had." I go back to sleep. Choosing to forget the dream since it didn't continue from there.

══════════════

The start of the celebration for tonight's game is here, and I wanted to see it for myself, taking my mind off last night.

Seeing everyone festive and rallied up, is a
nice way of putting it. I drink my to-go cup
of coffee from my favorite place.

Mr. Tanner gives a glorious speech, gaining cheers
from the crowd. After, i heard some commotion and fighting and looked around. Seeing Jeremy and Tyler throwing fits at eachother. "Tyler, Stop!" Vicki yells at him.

It being in vain. Running over to them, i pulled Tyler away from Jeremy. "Back away from my cousin!" I glared at him.

He stared at me in shock but i didn't haer anything when i felt myself be pushed away. "Jeremy, no!"
I see Jeremy with a broken bottle in his hand.

I quickly walked over to him. "Jeremy! Are you okay? Are you hurt?" I search his body for any major injuries.

"No, i'm fine." I picked his head up and read his expression. Getting an honest answer, i let him go. "Clean yourself up before going home. See you when i get back."

He nodded and walks away.

I sigh in relief. "Could this night get any better."
I say, walking off the to the game. Later, i
wanted to grab my coat since i didn't bring one,
and Elena told me that there was one in her car.

I turned around and came to face with
Damon Salvatore. "Ah! You scared me." He raised
his hands in surrender. "Sorry. Couldn't pass up on the perfect opportunity." He smirked, mysteriously.

"What are you doing here?" He asks. "Just getting a coat. It's cold out here." I shivered. Rubbing my arms up and down trying to keep warm. "You must be warm-blooded if you're standing here without one on." I scoffed.

"I don't really get cold like that." He admitted. "Okay, well, i have to get back there. Elena'll began to worry."

"Yes. But first, i know what you're thinking. You want me." He said, not even hesitation in his stance.

I blinked rapidly. "Huh?"

"I get to you. You find yourself drawn to me. And right now…" I feel myself stare into his eyes. "You want to kiss me." I know i shouldn't, but my body's moving on it's own.

Before we completely close distance, i
snapped out of it and took a few steps back.

"I don't know what's wrong with me. I'm sorry. I'm just gonna go…" i sped walked out of there. 'What was that? I was just about to kiss Damon Salvatore!'

Going back, i sat down on the bleachers.

I calm my beating heart. 'Carmen,
you're stronger than this! Fight it.'

After a while, the police and ambulance were called. Mr. Tanner was just attacked by a wild animal. So,
everyone was shocked that it happened out in the open.

'Let's hope that he died peacefully.'

Returning home and coming to an worried mother
wasn't on my bucket list. She had already ripped
a new one into Jeremy. "Mom, i said that i'm
fine. No need to get a first-ad kit out."

"You're lucky that i can't ground you! But if i could, you would be "super grounded". She cups my face. "I'm just being a mother worried about her child."

I smiled and bring her hands down from my face. "I appreciate that, mom. Now, can i please go to bed?" I asked. She sighed and nodded. I go upstairs and go to sleep. Sleeping peacefully, i don't have any dreams.

Chapter Text

（ Go To My Wattpad To See The
Photos For Her Founder's Party Outfit ）

Eating a bowl of cereal and watching the
news about the attacks happening, and
that they caught the animal that did it.

"A mountain lion? Wouldn't it have mutilated the body instead of just the neck?" I spoke, mouthful of cereal.

"I can confirm that a 12-goot puma mountain lion attacked a hunter and was subsequently shot and killed. The hunter is in stable condition." Liz, Caroline's mother, told the news anchor, who was the one‐and only, Logen Fell.

Aka, my father.

"To repeat, the animal terrorizing Mystic Falls has been caught…" I hear mom come in. "Scum Fall. Scum bucket."
I turned around. "Needs more adjectives."

I say, laughing at the insults directly at
him–well, the television more to speak.

"Who are you talking about?" Elena
asked, coming in the kitchen.

"Him." Mom gestured to the tv. "The news guy?" I put the half of the spoon in my mouth. Staring at the man who left mom when she was pregnant with me.

"Also known as Logan "Scum" Fell. And Carmen's father." Mom glared at the tv. "Did your mom ever tell you why i moved away from Mystic Falls?"

She shook her head. I looked at mom and held her hand as a sign of comfort. "We dated back in high-school. We were eachother's everything. Until, i got pregnant with Carmen. As soon as i told him, he dumped me. And not even a day later, i saw him with another girl."

"Oh, i'm sorry." Elena apologized. "It happened
years ago. Now, it's his fault that he wouldn't
get to know my beautiful daughter." She pinches
my face with a sweet high-pitched voice.

"Mom!" I laughed.

Seeing Elena with a box, i sat down at the table and looked inside. A watch, a golden key, and… "Is that Grandma Beth's wedding ring?!" Mom gasped.

"Originally, it was Great-Great-Grandma Mary's wedding ring." Elena told us the original owner of the ring. Jeremy took the watch from the box. "Makes you wonder how much this stuff would cost on ebay." Elena quickly takes it back. "And you're not gonna find out."

"That stuff is mom and dad's. You can't just
give it away." He argued. "I'm not giving it
away. It's called a loan, Jeremy."

The doorbell rings. Elena gets up and walked to the door. I raised an eyebrow at her and continued on my cereal.

I hear two footsteps and figured Stefan was here. "They're not really being discreet about it. Love is love."

Finishing up, i got shopping for the Founder's Party at "Charlotte's Dressing and Design". (Fictional). And see a beautiful purple silk dress.

"That's the one." I say, picking it up. I head to the
register and pay for the dress. "$13 for this dress
is a steal! Wait until mom gets a look at this."

My cellphone rings and i pick it up seeing the name "Care" on it. "Hey, Care." I put my phone to my ear.

"Carmen Sommers! Don't tell me that you're going to the party by yourself?!" I quickly took the phone away.
"Yeah, Caroline Forbes, i don't have a date."

"But this is a perfect opportunity to get you a boyfriend! Of course, Caroline approved." She groaned frustratingly.

"Where am i gonna find a date with the time i have?" I asked her, watching where i was going, almost bumping into a light pole. I didn't receive an answer.

"Caroline?" I asked.

"Carmen, i may have just found the perfect candidate for you! Talk to you later!" She quickly hanged up.

Mouth agaped in shock. Staring at my phone, i put it in my dress bag and headed home. I come across Bonnie and Elena getting ready. The house cell rings and I pick it up. "Hello? Hi, Mrs. Lockwood. What's seems to be the problem?" I asked. She tells me about one of the items are missing from the box. "What was it? Elena made sure that everything was there." I explained.

"A watch? It was–" I remembered what
happened earlier. "Yeah, i'll look top
to bottom for it. Call you when i find it."

Hanging up, i go to Jeremy's room and
see him with headphones in. I tap his
shoulder. "Hey, Carmmy! What's up?"

I sighed. "Please tell me you didn't
take the watch from Aunt Miranda's box?"

He scoffed. "Did Elena put you up to this?!" I
shooked my head. "No, she doesn't know that's
it missing, and i kinda want to keep it that way."

He sighed. "Yeah." He goes over to his dresser and
fiddles with the bottom and takes out the watch.
"It was supposed to be mine. Dad said it goes to the firstborn son. Hos father gave it to him–"

"And he was going to give it to you." I said, guilt-ridden.
"I'll tell Mrs. Lockwood that it was lost somewhere in
Aunt's things. You can keep it." He smiles and hugs me.

"Thank you, Carmen." I pointed a finger at him. "But you can't tell Elena. Best to hide it, before she notices." We laughed. And I ruffled his hair again then left.

I call Mrs. Lockwood. "Yeah, Mrs. Lockwood, i couldn't find the watch. It's probably lost somewhere in Aunt's and Uncle's things. I promise to look for it. Okay, Bye."

I smiled at a job well done. 'Now, i must get ready. Before Caroline pulverizes me for being late.' I grabbed a
hair curler and make my hair into soft waves.
Pink lip gloss and mascara. And white heels.

══════════════

I left the house and headed towards the Lockwood residence. People gathered around in a line to enter the place. I sighed heavily, not wanting to wait.

"Carm! Over here!" I heard my name being called and see Caroline waving her hands to help me find her. I walked over to her and looked at her outfit.

"Wow! You look good, Caroline!" I awed. She giggled. "Did you expect anything less?" She twirled around, showing me the whole dress and accessories.

"And don't think i forgot about you. You look like a fairy
tale princess." She scans my outfit and has her
mouth agape. "Who are you? And what have
you done with Carmen?!" I giggled at her joke.

"I don't always wear soccer mom clothes and it'll be a waste to not disappoint my date." I frowned my brows in confusion. "By the way, where is my date?"

"He said that "He'd be a little late, but not to wait for him". I nodded. "Okay, let's have some fun!" I wrapped my arm around Care's and walked together in.

"Who did you come with?" I asked curiously. "Don't tell Elena, but…Matt." I gasped. She quickly put her hand over my mouth. "I know. You don't need to tell me that it's a horrible thing to do. Especially to my best friend."

I shook my head. "That's not i was going to say." She
looked confused. "You weren't?" I shook my head. "I think it's a wonderful idea. You should be happy, Care. And i
don't think you should worry about Elena, it looks
like she has her heart set on a different person."

I motioned over to the dance floor and watch Caroline turning to see Elena and Stefan laughing and talking.

"See? She's not even thinking about Matt in that way.
Too preoccupied with Stefan to." I hold her hands in
mine. She turns back to me. "So, please don't think
about Elena's feelings and be happy."

She chuckles lightly and hugs me.
She immediately brightens up. "Looks
like your date is finally here! Good luck!"

Looking at the entrance way, i see Damon in a devilishly handsome suit. He sees me and smiled. Mrs Lockwood invites him in, and he walks over to me.

He takes my hand and kisses it. "Hello, Mrs. Sommers." I blushed and looked down, hiding my red face. "Why hello, Mr. Salvatore." I curtsied, with a smile.

"I'm in need of a drink." I nodded and interlocked
our arms over to the drinking table. "Let me guess,
Caroline bribed you to be my date. She did that
the last time we was hanging out."

He shook his head. "On the contrary, i wanted to go with you." I stared, surprised that he want to be with me.

"Okay, where's the cameras?" I search everywhere, everyone, to know if this is some kind of sick joke. "There are no cameras, Carmen. Trust me."

I turned to look at him, and his eyes told me he
was telling the truth. I, again, blushed. "Maybe
i overreacted a bit there. I'm sorry about that."

He shakes his head. "No. I completely understand." I laughed at my embarrassment and awkwardness getting the best of me. "Let's look around, see what kind of secrets lies behind the scenes." I smiled and nodded.

Viewing all the items from generations passed down
from Founder to Founder. I gawked at them.

"Everything looks so–"

"Old? Tacky?" He asks. I laughed. "No! Meaningful. Everyone's loved ones items are gathered and are appreciated. Makes your heart feel warm." I smiled, happily.

He looks at me. "Would you like to dance?" I turned to him. My heart leaps with an extreme emotion. A smile sprung on my lips. "Yes. I would love to."

We take each other's hand and go to the dance floor
as soon as a slow song started. I couldn't help
but stare in his eyes. The burning feeling to
kiss him, wrapped around my heart.

He looks at me, a small smile evident on his lips. "I never would have thought you would be an excellent dancer."

I laughed. "Trust me. I'm doing everything in my power
not to step on your feet." He chuckled.

We danced a couple nore times. But when the music stopped, we parted. I was quickly saddened by that, but immediately showed a bright smile.

Damon pulls me to him. I gasped. "I need to go grab something. I'll be right back." He placed a kiss on my forehead and left. I was immediately breathless.

'I need to find Caroline!' I walked around and spotted Stefan, Elena, Caroline, and Matt over by the glass cases.
I feel a tap on my shoulder and see Carol Lockwood smile at me. "I see that the watch still isn't in the collection."

"Yeah, i seem to have lost it." I laughed nervously. "Maybe tomorrow when i find it again, i'll bring it here."

"I see. Well, please bring it here the minute you find it."
She smiles and leaves. I happened to catch her smile
quickly fall and turned into a scowl.

I go over to them and pulled Caroline away. "Caroline, i love you, but why is my date, Damon?" I asked carefully.

"Because i saw you giving him doe eyes and–me being your number one bff–saw him at the Grill and asked him to be your date." Caroline explained.

"I was not giving him doe eyes!" She give me a "really?" look. "You're right. I totally was! Caroline, help me!"

She laughed. "Well, here's what you could do…"
She tells me the plan. "Will it even work?" I asked. She nodded. "Would i ever lie to you?"

"There was that one time when you stole my favorite pair of earrings, and you blamed it on Elena." I told her.

"That was different! Now go!" She shooed me away and i walked to where Damon was headed towards.

I peaked into all of the rooms, until i spot Damon holding a box. I quickly shut the door, and pull a seductive expression. He looks over at me, but seems weirded out.

'Am i not doing it right? Okay, next step!'
I walked slowly towards him.

"What're you doing?" He asked, in a kind-confused tone. I filped my hair to the side. "Hey, just looking for something to snack on…but looks like i found it."

"Are you sure you're okay? You're doing a really weird thing with you face." He grimaced. 'Okay, last step.' I walked over to him and started caressing his body.

I also tried biting my lip, but that only made it worse. He physically looks sick. I stop and step away from him. "Nothing? I did everything Caroline told me to do! But, it's not working!" I forced my eyes closed. I sighed.

"You done now?"

"That's all you could say?" I noticed a jewel in his hand.
"Is that what you came here for? To get that?
You used me." Tear prickled down my face.

He looks at his hand and to me. He opens his mouth to say something, but i hold my hand out, stopping him.

"No! I get it. I understand. You used me and only pretended to like me all for you to get some stupid gem." I
wiped my tears away and smiled weakly.

"I hope it was worth it." I walked out the room and quickly go outside the Lockwood residence. I walk so far,
that i can't even hear the music anymore.

I then let the taers fall completely. I sob until my hands reach my chest where my heart is. 'Why did i go to this stupid party? Why didn't i just stay home and slept?
And why did i love Damon Salvatore?' I thought, feeling my heart break into a million pieces.

Returning home is the only thing on my mind right now, and i follow it. The familiar porch shows up and i ran there.
Unlocking the door with an extra key, i looked around and spotted Jeremy sitting on the couch.

I gasped and tried to stop, but he turned his
head and immediately ran over to me.

"Carmmy?! What happened?!" He checked my body for anything wrong. "I'm fine." I smiled weakly, my bottom lip caught in my front teeth.

"No you're not, Carmmy! You're crying
yourself to dehydration!" He pulls me into
a hug and brings me over to sit.

I sob into his chest. "Why doesn't he like me?" I asked myself. Lips trembling, and the taste of salt in my mouth.

He shushes me and rubs my shoulder with his thumb. "It's not your fault, Cammy. He just doesn't know what he's missing." He tried to comfort me.

I continue to sob. "But i wanted to get to know him. To understand eachother. But instead, he only used me. How pathetic is that?" I asked an honest question.

Before he could answer, someone was was rocking on the door. We looked at each other confused, and Jeremy got up from the couch and walk to the door.

He opens it. "Oh, you look amazing.
What are you doing here?"

"I was thinking maybe i could make one more wrong choice today. I still have 17 minutes." Vicky pulls him in for a kiss.

Watching the moment, i smiled.
'Jeremy's happy. I should go.'

I quietly go up the stairs and go to my room. 'Everyone's having the best night, except for me.' I pulled my photo of me and my mom at the ice cream shop off the nightstand. Us holding cups, with me having ice-cream on my face and mom with a ice cream mustache to not make me feel embarrassed. I smiled at the memory.

I hold it close to my chest. And i find myself drifting off.

Chapter Text

Waking up in my bed, still in my dress from the
Founder's Party. I put my photo back on the nightstand.
I picked up my phone seeing missed voice mails
from Caroline, Bonnie, Elena, and Mom.

I dropped it on the covers, not wanting anyone to see me. I continue to lay in bed. "Carm! Why haven't you–?"

Elena opens the door. And gasps at the sught of me. "Carm! What happened to you?!" She walks over and sits on my bed. "Don't tell me it's 'cause of Damon?"

I bring my head up from the bed. Elena's eyes widened at my expression. "No, i'm perfectly fine. You can go Elena, you'll be late for school." I smiled, hiding my pain.

She puts her hand on my shoulder as a way of
saying "She's here if i need her". I nodded.

She gets up and closes the door.

"The world will forget that there ever was a person named Carmen Sommers after she jumps from her windows, to her death." I narrate my death, jokingly.

I pick my phone up and receive a incoming call from Caroline. I picked it up. "Carm! What happened
last night?! I couldn't find you nor Damon!"

"I suddenly got sick from the entries and he
drove me home." I tried to put some emotion to my voice.

She stays quiet.

"Something bad happened? You don't sound like your usual self." She said. "But i know the perfect ting to cheer you up! We're going to be having a "Sexy Suds Car Wash" for our school's fundraiser. I think it'll take your mind off of whatever reason you have." I sighed. "I'll think about it."

"Great! Talk to you later!" She hangs up and i stare at the phone. "Caroline is such an amazing best friend. Who would i be if i didn't be with her." I admitted.

"I guess i've decided to go!" I pick out a two piece
swimsuit and set it on the bed. Dragging of my dress, i throw it at the dresser, pent-up frustration.

Putting on normal clothes for now, i walked downstairs. "And she lives." I heard mom say gesturing to me.

I smiled and take a bowl out and a carton of milk. "Just so you know, i won't be home for dinner." I gasped for joy.

"Mom, you got a date planned and you didn't even tell me. Do i know him? Did i need to give the typical "Don't hurt her or–and insert not so subtle threat?" I questioned, i wanted to know who my mother will be dating. "Logen Fell."

She said quickly. I blinked. "Logen Fell? Your ex boyfriend, Logen Fell?! My father, Logen Fell?!" I asked.

She nodded. "Do you remember the pain he put you through? How he broke your heart and didn't feel one ounce of remorse for it?!" She stared at me in shock. "Something tells me that we're not talking about me and Logen."

I smiled. "Yeah. We both know i am."

She gives me a reassuring look. I looked over to the staircase and see Vicky enter Jeremy's room. "I would've thought he'd care enough to try to sneak her out."

Elena walked in holding a box of cereal.
"Have you heard from Stefan?" I looked
at her. "What happened with Stefan?"

"No. Not since he left that very vague message three days ago." She recites the whole voice message. "Three days?! How long have i been out of the loop?!"

"You're pretty late to the party." Mom
joked. "Haven't you talked to him?"

"Nope. Not going to either." Elena tells.

I nodded. "If you really want to know what his deal
is, maybe start looking into his past. But also, if he's not ready to tell you, it's best to be patient."

"Carm's right. Only you can chose to continue looking
for answers or not." Mom agrees with me. Elena sighed,
but nodded. "I'm just going to go to school and not think about it. I'm not gonna be those girls that worlds stop because of a guy." She leaves and takes her bag.

"Now. I seriously think you shouldn't go." I spoke, unsure
of his intentions. Mom sighed. "I'll just torture him. Give him a light taste to see what he missed."

"Then you make those hours hell. I suggest you put hot sauce in his drink." I grumbled. "Scum, D-Bag, Fell."

She laughed. "Are you okay?"

I opened my mouth, but immediately close it. "I'll survive. Now, i need to get away for awhile. Call you when i come back." She nodded and i left the kitchen.

I grabbed my bag and left the house. I thought of going
to the Grill, but then the thought of Damon stopped me.
'Let me just go see Caroline.' I thought.

Walking to her house wasn't far and i see the familiar house. I knocked on the door and see Liz open the door. "Carmen! It's been so long!" I smiled.

"Hey, Liz! Is Caroline here?" I looked around. She sighed. "You just missed her." I nodded. "She kept calling you last night and yesterday. She sounded so worried. Is there anything i should know?" She asks, comfortly.

I shooked my head. "No. I was just sick at the party
and i forgot to call Care. I just didn't realize that i
was gone for so long until Elena mentioned it."

She nodded. "Well, make sure not to do that again, you know how Caroline is with you?" I smiled. "Will do."

I waved to her and left. I was headed towards the "Bread and Butter Bakery" and ordered my favorite coffee and a cupcake. "Hey, Carmen!" Edward Knight. He's the guy who took my order the first time i came in to this place.

"Ed! How's the girlfriend?" I make small talk. "Oh, Bella? Yeah, we've been doing wonderful. But she keeps bugging me about adopting a dog and calling it Jacob." I laughed. "Worried she'd love it more than me." He joked.

"I'm afraid it's up to Bella to decide that."
We both laughed. I bit into the cupcake.

"Mhm, you're treats are always fresh when i come here. What's your secret?" He waves his finger at me. "Not telling." I smiled. "I gotta go." He looks confused. "Ladies room." He nodded and went to serve other customers. I opened the door, not hearing anyone in there.

I wash my hands and face i look up to see Damon, whom is deathly pale. "Carmen…" I jumped and went to him. But he disappeared. 'What… was that?' I shook my head.

'It's the suger, it's starting to give me hallucinations.'
I dried my hands and walk out. "Why would i be thinking
of Damon with what he did to me?"

"Thinking about who?" I heard Edward from behind me. I turned around. "This guy i was sorta friends with, but…it's complicated." I sighed, rubbing my head.

"Aren't all relationships complicated? You just need to forget about him." He spoke like it was the most obvious thing.

"I know. But i can't help but feel like he's in danger or something. There's something wrong with me." I touched my hair anxiously. "I'll figure it out."

He laughed. "You always do."

I smiled. "Thanks for the talk. See you
next week!" We hugged and i left.

Walking back home, i hear wings flapping. 'Hey, aren't you–" It cocked at me and flew away. "Carmen…"

I turned around hearing his voice again. Nothing was behind me. I quickly get back home. Opening the front door, i ran to my room and close the door.

My heart beating fast. A noise sounds behind me. My window springs open and i quickly go close the door.

"Carmen…" i close my eyes and put my hands over my ears. "Please, stop." I opened my eyes seeing him right in front of me. I jumped and took a step back.

"Carmen, you have to help me."

My eyes start tearing up. "Damon. Please." He looks so lost. "Get out of my head!" I yelled. He soon fades away.

I looked around for any signs of him, but come up empty. I fall to my knees. I sobbed into my hands and covered my mouth to silence my crying for anyone.

══════════════

Today's the fundraiser for "Sexy Suds Car Wash". I see a banner and see Caroline registering people and collecting money. "Carmen! I just knew you would come."

She hugged me.

"We both know that i can't say no to you." I laughed. "And i see you're dressed, Sexy, but also innocent."

She looks at me. "Nice." She smiled.

I laughed. "Well, this was the only two piece
i had in my closet. It's not bad."

She nodded. "Well, go grab some rags and wash some cars!" I walked away and took the basket with rags.

I gained a customer and washed their car. Suddenly, i see a car burst into flames. "What the hell was that?!"

Then it suddenly went out. 'Must be a magic trick or something.' I continue on. Soon, i go to the basket but see that there are no more rags. I go over to Caroline.

"Hey, i'm going to go see if
there's anymore rags." I pointed out.

"There should be some at the school." She tells me.
I nodded and headed towards the school.
The lights were dim, which was freaking me out.

The door to the janitors closet wasn't opening. "God, how am i going to get them now?!" I touched my hair.

"Carmen…help me." I heard Damon's voice. And i quickly ran away from there. I see the outside door and just as soon as i was about to leave, i fell unconscious. My mind is closed off, but i can feel my body moving.

I see that i've walked to the Salvatore boarding house. 'What am i doing here?' I see that i enter the house. I find myself back in control. "Stefan? Damon?"

I feel a pull to search for something and find myself at a strange door that i didn't see last time i was here. I opened it, seeing stairs down and follow them.

It looked like a storage room or a cage of some-sort. "Hello?! Anyone down here?!" I looked inside the doors.

Spotting a pale, and weak Damon. "Oh my god! What happened to you?!" I yelled, worried about his life. He chuckled. "I'm surprised you came."

"I don't know why i did." I admitted.
"Because, i wanted you to." He said.

"How–why are you in there?" I looked around the cell.
"How long have you been in there?" He groaned.

"Since the Founder's Party." He chuckled.
"The Founder's Party? But that was…"

I realized that-that was four days ago. "You weren't even let out." I shook my head. "I'll get you out and we can call the police. How could Stefan not know?!"

I hear a whoosh and see Damon near the door. "Carmen, as soon as you unlock it, please don't look back and run."
I shook my head. "What?! No. I want to help you." I unlocked the door, but i'm pushed away. "No! Get out of here!"

A man runs to Damon's door and holds it shut. I looked over to Damon and see his face change. 'Like in my dream.'

"Go!" I quickly ran and headed up the stairs. I stopped at the door. It didn't feel right to leave, even though every ounce of my body is telling me to leave.

Suddenly i feel myself being hugged from behind and heavy breathing down my neck. "Wha-Damon?" I asked.

"Carmen, i can't control myself. Please go, while i still have strength left." He said, weakly. I turned around, seeing him in pain. It hurt me to see him like this. I shooked my head. "No. Whatever you need, i can help you." I meant it.

"What i want is…" He breathes into my neck, creating a flutter in my heart. "You're blood." I frowned my eyebrows, but soon, i feel something sink into my neck.

"Damon, what're you–" I feel myself starting
to feel faint. "Damon…wait…" I close my eyes,
the arms of death reach out to me.

Chapter Text

I find myself lying on the couch and touched my neck. "The wound…it's gone." I looked around for Damon.

"That's because i fed you my blood." I heard Damon's voice behind me. Quickly turning around, i stand up and step back. He notices the fearful expression. He speeds close to me. "Don't worry, i won't hurt you." I sighed in relief.

"But her? I will, until Stefan brings me my ring." I looked to where he's looking at see Vicki sprawled on the floor.

I quickly ran over to her and checked her pulse.
"She's alive. You left her alive." I expressed gratitude.

"Truthfully, i don't think she can die. Too stubborn." He admitted, drinking a glass of alcohol. I sighed. I thought about what transpired. "How long have i been out?"

"A day." He said, like it wasn't a big deal. "Damon! Where's my phone? I need to call mom to tell her that I'm okay!"

I searched my pockets. "Damon? Where's my phone?" He doesn't answer. "Give me my phone! Damon!"

He speeds close to me. "So you could tell someone about my secret? No can do, Carmen." I was about to talk when Vicki springs up and gasped. I quickly calm her down. "You're okay. You're at the boarding house right now."

"H-he bit me." She touches her neck,
frantically. "Wait? Why are you here?"

"I'm–" I'm cut off my Damon. "Not important. I was hungry, i fed from you, killed your friends, and now…" He sped over to Vicki. "We are going to party till the sun goes down." I watched as Vicki looked scared to excited the next.

"What did you do?" I asked, carefully.

"I compelled her. Which reminds me." He sped over to me. "You are going to go home and forget this ever happened. If anyone asks you "where you were?", tell them that you were spending some time alone and forgot to call."

I found myself walking to my house. I smiled etched on
my lips. Opening the door to an angry mother. "Where
have you been? Carmen Noel Sommers!"

"There's the middle name." I squinted my eyes.
"I wanted some time alone, and i didn't notice that
it got so late, and i forgot to call. I'm sorry, mom."

She folds her arms. "This has been happening for these past couple of days! When is the secrecy going to stop?!"

I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. "Well, when you learn to trust and listen to your mother, make sure to let me know." She leaves, a disappointed expression on her face.

'But, that's what happened.' I start to feel bad. I don't want mom to be mad with me. I sighed. I go out and find something to gift her. A flower shop was close by.

"Hello, welcome to The Secret Garden, where everyone's desires are shown in the essence of the flowers. What will it be?" The flower woman announced.

"Do you have something that shows that a person is truly sorry and lost." She gives me a warm smile. "I have the perfect one." She heads to the back.

Looking around at the flowers, i see one
with golden and light purple petals. The
light that came with it was beautiful.

"I see you've found the Flos Sanationis." She said from behind me. "Oh! Sorry, i was just admiring the flower. What does it mean?" I asked, curiosity.

"It means "Flower Of Healing" in Latin. It's a one of a kind flower. Some speculate that it can heal the sick and injured. Even could save people from death. But i don't believe in some myth." The lady told me. "Take it if you want it."

"No. I couldn't possibly–" She cuts me off. "Nonsense. It seems to me that you'll take extra care of it." She waves her hands, disagreeing to the objection.

She didn't even let me finish before she picked the flower and put it on my hair. "There, isn't that better? It's on the house." She winked and handed me the flowers for mom.

"Thank you, Miss…?"

"Gothel. But you can call me Minerva." She smiles
warmly. I nodded. "Thank you, Minerva!" I go to leave,
but turned myself. "But what about…paying?"

I see that she's gone and the flowers and plants are dead and the shop is run-down. "What just happened?'

I walked away, looking back and forth. 'At least the flowers still in my hand are okay." I rushed over to the house and opened the door. I found it to be quiet.

Too quiet. "Elena?! Mom?! Jeremy?!" Hearing footsteps from Jeremy's room, i noticed that he's the only one here.

I put the flowers in a vase and carried it to mom's room. Setting it on the table with a little sticky note that reads "i'm sorry, forgive me – Carmen".

I smiled and left the room.

Just as i got to mine, i heard the door being
knocked on. Jeremy opened his door and looked at me. I shrugged. And me and him went downstairs.

"Coming!" He opened the door revealing Vicki. "Hey–" She pushed him out of the way. "The sun is killing me. My eyes are on fire." He immediately worries.

"Where have you been?" He asks. "It's good, everything's good." She pulls him into a kiss. I look everywhere but them.

"Well, did something happen?" Jeremy asked. "I'm hungry. What do you got to eat?" She sped to the kitchen.

"Is this a new hangover? Vicki?" I asked her, watching her take containers of leftovers and stuff her face.

"Could you not talk so loud? My head hurts." She yells at me. I raised my hands in surrender. "I'm not well equipped for this, so…good luck."

I walk up the stairs and in the hallway. Hearing everything that happens. The door knocked again and Jeremy went the door. "Where is she?" Matt asked.

"Come this way." They run over to the kitchen. "What's she on?" To which Jeremy replied. "I don't know."

Vicki suddenly yells. "Just turn it off!
The talking, the chatter, just turn it off."

They walked over to the television and see the news. Jeremy turns it up. "That's where we were last night! What happened after i left last night?"

I heard a thud and quickly run down seeing Jeremy on the ground. "Hey, you okay?! Vicki, what the hell?!"

"What's going on?" Elena asked about the situation. "Matt's Sister just threw Jeremy like he was a rag-doll." I told.

"She's really messed up." Matt told. I see Stefan walk
over to Vicki. He says something to her and she calms down. "How did you do that?" I stared in awe.

"Guys, take her up to bed, shut the blinds. She's gonna be okay." He rushes for Vicki to be upstairs. I followed.

We take her to Jeremy's room and settled her
down. I stared at Vicki. 'There's something seriously wrong with her.' I thought, they hugged and i see Matt walk downstairs. Following him, i take his hand. "She'll come to you when she's ready." I reassured him.

He sighed.

We heard frantic footsteps down the stairs and see
Vicki run away. "Vicki!" He runs after her. "She was fine
and then she freaked out." Jeremy tells us.

"I'm gonna go look for her. Call me if you hear anything." He runs over to his truck and drives off. I watch as he leaves and sighed. Going in and cleaning the mess.

══════════════

Waiting was excruciating. Elena's nervousness and Jeremy persistent about wanting to go help looking.

"Maybe we should check in with Matt." He suggested. "He'll call when he finds her." Elena declined. "Well, what are we supposed to do?" He asks, frustrated.

"We wait. We're supposed to wait." She answered, anxiously. "I don't know what's wrong with her."

Jeremy said. "She'll be fine. It'll be fine." It didn't
seem like that was the answer he wanted. The
doorbell rung and we quickly went over.

Elena opens the door and we see Damon, but she quickly tries to shut it. To no advail. "Carmen, Jeremy, go upstairs!"

Looking at them, seeing some rough tension and take Jeremy's arm. Hearing the door closing. I peaked over the banister, trying to eavesdrop on their conversation, and come empty. Jeremy goes back into his room and closes the door. Damon left when i heard the door closed.

I walked downstairs.

"What did he want?" I asked. "I ask myself the same question." She mumbled. "Just asking about Stefan."

I nodded. "That's all he asked about?"

She frowns in confusion. "What else?" I sighed.
"It's nothing. Tell me when Vicki is found."

She nodded and i headed up.

I go to my room. Frustration in my expression.
I cool my face with water and hopped into bed.
Twisting and turning in my bed, comfortably not
finding me with the past few minutes.

I fall to my side and stare at the nightstand. 'Why wasn't he wondering about me? The fact that i've been thinking about the Founder's Party and he didn't even spare one glance at me.'

I push my pillow into my face and scream. 'There!
that feels better.' I smiled and put my pillow back.

'Wherever Vicki is, i just hope she's alright.' I thought, falling deeper asleep. I let myself go and fall asleep.

══════════════

I find myself at the Salvatore boarding house and decide to walk there. And you might be wondering "what am i doing here?" I wanted to get answers for myself.

At least for closure.

I knocked on the door, secretly hoping that he doesn't answer. But my prayers were unheard. He flashes his signature smirk as soon as he saw me.

"Hello, miss girl on a mission." He joked. I folded my arms. "Don't you remember what you did? You made me think that we were getting along! You let me make a fool of myself! And the worst of it all, i was actually going to forgive you for it all, if you would've apologized."

He stared, shocked at my outburst. "I'm a little busy
at the moment. So, could you come back later?"
I laughed, bewildered. "Are you serious right now?!
You know what, screw you Damon!"

I turned on my shoes and leave him in the dust. Tears fall from my eyes, quickly wiping'em away. 'I won't give him the satisfaction of breaking me!'

Mystic Falls townspeople are decorating for Halloween and pumpkins, skeletons, and stores advertising for the holiday.

I take out my phone. Calling Caroline. It's going to voicemail. "Caroline! I plan on going to the Halloween party tonight! Make sure to save me a seat on the dance floor." I hanged up and went into a costume store. I find the perfect one. And go get my hair and makeup done.

Walking into my home, i see Jeremy walk up the stairs and Elena sighed at him. "Did i miss something?"

She turned her head and left. Confusion
showed on my face. "But i gotta party to attend."
I headed to my room and get ready. I looked at myself. "Goodbye Carmen Sommers, Hello Emily."

I walked out the room and out the house. Spotting
the Mystic Falls High sign and knew that i was
there. Students and strangers partying. Fake
blood and gore made me a little squeamish.

I spotted Caroline and Bonnie with witches costumes. "Awe, we usually match every Halloween, Care."

"Did you hear anything, Bonnie? This terrible noise that i'm hearing right now." Caroline asked her, sarcastically.

I rolled my eyes. "Come on, Care. It's me, Carmen." I laughed but she looked indifferent. "It's messing with my head, i better go get something to drink."

I watched her leave, but don't call her. 'Care…' I looked to Bonnie, whom shook her head. I nodded and left.

Grabbing a drink from the bowl, i scarf it down, wiping the excess from my mouth. Almost feeling the effects.

I take two more. Soon, i'm drunk off my rocker. I tipsly walk around crowds of people. And i spot Elena running out the school. I, not so steadily, run after her.

'No! Aah!" I heard Jeremy screaming. Quickly sobering up, we ran towards him. Elena grabs a wooden stick.

We see Vicki lunging at Jeremy. "Vicki, No!" Elena yelled and She gets off of Jeremy and struts forward angrily at Elena. Elena attacked her with the stick, but is easily pushed away. "Elena! How did you do that?! Vicki!" I yelled.

She goes to attack Elena again, but Stefan came in the nick-of-time.

"Take Jeremy and Elena, then go!" He instructed. I nodded and grabbed their hands as soon as we made it to the door, i feel Elena's and Jeremy's hands escape from mine. "Ahh!" Elena screams.

I don't register what i'm doing, but next, i find myself with a stick in my hand and plunge it into her chest. "Vicki!" I turned around and see Jeremy fighting in Stefan's grip, Stefan and Elena looked at me shocked, and i find tears going down my cheeks. I realized what i did.

"What did i do?" I mumbled. "I didn't mean to–" I stared at Vicki's dead body. I sobbed into my hands. "I'm so sorry!"

Elena holds her shoulder. "Get them out of here."
I feel myself being pushed away from her dead
corpse and eyes. 'Vicki…i didn't want it to happen.'

We're at home and I see that Jeremy instantly went inside. I quickly go after him. "Jeremy! Wait!" I almost tripped.

Walking towards his bedroom, i see him with his knees into his chest. "Why Vicki? Why did you kill her?"

My heart stops. More tears falling. "I don't know. I couldn't control my body. All i knew was that she was hurting Elena, and i knew to do something."

"Why do people have to keep dieing on me?" I quickly hugged him. Tears falling down mine as well. "Make it stop."

I feel even more guilty. Vicki was there for him when he had no one. And i took that away from him. I hugged tighter.

I heard a knock coming from his door. Turning
around we see Damon slanted on the door. "We need to have a little talk, Jeremy." He smiles softly.

Jeremy gives me a confused look and i stay close to him. "Whatever it is, say it to both me and Jeremy." He sighed.

He comes over and sits in front of us. "Neither of you are going to remember this, Vicki left town and she's not coming back. You'll be sad about it, but you know that you should move on." I opened my eyes and see that i was crying.

"What was i just crying about?" I asked and see Damon walking away. I was confused, but didn't dwell on it. I look at Jeremy, who was also confused.

"You must've been having a shity night, and came to tell me about it." He guessed. "Yeah…" I nodded and told him that me and Caroline aren't getting along. And that i may, or may not, be drunk. We laughed at our lonely night.

"How about some ice cream? I think there's still a tub left from last time." I laughed and went to go grab a tub.

"Cookie dough. My one and only true love." I smiled and headed back upstairs. "I know! Let's watch the notebook! Caroline's been raving about it ever since she first watched it." I immediately frowned. Jeremy noticed and grabbed my hand. "How about breakfast club?" He suggested better.

I nodded. "That one's a classic!" I quickly bring a case of C.D's and put them in the player. "Now, no hogging until the last 10 minutes of the movie!" I pointed.

He laughed and moved over, so i could
lay. "Well, you don't hog the blankets!"

I stick my tongue out while he did the same. And we giggled and started the movie. An hour in, i started to fall asleep. I dreamed of Aunt Miranda and Uncle Grayson. Mom and Jeremy. Elena, Caroline, and Bonnie. Stefan and Damon. The last one i'm confused with. I couldn't help the sinking feeling, that everything was about to change.

Chapter Text

"Where did Vicki say she was going?" Liz asked me, questions about the whereabouts of Vicki Donavan.

"She didn't. We haven't talked these past
few days." I answered, honestly.

"Did she tell her brother?" She asks. "Not that i know of. Vicki didn't really talk to Matt like that. So, i'm not surprised if she didn't." I fidgeted with my hands.

"Is there anyone i could talk to that may
know what happened?" She questioned.

"The only one i could possibly think of, is Stefan. Elena
told me that he was helping Vicki with her drug problem. Guess it didn't work." I chuckled.

"What was her behavior prior to before she left?" I thought. "She was fine and then the next, high. She was acting all weird the last time i saw her."

"High how?" She asks.

"Like, mega high! She went through our fridge and was eating leftover dinners, like she was fed in days." I recalled.

"Any signs of aggression or violence?" I shook my
head. But i remembered. "Actually, yeah! When Jeremy
was trying to figure out what happened to her, she
pushed him so hard that he went flying."

"So, you really believe that Vicki
has left town?" She asks, seriously.

I nodded. "Yes, i do. I'll miss her, but it's for the best." She nodded and took my statement. "How's Caroline?"

She sighed. "She's still mad. But give it time." She puts her hand on mine and smiled reassuringly. I smiled back.

"Thanks, Liz." I grabbed my stuff. Walking out, i
exited the police station and met up with Mom,
Elena, and Jeremy. Stefan waits for Elena.

"You guys go. I'll meet you at the car." Elena told us, and we left her. I ran over to the car. "I call shotgun!" I laughed.

"You called that three times today." Jeremy argued. "Yeah, but i'm the oldest, so…deal with it." I stuck my tongue out.

Elena came back after awhile. "Is everything okay?"
I asked her. "Yeah." She nodded and flatly smiled.
Which didn't reach her eyes. I let it go.

Setting on the couch, eating ice-cream when mom tells me and Elena what happened with Logan. "I told you mom that he wasn't good. Want me to kill him for you?"

She chuckles. "No."

"I can easily hide a body. But i would have to kill you for being a witness." I joked. "Don't see him again. He's only going to break your heart again."

"Wanna keep it down from over there?" Jeremy
tells us. "What're you doing over there?" Mom asked, turning around. "Homework." He said like it was obvious.

We looked at eachother confused. "What do
you think? Alien?" I squinted my eyes. "Maybe he's the secret twin that was switched at birth?"

"Some sort-of replicant." She drawled. He glares at us. "He can hear you, you know." He smiled sarcastically.

Watching him improve his life, makes me proud. "I told you he'd come out of it." I looked to Mom and smiled.

══════════════

I ventured through Mystic Falls and come across Caroline. "Care!" I ran over to her. "Carmen." She used my name.

I sighed. "I know that i've been M.I.A these
days and we haven't gotten the chance to
hang out and chat about boys."

She turned her head away. "I'm a terrible friend and
i truly apologize for not being there with you. I understand if you never forgive me or wanna see me."

She smiles and looks at me. "I forgive you." She hugs me. "It was really hard trying to stay mad at you! I hate you."

We laughed. "So, now that we're okay now, i must now how's it going with Matt." I looped my arm into hers.

"There's nothing to tell! Except for the fact that we had a moment earlier and sort-of kissed. " She quickly covers her ears. I squealed. "Caroline! That so was not nothing! How was it?" I asked.

"It was nothing i've ever felt before." She
smiled and touched her lips. "Caroline, you
got it bad! What did Matt think?"

She looked sad. "He moved away and
apologized for kissing me, then he left."

I held her hand. "He didn't mean it. With Vicki, he probably felt like he was out of line and didn't want you to feel mixed signals." I reasoned. She groaned.

"I hate when you're right." She said. "You just need to give him some time." I reassured. "It's not the best time for anything." She looked at me, but nodded.

"So, how about we get something to eat? My treat." I asked. "It would be my pleasure." She answered and we left.

══════════════

Returning to the boarding house from my hangout with Caroline and knocked on the door. A blonde woman answered the door. "Is Stefan here?" I asked.

"Yeah, he's just in the shower. He'll be out in a sec." She said, moving to the side for me. I entered, staring at her.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"I'm Lexi, Stefan's friend." I nodded. I sit on the living room couch, sneaking glances at her. "I'm Carmen."

"So, you're the one Damon won't stop talking about." I looked confused. "Damon…talks about me?" She nodded.

"More times than i can count. What's
your deal with him?" She asked.

"There's no "deal". We have nothing more to say to
each other." I folded my arms, trying to be angry,
but my heart betrayed me by feeling flustered
when she told me he talks about me.

"Okay." She laughed.

"Hey, Carmen." Stefan's voice heard from the stairs.
"Stefan, just the man i wanted to see. Elena told me that you two are going through a rough patch."

"Yeah, it wasn't working out, and well,
we had a talk about the future." I squinted my eyes. "Future talk. The ultimate obstacle for a relationship."

"I just didn't think i would realize until now, that i love her." He admitted. I gasped. "You love her?" He nodded.

I hugged him. "Stefan, you must tell her how you feel then! Or i'll shave off all your hair in your sleep!" I threatened.

He chuckled and nodded. "Good.
And do i need to worry about Lexi?"

He quickly shook his head. "No. We're old friends, she has a boyfriend and was just staying over for the day."

I thought about today. 'Was it a holiday i
missed? What's important about today?'

I feel an arm wrapped around my shoulders. "That's 'cause it's Stefan's birthday." He looks at her bewildered.

"Happy birthday! Then why aren't you with Elena? Does she even know?" I questioned. He shakes his head.

"No. He hasn't really celebrated his birthday in awhile." Lexi confessed. I put my hamds on my waist. "And i aim to change that! Are you doing anything for tonight?"

They both said no.

"Great! Meet at the Grill in a hour! It's a surprise!" I smiled and quickly left the boarding house, calling Caroline. "Hey, Caroline. Yeah, i'm gonna need a party planned at The Grill in the next hour. It's for Stefan's birthday, but he doesn't like to celebrate. You will? Thank you! Mmhm! See you later!"

I hanged up.n'Now, all i'll need is for Elena to come.' I thought and I walked home. I came in at a bad time and see Elena sulking. "What happened?" I asked.

She turned to me. "Stefan happened." I looked confused. "Turns out that he didn't waste no time and got with Lexi." She grumbled, a hint of jealousy in her tone.

I stared, then laughed. "Elena! That's not what happened. Trust me. I went over to Stefan and Damon's and talked to him. There's nothing going on between them. But if you still don't believe, you can take your mind off of it at the Grill."

She looked at me. "There's a party there and Caroline's throwing it." I explained. "For what?" She asks. I shrugged.

She sighed. "Fine, i'll go." I clapped my
hands. "Great! See you there!"

I walked upstairs and picked out an outfit. An hour later, i'm at the Grill and walked to the counter. "One glass water." I asked. "I'ma need to see some I.D." The bartender laughed.

I blushed. "Please, don't flatter me."
Hiding my reddend face. He sets my drink down. "I'm Spencer, it's my first time here and i just got this job."

"I'm–" I'm cut off. "Not interested." I turned around seeing Damon giving him a glare that meant death. He pulls me to him. "Is he bothering you?" Damon asks.

Spencer looks between Me and Damon and walked away. I push him off of me. "Damon! What was that for?!" I glared.

He smirked. "Helping you. He was giving me the creeps." I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, so you ruined a perfect moment for me just cause you had a strange feeling?! Real classy, Damon." I took my drink and walked away, i search for Caroline in the crowd, hundreds of people dancing.

Seeing her with Bonnie, talking. I
go towards them. "Finally! You're here!"

"Yeah, Care. I promised to be here more. I intend to keep that promise." I nodded, triumphantly. "Bonnie! Hey!" I hugged her. She stiffened up. "How are you?"

"Okay for the most part." Bonnie says. I looked and noticed her necklace. "Wow Bonnie, where'd you get that?"

"I found it." She answered. "It's hideous, i know." I shook my head. "That's not what it is, it looks cool." I go to touch it to observe, but it ended up shocking me.

"Ow!" I held my hand. She immediately looked guilty.
"I'm sorry, that was my fault. I gotta go." Bonnie didn't stay, and quickly walked away. "It's fine!"

We watched her leave. "What's going on with Bonnie?" I asked Caroline. She shrugged. 'I can't help but worry about her. Sure we're not as close, but she's still my friend.' I sighed and went to the pool tables. Catching Stefan and Lexi there. I grabbed a stick and shot 8 ball.

It rolled and hit all of the others, making them fall down
the holes. They laughed. "I didn't know that you were
a pro at pool. You just made Stefan lose."

I laughed. "Yep. Self-proclaimed champion. Have you talked to Elena yet? I told her to come here as told with a lie."

He shakes his head. "Not yet. But i'm waiting for her to decide whether to forgive me." I nodded and held his shoulder. "You'll guys work it out. You two have that epic love that many people would be jealous to have."

He gives me a look. "Like, you?" I blinked. "I haven't
been in a relationship before. So, i can't help but
want that for myself." I admitted. He nodded.

I see Lexi give a drink to Elena. "Don't mess this up, Salvatore." I told him and walked away. I walked back to the counter, but i don't see Spencer.

'Must be on break…?' I drank the rest of my
water and payed for it. Seeing Elena go over
to Stefan and they start talking.

And Caroline bridal style carried by Matt, clearly drunk. Soon, police officers and Liz come in with a frightened girl.

"What's going on?" I mumbled. She pointed to where Damon and Lexi were and they immediately went over.

I sped over. "What's wrong, Liz?" I questioned
her, behind me. "It's important business i have
to take care of. Please move away." She said.

"I think it's best to separate. To not cause any panic in here." I suggested. She turned her head to look behind me and her eyes widened. "We have a situation! Don't let her escape!" She yelled into her walkie talkie. She quickly walks over to the guarded doors and leaves.

"What does she want with Lexi?" I questioned. I see
Elena running towards the backway doors. I decided to
not get involved with their deal and continued
on, rubbing my hands through my hair.

[THIRD P.O.V]

Sheriff Liz and other officers search for the Vampire, not knowing that they're being watched. "Stay close. Wait on my signal." She tells the others officers.

They circled around but one of them was thrown away. "Ahh!" Then another, then another, then–you get the point.

Liz calls out to her fallen officers not seeing that she was about to get attacked next. She feels someone grab her and she grabbed her gun with wooden bullets, but it was knocked away. She sees the Vampire, but it wasn't Lexi, it was the new bartender, Spencer. She gasped, not thinking that there would be another one so soon.

"You don't want to do this." He chuckled. "Oh,
but i do. It's literally wired in my d.n.a to feed
on blood, now. And it's wonderful!"

She shakes from fear, and the possibility of never seeing her daughter again. He goes to attack her again but Damon came just in time to stake the Vampire.

"Thanks for making my feelings right!" He said to the decaying Vampire. He goes over to Liz, fake worry
shown in expression. "Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah, i'm fine." She said, shaken by the Vampire. "I came just in time before you could become "Vampire dinner". He joked, lighting the mood a little.

She looks at the body. "Get it in the car. Quickly." They both carried Spencer's body and dropped him in the trunk.

They headed back to the Grill and Liz arrested the bartender. "You're pretty handy with a stake, Damon."

"Just a reflex. Guess the adrenaline kicked in." He lied, laughing nervously. "This nightmare is finally over. But we still lost the other one." She told him.

"If she comes back, we'll be ready." She nodded. "Well, thank you, again." Liz walked away, Damon watching her.

He turned to see Carmen messing with her glass straw, staring at it intently. He walks over to the blonde and sits next to her. "Are you drunk?" He laughs.

"Why do you care? You clearly made that obvious that you don't!" She yelled at him. He felt something spark in him. The same spark that happened last time she was angry at him. He was sad about her.

"Come on. I'll take you home." He grabbed her arm, but she snatched it away. "I can walk home myself!" But as soon as she gets up from the chair, she feels herself starting to fall.

Damon picks her up in time. "Woah, there." He picks her up bridal style, Carmen too drunk to fight back.

"You keep sending me mixed signals! You're cold to me, then the next you do something like this!" She said. "Don't you like me?" Drunken tears fall.

He doesn't answer. He doesn't know what to tell her. But he does know that it's ripping at his heart to apologize and to see her signature smile again.

He takes her into his car, and putting her seat belt on. He takes a moment to stare at her sleeping form, after her long cry. Her beautiful golden locks, pink cheeks, and dimples that are shown slightly. "How did i not notice that the "Sunshine of Mystic Falls" was so beautiful?"

He asked himself. He shakes his head. 'What am i doing? Katherine's the one i want! I wanted to become a vampire because of her.' But his heart didn't seem to listen.

'All i'm doing is taking her home.
Nothing more.' He told himself.

He goes over to the drivers seat and starts the car.
He finds himself sneaking glances every now and
then, but quickly gets himself back on track.

'Free Katherine from the tomb, and
then I'll leave this town with her.' He couldn't help feeling sad about the thought, and Carmen's reaction to it.

He almost dreads it.

Chapter Text

"He's bad news, Carmen. He really freaked me out." Bonnie tells us about what happened with Damon. "You need to stay away from Damon as possible. You too, Carm." Elena told her. "I'm trying. He just keeps showing up."

"I'm already ahead of you, Elena." I admitted. "I can't believe that happened, Bonnie. Why he's so obsessed with that necklace, is beyond me. Glad he didn't hurt you."

I touched her shoulder, comforting her.

"I don't want you to be alone. You're sleeping at our place tonight. We can make a whole night of it." Elena suggests.

Bonnie suddenly made the car swerve and got out of the car. We see her throw the necklace in the fields.

Then she walked back.

"Are you okay?" Elena asks.
"I am now." Bonnie replies.

"Isn't your Grams gonna be mad?" I asked. "She's not being haunted by a 150-year-old ghost, is she?" Bonnie retorts.

I shrugged and fell back.

"I can't believe i didn't do that sooner."
She starts the car and drives.

══════════════

I'm at the Grill with Mom and Jeremy, drinking a water. I see her stare at the guy across from us. "Anything you want to say, mom?" I raised an eyebrow.

"I like a man who can dine alone. A quiet
strength." She said, staring at the man.

"I thought you were still into the whole "Logan depression thing". Jeremy asked. "I've sworn off all men. But doesn't mean i can't observe them from a safe distance." She explained. "Mom, that's called stalking you know." I advised.

"Well, i could introduce you. He's my
History teacher." Jeremy insisted.

"You should go for it. You can't be single your whole life." I nodded, joyfully. "Look who's talking." She joked.

I stick my tongue out.

She thought about it, but inevitably shook her head.
"Have you picked a topic?" She asks Jeremy.

"No, not yet. It's gotta be local and non-internet research, so…" Jeremy tells. "Well, that's easy, you've got all of your dad's stuff." She help his extra credit.

"What stuff?" Jeremy asked. "How-the-Gilberts-came-home-on-the-Mayflower stuff. All that family lineage from way back. Your dad clearly loved all that family history stuff. It's all boxed up in the closet." She smiled.

"Looks like you've got yourself a essay to write." I laughed. We hear a chair scratch on the floor and see the guy walking towards us. "Mom, act natural."

"Mr. Saltzmen." Jeremy greets.
"Jeremy, what's up, man?" He asks.

"This is my Aunt Jenna and my cousin Carmen." He introduced us. "Alaric Saltzmen. It's nice to meet you."

"Jeremy was telling me all about his paper. Thanks for giving him another chance." She said, appreciated.

"Oh, you know. It was my first day. I wanted to make a pretty good impression." He chuckled, honestly.

Me and Jeremy look at the two, already
seeing something between them.

══════════════

I decided to join the sleepover with Elena, Bonnie, and Caroline. Taking out delivery and talking about stuff.

"Does anyone have their kit? Let's
do manicures!" Caroline suggested.

"Mine's in my bag." Bonnie tells. She goes over to her bag and freezes. "Elena!" She holds up her necklace.

Elena looks spooked.
"What is it?" I asked.

"We watched her throw it into the field." Elena
explained. "Emily?" Bonnie guessed. "Who's Emily?" Both me and Caroline asked. She turns to us.

"The ghost that has been haunting me and giving me nightmares." Bonnie explained. "I wonder why she won't leave me alone." She ponders.

"Okay, what's going on?" Caroline asked.
"I'm a witch!" Bonnie suddenly says.

Me and Caroline blinked, mouth
agape. "You're a witch?!" We both asked.

She raised her shoulders and nodded. "Yeah." I hugged her. "That's amazing! I can't believe it." She laughed.

"Did you know about this?" Caroline questioned Elena. "Yeah, she told me a month ago." Caroline scoffed.

"I'm always the last one to know everything! You
guys do this to me all the time!" Caroline ranted.

"That's not true." Elena clarified. "Yes, it is. I can't talk to you. You don't listen." Bonnie disagrees with Elena.

"That's not true. I listen." Caroline looks hurt. "When do i not listen?" Bonnie scoffed and leaves the kitchen. I looked at Caroline and put my hand in hers. "She doesn't mean that."

Caroline goes over to Bonnie to talk. Me and Elena eavesdrop to make sure it doesn't escalate. "And i say this knowing that Elena and Carmen are listening to my every word." Caroline said. "Elena, Carmen, you can come in now!" We walked over curiously. "Well, there is just way too much drama in this room. What do you want to do?"

Caroline asked. She sat up. "I have an idea.
Why don't we have a seance?" She smiles.

"I don't think it's a great idea." Bonnie expresses unsure about the seance. "This would give you a chance to talk to this Emily. Nothing could go wrong." I reassured Bonnie. We all hold hands while sitting down on the floor.

"What are we doing?" Bonnie asked.
"I don't know." Elena answered.

"Shh. Be quiet and considerate. Okay, close your eyes." We all do. "Okay, now take a deep breath. Bonnie, call to her."

"Emily, you there?" Bonnie asked.

I opened one eye, weirded by her question.
"Seriously? "Emily, you there?" That's all you got.
Come on." Caroline retorted. "Okay, Fine. Geez!"

We close our eyes again. "Emily…i call on you. I know you have a message. I'm here to listen." After a while, nothing happens. "Did we do it ri–" Before it let me finish, The candle flames grew stronger and scared us. "Did that just…"

"Yeah, it just happened." Caroline
answered her unfinished question.

It suddenly got cold in here, i wrapped my arms against myself, trying to keep cool. "It's just the air conditioning."

The flames grew again, we quickly
separated from the candles.

"Ask her to show you a sign." Caroline told Bonnie. "I think she's shown us plenty enough." I spoke nervously.

"Ask her." Bonnie shakes her head. "Emily, if you're among us, show us another sign." Caroline requested.

Nothing happened. "See? It's not working." We stared at the candles, when the windows flew open. Bonnie stands up.

"No. I can't. I'm done." She rips the necklace from her neck and throws it to the floor. The candles go out. "Get the light. Please get the light on." Bonnie urged. I hold onto Caroline.

"Hold on. I got it." Elena answered and quickly turneed on the room light. We looked to see the necklace gone.

We searched everywhere for it. Elena went to say something, but she stared at the open hallway. "What is it?" She shook her head. "Nothing. Jeremy are you home?"

She checked the hallway.
"This is so freaky." I mumbled.

"Um, guys." Bonnie said. We turned around and saw Bonnie enter the bathroom and pick up the necklace.

Before she could speak, the door magically closed
and the lights flickering. "Ah! Oh, my god!"

"Bonnie!" Me, Elena, and Caroline yelled, banging on the door, and trying the handle. "What's going on? Bonnie!"

"We'll try the other door!" Elena quickly runs over to the other door to the bathroom. Me and Caroline still trying to get it opened, while Bonnie's screaming.

"Bonnie, open the door!" We yelled. Elena comes back. Bonnie suddenly stops screaming and everything stops.

The door is unlocked and opened,
Bonnie has her hand in her face.

"Bonnie…?" I asked.

"What happened? Are
you okay?" Elena asked.

She pulls her hands away and stares at us
with a standoffish look. "I'm fine."

Caroline scoffed. "Unbelievable. You
were totally faking it." She said.

"Caroline, she wasn't–" I was cut off. "No! You scared the hell out of me!" Caroline turned and walked away.

"Bonnie…?" Elena asked.

"I'm fine. Everything's fine." Bonnie said, monotone. She walks to the side of Elena and exits the bathroom. "Does she sound weird to you?" I asked, watching her leave.

The three of us follow her.

"I can't believe i fell for it." Caroline
retorted. "Are you okay??" Elena asks.

"I must go." She sped down the stairs. "She's leaving. I'm leaving." Caroline told us. "You guys can't leave." Elena spoke. "Oh, i can." I watched Bonnie continue on like she really needed to be somewhere. "Oh my god. Emily!"

She turned around. "I won't let him have it. It must be destroyed." She leaves and we chase after her. But she controlled the front door and closed it.

Elena tries opening the door. "What's happening?" Caroline asked, running downstairs. "I don't know. The door it's not–" We screamed when the door suddenly opened. Jeremy looked at us confused and entered the house.

"I'm outta here, alright?" Caroline quickly leaves and i run to go find Bonnie. "Where would a hundreds year old ghost go? Bonnie mentioned it…"

I remembered. "Old Fell's Church!" I quickly get there as i can, as going through woods in the dark is not for the faint of heart. Especially with the animal attacks. I see Bonnie grab a stick and draw on the ground, which was a star.

"Emily!" She looked at me shocked. "I must destroy the necklace. He can't have it." She told me. "Who, Emily?"

"Hello, Emily. You look different." I heard Damon's voice. 'What is he doing here?' I stay close, hidden from sight.

"I won't let you do it." Emily spoke. "We had a deal." Damon reminds. "Things are different now. I need to protect my family." She tells him. "I protected your family. You owe me."

He divulged.

"I know. I'm sorry." She apologized. "You're about to be a lot more then that." He was suddenly running towards her, but she pushed him into a broken tree.

I suddenly feel pain in my side. "Ahh!" I touched my
side, but i didn't feel anything on me. 'Why am i feeling his pain?' I stared as Emily setted up sticks.

I see Stefan run over to him and picked him off the broken tree. "Ahh, that hurts. This is why i feed on people."

'Feed on people?' I questioned.

"Stefan." Emily said.
"Hello, Emily." He greeted.

"These people don't deserve this. They should never have to know such evil." Emily informed. "What do you mean "evil"? Stefan asked her. "Emily. I swear to God i'll make you regret this." Damon threatened, holding his side.

"I won't let you unleash them into the world." She tells Damon. "Them?" Stefan asked. "What part of the story did you leave out, Damon?" Stefan looks at him.

"What does it matter?" He groaned. Stefan looks to Emily. "Emily, tell me what you did?" She stares at him.

"To save her, i had to save them." Emily explained. "You saved everyone in the church?" Stefan asked, surprised.

"With one, comes all." She declared.

"I don't care about them. I just
want Katherine." He pleads with Emily.

'Katherine? Their dead girlfriend, Katherine?' I thought. 'Why would she be in the church? It doesn't make sense.'

"I knew i shouldn't have believed a single word that
comes out of your mouth. This isn't about love, is it?
This is about revenge." Stefan guessed.

"You two aren't mutually exclusive." Damon fights with Stefan. "Damon, you can't do this." He pushes him.

"Why not?! They killed 27 people and they called it a war battle. They deserve whatever they get!" Damon argued.

"Twenty-Seven vampires, Damon. They were vampires. You can't just bring them back." Stefan explained to him. "You're blaming innocent people for something that had happened 145 years ago." Damon shoved Stefan. "There is nothing innocent about these people!"

"Then what about Carmen?" Stefan brings me into it. "Carmen is going to get hurt if you set them free. Do you want that?" That made Damon freeze.

"Don't do this." He finally says to Emily.

"I can't free them. I won't." She tells. Emily lets go of the stick and raises her hands. "Incendia!" The flames sprouts around her and consumed the star design. She rips it from Bonnie's neck and held it over the fire.

Watching Emily then throw the necklace, which bursts, and creates sparks in the sky. The flames go out and i see Bonnie start to come out of it. I started to walk to her, but i noticed that Damon was staring very angry at Bonnie, and i instantly ran and pushed her out of the way.

"Ahh!" I feel my neck being practically ripped to
shreds while blood pours from my neck. He lets me go and i fall to the ground. "No! What have i done?"

I heard Elena call my name and Stefan checking on Bonnie. My eyes closed, and i feel something pressed against my lips, and a liquid pour into my mouth.

It tasted metallic and i spit it out. "She's not drinking!" I heard Stefan yelled to them. "I don't know what's wrong."

"Carm!" I feel Elena pick my head up.
"Please drink, you'll feel better."

He tries again, but i continued to spit it out. "She's not taking his blood." I feel teardrops on my face. Stefan sighed. "Damon! She needs you." He tells Damon.

"Well, why aren't you giving her your blood?" He
asked. "She's rejecting my blood for some reason, she's gonna die if she's not healed." Stefan states.

He doesn't say anything. "Damon!" I then heard footsteps coming towards me. "Carmen, i'm so sorry." I feel him caress my cheek. I feel the samething pressed against my lips and liquid fall. But this time, it's more sweeter than the last one. I take it and drank some more.

"Stefan, she's drinking." Elena states.

I feel my strength come back quickly
and my neck started to close up.

"Her neck, it's healing." Elena tells. I stopped drinking and opened my eyes seeing Damon giving me a reliefed look.

I smiled. "Damon." I soon fainted.

Chapter Text

(Warning – will be over 2000 words.
readers discretion is advised)

Elena explained to me that Vampires exist, and that Stefan and Damon are Vampires. "So, vampires really are real? i thought that Vicki was just confused–or something by the attack she had." Elena nodded.

"I'm sorry you had to find out like this, i wanted to keep it from you as long as possible." Elena apologies. I shook my head. "You did it to make sure i wasn't hurt. I don't blame you." She smiled. I looked over to Bonnie and went to hug her. "I'm so glad that you're alright! You really had me freaking out." I smiled. she returned it.

I quickly let go. "Wait! Does Care know?"

"No! And you can't tell her. Nobody can know about this." Elena tells me. "Not even Mom?" She shakes her head. "You know how bad of a liar i am!  Especially Mom!"

"You're gonna have to." I hear Stefan ask me. I look at his guilty face and walked over. He looked at be confused
and shocked that i would even be near him. "I can't promise...but your secret is safe with me." I put my hand on his shoulder and smiled reassuringly.

I see that Damon is gone. "I'll be right back.'
They go to protest. "I'll be fine. Don't worry."

I 'keched Damon sitting on a broken tree stump. I see that he was clearly upset, and i walked over to him. "I'm sorry about the necklace. Kathrine was important to you, so you tried to get her out of the tomb. I forgive you."

He gives me a shocked look.

I smiled comfortly and held his closed hands. He inhaled deeply and turned to me, his eyes watering and a lost look.

He looked at my neck, i see a guilty expression. "You were just angry, i understood what you did and i knew you didn't intended to hurt me."

"Why are you so nice to me? I'm a monster, i feed
on human blood, and i kill people." He asked, curiosity.

I smiled. "Cause i believe that you're capable of change. I always see the best in people, whether i like it or not, and i see you have a certain aura that tells me that you have a good heart." I admitted. Before he could speak, he quickly puts on a cold face and turned to Stefan.

"Katherine never compelled me. I knew everything.
Every step of the way." He tells Stefan. I looked at
Stefan's expression, curious to hear what'd he say.

"It was real for me. I'll leave now."

I quickly looked at Damon, shocked. "Wait, you're just gonna leave?" I stand up, bewildered at the man. "Carmen..." Stefan said, cautiously. I shook my head.

"It's fine, Stefan." Damon said. He gets up and stands close to me. My anger fades and my scrunched face relaxes.
"It'll be easier for you to hate me."

He walks away from me, and i release a
breath i didn't know i was holding.

"Stefan, will he really leave?" I asked, saddened by the fact i'll never see him again. "I hope so. He's dangerous, he can't stay here, Carmen." He told me.

I looked at the way Damon left.
'I don't believe it.' I nodded, but it was fake.

"I need to go home, it's been one hell of a night." I headed over to Elena and Bonnie, who's in the car waiting for me.

Getting in the drivers seat, i see Elena looking sad and crying. I took her hand and squeezed it, reassuring her. She nodded and smiled. "Let's go home."

══════════════

Going home, Bonnie and Elena go to her room. I
helped Mom with boxes and see her holding a picture.
Peaking over, i see it's a picture of Logan and Mom, younger and at the Grill, smiling happily.

She folds it and rips the paper. I take the ripped pieces and throw them out. She takes more boxes, and i take the one on top, to help lighten the weight.

Suddenly the doorbell rings. Mom looks at her watch
and looks at me. "Are we expecting someone?"

I shook my head "No", and shrugged. She walks
to the door, opening it to see Logan Fell.

"Hello, Jenna." He greeted.
"Logan." She said, surprised.

I quickly go over to them and stand in front of my mother. "What do you want?" I glared at the man.

He chuckled. "I see who she got temper from." I
widened my eyes. "Aren't you going to invite me in?"

He looks at Mom.

I looked at Mom, scared that she'd go back to the horrible man. "I missed you. I was out of town. I..." He explained.

"Yeah. I got that email." She said. He
raised his eyebrows. "You got an email?"

"You didn't send an email?" Mom questioned, he tries to speak but doesn't he say anything. "I can explain. Just invite me in and i'll tell you everything."

"No way in hell! You can take you invite and stick it up your–!" Mom puts her hand on my mouth. I sighed.

"I'm not gonna invite you in. Forget it." She stands her ground. He chuckled. "Come on, Jenna. It's me." He said.

"And that's exactly why we're not. Goodbye." I closed the door on him. Scoffing at the audacity of him trying to inch his way back in now, and not years ago.

I instantly hugged mom. "I'm proud of you, Mom. Don't
ever invite him in. You deserve better than that scum-wad."
She hugged my arm with her hand. "I know. Thank you, Carmen." I nodded. "Now, we need some serious ice-cream." I clicked my fingers. "On it!"

I walked over to the kitchen to the freezer and grabbed a container of chocolate chip. Grabbing two spoons, i walked to Mom who was sitting down on the couch. "I think you and Alaric would be cute together." She tries to deny. "Don't give me that. Me and Jeremy saw you two. There was something there, that i know you and Logen didn't have."

She sighed. "I can never win with you." I giggled. "Then, how would you know that i'm always right?" She shoves me.

We both laughed and ate ice-cream
while watching "The Princess Bride".

══════════════

Morning rose, and i was with Jeremy, who told me about Jonathan Gilbert's journal. "I live in fear. It consumes me. In the early evening when i see the sun begin to fade, the fear comes. Because i know that the night brings death."

"It sounds like dear old Jonathan was a fictionalist. Writing stories in his journal." I said, honestly. Jeremy laughed. "Or was a lunatic."

He grabs a box filled with old memories and takes out a drawing sketch book. "I didn't know you still drew." I said.

"Yeah, ever since mom and dad died, i've never been able to find means to sketch." He told me. Looking at him, he draws and face with vangs. 'Is he drawing...a vampire?' I thought. I try to get a good look at it, when i see Elena looking through the door gap. She sees Jeremy drawing and i mouthed to her to "talk to her later". She nodded.

I turned back to Jeremy. "It looks like some kind-of demon. Jonathan Gilbert sure did seem crazy." He nodded.

'He doesn't believe they're real. Elena told me that he was compelled to forget about what Vicki was. Let's just hope.' I nervously thought. I grabbed the journal and flipped through the pages, all of them about the vampires in Mystic Falls.

After awhile, we went downstairs and he continues to finish the "Demon" sketch. Mom comes in the living room.

"Hey, what do you think?" He shows her the drawing. "Creepy." She answered honestly. "I found this old journal in dad's old stuff. Jonathan Gilbert from the 1800s. He's kind-of a freak show, he wrote about demons and all these people getting slaughtered and–"

"He was a writer. Short stories,
horror stuff." Mom cleared up
any misunderstandings.

"Oh, he wrote fiction? Figured he was just a lunatic or a drunk." He admitted. Mom grab a book from the shelf. "Well, he was a Gilbert. Probably a little bit of both."

She handed it to him. We chuckled, but my phone
started ringing. "Hello? Elena, what's up?"

"There's another vampire." I quickly walked over to a safe place. "What do you mean "another vampire?". I whispered. "Stefan told me about the dead body that was drained last night, and that he thinks it was a vampire."

I put my hand through my hair
nervously. "Do they know who it is?"

"No. But that they were going to take care of it before they left." Elena explained. I sighed, relieved. "That's good. We don't want unwanted deaths."

"Thanks for telling me. I gotta go, i'm getting a call." My phone rang while on the call with Elena. She hummed and hung up. I picked it up. "How would you feel about helping your dear friend?"

══════════════

I find myself standing at a warehouse with a watch-compass, with Damon far away. "What do i do now?" I say.

"Wait there, i'll be there in a minute." He said. I looked around, it's still pointing to the warehouse. "It's strange how it's going this way instead of an electrical current. Must be really strong over here." He suddenly sped in front of me.

"Gosh! You nearly killed me! Here." I handed him the compass. "Why did you call me for this?" I raised an brow.

"Because i was interfering with the signal and it might be the answer to our little vampire problem." He answered. Damon turned to the warehouse.

"That's good." I said. He turned to me. "You might want to get outta here. Who knows what'll happen when i go in there." He looked at me with a strange expression. "I can't worry about you and stop the vampire." My mouth agaped.

"I can take care of myself. I got a black belt in Taekwondo." I moved my hands in a fighting motion and he gave me really? look. I sighed. "Fine. I'll go."

I walked over to my car and sat in the drivers seat and started my car, i watched him go in the warehouse and I'm immediately go to following him.

Going in, it was dark, and a little creepy. The perfect place for a new vampire. I quietly walked behind Damon as he looks around. Gunshots fired, and i instantly feel pain go through my body.

"Ahh!" I said, loudly. But i immediately covered my mouth. Not like that would help. "Carmen! I told you to go!"

I go over to Damon. He's bleeding. I touched his wounds and tried to stop the blood from pouring, then i remembered that he was a vampire. "I know! I didn't trust that you were going to be alright."

I looked around, seeing...Logan walking towards us? He smiled evilly. "I have tons of these wood bullets, so nothing funky." He waves the gun around.

"You don't wanna do this. Trust me." He said, groaning in pain. Logan shuts him in the arm, below his shoulder.

And once again, i feel pain. "Ahh! Would you please stop doing that!" I yelled. "How're you a vampire? When did you die?" I interrogated. He looks at me.

He pushes a strand of hair that fell in my face with the gun. "Carmen...You have no idea, don't you? You're little boyfriend killed me, while i was trying to kill Stefan." I looked over to Damon.

"And that means nothing to me. You were a shitty, good for nothing, father. I shouldn't even call you that!" I yelled. He glares at me and pointed the gun at me.

"You wouldn't–" I heard the gunshot and feel pain on my leg. "Ahh!" I feel blood pour from the wound. "You shot me!"

His face transforms like a monster and he turns his head to my leg. I fearfully crawled over to Damon. He turned his head away. "You don't know how long i've wanted this moment. Seeing you for the first time, but now all i can think about is whether or not i should kill you. I'm so conflicted." I scoffed as i put pressure on the wound. He bends his knees and looks at Damon.

"You made me like this." He said. "I killed you. I didn't turn you." Damon said, getting all the wooden bullets out.

"See, i know what you and your brother are. I've been watching the two of you." He tells. "Stalker much." I mumbled. "Shut up or another is going into your arm next!"

He yelled at me. I hid away.

"I knew you'd show up here and i'm glad you did because i have some questions." He said. "Me first. Who turned you?" Damon picks up his upper body. "How should i know? Last thing i remember is i'm about to stake your brother and then you grabbed me. That's it!" I looked at Damon as he recalled the moment before his death. "Until i wake up in the ground behind a used car dealership on Highway 4. Somebody buried ne." He accused Damon.

"It happens. Ow." Damon said in pain. I continued to hold my wound. "You bit me. It had to be you." Logan assumed.

"You have to have vampire blood in your system when you die." Damon explained. "And you never gave him any." I said, realizing the gravity of the problem. "Someone else must have given you their blood." Logan laughed.

"Who?" He asked.

"That's what i would like to know." Damon laughed and fell back.

"Dude, it's not like the welcome wagon was waiting with a bundt cake and a handbook. It's been a learn as you go process. You know, one minute, i'm a small town, on the rise news guy and next thing i know, i can't get into my house because my foot won't go through the door!" Logan narrates his life story.

"You have to be invited in." Damon tells him.

"I know. I live alone." Logan admits.

Damon chuckled. "Oh, that sucks."

I had a realization. "You were a vampire when you were asking Mom to invite you in?! Were you going to try to kill us if we did?!" I asked, even though i was afraid of the answer.

Damon looked at me in shock. He watches me looking at Logan, and i closed my free hand into a fist in anger. 

"So now, i'm at the Ramada watchin' Pay-Per-View all day eating everything in sight, including housekeeping." He ignores me and talks to Damon instead. "It could be worse." Damon suggests.

"All i can think about is blood and killing people. I can't stop killing people. I keep killing." Logan bends down lower, basically in our faces, and laughs. "And i like it. I'm conflicted."

"Welcome to the club." Damon remarks. "Wait a minute. Cops only found one body."

"I left one. I was tired. But i've been hiding the rest of the bodies. they're right over there." He points over to a closed off part and i see plenty of bodies to know that Logan is indeed dangerous. "They're just pilin' up."

"Oh, my god!" I exclaimed.

He sits on the ground. "Why am i so overly emotional? All i can think about is my ex-girlfriend. I wanna be with her and bite her and stuff."

"Don't ever get your dirty hands on my mother!" I yelled, trying to hit him with my hurt foot. Another gunshot sprung and i feel pain in my arm. "Ah!" I put my free hand on the wound. 

"You're angry at me. Leave her
out of this." Damon pleaded with Logan.

He chuckled. "I really don't want to
hurt you. You just make me so angry."

I chuckled. "Feelings mutual."

"Well, you probably love her." Damon explained. "Anything you felt before will be magnified now. You're gonna have to learn to control that." I looked at him, and scoffed.

'Yeah. And pigs fly.'

"What about walken' in the sun? I'm a morning person. You can walk in the sun, which, by the way, is pretty cool. Council would never suspect you." He interrogates. "There's a whole council dedicated to vampires?!" I asked.

Damon nodded. "Yep."

"It's not in the journals." He said.
"The Journals?" Damon asked.

"Yeah, the Founding fathers' they passed down journals to their kids. Come on, man, you gotta tell me." My eyes widened. 'the Gilbert Journal!'

"But looks to me, Carmen's been busy." He said. "Tell me how to walk in the sun, or the next one will go into his heart."

I looked at Damon. He shakes his head lightly to me. "I don't know. It was never mentioned. Nobody knew how that they could walk during the day. Mostly speculation."

I looked indifferent.

"Who turned you?" Damon redirects the conversation to him. "How do you walk in the sun?" Logan asked again.

"Who turned you?" Damon fires back. Logan sighed heavily. "You know, i've been really nice so far, but i will kill you." He pointed the gun back on Damon. "Then you'll never know."

Damon getting his strength back, stands up with Logan. "You're not answering my question." Logan looked really angry. "You first." He counters.

"Seems we're at a bit of an impasse than, doesn't it?" Damon noted. "I have things to do. People to kill. Guess i'll be needing a little head start." Logan shoots Damon three more times. Each one hurts more.

"Ah!" I yelled. "Damon!"

I painfully crawled over to him.
"Damon! We have to go get help!"

He quickly plucked out the wooden bullets, but they were healing slowly. "And this is why i drink human blood."

"Oh, you need blood!" I held out my wrist.
"Here, take some of mine."

He looked at me shocked. "You do know that i kill people right? What makes you sure that i'll stop?" He threatened, but it somehow felt empty. I smiled.

"Because i trust you." He looks at my eyes and look conflicted. "I told you that "whatever you need, i can help you."

He blinked. "What?"
I blinked. "Why did i just say that?"

I decided to shrug it off. "Just take my blood." I held it
over his mouth, and see vains form under his eyes.
The sight, surprisingly, doesn't scare me.

He takes my arm and hand, and looks at me for confirmation. I nodded, then he sinked his teeth in my wrist. It was like my dream. I didn't feel pain, i feel my face heat up and heart start pounding.

'Calm down, Carmen! It's only your wrist.' I tell
myself and found my eyes staring back at Damon's. It
was hard to look away. He's blood-hungry eyes
drew me in, and trapped my heart in a cage.

Damon lets go and i find my eyes trailing down his mouth where my blood is. 'So hot.' I blinked the thought away.

"You okay?" He asked.

I shook my head, then starting to feel a bit woozy. "Whoa…" I started to tilt, but Damon holds me up. "I'm fine."

"You don't sound fine." He bits into his wrist and feds his blood into my mouth, i willingly drink. It tasted sweet as before. My wounds started closing up and i instantly start to feel better. "Wow!" I smiled. "Vampire blood is amazing!"

He laughed and stands up. He holds out a hand for me. I looked at it. "Don't worry, i don't bite." He smirked.

I rolled my eyes. I took his hand and stood up. Whiplash caught me and i almost fell, Damon held me.

"Easy there, can't have you dieing on my watch. Stefan would never forgive me." He smirked, i couldn't help but giggle. "Yes. Can't have that now." I joked.

My phone rang. "Hello? Elena, calm
down i can't understand you."

"Logan has Caroline!" I felt my hand nearly let go
over the phone. "…What? How?" I asked her. "Matt
said that Caroline got into his car and drove off."

"Okay, me and Damon will be right there. Just stay with Stefan." I hung up. "Logan has Caroline!" I spoke, fearfully.

He instantly grabs my arms and stares into my eyes. "We'll get her back." I nodded and he grabbed me and sped to the boarding house. "I need a change of clothes. Wait right here." I nodded. I sit on the couch as Damon walks up the stairs, bouncing my leg trying to calm my nerves.

'Please be safe, Caroline.'

He quickly goes down the stairs and headed towards the door, i go to follow him but he turned to me. "Oh no, you are going to stay here where it's safe, i'll let you know when Caroline's safe and sound." I shocked my head. "But–"

"No "buts". I promise to keep Logan from her." He said, reassuring me. I looked at him and i knew better to argue more. I sighed. "Fine. I'll stay." He gave me a look.

"This time, i'll listen to you."

He nodded and sped away. I go over to the kitchen and grabbed some bourbon from the cabinet. "Might as well calm my nerves." I unscrewed the top and drank from the bottle. "Mmm, this is good!" I scanned the bottle. "1986."

I take a drunken tour of the house and ended at Stefan's room. I snoop through his stuff and see a picture on the stand. Curiosity got the better of me, and i picked it up.

The woman looks just like–"…Elena?" I widened my eyes. But the name on the bottom said "Katherine Pierce – 1864". She has on an dress and curly hair. But the resemblance was uncanny. "Is Elena the backup?"

I flipped through the picture, trying to find any clue to what i'm seeing. I heared the door open and quickly run out. I see Stefan and Elena walking inside, but immediately kiss.

"Oh! Uh!" I said, covering my eyes.

"Sorry." Elena chuckled. "How's Caroline?" I asked. "She's fine. I brought her home. All she remembers is that Logan attacked her." Stefan explained. "Where's Damon?" I asked.

Stefan looked at me and sighed. "He's…taking care of Logan." He said, hesitantly. "As in…?" He nodded.

I nodded. "That's good. That's what he gets for earlier." They both gasped at me. "What? He was such a bastard of a father. And i see that you were just making out, so…i'll leave you guys to it." I waved and awkwardly left the boarding house. I took my car keys and drive home. I got a text from Damon and looked at my phone for a quick second, but it was just enough time for me to hit someone.

"Ahh!" My car rolled and rolled around until it skated on the street. I must've hit my head cause it was hurting and bleeding. I see the person i hit lay still, until it suddenly moved. 'Vampire…!' It rearranged it's bones and stood up. I try to quickly get out of my seat belt but it was jammed. "No. No. No!" I see his feet getting closer and i screamed.

It suddenly sped away and i searched everywhere in case it was a trick. Someone sped up to me and i turned my head, screaming. "Calm down, Carmen. It's just me."

I heared a familiar voice. "Damon?" I looked at him.
"How did you know that i was here?" I asked.

"I texted you that i was on my way, and i saw your car tipped over." He explained. "I can't get out. The seat belt won't–" He instantly went to my side and opened my door. "I'm gonna get you out of there. I want you to put your hands on the roof." I did as he said.

"Just like that. You ready?" I shake my head yes and he unloocked my seat belt and feel myself starting to shrink forward, but he sped me out just in time. I wobbled woosly.

"What happened?" He asks, sincerely. I tried to focus, but i couldn't. I instantly felt my body starting to collapse.

"…Vampire." I find myself unconscious.

Chapter Text

I opened my eyes and see fields fly passed, i turned my head seeing Damon driving and humming to something.

"Oh, my head!" I touched my forehead and felt pain throughout it. "Looks like sleeping beauty's up." He said, looking at me. "What happened–! The Vampire!"

I sprung up too quickly and scrunched my face. "Where are we going? And where's my phone? I need to call Mom."

He handed me my phone that was in his jacket pocket. I went into my phone and called Mom. It rang awhile until it was answered. "Hey, Mom. I was just about to call you to tell you that i was staying over at Caroline's place. Her and Matt are having some troubles and she needed me there. I forgot to call you."

I sighed. "Yeah, i'll call you later. 'Kay. Bye." Damon chuckled. "She sounded angry." I shoved his shoulder.

"Seriously, where are we?" I asked. Not noticing anything familiar, meaning that we're not in Mystic Falls. "Georgia."

I blinked. "And why are we in Georgia?"

"I need someone's help to get Katherine out of the tomb." He admitted. I gasped. "I thought that there wasn't a way to get the tomb open without Emily's necklace."

He shook his head.

"Witches and their spells. They always have
loopholes. She owns a bar in Atlanta, and that's where were going." He told me. I looked at him, and saw genuine happiness in his expression.."Okay, I'm not sure if it's actually true but, i'll help you." I smiled, reassuringly.

He faintly smiled and we arrived at the place
where Damon's chance for Katherine is. I got out-of
the car but the pain suddenly came back, and
i bent over, trying to push through the pain.

"You okay?" He asked, worriedly.
I nodded. "Yeah, i'm fine."

I feel him next to me and put his hand on my arm below my shoulder. "There's no broken bones. I checked."

I feel hot at the thought of Damon
touching my body for injuries.

"Thanks." I looked up seeing a sign in blue lettering. "Bree's Bar". I looked to Damon, who nodded in confirmation.

Closing the car door, me and Damon walk into the bar, seeing people and a woman wiping the bar counter.

She looks over to us and hopped over the counter. "No. No, it can't be! Damon. My honey pie." She suddenly grabbed his face and pulled him into a kiss.

My mouth opened in shock. 'What. Just. Happened?'
They continuously moaned into it. I quickly looked away, my heart felt like breaking, i didn't know why.

I sat at the bar, thinking of something to clear my mind of the two. Bree gone back to the counter and Damon at the side of me. Bree takes a bottle of whiskey and pours it into six shot glasses.

"Listen up everybody! Here's to the man that broke my heart, crushed my soul, destroyed my life, and ruined any and all chances of happiness. Drink up!" She hands two of them to me and Damon. I take the shot, it instantly burns my throat. "Wow, that's strong!" I coughed.

"So, how'd he rope you in?" She asked.

"Oh, i'm not–" She cut me off. "Honey, if you're not roped, you're whipping. Either way, just enjoy the ride."

I hid my blushing face. "How did you two meet?" She gave me an answer that surprised me. "College." Bree chuckles.

"You've been to college?" I asked.
"College Campus, yes." He drinks a shot.

"About 20 years ago, when i was just a sweet young freshman, i met this beautiful man, and i fell in love. And then he told me about his little secret and that made me love him more. 'Cause, you see, i had a little secret of my own that, uh, i was dying to share with somebody." Bree explained their backstory. Damon turns to me.

"She's a witch." He whispered.

"He changed my world, you know." She looks at him. "I rocked your world." He flirted back. She chuckles. I can't help but feel something in my chest when they're all lovey-dovey and such. "He is good in the sack, isn't he?"

If i had dranken something, i would've spit it right
out.."But mostly he's just, uh, a walk away Joe."
She finished a shot. "So…what is it that you want?"

I thought of just going since it's not required for
me to stay. I called Caroline. "Hey, Caroline. If
Mom asks for me, tell her i'm at you're place,
and that you and Matt are having a tough time."

"Why?" She asked.

"Cause i'm not exactly in Mystic Falls right now. I'll tell you all about it when we return." I answered honestly.

"Wait! Who are you with?" She asks. I
sighed. "Damon…" i said hesitantly.

"Seriously?! Now you have to tell me everything!" She yelled into the phone. I chuckled. "Okay, Care. Don't worry."

Before i hung up, Caroline yelled. "Make sure to use protection!" I quickly looked around hoping that
Damon wasn't listening to our conversation.

I sighed. "Care will be the death of me."

I walked back in and went over to the pool tables.
I grabbed a stick and set up the balls. I knocked
all the balls in the pots and lastly the 8-ball. I
concentrated on the ball to the pot and hit it.

It rolled from one side to the other, until going into the corner right of the table. I heard cheers from behind me and i turned around noticing a crowd of people surround me. "That was awesome! You should be in a campaign!"

I laughed and bowed. "Thank you for
your support! I'll be here all day!"

I picked my head up and skipped to the counter, Damon looking at me. "Four shots please. Need to celebrate how awesome i am." Bree chuckles and pours four shots.

I drink them all. "Woohoo!"

They laughed at me. "You should be on the floor right now." She states. "High alcohol tolerance, baby!" I yelled.

"I think you've had too much to drink." Damon said, grabbing my arms and sat me down. "You're such a
party pooper. Isn't he a party pooper, Bree?"

She smiled and shaked her head.

"Sorry that i wanna not witness a angry Jenna 'cause her daughter's drunk." He sighed. I pushed my finger at he chest. "She'll never to find out." I found myself close to his face, and i could've sworn that he just looked at my lips.

'Must be drunken me's doing.' I thought. 'Katherine's on his mind.' I tell myself. I frowned and moved away from him.

I walked away and stood at a corner. I see a guy walking over to me. "Hey, i'm Jackson. I was watching you wreck that game of pool and i was curious about you." He reminds me of the actor from "Friends" that played Chandler but with a light Australian accent. "Nice to meet you, Jackson. I'm Carmen."

"Carmen, a beautiful name. Do
you wanna get out of here?" He asks.

"No, me and my friend were just here to get something then leave." He sighed. "I understand, it was nice meeting you."

He waved and left out of the bar. I looked at Damon who's still talking to Bree. I sighed. She walked away from him helping another customer. "Why does Elena look like Katherine?" I asked, carefully. "I saw her picture on Stefan's table, and she looked exactly like her." He groaned. "Oh, Stefan. Making me do all the explanations."

"Would that make Elena part vampire, if she was a descendant of Katherine?" I questioned. "Vampires can't procreate…but we'd love to try." He eats a fry.

"Profound." I grimaced. "No. If they were related, that would mean that Katherine had a child before she turned." He guessed, taking another bite of a fry. "I thought vampires could only drink blood since they're dead." I picked at my food. "How can you not like pickles? As long as i keep a healthy diet of blood, my body functions normally."

"So, nothing like Twilight Vampires? Although, i always assumed that they were Angels instead of Vampires." I asked. "Yep. None of that sparkling in the sun crap." He clarified. I nodded.

"I don't know. You would make one hell of a Twilight Vampire." I joked. He chuckled and took the last of my fries.

"Hey!"

"That's an insult to all vampire kind." He smirked. "That is your punishment." I smiled and pushed him away.

"Here you go, honey." Bree set down a beer for Damon. "Actually, i'll have one too. It needs some fun in here." I said.

"Alright." She puts the same one down and i take a drink from it. I scrunched my face at the taste. "Note to self, i'm never drinking beer, again."

"It gets better." Damon states.

Later, after having a couple of sips, i'm dancing on the tables and having a steady movement. I laughed, drunk.

I jumped off the table and went to another one. I see Damon and pointed at him. I make a pulling motion,
which he laughed at, but walked towards me.

He held a hand to me, and as i was about to grab his, my foot sliped and I find myself falling, closing my eyes out-of instinct and find that i was caught.

I opened my eyes seeing Damon's worried eyes.
My breath caught in my throat, and my heart stopped beating, staring into his beautiful blue eyes.

"I gotcha." He said. I cleared my throat. "Th-thanks." I pulled myself away from him and went outside to get some fresh air. My phone rang and i saw "Elena" on the contact.

I sighed, and just as i was about to answer, a hand covering my mouth. I tried to scream, but they stopped me. I used my every ounce of my strength–even though how little it was–i jabbed them in the stomach.

Which felt like a rock. I immediately worried. 'Vampire!' I wanted to scream and cry, hoping that Damon would hear.

"Stop struggling. You're only here to get Damon Salvatore here. You're just the bait." He told me. And now, i hoped
that Damon wouldn't find me.

'Don't touch him!' I yelled in my head. He takes me to a secluded area and sped me up to the top. "Don't move until your little savor comes." He compelled me.

"What makes you think he'll save me? All he wants is Katherine out of the tomb. He wouldn't jeopardize that!"
I yelled, not knowing if i believed it or not.

'I'm certain that he doesn't care.'

"That's not what i saw." He states. I blinked in confusion, when i heard footsteps coming from the entrance.

'No. That couldn't be…' I thought, hopefully, but also scared.

I see him searching for me. "Damon! No!" I yelled for him. The Vampire sped over to Damon and hit him on the leg with a crowbar. I felt pain go through my leg as Damon's repeatedly hit. "Ahh! Stop it!" I yelled. Trying to get to Damon, pushing through the pain. "What the hell?"

He asked, painfully.

The Vampire grabs a gasoline container and pours it on Damon. "No! Don't do this!" I pleaded. He shows his vampire face. I stopped myself. He turns back.

"Who are you?" Damon asked.

"That's perfect. You have no idea." He states. I looked
over to the Vampire and Damon. "What are talking about? Why are you doing this?" I questioned.

"He killed my girlfriend." He anounced. "She was going to visit Stefan on his birthday, and i haven't heard back from her." I remembered the woman that was hanging out with Stefan. "Lexi? But she's not dead!" Damon told him.

"Don't try to say anything! I know that you killed her!" He grabs a match. "What did she do to you?!" He lights the match. "Nothing, 'cause i didn't kill her!" Damon argued.

I see him about to drop the match and held out
my hand. "Wait! Lexi wouldn't want you to do this!"

He turns to me. "Why are you trying
to save him? I'm doing you a favor."

I shed tears. "Please, don't do this. I beg you. Please."
It seems like i gotten through to him and he kicked
Damon far away. I gasped and turned to him.

"Thank you." I said, grateful that he spared Damon. "I didn't do it for you." He barks back. Then he sped from there.

I quickly ran over to Damon, and fell to my knees. I
touched his wet face and scanned it. "Damon, are you okay?" He groaned. "Yeah, but are you?"

I nodded. "He didn't hurt me. Why did you rescue me? You could have easily walked away. How stupid are you?"

"Because, i like you and you're fun." He admitted. My heart skipped a beat. But i frowned. 'Oh, like a friend.' I smiled.

"I like you too." I shoved his shoulder,
but it made him groaned. "Sorry."

I helped him stand up and we walked steadily to Bree's Bar. I patiently wait in the car, while Damon talked to Bree.

I drummed my thumbs on the front station out of boredom, and i see Damon coming out of there and walked to the car. "I was just about to drive off." I laughed. But he didn't seem to be in the right mood. "What happened?" I asked.

"Just…tying up loose ends." He said.
I nodded. Understanding what he did.

"I'm sorry." I told him.

He looked at me like he was expecting
something completely different. He faintly
smiled and went to drive the car.

I noticed that ever since we've been here, he hasn't had one drop of blood. I held out my wrist. "Damon, here."

"I thought that was just a one time thing." He raised
an eyebrow. I shook my head. "You haven't had anything since Mystic Falls, i assume. It's okay."

He takes my hand, vains appearing under his eyes, and fang protruding in his mouth. Damon bites down on my hand, feeling blood drip down.

I watched him silently. He immediately
lets go. "Was that enough?" I asked.

"Yeah." He said, but i could tell that it was a lie. I didn't comment on it and just decided to let it go. "Okay. I understand." He drives off to Mystic Falls.

"Were you able to find something that could get Katherine out of the tomb?" I asked. "All i would need is Emily's Grimoire for a spell to open the tomb." He explained. I nodded. "You've finally getting her back."

I smiled at him, warmly.

The drive lasted 'till morning. Seeing the familiar fields and borders. I hanged my hand out the window and moved it in a flowy motion. "I never thought that this field trip would result in a almost death." I laughed. "You got pretty lucky."

"I had you with me. I didn't doubt you for a second." He admitted. I playfully scoffed. "Oh, come on. Not even a little?" He looked to me. I see sincereness in his eyes. I smiled and looked away. "Well, just know that i owe you now, and i don't like owing people." He states. I nodded.

"Best hurry then." I giggled.

Chapter Text

Me and Damon arrived back in Mystic Falls and he had driven me home. I got out-of the car. He followed me to the front door. "Thanks again for yesterday."

He smirked. "Anytime." He takes my hand and kissed it. Butterflies form in my stomach. I giggled and pulled my hand away, slowly. "See you, Damon."

I opened the door, watching him as i entered the house. Closing the door, i pushed my back against the door and sighed heavily, dreaming about the kiss.

"Oh, my god! Carmen!" I feel myself being pulled
into a hug. "Are you okay? Did Damon hurt you?" Elena asked, searching my body for anything.

"I'm fine, Elena." I lightly pushed her away. I go to push my hair from my face, when she suddenly grabbed my hand.

"What's this?!" She asked.

I looked to what she was looking at and see the bite mark from Damon. I quickly take my hand away from her. "It's nothing. It's just a dog bite, nothing to it."

"Has Damon been hurting you, and compelled you to lie?" She asked, worriedly. I go to speak, but I don't say anything. "That's not it! I said that it's nothing!" I folded my arms, angrily. Elena sighed. "Well, i just found out that i'm adopted." My eyes widened. "How did you–?!"

I covered my mouth.

Elena looks at me bewildered. "You knew?! And you didn't even tell me! I thought we were closer than that!"

She quickly runs out the door with her school bag. "Elena! I promised not to say anything! Elena!" I called out to her.

I heard footsteps coming towards me and i hid my bitten arm. "Carm? Where have you been? I thought that you would've came back last night." Mom asks me.

"I wanted to make sure that Care was alright. It wouldn't be very "Best Friend" of me to leave her." I lied.

"She knows." Mom told me. I nodded.
"And she knows that i know." I said.

She immediately hugs me. It felt like i needed that, since i felt allot better. "Thanks Mom, i need that today."

The doorbell rung and Mom lets me go while i opened the door. Stefan is standing there, wait for the door.

"Carmen, Elena told me what
happened." He said. "You okay?"

I nodded. "Yeah. How did she find out?"
Stefan grimaced. "I…may have told her."

"You what?!" I yelled. I quickly lowered my voice. "How could you? We wanted to tell her when she was ready
for the truth! It wasn't your secret to tell."

He nodded. "I know. But she was asking about Katherine, and why they look alike. I didn't know how to tell her."

I sighed. "Well, i guess it's better sooner
or later. Why are you here anyways?"

He held out a ring. "To give you this. It's filled with vervain to keep any vampires from messing with your mind."

I looked at him. "Including Damon?"

He sighed. "Including Damon. You know that he's dangerous. He'll do anything to get Katherine back. Maybe even hurt you." I seen where he was coming from.

"I can take care of myself Stefan. But…thank you." I
smiled and took the ring. "It looks beautiful." I awed. I smelled it and I grimaced. "Must be the vervain."

"Yep. Unpleasant smell. But it does the job. And also, here's one for Jenna." He hands me the vervain bracelet. "Thanks." I hummed. "There's a new vampire, it made me run 'em over with my car." I explained to Stefan. "All i remember is that he was wearing a hoodie and was walking over to me."

"Until we find out who it is and what it
wants, we have to be careful." He states.

I nodded, looking at the ring on my finger. "I'll, uh, see you later." I smiled and watched him walking away.

I closed the door and went to go see Mom. I see her in the kitchen. "Mom, i wanted to give you something." I held out the bracelet and she took it. "What's the occasion?"

I shrugged. "Just wanted to be the awesome daughter you know and love!" I smiled brightly. She puts it on. "Perfect fit." I nodded. I quickly hugged her and left.

I walked to the door and left the house
to my favorite bakery in all of Mystic Falls.

══════════════

Opening the doors, Edward looked over to me and
gasped. "Well, i'll be. Look who finally shows her face." I put on an "offended" look and sat in the chair.

"Hello, Ed. It's been awhile, i know. I was just coming over to see you." He gave a a really? look. "Okay, fine. And also the new cupcake flavor you got here."

"That's the Carmen i know and love. It's a limited addition cupcake called "Symphony's Swirl". People seem to love the thing, since it's always sold out." He explained. I hummed. "But i knew one of these days you would find yourself back here, and so i kept one from getting eaten." He brings out a setter and the one cupcake.

It was beautiful!

I take it out and immediately take a bite. The flavor of strawberry, whipped cream, and coconut filled my taste buds. I widened my eyes. "Mmm! This is good."

"Yep, my own specialty. The pearls are edible, their sliver covered chocolate." I picked one of the pearls up and ate it.

"Up, that's chocolate alright." I nodded. Edward chuckled. "Now i know why it's always sold out. You're a genius!"

Edward wiped up the counter. "It's nothing." He puts his free hand and rubs it on his neck, bashfully. He looks down on my hand. "Am i expecting an announcement? Or are you going to tell me who's the lucky guy?" I blinked.

"What?" I asked.

He pointed at my hand. "That." I looked to it and seen the ring. "Oh! This? It's just a gift from a friend. No wedding."

He sighed. "You have to get yourself a
boyfriend. It's getting kinda sad."

I punched his arm. "That's what Caroline always tells me. I'm not interested in a relationship right now." I lied. "You will be hearing from my lawyer!" He joked.

I chuckled. My phone rang. "I gotta go.
Make sure to say hi to Bella for me."

"Will do!" We waved eachother goodbye and I left. Picking up the phone to see "Unknown" on the contact and answer.

"Hello?" I asked. Walking to Mom's car. "Hello,
Carmen." A man said. "Who's this?" I take out the keys.
"You hit me with your car. Is that a new one?"

I searched around, seeing him in a dark streetway holding a phone. "You got away from me. You won't next time." I hung up the phone and quickly got in the car. Hands shaking while i put on the seat belt, drove away. Looking behind me every few seconds to see if he was following me. I drove to the boarding house and quickly knocked on the door.

Stefan opened it, seeing me distressed, he lets me in. "Stefan, he called me. The Vampire that i hit with my car. Why would he call instead of just killing me?"

"It's because we're predators, Carmen. We hunt. We stalk. It's often as exciting as the kill." He explained. "Speaking from experience?" I realized what i just asked. "I'm sorry, that was insensitive."

He nodded. "It's fine." He takes out Jeremy's watch. "Jeremy's watch? How did you–?" I looked at the watch.

"I took it from Damon, which he took it from Logan, who took it from you." He explained. "What happened to it?" I asked. "Well, it's mot just a watch. It's a, it's a sort of compass, it points to Vampires." I remembered the task that Damon asked me to do a week ago.

I nodded. "So, if he shows up again, the compass will let me know?" He nods. "Come quite in handy." I admitted.

I checked my phone and i sighed. "I need to get ready for the dance. I'm supposed to be chaperoning tonight." I told him. "I'll walk you to the door." I nodded and walked to the front door. I hugged him. "Thanks, Stefan. For everything."

"You're welcome." He said. I smiled and walked out of the door. I ran to mom's car and drive back home.

══════════════

When i got there, it was quiet. "Mom! Jeremy! Elena!" I yelled with no response. "Must already be there."

I go upstairs and took out my outfit from two days ago. Dressed, i brushed and blow-dryed my hair, making it poofy.

I heard clicking coming from somewhere. I turned off the hairdryer and walked to my room entrance.

"Is someone there? Mom?! Elena?!" I yelled again. I thought nothing of it, until the sound came again. I looked at my lightstand and saw the compass moving.

I gasped and quickly grabbed my phone. I called the first person that came to mind. "Carmen, how's it going?"

"Yeah, the compass is acting up. And i'm worried that it's the vampire." I gulped, walking down the stairs. I stopped at the living room. "Where are you?"

"I was just on my way over to the dance, and i
realized that you were also coming, so now, i'm
on my way over." He explained. I sighed, relieved.

"Okay, then it's just you." I calmed
down. "I'll be waiting." I hanged up.

When i feel myself being turned around and saw the Vampire that was stalking me. I screamed loudly.

"Carmen!" I heard Damon's voice and I was pushed to the entrance of the living room. Him and Damon fought for awhile until he was filped over the couch and sped out the house. Damon quickly grabbed me and stood me up.

"You okay?"

I hold on to him. Scared for my life.

Later, Elena and Stefan came over and me and Damon told the what happened earlier. "Well, how did he get in?"

"He was invited in." Elena tells. Her holding me, comfortly. "He was posing as a pizza delivery guy last night." Stefan explained. "Well, he gets points for that. Did he say what he wanted?" Damon redirects the question to me.

"Nothing. He was trying to kill me before he
said anything." I looked worried. "Is he going to try that again?" I ask Damon. He sighed. "Most likely. Which is
why we need to kill him. He's been invited in."

I nodded. "Then let's kill the bastard."
"Carm!" Elena said, shocked. "You're not the one he's after, Elena! And i'm quite alright with that." She didn't respond.

"At the dance. Act like you're having the time of your life, while also seeing who's the most suspicious there. You up for it." Damon explained the plan. I nodded.

"This is too dangerous, Carm. You could get hurt." Elena warns me, carefully. I took her hands in mine. "Damon and Stefan will be there. You just enjoy the dance. I'll be alright." I smiled. She sighed, but nodded.

══════════════

Walking into the school gym with Stefan, Damon, and Elena, which was decorated with a bunch of 50s memorabilia. A big projection screen playing old films.

People in 50s clothing dancing, unknowingly in a cat and mouse game. My arm wrapped around Damon's, as we searched for the Vampire. Elena goes over to Bonnie and Caroline. I waved to them when they looked over.

"Let us know when you see someone familiar." Damon told me. I nodded. Searching for the Vampire, is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. I let go of Damon and walked over to the punch bowl. "Two please." I asked Jeremy.

"Carmen. You doing okay?" He immediately asked, noticing that i was nervous somehow. I nodded. "Just peachy." I grabbed the two cups and left the stand. I downed both of them. Noticing that it truly was just Punch. "Bummer." I frowned. 'I'm definitely turning into an alcoholic.' I admitted.

Damon came over to me and held his hand out. "Would you like to dance?" I looked at him and thought 'why the hell not!' And took his hand as he drags me over to the dance floor to an open space.

I wrapped my arms around him and he puts his hands on my waist. I breathed in air, hoping that he doesn't notice.

"Let's see if you've improved since last time." Damon pointed out. I blinked. "You remember what i said? Why?"

"I always remembered what you say." He said, softly. I feel my face getting hot and i look away. I feel his fingertips on my chin and pulled my face back.

"Don't push your face away from me. I like looking at it." He admitted, softly. I smiled, it felt like this was a dream
that i'll suddenly wake up from. 'And…i don't want to wake up.' I held him and we slowed danced together.

Body to body, hand to hand, heart to undead heart. I felt emotions pour in me. How i wanted so much to kiss him right here, but now's not the time.

With the Vampire, and–most importantly–Katherine.

"Damon, i–" the music suddenly changed to an upbeat song and we separated. "I need some air." I quickly walked out of there, and i fiddled with my gloves.

I heard footsteps and i sighed. "Look, Damon–!" I turned around, but come face-to-face with the Vampire.

I gasped and quickly run away. I went through the cafeteria and tried the doors, but they were locked. I turned when i heard him enter the cafeteria.

He sped over to me and i tried to run away when he grabbed my hair. I screamed as he threw me over the table. He knocked it over paper and…pencils!

I grabbed a couple and I used one when he tried to bite me again, in his stomach. He groaned and let me go. I continued to run and grabbed the mop and broke it.

I tried to plunge it into his heart but he stopped me and grabbed my head to bite into my neck. I screamed and I felt myself being pulled away from him.

I scramed to a corner as Stefan and
The Vampire fight. He goes over the table.

"Hey, dickhead." Damon spoke from the entrance. He turns to him. "Nobody wants to kill you. We just wanna talk."

He goes to speed over to Stefan and Damon throws the broken mop stick to Stefan, who plunges it into the Vampire's stomach. He fell on his knees, groaning.

"Now you feel like talken'?" Stefan asked. He walks around him. "Screw you ." He pushes the stick deeper.

"Wrong answer." Stefan states. "Why are you doing this?" I looked at Damon, who's looking at Stefan. I stand close to him. "Because her cousin looks like Katherine."

He admitted. "And she's hot."

I felt immediately disgusted and held Damon's arm. He turns to me and nodded. "You knew Katherine?"

"Oh, you thought you were the only ones. You don't even remember me." He chuckled while panting, dripping with sweat. Damon bends to his level. "Tell me how to get in the tomb. Hmm?"

"No." He answered.

Stefan goes to torture him again.
Truthfully, it was hard to watch.

He pants. "The Grimoire."

"Where is it?" Damon asked, but he doesn't answer. Continuous torture and he finally brakes. "The Journal! Jonathan Gilbert's Journal!" He yelled, groaning.

"Who else is working for you?" Stefan asked. "Who else is there?" Damon asked. "No. You're gonna have to kill me." I see Damon and Stefan nod in slight conversation and Stefan pulled the stick out of him then re-plugged it into his heart. Him decaying instantly.

I gasped. The first time that i'm seeing a vampire dying. And it's horrible. "What about the others? We can't let them get away!" I stated. I put my hand through my hair nervously. "I don't want anyone else to get hurt." I covered my mouth just when i felt tear pouring down.

Damon pulls me into his body and he holds me while i sob. "We'll get them, and possibly kill them. They won't ever lay a hand on you while i'm here."

We heard footsteps coming from outside door and turned to see someone walking away. "I got her. Go see who it is."

Damon looked conflicted and turned his head to me. I let him go and nodded for him to go ahead. He walked out the cafeteria and i sighed. "I hate dances."

══════════════

"You don't need to walk me home you know." I said, sighing. "Just wanted to make sure you get there alright." Damon said. I rolled my eye, but smiled anyway. I take my keys out and I walked to the front door. I hesitated.

Turning around, i see Damon waiting for me to go in. "Are you really going to leave once you're with Katherine?" I asked. He frowned his eyebrows, and looked down. "It's what Stefan wants. I'm the Big Bad Vampire, i kill and use people for my own gain. So, it's only right that he wants me gone." I walked over to him, and put my hand on his cheek.

"But you don't believe that. I can see it on your face." I said, softly. "He hasn't seen the real you that i've seen."

His mouth opened abit, shocked at my words. I placed a kiss on his cheek, and walked back to the door. "Goodnight, Damon." I closed the door and sighed.

Chapter Text

After getting dressed, my phone rang. Picking it up i see "Damon" and answered. "What is it going to be today?"

"I just got done talking to Stefan and Elena and told them the plan about the journal." He explained. I frowned my eyebrows. "But isn't Elena–ew! You did not just walk into them!" I yelled. He snickered. "Of course i didn't. That wouldn't be very gentleman of me."

I sighed. "Are they really going to help you?" He scoffed. "I don't believe it for one second. Which is why, i want you to tell me their every move. Like a Spy."

"I'll do what i can. No promises that they'll won't figure me out." I stated. He chuckled. "I knew i could count on you."

"Bye, Damon!" I chuckled and hung up. As i was walking down the stairs, i heard Elena and Stefan talking. I stayed clear of sight, around the corner.

"Do you think Damon really believes us that we're both trying to help him?" Elena asked Stefan. "I don't think Damon knows what to believe. Trust isn't something that comes naturally to him."

"You know…i really think that Damon believes that everything he's done, every move that he's made, he's done for love. It's twisted, but kind of sad." Elena admitted. "There are other ways to get what you want. You don't have to kill people. Damon has no regard for human life. He enjoys inflicting pain on others."

"For 145 years…every single time that i have let my guard down and let Damon back into my life, he's done something to make me regret that." Stefan explained. "I'm not gonna make that mistake again." My eyes widened at his words.

"So what do you think will happen if the tomb gets opened and Damon gets Katherine back?" She questioned.

"I think that no matter what Damon promises a lot of people will die." Stefan answered honestly. I held my breath.

I decided to walk out of the house, walking away so Stefan couldn't hear, and i took out my phone and call him.

After a ring, he answered. "Yeah, you
were right. You can't trust them."

He chuckled. "I knew it. But that's alright, cause i, have the perfect plan. Continue what you're doing. Talk soon."

I hummed and hung up. 'I can't believe that they're not trying to help him. The Vampires in the tomb were not going to escape. They don't see how i see him.' I go to back into the house and wait for my opportunity to get called on.

══════════════

Damon came over and cooks dinner to win
over Mom. "My father never approved of anyone i dated…which only made me want them more. Of course."

He smirked. "What about you?"

"There were a few guys. Logan isn't the only loser i've dated." Mom drinks her wine. "And that's why I'm fully on board with you and Alaric! He seems pretty cool." I chuckled. "It's about time!"

"They ever find him? Or is he still
missing?" I looked at Damon, confused.

"He's not missing." My eye almost widened, until she hovers forward. "He's in the Bahamas working on his tan. Very entitled, that one. Marches to his own drum. He's a Fell. They're all snooty."

Damon chuckled and poured her more wine. He turned to the counter. "Hello, Elena." I turned to the entrance and see Elena walking into the kitchen.

I faked smiled. "Hey, Elena! We're cooking dinner." I
hugged her.."Is Stefan with you?" Damon asked.

"Um, he'll be here soon." She answered. I forced myself not to roll my eyes, continuing the innocent act. "That's a bummer. He'll miss out on the food."

Setting up the table, i carried the plates when i was going into the dinning table, Damon bumped into me. "Hey! I have glass plates. You did that on purpose!"

"Yeah, and i was "purposefully" going to get to the sink." He said, not convincing me. I chuckled. "Speaking of Stefan, where is he?" He asked Elena.

"He's missing family night. Which i am enjoying immensely." He said, stating. Elena doesn't answer. He looked to me and slightly nodded. "Is it real?"

"Is what real?" She asked.

"This renewed sense of brotherhood? Can i trust him?" He looks at Elena, with a fake vulnerable look. "Yes, you can trust him." She walked back to the table.

Damon looked at me and i shook my head. He sped
over to Elena. "Can i trust him?" He asked again, putting more "sincereness" into the question.

"I'm wearing vervain, Damon. It's not going to work." I squinted my eyes. 'She thought so low of him, that he would compell her to tell him?! If this wasn't an act, i would've said something.'

"I'm not compelling you." He said, offended. "I just want you to answer me…honestly." I felt like he genuinely wanted me to be wrong that they didn't want him to get Katherine back.

Elena hesitated for a second. "Of course, you can." She walks to the fridge and grabs the eggs. "There was a time when i trusted him more than anyone."

"Trust breeds trust. You have to give it to get it." Elena informed. "Are you lecturing me?" Damon asked.

"Do you need to be lectured?" She redirects. I sipped on my coffee, slightly. Watching the two bickering. I rolled my eyes. "I just want her back. I'm sure you can understand that." He states. "I can understand that you would do anything for her, yes." Elena admitted.

"Then you understand what i will do if anyone gets in my way." He threatened, as he walks back to the counter where i was, i looked at Elena's expression.

It was worried and scared.

Later, Damon and Jeremy are on the couch a game on the television, i'm helping Elena with a box of stuff from Aunt Miranda and Uncle Grayson.

"He is ridiculously hot." Mom whispered to me and Elena. I scrunched my face Mom. "Mom! You can't say that! You potentially have a boyfriend right now!"

"I'm just saying. He would look good with you. But i sense that you're not into dangerous men." I widened and covered her mouth. "Okay, that's enough wine." I chuckled nervously.

"What're you doing with all this stuff?" Mom asked Elena. "I thought there might be something…about my birth parents."

"Have you told Jeremy?" I asked.

She sighed. "I will, when the time is right." The
doorbell rings and Elena and Damon went to the front. I walked away from the counter and followed.

Stefan looks and the three of us. "Well?"

He motions us to talk on the porch. "Someone took Jonathan's journal." He explained. 'The other vampires!' I thought. "Who took it?" Damon asked.

"I don't know." Stefan admitted. Damon turned around. "You know what, it's that teacher. There's something really off about him." I shook my head.

"Alaric? Why would he want the journal for?" I asked. "We aren't going to kill him for the journal." I folded my arms.

"No, he doesn't know anything, somebody got to him before me." Stefan defended. "Who else knew it was there?"

Stefan looks at Jeremy and Damon immediately goes to head back inside. I stood in the way. "Damon, we can't let him get involved in this." I told him.

"I promised." He gave me a reassuring look and i sighed. I walked to the side to let him through. Me, Elena, and Stefan followed him inside the house.

"So…i heard that you found a really cool journal from back in the day. Who else did you show it to?" Damon interrogated

"Huh?" Jeremy asked, not paying attention. "Don't ask questions, just spill." Jeremy scoffed. "You're kidding, right?" I knew that Jeremy wasn't going to talk, so i went ahead and jumped in.

"All we want to know is who else you told? You're not in trouble or who you told, we just wanted to know." I asked calmly. Jeremy looked and me, sighing.

"Just that girl, Anna." He told.
"The hot, weird one?" Damon asked.

"Yeah." He nodded.

"Wait, who's Anna?" Stefan asked. "That's what i wanna find out." Damon said. "How do you know her?"

"I just know her. She wants me to
meet her at the Grill tonight." He explained.

I gasped. "My Jeremy's going on a date! And you didn't even tell me!" I playfully hit his arm. "You must tell me everything!" I noticed that i got a little carried away. I chuckled awkwardly.

"Perfect! I'll drive." He picked Jeremy up by his arm. "Come on." He takes Jeremy out the house, i followed him.

He puts Jeremy into the car. "Do you still want me to spy on them?" I asked, whispering. He looks at me. "Yeah, who knows what trick they have up their sleeves. And try to convince them that you're on their side. It'll be an epic betrayal." He told me. I nodded. "I'll tell you what i find."

I said, honestly. I go back, while Damon drives off with Jeremy. I opened the door and heard Elena and Stefan talking. "I wanna help you." They turned around.

"I heard earlier that he would kill and hurt people to get what he wants. And tonight confirmed that." I said. They looked at me suspiciously. I sighed.

"You can trust me. I want him gone just as mush as you guys. No rescue or field trip will change that." I lied. "Truce?"

They looked to eachother and nodded. "Carm! This cannot get back to Damon. Under any circumstances." Elena states.

"It's safe with me." I said. But what they didn't know, was that i was recording the whole conversation. "So…what's the plan?" I asked, innocently.

We filped through pages of the copys searching for a way into that tomb before Damon does. "Here's a reference that he wrote about Emily. "The Fell family believed it should be i, not them who protected the witch's spellbook. But i feared she would haunt me from the hereafter. They mocked my fear, but it was Giuseppe Salvatore who…" Is that you're father?" She asked Stefan.

"Yeah." He takes the paper from her, and looks carefully at it. "It was Giuseppe Salvatore who removed my fear. He told me he would protect the secret of the spellbook. He said he would carry it to his grave." He remembers the way-point to Emily's Grimoire. "I know where it is."

"Then let's hurry." I said.

I found my phone in my pocket and sended the video message. "We won't let him get what he wants." We went out of the house and headed towards the Cemetery. The tombstone of Giuseppe Salvatore, Damon and Stefan's father.

══════════════

"Why isn't your father buried in your family's tomb?" Elena asked, holding the flashlight to see. "It wasn't built until well after he died." Stefan explained.

"Are you sure the Grimoire's in there with him?" Elena asked. "Well, he did say that he'll "take it to his grave". Perhaps he meant it literally." I stated.

""As sure as i can be." Stefan grabbed two shovels and i took one from him. "Elena, Carmen, i can do this on my own." We shook our heads.

"And i said i would do whatever i can to help." Elena stated. "And me too. You don't always have to do everything by yourself. Where's the fun in that?" I said.

"I know, and i appreciate that, but–" He goes to refuse, but Elena cuts him off. "This town is our home, Stefan. Our friends and family are here. You're here. I don't want that tomb opened any more than you do." I nodded and hummed.

He sighed and walked over to his father's grave. He looks to be hesitating to shovel his father's grave. "I'm sorry that you have to do this." Elena comforts him. Stefan looks at Elena.

Me and him soon went to digging. Enough to create a hole of a coffin. Elena holds the flashlight. She chuckled.

Stefan looks up. "What?"

"Not many girls can say they've done this." She laughed. "Isn't that technically a good thing?" I raised the question.

Stefan went to dig more, when his shovel hit something hard. The three of us looked at eachother, and i got out of the way so Stefan could open the coffin.

He opened it to Giuseppe's skeleton, holding a book. "There's her Grimoire!" I said. He pries it from his father's hands. He looks up at us with a saddened expression.

He gets out of the grave.

My phone dings. I checked it, seeing a text from Damon. « i'm here » i looked at the forest and stepped back.

"Carmen?"

I looked at Elena who turned her head to me. I smiled, guiltfully. "I'm sorry." I said, quietly. She looked confused and looked at Stefan. "Well, what do you know?"

They turned back to see Damon. I turned around to walked up to him. "Carmen? What are you doing? Get away from him!" Elena said, looking at Damon.

"Good job informing me of their little plans." He said, deliberately so that they would understand. "I'm sorry, Elena."

"No. That's not–" She shook her head. "Oh, but it is. You see, i told her to spy on the two of you so i would know every little thing that you do. And that's how i knew that you were going to betray me."

"Is it true, Carmen?" Stefan asked, glancing at Elena. I nodded. "It's true." I showed them my ring. "And he didn't compell me either." Elena had tears in her eyes. "I hoped that it didn't come to this. But you two did it first."

I pulled an emotionless face. "All he wants is Katherine back. To hell with the twenty-nine vampires!" I yelled.

"So what are you gonna do now? Because if you try and destroy that, i'll rip her heart out." He threatened.

I looked at him and widened my eyes. I stood in front of him. "This wasn't part of the plan. You promised." I said, whispering. He looked at me.

It was expression that told me that he wasn't going back on our deal. I calmed down and moved away. Stefan stared at Damon. "You won't kill her." He bluffs.

Damon shrugged, then sped over to Elena, putting her in a choke hold. "I can do one better." He bites into his wrist and feds his blood to Elena.

I almost gasped, when he gave me a slight nod. "Give me the book, Stefan…or i'm snapping her neck, and you'll have yourself a vampire girlfriend."

Stefan looks to Elena and sped over to me. "What? No–!" He forced his blood into my mouth. Bits and pieces go down.

I struggled as mush as i could. Even though Stefan only drinks animal blood, he's still stronger than a human.

I see Damon's eyes widened. "Two can play at that game. Hand me Elena, or i'll turn Carmen." He sets an ultimatum.

I looked at Damon, frightened for my
life. 'I don't want to become a vampire.'

He took away his wrist from Elena's mouth. Stefan did the same. Me and Elena choked on their blood. "Let her go." Stefan told Damon. "I want the book and Carmen." Damon counters.

"I'm not gonna give them to you…until
she is standing next to me." He said.

"The problem is that i no longer trust
that you'll give them back!" He argued.

"You just did the one thing that ensures that i will." Stefan answered. Damon glares at Stefan and nudges his head to the book. "Okay." He sets it down on the floor.

Then Damon looks at me.

I nodded.

Damon slowly lets Elena go which causes Stefan to let me go. We both run into the others arms. Me and Damon. Elena and Stefan. They left me and him.

"Damon. I was so scared." I cried into his
chest. "I know. I was too." He admitted.

He held me close. "Stefan? Why did he–?" He cuts me off. "It was just to get back at me. You did nothing wrong."

I nodded into his chest and let him go. He cups my face and wiped my tears. I smiled, softly. He gives me a kiss on the forehead and lets me go. He walked over to the ground and picked up the book.

I see him looking at the coffin with disdain. 'Something must have happened to him with his father.'

I held his free hand which earned a faint smile and we headed to the Salvatore Boarding House. Heading in, Damon sets the book on the living room table.

I groaned. "Is that a side effect
for vampire blood? My head hurts."

"Yeah, luckily you had gotten a smaller dose, so it should be out of your system by tomorrow." He explained. I nodded.

"Well then, stupid question. Do you have
any aspirin in this big house?' I joked.

"Unfortunately, no we don't. The pro's of being a vampire is that you never get things like headaches or sickness." He smirked. "Lucky for you." I said, sarcastically.

"It's not too terrible. I'll sleep it off." I walk towards the door, but Damon sped in front of me. "Damon, what're you doing?" I chuckled. He shook his head.

"No. You are going to sleep here for the night. I don't trust Stefan with what happened." He glares at the memory.

I held his hand. "And i appreciate that, but i need to go home." I said, but just as i moved away, i find myself lying on the bed, with Damon on top of me. My breath caught in my throat. I stared at him, while he looked at me.

I find my eyes trailing down his face to his lips. "Damon–" He quickly gets off of me and walks back downstairs. I could finally breath, if i didn't, i could've been dead.

'What was that?' I thought. I suddenly feel
something grabbed me from my side and
covered my mouth so i don't scream.

'Damon!' I felt a hit on my
neck. And i passed out.

Chapter Text

I woken up, hoping that that was some freaky vampire blood hallucination, but come to see someone sitting in a chair sleeping. I looked to where i was and saw Elena unconscious too. I quietly walked over to her, and i shook her.

"Elena!" I whispered.

She groaned and opened her eyes. I put my finger to my lips in a shushing manner and pointed to the man.

She shook her head and quietly got off the bed. I followed her to the door. Just as Elena flicks the chain and unlocks it, he sped over behind me. "I wouldn't."

Turning around, me and Elena push ourselves against the door. He looks at me and Elena, his pupils dilating.

"Don't try to escape. Don't even move. Do you understand?" He compelled.

"I understand." We both say, void of emotion. He stops, chuckled, and walks away. Elena grabbed my hand and opened the door. But we see a girl block our way, and the other behind the door.

She grabs both of our arms and takes us back inside completely. "Seriously?" She asked, appalled that he almost let us get away. "I told them not to move. I did that eye thing you taught me." He defended.

"You forgot the lesson abour vervain. She dates a vampire, Ben." She takes us to the bathroom door, but she only throws Elena in and pulls me away.

"Bathroom is too small. So, you are going to hang out with us." She smiled, but it didn't go to her eyes. I was freaking out on the inside. "What do you want?"

"What i want is the Grimoire. And you…" She points to me. "Are going to help me get it." She said, honestly.

"And what makes you so sure that I have it?" I asked. "Oh, i know you don't…but Damon does." She sat me on the chair.

"He would rather drink animal blood than give up the book. He wouldn't give it up for me." I countered and laughed.

"You don't give him enough credit. I called Stefan to bring me the book or Elena dies." She chuckled. "He has no idea that you were taken too."

"Truth be told, she was collateral damage, but it was guaranteed that she'd give a light nudge for Stefan." She pondered fakingly. "Which would make him ask for Damon's help, and he somehow finds out about you, and ergo, i get the book and open the tomb."

I scoffed. "Great plan. Good luck with that." She grips my neck tightly. "Just because you're bait, doesn't mean i won't kill you." I stared at her and nodded.

'I might still have Stefan's blood in my system. I don't want Damon to give up the book. But i also want to be human.' I thought, conflicted by the situation.

She let's me go and sits on the ledge of the window. The other vampire walked over to the bathroom and opened it. Hearing the sink on, he turns it off.

"You're wasting your time. I'm not gonna help you." I heard Bonnie's voice. 'Bonnie? Why is she here?' I looked at the bathroom, he walks deeper in.

"That's why she's here. Motivation for you to behave. You know, you shouldn't be so desperate. You made it too easy." He said to Bonnie. 'If he wasn't a vampire, i would totally kick his ass.'

She wants to talk to you." He drags Elena out of the bathroom and throws her out, closing the door. "Well, well. Elena Gilbert. You really are Katherine's doppelganger. You must have the Salvatore boys reeling." She chuckled.

"Who are you?" Elena asked.
"I'm Anna." She introduced.

"You're the weird, hot girl that my cousin was dating?!" I yelled. "He really needs to work out his thing with women." She sent me a glare. I raised my hands in surrender. Anna looks out the window.

"Bonnie's not gonna open the tomb." Elena stated. "Oh, i think she will." She said. "Who do you want out of the tomb? Because i'm sure that it's not Katherine." I questioned her. She turns to me.

"My mother. Kathrine couldn't help herself. She just had to toy around with both of the Salvatore Brothers. And when she got caught, so did my mother. I wayched Jonathan Gilbert take her away." Anna explained the night of the massacre. I felt sad for her.

"I'm sorry." Elena said, honestly.

Anna tilted her head. "You really mean that, don't you?" She chuckles. "Yeah, i think we'll skip the dead mom bonding so you can start serving a purpose."

I turned to Elena. "We're leverage."

She turned a picked up Elena's phone. I didn't have my phone on me, which was at the Salvatore Boarding House. "Is this yours?" She waved it to us. Elena went to grab it and Anna just moved away.

"She's fine…for now. Tell me you have the Grimoire, and she'll stay fine." She answered. "Which means your brother has it. And i have the witch. So one of you had better meet me in the very public town square in 30 minutes so we can safely discuss how fun it's gonna be to work together." She hangs up.

She pounds on the door. "I'm leaving." Anna walks to the exit. Ben opens the door and brings Bonnie with him.

"Bonnie." I said.
She looks at me.

"Keep them buttoned down compulsion won't work. Just use violence." She tells him, slowly. "Right. I got that." He said.

He throws Bonnie onto the bed. "Sit. Behave." He sets his coat on the chair. "So, you're the key to this. Literally. The one who opens the door. Tell me…how long have you been a witch?"

"Is there anything to drink in here?" Elena directs the attention to her. I nodded. "Yeah, it's quite dry in here."

He walks over to Ele. "Why? You offering?" I quickly pulled Ben away from Elena, which earned me a snarl.
"Get away from her!" I glared at him.

He put his hand on my neck forcefully, but i continued to stand my ground.

"Brave one, I wouldn't try that again." He threatened. He throws me to the bed where Elena is. She quickly holds me.

He pointed behind us. "There's water on the nightstand." He watched us carefully. Elena take the glass, and when she's about to take a sip, Bonnie stops her.

"Hey. Can i have a sip?" Bonnie asked Elena. We both pulled a confused face and Elena handed it to her. Bonnie then throws the water on Ben and sets it on fire. While he's distracted, we run over to the door. Elena and Bonnie almost getting out when i feel him grab me.

I struggled in his hold. "Come back in, shut the door!" He commands. I shake my head "No", but they walked back in.

"Don't hurt her." Bonnie pleads.
"Don't make me!" She closes the door. "Lock it." Bonnie puts the chain back on.

Elena and Bonnie walked slowly back to the beds. Ben lets me go. "Witches don't have eternal life, right? So you guys can die." Ben pantses. "Yeah, we can die." Bonnie said, confirming the question.

He scoffs. "Oh. That sucks."

The door suddenly comes opened and the sun started to burn Ben. At the door was Stefan, and behind him was Damon.

He locked eyes with me. I gasped in relief. I quickly ran over to him. Not bothered by Ben running to cover.

I leaped into his arms. He holds me a touches my hair. "Damon. You came."
He chuckled. "Did you ever doubt me?"

Me and him walk out of there. My eyes immediately closing from the sun. "I missed this." I smiled and looked at him.

══════════════

He sped us out of there and took me to the Salvatore Boarding House.

I see him already staring at me. I turned away, blushing. "How did you know that i was gone too?" I asked, curiosity.

"Anna. She told me that "If she didn't have the book, she would kill you if she didn't get what she wanted". Damon repeated the conversation to me.

"Did you give her the book?" I asked, dread creeping into my voice. "If you didn’t get Katherine back, my life wouldn’t be worth anything. Please don’t tell me you did." I looked at him.

He cups my face. "No, i didn't." I sighed relieved. "But don't ever say that you're life has no worth. You're important to the many people in your life." He pauses. "And…you're important to me."

"You don't mean that." I chuckled. "You're just about to get Katherine and leave Mystic Falls. No one is more important to you than Katherine. It'll always be Katherine." I voiced sadness.

He goes to say something, but i stop him. "I hope you find happiness with Katherine. I hope to see you again, in the future." I smiled warmly, and i walked up the stairs to find the room i was in.

'Was it one of the extra rooms?' I opened one of them it was Stefan's room. 'Not that one.' I chose another one. 'All i remember is seeing a big window.'

I chuckled the one across from Stefan's and see that it was a familiar place. 'This must be it!' I see my phone on the bed.

I quickly grabbed it and seen multiple missed calls from Caroline. I groaned. "She definitely gonna strangle me one of these days." I called her and it went straight back to voicemail. "Hey! Caroline, I'm just now seeing your calls and I couldn't answer was because…i didn't have my phone on me."

I lied as best as i could. "So, call me back." I hanged up and fell on the bed with plop. "What has my life gone too? My Aunt and Uncle passing, taking care of Elena and Jeremy, and finding out Vampires exist! I need a vacation."

After sulking, i walked back downstairs. I walked to the alcohol counter and took a bottle of bourbon, drinking it. I heard footsteps coming and turned around.

Seeing Elena coming in, i awkwardly dropped the bottle on the counter.

"Damon's around here somewhere, if you're looking for him." I looked around other than to Elena. I smiled and turned around. "Why are you working with Damon?" She asked, stopping me in my tracks. "You know that he's a monster?"

"And what about Stefan? He's a vampire too. Haven't you wondered that since he hasn't dranken blood in a long time, was because he was killing people!" I argued.

"Leave Stefan out of this!" She yelled at me. I scoffed. "You're being a hypocrite, Elena! At least, i accept Damon for who he is, instead of changing him!"

Her mouth opens. She looks at me. "You've changed Carmen! Ever since you've met Damon, you've changed."

I gulped down the choking feeling. "Well, i guess we both have." Elena shakes her head and quickly leaves. I watched her go, tears forming in my eyes.

I quickly wiped them away when i heard footsteps coming towards the room.

"What was that for?" Damon asked, softly. "It's nothing. Family drama." I turned to him. "You ready for tonight?"

He nodded and grabbed his jacket and we sped over to the cemetery. I see people partying and I watched confused.

"Why is there a party here?" I asked. "It'll be a easy buffet for vampires."
"It's Duke's party." Damon explained.

I nodded. "Let's just hope nobody comes to the tomb unexpectedly." Watching people drinking and chatting by the fire.
"Your hope. Not mine." Damon admitted.

"Carmen!" I heard Matt's voice. "Carm! Hey!" Then Caroline's. I see her arm wrapped around Matt's, and smiled.

"Don't tell me it's official now?!" I squealed. Care holds Matt's hand and puts it up. "Yes, we're dating!"

I raised my hands. "Congratulations! I'm so happy for you!" I giggled and hugged her. "I'm Matt. We haven't officially met." Matt introduced himself to Damon.

"Matt, there's a reason why we haven't met." Damon comments. He pulls me away from Caroline. "We can't stay here longer. You know…the tomb."

I nodded. I turned to them. "Sorry guys, we got to get going. It was nice seeing you!" I yelled as Damon pulls me away.

"They were just saying hi, Damon." I commented on his attitude with Matt and Caroline. "Not my problem." Damon said monotone. I rolled my eyes.

"And what makes you think they'll show up?" Sheila asked Stefan, as me and Damon were walking over. He whistles.

They turned around, watching us walk to them. "Brother. Witches." He greeted.
I waved over to Bonnie and Sheila.

I followed Damon down the entrance stairs, him holding my hand in case i fall. Everyone else soon after us.

Sheila lights a firestick. "Air. Earth. Fire." Bonnie holds up a bottle. "Water."

Sheila takes it and pours it on the ground. "That's it? Just water from the tap?" Elena asked, confused.

"As opposed to what?" Sheila questioned.

"I just figured maybe it'd have to be blessed or mystical or something." Elena states. Sheila smirks at her, confidently.

Damon takes out a blood bag.

"What's that?" Stefan flashes the light at him. "It's for Katherine. Gotta have something to get her going. Unless your girl's offering up a vain to tap." Damon suggested. Elena stayed near the entrance. Stefan sighed. He turns to him.

"Admit it…you can't wait to get rid of me." Damon states. Stefan looks at him. "I can't wait to get rid of you." He chuckled. Damon hums. "We're ready."

Bonnie and Sheila joined hands and chanted. "Phasmatos Salves Nas Ex Malon, Terra Mora Vantis Quo Incandis, Et Vasa Quo Ero Signos." I looked at the two of them, honestly amazed by it.

"What're they saying?" Damon turned to us. "Sounds Latin. Maybe Greek." I guessed. "I don't think it's Latin." Elena objects the answer. I rolled my eyes.

After the next chant, the flame bruned brighter. Damon pulling me behind him.

"What's happening?" Elena asked.

A sudden noise came from the tomb, which made me jump. Looking at the door opening, i laughed happily. "It worked." Bonnie said in disbelief.

"Of course it worked." Sheila told Bonnie. Damon turns to Stefan.

"We have some fires to build." He looks to Elena. "I'm gonna go get the gasoline, i'll be right back." She nodded and he left. Damon looked to Sheila and Bonnie.

"Come, Carmen. Let's go." He didn't look at me when he said that. I blinked. "Huh?" They looked horrified.

"You think i'm gonna go in there by myself so you can seal me in?" He asked, holding me close to him. I tried to keep my thoughts in check. "It's fine. He just needs me to be leverage so you don't trap him. I'll be alright in there."

They looked at Damon and i gave them a reassuring nod. He takes a flaming stick. "May i?" He walks over to the tomb and hold out his hand. He gave me a slight smile and i took it. "Stay close, alright?"

I nodded. We entered the tomb, i immediately noticed how dark it was in here. It was kinda freaking me out.

Hearing whispers around me, i looked everywhere. "Is that the decaying Vampires?" I asked Damon. "They can sense you." He admitted. I gulped.

"Now, where is she?" He walked deeper into the tomb, i'm closed to following him. Seeing dead "undead" vampires just slowly mummifying, brings goosebumps throughout my body.

We come across an empty room. "No, not there." And then another. "Nope." Each room found was a dead-end. We continued to search everywhere.

"Why is she not here, Carmen?" He looked so distressed. "I don't know. Both you and Stefan saw her get taken away. She should be here." I answered, softly.

He throws the blood bag frustration builds up. "She was supposed to be here. Why isn't she here?" I heard despair in his voice and immediately hugged him.

"Let's go. I can't stand to look at this place." He said, voiced sadness and i let him go. He walks towards the exit of the room as i followed him. I accidentally tripped on something and came face to face with a vampire. "Mother!"

Anna yelled, she ran over to her decaying mother. "I wanted it to be Gilbert blood to wake her. But you'll do."

"What–?!" She grabbed my hand and bit into it. I screamed as she lets go and feeds it in her mother. "No!" I yelled.

I felt her take a couple of sips before Anna is pulled away. "No!" She yelled.

I see Damon pull me up and went to attack but we heard a faint voice. "Annabeth." We looked at the vampire.

"Mother!" Anna holds her mother.
"I just wanted my mother back. Jeremy's alright. We won't hurt him."

She picked her mother up and left where we were. I looked at Damon. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it." I took his hand and walked towards the entrance. Anna and her mother are at the entrance. Seeing Bonnie and Sheila watching us come out.

Before i could say anything, i felt myself let go of Damon's hand. I looked confused. "What happened?"

"Carmen, don't worry. We'll fix it." I turned to Bonnie. "Fix what? Why can't they come out?!" I looked at Damon.

"The barrier's not down. Am i right, witches?" He asked, coldly.

I widened my eyes. "I thought that opening the door meant that the barrier was down. Why did you say anything?"

"It doesn't work like that." Sheila explained. I pushed my hand through my hair, nerves getting the best of me.

They joined hands and chanted. "Phasmatos Salves Nas Ex Malon, Terra Mora Vantis Quo Incandis, Et Vasa Quo Ero Signos." The fires burned brighter.

I looked at Damon. He looked at the doorway and puts his foot over the line. I laughed happily. He then walked away from the tomb gate. I quickly hugged him. "Thank goodness it worked!"

Anna and her mother walked out of there and the door closed. All the flames went out. Instantly making it dark.

We exited the tomb. Stefan and Elena running over to Jeremy. "Is he…?" I asked. "He's alright." Stefan told.

I looked at Damon. A wave of disbelief and anger drowned me. I go over to him and wrapped my arms around him. "I'm sorry Katherine wasn't in there."

He just stood blankly.

══════════════

Me and Elena headed home with Jeremy. In his room, Elena gives him a glass of water. "How's your head?" She asked.

"Un, it's, uh, it's alright. I just…i wish i knew how i passed out. I didn't drink that much, i swear." Jeremy explained.

"And you don't remember anything?" She questioned. "The whole things pretty cloudy. I just…i know how this looks. I'm–i'm sorry." He apologized.

I shook my head. "No. That's not we were thinking. We were just worried that you didn't hit your head to hard."

"Okay." He said.

"I've gotta head over to Bonnie's for a little bit, but is there anything you need?" Elena asked Jeremy.

"Oh, no, i'm just…i'm gonna crash." Jeremy declined. "Okay, well, Jenna's here, and i'll be back soon." Elena told.
"Say hi to her for me." I smiled quickly.

She nodded and walked out the room. Jeremy looks at me confused. "Me and Elena are at odds. We'll work it out."

"Now, You need sleep for tomorrow. Don't want to become a zombie." I joked. I walked over to the door and turned around. "Goodnight, Jere."

"Night, Carmmy." He said.

I closed the door and walked to mine. I thought about Damon and how's he doing. "Maybe i could call him."

I ranged the phone. It wented for a couple of times. And then voice mail.

"Hey Damon. I was calling to wonder how are you? And i'm worried about you. If you need anyone to talk to, i'm here." I hanged up and went to bed.

Chapter Text

I thought of going to the Boarding House to check on Damon and his "Katherine" problem. Me and Elena are still on thé outs with each other, so this is the next bust place to be. I knocked on the door.

Awhile waiting, the door opens to Stefan, looking at me confused.

"Is Damon here right now?" I asked, hearing music coming from the house.

I peaked around the house and looked to Stefan. He sighed and let me in. I walked to the living room and i see Damon feeding on one of the girls, he was partying with. "What a lovely surprise!"

I looked over to Stefan. "Is he drunk?"

"Unfortunately." He said. I sighed as i walked over to the drunk Damon, Stefan watching Damon carefully. I pulled the compelled girl away from him.

She scoffed at me and walked away. Damon looks at me with drunken puppy dog eyes and a frown. "There's no need to be jealous Carmen, you'll always be my number one girl." He smirked and pulled me close to him. I gasped, surprised.

My back faced his chest as he wrapped his arms around my neck, swaying to the music. "Damon, you're drunk. And you're feeding on innocent girls."

He puts his chin on my shoulder and inhaled, creating a shiver down my body. "Would you rather i feed on you?"

The question caught me off guard. "N-no! Of course not." I stuttered.

He chuckled. "They'll only remember that they had a hard party, and they'll wake up with headaches." He explained.

I nodded. "That's good." I let go from his hold and turned around. "It looks like you're doing fine with Katherine not being in the tomb last night."

"Yeah. Couldn't be more better." Damon said. I knew that he was lying by how drunk he was and the expression on his face when i mentioned Katherine.

"You know that you can talk to me. I'm always gonna be here when you need me." I smiled warmly and honestly.

He looked into my eyes and smiled faintly. I looked over to the dancing girls, and i caught one of them giving me stink eyes. She quickly looked away.

"Elena still upset with you?" Damon asked, curiosity. "Yep!" I answered.

"Well, to hell with her." He told me. I sighed. "We may be fighting right now, but she's still my cousin." I stated.

He grabbed a bottle of bourbon. "I heard what you guys were talking about, and it sounded like to me that she was the one in the wrong. So, she should be the one to apologize to you." He admitted honestly.

"Elena's stubborn. If she thinks she's in the right, it'll take light-years for her to realize." I frowned. He picked my head up. "Want me to compell her?" He joked.
I hit his chest. "No, i don't." I laughed.

"Can we talk?" I heard Stefan's voice far from us. 'Oh! I didn't realize that he was still here.' I blushed, embarrassed.

"Without the tri-delts." He states. "Anything you have to say to me, you can say in front of them. They're really good at keeping secrets." Damon smirks.

We walked to the library room.

"You're worried about me. That's nice. Don't be." Damon states. "There's no need. I'm fine. Why wouldn't i be? Spent the last 145 years with one goal…get into that tomb. I succeeded. Granted, Katherine wasn't in there to be rescued, but why dwell?" He narrated. "You know, it's so liberating not having a master plan, because i can do whatever the hell i want." Damon expressed.

"That's kind of what i'm afraid of." Stefan admitted. Damon sighed.

"Relax. I haven't killed anyone in…too long." He explained. I nodded. "He's right. There hasn't been any "animal attacks" on the news lately, ever since with Logan." I vouched for him.

"Predictable you didn't pull me over here for a pep talk. So drink up. Spill it, brother." Damon nudges the bottle towards Stefan. I also didn't believe that was all either, with how he doesn't trust Damon. Stefan sighed and looks at him.

"There was a woman you may have known a few years back named Isobel in North Carolina at Duke." He explained.

"You wanna discuss the women in my past right now? Seriously?" Damon groaned. "You killed her." Stefan states.

"What's your point?" Stefan shrugged his shoulders. "I just-just wanna know if you remember anything about her."

"Oh, it's like a needle in a haystack, Stefan." Damon comments. "Well, think hard. It's important." He told him.

'Why is Stefan so interested in a dead woman named Isobel? Could she be…Elena's birth mother?!' I thought.

Damon pats Stefan's shoulders and pushes his head to his ear. "Nothing is important, not anymore." He takes the bottle back from Stefan. "Great chat. I have to go and exploit some women in the name of grief…which i'm sure you understand. "TTFN", said the tri-delt. Heh." He walks back to the living room.

Stefan looks at me. "I'll keep an eye on him. You just go head back to Elena." I told. Getting up from the chair, i leave the library. I see him putting on his jacket loosely and walked up to him.

"Here. Let me." I turned him around, facing me, helping him put his arms through the sleeves, and swiping his jacket for wrinkles. "There. Perfect."

"Thanks." He smiled.

"Where're you going?" I asked. "The Grill. Need something to take my mind off of Stefan." Damon explained.

I nodded. "I'll go with you. Something tells me i'll need it too." I admitted.

He wraps his arm around my neck, and we headed over to the Grill.

══════════════

We sit at the counter and asked the bartender for some bourbon. "Daytime drinking, huh?" Liz asked, walking over to us. We nodded. "It's all the rage."

I turned my body over to Liz. "What brings you over here?" I questioned.

She looks hesitant to answer and sighed. "There's this fundraiser later here tonight that the Founder's council is throwing. The town's most eligible bachelors get raffled off for dates, and…well, we're short a bachelor."

"And you want Damon to be that Bachelor." I pointed out. She nodded.

"Is this what you do when there's no, um…" He leans forward towards Liz. "Vampires?" He whispered the word.
She looks at me, shocked. "Don't worry. She knows. I told her when she was attacked by vampire Logan." He lied.

"Oh, trust me. At this point, i miss the vampires." She chuckled. She sighed. "Look, you're a hero to this town, Damon. And i know most people don't know it but you are, and you're single and a catch." He shakes his head.

"Oh, come on. Help me out. Carol Lockwood won't let me live it down if i come up empty-handed." She pleaded.

"So, you're trying to sell him out to a whole bunch of women? Color me impressed." I hummed and took a sip of my drink. I turned to Damon. "Do it. It could be fun and take your mind off."

He finishes his drink. "I'll do it. On one condition. Only if you're also there raffling." He admitted, staring at me.

I sighed. "Fine." I pointed a finger at him. "But you owe me now!" I commanded.

Liz laughed. "Thank you."
"One thing." He stops her.

"Can you get information on someone for me? Alaric Saltzmen, the history teacher. There's just something a little off about him and i just, i just wanna make sure that thr high school did their homework on this guy." Damon states.

She nodded. "You got it."
"Thanks." He appreciates.

I looked over at Damon. "You're still on his ass about him? I thought he was in the clear." I expressed confusion.

"He feels familiar to me. And it's not a good feeling. Just wanted to make sure that he wasn't a threat." He admitted.

"So that you didn't have to kill him?" I raised an eyebrow. "Of course. I wouldn't lie to you." He smirked.

I playfully rolled my eyes. "Cause that's my Mom's boyfriend. And i don't want her getting hurt. I can't just tell her "Hey Mom, your boyfriend may or may not be dead right now, 'cause of a certain someone who thought he was suspicious". That sounds ridiculous!"

He chuckled at me. "You definitely have a way with words." I puffed my cheeks.

══════════════

I waited in his room since he was getting ready for the party's raffle. I looked through magazines, and a book from the library. I heard him walk back into his room from the bathroom and looked up.

I instantly come into view of a shirtless Damon and accidentally run my eyes over his body. I immediately caught myself staring as Damon chuckled.

"I-i wasn't. I didn't mean–" I fumbled my words. I sighed. "You're cute when you're embarrassed." He laughed. I blushed and puffed my cheeks from frustration. "Am not." I mumbled.

He grabs his shirt jacket and puts it on. But he was fumbling with the buttons. "Help a guy out, will you?" Damon asked. He turned to me and opened his arms out for me to see the problem.

I shook my head, and chuckled. I stood up and walked towards him. "A vampire who's too drunk to put his buttons through his shirt, has to be the funniest thing I've ever seen." I teased Damon.

"Would it be better for you to remove them?" He seductively asked, whispering it into my ear. I heart skipped a beat.

He chuckled. I hit his shoulder. "Don't do that! I hate you." I folded my arms. "Oh please, you love me." He smirked. I rolled my eyes. "In your dreams."

"What do you think Stefan wanted to know about Isobel?" I seriously asked, fixing his buttons. He shakes his head.

"I don't know. Stefan's on his own mission, which i don't want to get involved with." He answered. "Why?"

"It's nothing. Just speculating." I admitted. I finished his shirt.

I moved away from him. He spun around. "How do i look? Handsome? Gorgeous? Irresistible?" He asked me.

"You look okay." I joked. He gave me a really? look. "You look good. You're definitely gonna kill the woman who gets your ticket. Figuratively speaking."

I heard footsteps coming from behind me and turned around. "Hey, Stefan."

"Hey." He looked from me to Damon. "I thought you were with Elena already."

I shook my head. "Nope. Been from here to the Grill, then here again." I answered. "Why? What's wrong?"

"She went to go see her birth mother's friend in across town." He explained. I hummed. "I was originally supposed to go with her, but she went herself."

"That sounds like Elena." I admitted. "How is she doing with all of that?"

"She's been…doing well." He said, hesitantly surprised. I nodded, frowning.
"She's hurt from what you guys said to eachother. She's equally as hurt by your words as you are by hers." He stated.

"I understand what you're saying. I'll talk to her at the raffle." I told him, truthfully. He nodded and left the room.

"Are you really going to talk to Elena?" He asked me, carefully. "Yeah. It's been long enough. Any longer, and it'll turn awkward." I admitted with a quick smile. He nodded, but groaneded.

"Ugh! I need a bigger jacket." He struggled with the one he picked out.

I waved my hand. "You're on your own. See you at the Grill, Damon!" I quickly got out of his room, laughing at him.

══════════════

"Tickets for the raffle are on sale. All proceeds benefit thé annual Founder's Day celebration." Carol Lockwood anounces on into the microphone.

"How many of these Founder parties are we getting this month? 100?" I exclaimed. I took a sip of my drink.

Caroline and Matt laughed. "He's already been hit on, like, 35 times. He's total cougar bait." Caroline points out.

Matt puts his arm around Caroline. "But the only person who gets to flirt with me, is my lovely girlfriend." He kisses her forehead. I awed at the couple.

"I'm, like, so jealous of you two!" I whined. "You and Damon aren't a thing? I was so right on that one!" Caroline asked, shocked. "I might be losing my touch!" I chuckled. "Me and Damon aren't a thing. Nor going to be."

"Good. You deserve better, Carm." Matt admitted. I smiled, lightly. "Hey, Mrs. Donavan." Caroline greets happily.

I moved to the side for her. She completely ignores Caroline and turns to me. "You must be, Carmen. Elena's cousin, right?" She asked me.

I raised my glass. "The one and only." I took a sip. "Matty told me she broke his heart months ago. How is she?" Kelly asked me. "Mom!" Matt warned.

"Just kidding. Calm down. He found his rebound girl." She bluntly said. "Oh, here you go sweetheart. How ever many that'll would buy. I just hope i don't get bachelor three. I dated him in high school. Not impressive. In any way."

Caroline givers her her raffle. "Very exciting." She runs over to bar.

"Is it too late to punch her in the face?" I joked, with a hint of seriousness.

"Have at it. At least it'll be you to do it." Matt sighed. I turned to Caroline. "I'm sorry that she said that about you. You aren't the "rebound girl". You're Caroline Forbes. My best friend and Matt's girlfriend. Stand up for yourself."

She smiled. "Thanks, Carm." I held her hand and squeezed it, reassuringly.

I pulled out some money and handed it to Caroline. "I promised to get a raffle for Damon to partake in this bachelor event." She nodded and handed me my ticket. I read the numbers 37552.

'With everyone else's, it'll be a miracle for me to get picked.' I sighed. I see Elena walking with Stefan. I grew some confidence and walked towards them.

"Hey. Um, can we talk?" I asked, hesitantly to Elena. She looks at Stefan, whom nodded towards me. She sighed and nodded. We walked outside for a quieter place to talk. Elena quickly turned to me. "What is there to talk about? You clearly chose Damon over me, and i can accept that decision."

I frowned my eyebrows. "What're you are talking about?! "Choosing Damon over you"? That's not what i was doing. I was just trying to help him, but you and Stefan clearly didn't want to."

"I wanted everyone i loved to be safe and not harmed by more vampires. If that makes me the bad guy, then i'll be the bad guy for being selfless." Elena exclaimed. I stared at her. "You thought i didn't care about the possibility of people getting hurt? 'Cause i did, Elena!"

"I also thought about Damon's feelings and how much he wanted to get Katherine out of that tomb." I felt tears welled-up in my eyes. "I put my friend's feelings before anyone else." I admitted.

"So, i'm sorry that i was being so selfish!" I yelled. I wiped my eyes, and went to go back inside, when she grabbed my hand.

"Carm! Wait!" I froze. "I don't think that you're selfish. I never did. I actually envy you for not being selfish. Always thinking of others before yourself."

I turned to her. She sighed. "I didn't want you getting hurt 'cause of Damon and his actions. You're my family, i'll always want to protect you." Elena tells me.

"And i'll always protect you." I smiled and quickly hugged Elena. "Cousins?"
"Cousins." She answered, chuckling.

We both got out of the hug. "Let's go back inside. We might accidentally be declared missing." I joked, smiling happily. She nodded and wrapped her arm through mine and we headed in.

══════════════

"And what do you do bachelor number three?" Carol questioned the man.

"Yeah, I'm a plumber." He spoke into the microphone. Carol fakingly laughs. "Well, isn't that wonderful? We could always use more plumbers. Moving on."

She walks over to Alaric. "Number four, "Alaric Saltzmen". Wow, that's quite a monthful. What do you do, Alaric?"

"I'm a teacher at Mystic Falls High." He introduced. "Oh, beauty and brians, ladies. This one's a keeper. What do you teach?" Carol questioned. "History."

"History. Oh, well, give us a fun fact about Mystic Falls, something crazy." She told him. Alaric stares over at Damon.

'Could he know?' I questioned, looking back and forth to Alaric and Damon.

"Uh, well, uh–" He was cuts off by Carol, flashing her–perfect for a pageant–smile.
"He's probably saving the best stories for his date. And last, but not least, Damon Salvatore. We don't have much on you."

"I'm tough to fit on a card." He smirked. "Do you have any hobbies, like to travel?" She asked. A little too personal for my liking. 'Where was she going with this?' I thought, confused by her.

"Oh, yeah. LA, New York. Couple of years ago, i was in North Carolina near the Duke campus, actually. I think, i think Alaric went to school there. Didn't you, Rick? Yeah, 'cause i-i know your wife did. I had a drink with her once. She was, she was a great girl. Did i ever tell you that? 'Cause she was…delicious."

I widened my eyes. 'What is he saying?! Provoking Alaric about his wife, to his face.' I looked over to Elena who suddenly gone quiet. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, i just need some air." She quickly ran out of there, i see Stefan following her. I looked at Damon and thought about Elena's reaction. 'So, it's true. Isobel is Elena's birth mother.'

I frowned. 'And Damon was the one that killed her.' I gasped. 'Damon, what did you do?' I worried about Elena's feelings and Alaric's anger towards Damon.

Carol walked over to the raffle bowl, confused about the ordeal with Alaric and Damon. "And bachelor number three goes to 37458." She anounces.

"That's me." Kelly walked over to take the bachelor's number from Carol. The crowd starts to laugh at her. "You and the plumber should have so much fun."

I heard Elena talking to Damon. "Just as i was starting to think that there was something redeemable about you."

I walked over there with Stefan. "Elena. He doesn't know." I told her. "Damon doesn't know what? Am i missing something here?" He asked the three of us. Elena glared at Damon.

"My birth mother, the one that gave me up. Her name was Isobel." He immediately frowned at the realization.

"Go ahead. Reminisce about how you killed her." She shoves his shoulder and walks away. Stefan goes after Elena.

I turned to Damon. "Did you really not know?" I asked him, softly. He shakes his head. I sighed. "I turned her. She came looking for me and asked me to turn her into a vampire." He explained.

"What made you not kill her?" I asked.
"I don't know. There was something about her that i liked. So i granted her wish." He admitted. I nodded. "Thanks for telling me the truth. I'll be over at the bar." He smiled. "You're welcome."

Walking over and sitting down. "Two glasses of whiskey please, and stat."

The bartender pours them. "Long night?" They chuckled. "Long week." I corrected, quickly downing the drinks.

"And the lucky winner of bachelor number four is…ticket number, 37649." Carol announced. Mom raised her hand.

"That's me." I smiled as she walked over to Carol to take the ticket. "And bachelor number five, Damon Salvatore." She puts her hand into the bowl, fishing out possible tickets. She takes on out.

"37552." She numbered out.

I looked at my ticket, and i widened my eyes. 37552 was the exact numbers of his ticket. "Th-that's me!" I raised my hand, holding the ticket with the correct number. I walked over there and walked over to Caroline. "I can't believe i won."

"I know. It's almost like you got spotted by cupid." She joked. "It was totally fate, Carmen. I'm just the only one that sees it." I laughed, but didn't deny it.

"Where is he?" Carol asked.

I looked to the stage, then to the crowd. 'He left?' I instantly frowned. "Oh…"

"Maybe he just went to do something. He wouldn't just leave here with getting a date." Caroline tried to reassure me.

I sighed. "No. I get it. I just had my hopes up too soon. It's my fault. Thanks for the tickets." I walked over to the bar. "Two waters. I'll need to drive tonight."

"Coming right up." They put glasses filled with tap water on the counter.

"Congratulations to me." I drank the waters and wiped my tear-filled eyes.

Chapter Text

"And then, as soon as i grabbed the ticket, he's already gone. Can you believe that?!" I ranted to Edward about what happened yesterday. "He didn't even tell me that he was leaving." I folded my arms, biting into a cupcake.

"And you're angry 'cause…?" He asked. I opened my mouth to explain, but then i realized. "Why am i angry? It's not like i was disappointed, nor did i like-like him." I squinted my eyes. "Stop messing with my head here! You're supposed to be on my side!" He chuckled. "I am."

"Well, be more on my side." I told him. I sighed. "You could ask him what happened. You totally assumed without knowing the whole story." He admitted.

I rolled my eyes. "You sure you're not in kahoots with him?" I looked suspiciously at him. "You're being very non angry at him. What do i not know? Spill!"

He sighed. "Nothing, Carm. I'm simply trying to not get involved with your love life." He goes over to the counter.

"I don't love him." I denied. He gave me a look. "I don't. I wasn't thinking about it."

He shrugs. "I don't know. You always have those doey eyes whenever you talk about him. Must be my imagination."

"I don't have doey eyes. You and Caroline have to stay away from eachother or else i'll have a brain aneurysm." I declared, honestly.

He laughed. "Well, you'll eventually figure it out. You always do." Edward went to go serve other customers.

I sighed and thought it through. 'If you want answers, you have to go get them yourself. No matter if you want them or not.' I payed for the cupcake and walked out of there. I got a call from Caroline.

"Hey, Carmen. Me, Elena, Stefan, and Matt are having a double date." Caroline explained. "And…it's a great idea…?" I asked. "It'll be the perfect opportunity for Matt to see that Elena has moved on." She spoke, determined.

"Wouldn't it be better to tell him your feelings about their past relationship? It would help you communicate better with him." I suggested. She declined.

"You know me. I always say the wrong things. What if i say something and then he breaks up with me?" She asked.

"Matt wouldn't do that." I reassured. "He wouldn't do that to Elena." She mumbled. I sighed. "Do you remember what i told you at the Founder's Party?"

"That "don't think about other people's feelings and be happy." I said. "Maybe explain it to Elena, she'll understand."

She sighed. "You're right. I'll talk to her. Thanks Carm." I hummed and hung up the phone. I walked towards the Salvatore Boarding House. Seeing the familiar door, I walked in. I looked around. "Stefan?! Damon?!"

I heard a whoosh sound and felt pain go throughout my wrist. "Ah!" I quickly walked over to the living room.

"Have a seat, Damon. I was hoping we could have a word." I heard Anna's mother's voice. 'Why is she here?'

"Sure." Damon accepted. I see Damon sitting on the couch, Anna and her mother are standing in front of him.

He looked over to me and widened his eyes. "And you must be Carmen. I'm Pearl, Annabeth's mother." She sped over to me, making me jump.

"Nice to meet you. The last time i saw you was when your daughter was feeding my blood to you and getting out of the tomb. But no harm feelings." I sarcastically smiled and walked over to the couch with Damon. She chuckles.

"I can see why you're so fond of her." She said, amused. "Now, onto business. We've taken up residence at a farm house just outside of town. It'll suffice for now." She told us about the place.

"All 25 vampires?" Damon asked.
"I don't think all of them could even fit into one bathroom, let alone a farm house." I commented, clearing my throat when i was given stares. I looked away.

"Not all. Some. I imagine that a few have already left town. Others are probably still in the woods or, like us, acclimating." Pearl looks over to Anna.

"How'd they get out of the tomb?" He questions. "I think the witch screwed up that part of her hocus-pocus." Anna claimed. I stood up. "Say whatever you want, but don't ever say anything about Bonnie." She revealed her fangs at me.

My eyes widened, but i still stood my ground. "Carmen. Best you back away from the angry vampire, huh?" Damon calmly asked. "Don't want to get on anyone's dark side. Especially one's that cən kill you." He drags me to the couch.

I glared at Anna and vice versa.

"I understand from Anna that the founding families still have a secret council?" Anna added in. "And that you're a part in it." Damon scoffed.
"That's ridiculous." He chuckled.

"I've been in Mystic Falls since the comet, Damon. I'm up to speed." Anna retorts. "And so am i. And now that you've infiltrated the council, i'll need to know everything they know. Starting with a list of names of all the council members and their families." Pearl adds.

"And everyone you've supplied with vervain." Anna continued. "Yes, that will have to stop immediately." Pearl finishes. Me and Damon looked at them, confused by their list of demands.

"What exactly are you trying to achieve?" Damon questioned.

"Mystic Falls is our home, Damon. They took that from us. Our land, our home. It's time we rebuild." Pearl explained.

"What're you crazy? That was 1864. Wake up, woman. The world has moved on." Damon denied the plan.

"As a reward for your help, i'm willing to give you what you want most." She introduced a compromising promise.

"I want nothing." He denied.
"Katherine." She spoke quickly.

I looked over to Damon, seeing his shocked – hesitating look.

"You wouldn't even know where she was. You've been under the ground for the last century and a half." Damon said, suspecting the offer for Katherine.

"Katherine and i were best friends long before we came to Mystic Falls, Damon. I know how she thinks. I know her patterns. I know where to find her." Pearl answered with a pointed tone.

Damon leans forward. "I no longer have any desire to see Katherine ever again. And there's no way in hell i'm gonna play the role of your little minion."

He goes to stand up, but Pearl knocks him back down. "I'm not asking for your help, Damon. Finding Katherine was just a mere gesture of kindness. The rest is non-negotiable." She sped at him and poked her fingers through his eyes.

"Ah!" Me and Damon yelled in pain. It was like thousands of needles were clawing into my sockets. He fumbled down to the ground and she let go.

I went over to check on Damon. Picking up his face and seeing his blood soak his face. I turned around to glare at them.

"I have 400 years on you, little boy. I'll rip you from limb to limb without even blinking and you know it." Pearl threatened. "I'll be in touch." We watched as her and Anna leaves.

I go to the basement and take out a blood bag. Quickly heading back to Damon, i handed it to him. "Thanks."
I watched him down the blood bag.

"Do you think we can trust them?" I asked. "No. They are super old vampires. Me and Stefan – especially Stefan, aren’t strong enough to handle them." He told.

I frowned. "What do we do? We can't just leave them in Mystic Falls. Everyone i love could be in danger." I voiced worry, rubbing my hands nervously.

"We won't let them win. You can trust me on that." He said, honestly. I nodded and thought about the tomb vampires.

══════════════

Me and Damon arrived at the Grill and we both sat down. "We'll have two glasses of bourbon, please." I say.

"What's with the glasses inside?" Kelly Donavan asked. We both turned to her. "Our, um, our eyes are a little sensitive today." Damon explained, groaning.

"You're new around here." She points out. I chuckled. "Trust me. He's very old." I whispered, half jokingly.

"Well, i haven't been gold that long. I would remember someone eho looked like you." She flirts with him.

"Yeah? Where'd you go?" He asks.
"Around, about." She answered.

"Been there, done that." He drinks his bourbon with a small chuckle.

"I love to see a man drown his sorrows. It's so…Sexy." She emphasized.

"It's more like nursing my wounds. And you?" Damon asked. "Well, i was supposed to be interviewing for the bartender job but, um, i think the manager blew me off." Kelly explained.

"Did you sleep with her boyfriend?" I rudely questioned, which shocked Damon and Kelly, but mostly me.

I cleared my throat awkwardly. "I'm sorry, that was the alcohol talking." I chuckled nervously hoping she'll believe the white lie. "As you were saying…"

"Yeah, last time i was in town, i slept with her boyfriend." Kelly admitted.

"Well, that's not very nice, either." Damon states. "It happens." She noted. "Yes, it does." He agreed with her.

"Kelly? Kelly Donavan." We heard Mom's voice from behind us.

"Hey!" While Kelly said. "Jen!" They both hugged each other like they were old friends. Mom turned to me and Damon.

"Carm, i didn't think i would find you also here." She frowns. "What's with the glasses?" She looked at me confused.

"I'm not on drugs, if that's your idea! My eyes are sensitive today, and i thought of just helping my sight with some glasses." I calmly explained. 'not a total lie.'

She seems to have believed me when she turns back to Kelly. "I heard you were back in town. She used to babysit me."

"And then, i used to party with her." Kelly noted. I playfully gasped. "Mom used to be fun?! The shock i must feel!"

She hits my arm, smiling. "This woman is crazy." Kelly disagrees. "Not as crazy as you." Which Mom laughs at. "Uh, well, not anymore." She looks at her hand.

"Well, sit, drink." Kelly offered.
"Uh, i shouldn't." Mom declines.

"What's the matter? I won't tell Elena nor Jeremy about this." I pointed out.

It didn't take a minute for her to sit down. "Oh, well." Damon said.

"This is not gonna end well." Mom ends with a chuckle. "Can't wait." Damon uses his usual smirk, and the bartender pours the four of us, our drinks. We cheered.

Coming later, we were having the time of our lives. Laughing, drunk of our asses, chatting about the past.

"Hey! Bartender! Four more!" I yelled to him and patted the counter, quickly.

"Sure thing!" He pours the drinks and slides them close to me. I slid them over to the three of them and drink mine.

I see Damon turned around and see Matt, Caroline, Elena, and Stefan sitting at a table far away from us, but still able to see us clearly. I quickly sobered up and looked at Mom. She turned her head and quickly hid. "Hide me, hide me."

"Why?" Kelly whispered.

"Children under our care. Five o'clock. This is not role model-ish." She whispered, groaning. I leaned over to them. "It doesn't look like they care."

I watched Caroline walking into the bathroom with Elena behind her. 'Did it not go as she hoped?' I frowned.

Matt and Stefan walked over to the pool table, and seemed to be talking. "Carmen." Mom called me. I turned back to them. She gestures to Kelly and Damon–not so subtly–flirting.

My heart dropped. I parted my mouth in shock. They weren't kissing, but they may as well have been. I felt a lump in my throat, and quickly drank my glass.

"Well, it was nice hanging out. I'm, i'm gonna go." I spoke calmly. Mom tried to speak, but i didn't let her, and i quickly headed out of there. 'Gosh, i'm pathetic.'

I walked through the doors and as i was about to tip over from the alcohol, a man held me up. "Thanks, Mr. Just a little drunk right now." I explained, truthfully.

He chuckled. "It's no problem. Say, what's got you, a pretty woman, so sad?"

I looked at him. "It's a long story. One i think doesn't have quite the happy ending." I answered his question.

"Well, you just haven't found the right one." He pulls hair from my face and behind my ear. He looks deeply into my eyes as his started to dilating.

I couldn't help but laugh. "Is that seriously what you're going for? I may be drunk, but i'm not stupid enough to fall for some cheesy one-liner."

He shakes his head and calmly takes his hand away. "It was worth a shot. Sorry for bothering you." I nodded and left.

Noticing that i wasn't being watched, i texted Damon that one of the tomb vampires just tried something at me, and that i was gonna be at his and Stefan's house. Since Damon sped us over to the Grill, i have to walk there.

══════════════

It was very exhausting, but i made it. I opened the doors and see Elena and Caroline at the living room. They both turned to see who walked in. "Did i interrupt something?" I asked.

They shooked their heads. "Stefan and Matt are just seeing something. Wanna come with?" Caroline asked, gesturing for me to accept the offer. I sighed, but i nodded. "Yeah, i need the distraction."

We walked to the back of the house, and come across a garage door, which Stefan opens to a covered vehicle and lifts the sheet to reveal a bright red convertible.

"Whoa, wait. How do you have this?" Matt asked, bewildered by the car.

"Got passed down through the family." Stefan opens the car to check it out.

"Why don't you…i mean…why don't you drive it?" Matt asked, shocked.

'Because he, my friend, is a vampire, and has no need for a car 'cause of something by the name of super speed.' I thought, chuckling. Stefan lies to him.

"Well, it, uh, it doesn't run. I nean, it's not that i could figure out." Stefan said.

Caroline scoffed. "Well, why would you keep a car that doesn't run?"

"Be more of a girl right now." Matt playfully banters. Caroline smiles and laughs, sarcastically. I chuckled at them.

"Hey, why don't you, uh, come take a look at this for me?" Stefan suggested.

"Elena, remember the old Camaro your dad used to have?" Matt reminisces. Elena laughed. "Of course." She nods.

"Yeah. I build and rebuilt that engine 20 times." Matt explained to Stefan.

"Wow." Stefan states.

I looked over to Caroline, who looks to be feeling left out. I held her hand with mine, and smiled at her, reassuringly.
"Well, i don't like sports cars. Hard to make out in." Caroline confessed.

We shrugged off the comment and looked at the car. "Alright, let's take a look at this." They opened the trunk.

Watching Matt and Stefan working on the car, i didn't notice that Caroline and Elena left. Later, they managed to get it working and drove it out of the garage.

Stefan stops it at the front yard and the three of us get out. Seeing Caroline and Elena standing awkwardly to eachother.

"Piece of cake." Matt exclaimed. He sees Caroline frowning and immediately look somber. "Hey, uh, why don't you take it out for a spin?" Stefan suggested.

"Really?"
"Yeah."

Stefan throws him the keys and Matt opens the door for Caroline. She silently gets in, with Matt also hopping in. They drive off, leaving the three of us.

"Thanks Stefan." I say, looking at him. He nods to me. I looked at Elena and Stefan and i knew that it wasn't the right time to mention the Tomb Vampires.

"I'll be back inside." I gestured to the Boarding House and walked away.

I headed towards the living room and sat down on the couch. I heard the door opening. "Back already? you two better not be smashing faces with me here."

"Nope. Just me." Damon's voice came from the entrance. I looked around. "I thought you would've still been with Miss Donavan. You two seemed pretty close." I folded my arms, surprisingly angry. He walked over to me with a bottle of bourbon in his hand.

"I couldn't leave my friend to herself. But, i see that wasn't the long-awaited case." He smirked. "And, you're cute when you're jealous." He admitted.

I gasped. "Not jealous. Just judging by the way Kelly and you were practically kissing with the cherry in your mouth. But sure…call it jealously." I remarked. He sped close to me. "So, you admit it." I tried to deny, but my mouth doesn't speak. I huffed and folded my arms.

"Did you see that message i sent you?" I asked. He nodded his head. "Were you hurt?" I shook my head. "No, but he tried to compell me, it's a good thing that i'm wearing this." I lifted up my hand.

"You mustn't take that off. And also you should start having it into your bloodstream, one could immediately take that off and compell you." Damon states. I nodded. "I'll need some."

He nodded. "But, first-things-first, i think your mother is starting to warm up to me." I chuckled. "You still have a longs way to go with her. She's protective and puts her heart on her shoulder when she meets new people." I clarified, honestly.

"So, would i have to give her another bottle of wine?" He joked, and i laughed. "You do not want to see Mom when she's has too many drinks. If you thought she was bad tonight, don't imagine more."

We caught eachother eye glances and we stared at eachother, drowning in our irises, we don't hear the world around us. Someone cleared their throats and me and Damon looked at the culprit.

And we see Elena, Stefan, and Matt looking at us with confusion and Caroline was smirking smugly.

Me and Damon moved away from eachother and i cleared my throat. "Look who's back. How's your double date?"

Damon smugly asked, and he walked over to the couch. I awkwardly walked to the entrance door and stood, leaning on the bordered corner. "I hate to cut this short, but it's getting pretty late."

Elena told Stefan. He hummed. "I understand." He said. They hugged and kissed. "Caroline! Matt! We should head back." She yelled to them. They walked over to them and walked out the door.

Elena grabs her jacket and puts it on. They walked to the door. I don't follow.

"Aren't you going with them?" Damon asked. "I think Stefan needs to hear about the tomb vampires and what they want." I told him. "It's best if someone other than ourselves to know of things."

"Knock yourself out." He cheers his drink and walked over to the study room. I rolled my eyes as Stefan soon comes back inside. "Stefan, me and Damon–mostly me, need to tell you something important." I told him.

He looked confused, but nodded. I take him to the study room, where Damon lies down on the couch. I sighed, getting ready to spill the beans. But, suddenly the window breaks, and something tackles Stefan to the ground. It was a vampire. "Carmen! Run!" Damon yelled.

I followed with his command and ran to the upper level and hid on the balcony. Watching them fighting, another one comes through the window and attacks Stefan, who looks to be hurt.

'I have to do something!' I thought. I looked over at the table and quickly broken the chair leg and threw it to him. "Stefan!" He caught it and plunged it into the woman vampire repeatedly.

Damon throws the male vampire over the couch near the fireplace, whom stands up. I instantly recognized him.

He looks over to the dead vampire and a spark of sadness formed on his face before he looks at us, and sped out.

"That was the vampire i told you about, Damon." I exclaimed, shocked at how they knew where to find us. He looked at me and sighed. "Nice throw." Stefan said.

I hummed. Now, looking at the nearly destroyed study, i walked over to the them. "I remember them. From 1864. They were in the tomb." Stefan states.

"Yeah. About that." Damon pauses.

Me and Damon then carry the desiccated vampire corpse over to the fireplace, while Stefan's on the phone with Elena. "Could you help us out over here, lover boy?" Damon asked Stefan. I moved out of the way to the other shoulder for Stefan to grab the other. "Alright. Lift!" We throw the vampire into the fire and watched her burn.

"So, is it too late to say that the tomb vampires are running around town?" I cheekily asked looking at Stefan.

Chapter Text

It continuously stormed all night, roaring thunder sounds and blowing winds. me and Elena arrived at the Boarding House, and we told Elena about the tomb vampires being let out.

Damon barricades the window with a plank of wood. "I say, we got to Pearl's, bust down the door and annihilate the idiot that attacked us last night."

"And what? There'll be how many vampires and only two of yous. That'll end in a bloodbath, and not for them." I disagreed. "I can't believe you made a deal with her." Elena stated to Damon.

"It was more like a helpful exchange of information. It's not like i had a choice. She's...scary." Damon admitted. "Besides, she's gonna help me get Katherine back."

"Of course. What Damon wants, he gets. No matter who he hurts in the process." Elema argued. "You don't have to be snarky about it." Damon glares.

"I woke up this morning to learn that all the vampires have been released from the tomb. I've earned snarky." Elena defends. Damon sits on the couch.

He sighs. "Uh, how long are you gonna blame me for turning your birth mother into a vampire?" He twirls the hammer.

"I'm not blaming you, Damon. I've accepted the fact that you're a self-serving psychopath with no redeeming qualities." Elena insulted.

"Ouch." He fakes being hurt. I shook my head at the two bickering. "This isn't helping our case with the Vampires."

"Carmen's right. This isn't being very proactive. We're gonna figure out a way to deal with Pearl and the Vampires, Yeah?" Stefan states the situation.

Damon glares at Stefan and walks away. I follow him. "We need to work with them if we're gonna deal with the Vampires and get Katherine." I voiced.

"You do remember last time they "helped" us?" He asked. I nodded, with a sigh. "Exactly. The only ones we can trust are ourselves. Nobody else."

I hummed. "Yes. And i get that. But the quicker they helps us, the safer the town is." I took his hand. He looks at it, then to me. "Please. I wouldn't be asking if it wasn't important." I use puppy-dog eyes.

"Fine. But if Stefan gets on my nerves, fair warning that tomorrow there'll be missing persons on the news." He told me. He winked and walked away.

I blinked in confusion. Choosing to shrug that off, i leave the Boarding House and walked to the Grill. The sky still filled with clouds blocking the sun.

I heard noises from behind me and i quickly turned around. Seeing nothing but cars and trees. I turned back, when a hand suddenly went over my mouth.

I tried to fight back, but they immediately knocked me out cold.

══════════════

I opened my eyes, groaning from the pain in my head. "Carmen. Wake up."

I looked over to the voice and see Stefan hung up by his hands, shirtless, and groaning. "Stefan? What's happening?"

"The tomb vampires. They grabbed the two of us for revenge." Stefan explained.

I looked around and noticed that we were in some-kind of cellar in a basement. "Aren't you a vampire? Why haven't you escaped?" I asked.

"Vervain on the ropes. I told you that Vampires are weak against it." He explained. I found that mine were also bounded by ropes. "Why kidnap me?"

"Because, you helped with killing Bethanne." A familiar voice spoke from behind. I quickly looked and saw the same vampire that flirted with me, and attacked Stefan and Damon. "And also to use you to torment Damon Salvatore."

I glared. "Well, good luck with that." He chuckled and walked close to me.

"No! Get away from her!" Stefan struggled with the vervain ropes.

"I'm alright, Stefan. This small look of a man isn't intimidating." I insulted. He stopped and looked up at the ceiling.

"Well, well, well, look who it is. Your savor." He smiled viciously. "Why don't we pay him a little visit." He grabbed me and told the other two vampires to grab Stefan, whom which they clothed him.

I struggled in his tight grip. "Hey! Ow!" He holds tighter. I could almost feel my arms break from his strength.

"Pearl! Open this door. I swear to God i'll bust through and rip your head off." I heard Damon's voice yelling from the door. I smiled, hoping to get out of here.

He opens the door only to a crack. "Pearl's not home. Hmm. Beautiful weather. Not a ray of sun in the sky."

"Where's my brother and Carmen?" Damon asked. He opens the door wider, revealing me and the two vampires carrying a weak Stefan over.

Damon looks to Me and Stefan, worriedly, and sped forwards, but he is stopped by the barrier. "You're dead."

"Whoa, i'm sorry. You haven't been invited in. Ms. Gibbons?" A nice lady walks over to the Vampire man.

"Yes, Frederick honey?" She asked. He turns to her and compells her. "Never let this bad man in." She nodded.

"I'll never let him in." She answered monotone. "No!" I yelled, continuing to struggle from his hold. She walks away.

"One-hundred and forty-five years left starving in a tomb thanks to Katherine's infatuation with you and your brother. First few weeks, every single nerve in your body screams with fire. The kinda pain that can drive a person mad. Well, i thought your brother might've wanted to get a taste of that before i killed him." The other two vampires staked Stefan.

Before Frederick closes the door, he turns to Damon. "Oh, and, thanks for letting us have a new dinner to play with." He throws me to the ones that were holding Stefan, and they plunged a stake into my side stomach. "Ah!"

"Carmen!" Damon and Stefan yelled. My legs almost gave out on me, but Frederick held me by the arm again. "You have a nice day." He closes the door. He takes us back to the cellar.

They wrapped Stefan back up in vervain ropes and me with regular ones. "Carmen. No matter what happens, you have to stay awake." Stefan pleaded.

I chuckled. "This isn't my first kidnapping, Stefan." I immediately groaned in pain when i laughed. "And i feel like it won't be my last." I joked.

Frederick tortures Stefan. "Stop! Stefan!" I moved around trying to get myself free. He immediately goes to me.

Frederick smells me and hums. "Mmm! O blood. We may have hit the jackpot with you." He smirked and bit into my upper shoulder. "Ah! Get off of me!"

"Carmen!" Stefan yelled. I feel him detach his fangs and he licks his lips. I send him a half-hearted glare, and worried about losing too much blood.

"This isn't right!" Someone spoke up for us. Frederick turns to the voice and it looks to be another vampire. He points to us. "They killed Bethanne. One of us, Harper. And don't think for a second they wouldn't kill you if they had the chance." Frederick said with disdain.

"Pearl says we're not here for revenge, right? I say that's exactly what we're here for." He goes over to Stefan. "Starting with this." He cuts Stefan.

"And then his brother and anyone else that gets in our way." He goes to cut me, but then Harper tackles him.

"You're gonna wanna let go of me!" Frederick yelled at me. "Ms. Pearl will be home soon." Harper choked out.

"Ms. Pearl…is no longer in charge. Tie him up. And stake him down." He orders the other bad vampires to take Harper.

Me and Stefan watched as our hope of getting out of here vanished. Frederick turns to us again. He cuts me on the neck and my other side stomach. "Ahh!"

'Is this really how i die?' I thought, worriedly. 'I wouldn't be able to plan Caroline's and Matt's wedding, nor see Jeremy and Elena graduate, and most of all, i never told Damon my true feelings.'

I feel my eyes starting to close. Either from the pain, or lack of blood.

"Carmen! Don't! Stay awake!" I heard Stefan's voice, but it was too far for me to hear. I closed my eyes, sleep drowns me. 'Sleep sounds good right about now.'

══════════════

I opened my eyes, still seeing that we're still captured. "It's really getting boring just sitting here." I laughed, weakly.

"Try having your arms held up for hours." Stefan said, honestly.

I noticed that Harper was at the side of me. Two stakes embedded into his legs. "He got you good." I squinted in pain.

"Thank you…for trying to help us." Stefan said, weakly. Harper nodded.

"They just needed somebody to blame. Someone to punish." He states.

I hummed. "Appreciate the thought. It's nice to know other good vampires other than Stefan and Damon. I'm Carmen."

"Harper." He introduced.

The door opens and Elena comes running in. She goes to Stefan and looks at him. "E-Elena? No, you shouldn't be here." Stefan shakes his head.

"She was supposed to stay in the car." Damon's voice sprung from behind me and I smiled. "You can never win with Elena." I laughed and he instantly sped over to me. He cups my face and looks at me worriedly. His face quickly changes.

He looks at my wounds and immediately gets angry. "Oh, they are so dead!" He unravels the ropes from my hands.

He gives holds me bridal style and turns to Elena and Stefan. "Come on. Before more come." He doesn't wait for them to answer and he speeds out of there.

Damon brings me back to the car and puts me in the back. I groaned. "I'll be right back. I promise." He said and he left. I stared at the car ceiling.

I heard footsteps coming to the car and knew that it was Elena and Stefan. She puts him in the passenger seat. She goes over to the drivers and sits down.

"Uh, Stefan?" The window breaks and glass shards flew towards me and Stefan was yanked out of the car. "Stefan!"

All i could hear is fighting and Elena yelling "No!" Then, nothing. I tried to hear something. Anything! I wanted to help, but my body was numb all over.

I then heard more fighting and growling coming from Frederick and…Stefan? "Stefan! Give me that–" Elena shouted.

A monstrous growl sounded cutting her off. "Elena!" I yelled, worried for her. "I'm-i'm fine, Carm!" Elena yelled to me.

I sighed relieved. I heard Elena and Stefan walking back to the car. Damon instantly appeared at my side.

"I told you that i'll be be right back. I'm easy like that." He joked, but he turned serious when he looked at me.

I smiled warmly. "I didn't doubt you for a second." He smiled and took me out of the car. He turned to Stefan and Elena. "I'll meet you guys back at the house."

He quickly sped through the trees and arrived at the Salvatore Boarding House. He carried me inside and upstairs into the same room that i was in before Anna had kidnapped me before. He gently lays me down on the bed. "There you go."

He bites into his wrist and feds it into my lips. I immediately grabbed it, like i was practically hungry for it. I drank so much of his blood, i feel my wounds starting to close up more quickly.

I let go and immediately blushed. "I'm sorry. That was weird." I hid my face with my hands in embarrassment.

"No need to apologize. I found it quite…hot." He whispered into my ears. I blushed again and went to hit him, but he managed to catch my wrist.

I looked into his eyes as he did mine. Unrequited feelings build up again since the last time I was here. My heart was beating wildly in my chest, somehow i was hoping that he wasn't listening.

What i would've given anything to kiss him. But i know that it's not right. I'm Human, he's a Vampire. Those species don't always have the best luck in love.

Buffy and Angel.
Bella and Edward. (Twilight)
Blade and Karen.

And possibly many more.

I'll gradually get older and die, while he'll still live on as a immortal vampire. And i don't think i can handle that.

"I should get going. It's been one hell of a night." I chuckled and went to stand but he pulls me back down. I stared at him.

"Might as well stay. It'll be a long walk from here to the Gilbert house." He points out. I sighed. 'You do have a point there.' I thought. "Fine. Just for tonight."

I crawled over to the top bedside and snuggled into the slik covers. I see him starting to walk away but i stopped him. "Damon…could you stay? Just until i fall asleep!" I quickly stated, awkwardly.

He looked at me and smiled. "Of course. It's no problem." He walks over to the other side of the bed and lays down.

I turned to my side and gently closed them. Sleep envelopes me, and the sound of footsteps coming towards my side, as a delicate kiss touches my forehead. "Sweet dreams, Carmen."

Chapter Text

I woke up to a warm body and the feeling of silk clothing in the palm of my hand. I looked up and saw Damon looking down on me. I quickly scrambled away and my eyes widened.

"Damon!" I yelled. "What're you doing here?!" I moved hair from my face.

"You were dreaming last night, so i came back in. You were obviously dreaming about me." He looks down to his shirt. "It explains the drool." He smirked at me.

I opened my mouth slightly and I huffed and hit him with my pillow. "That's so not funny!" He chuckled and got up.

"Well, you should thank me. I did let you sleep in my bed." I blinked in confusion. I looked around. "I thought this was one of the guests bedroom." I admitted.

I blushed and rolled my eyes. "I desperately need some coffee."

The next thing i know, is that i'm now downstairs in the kitchen sitting on the chair at the counter. "Wha–!" I yelled.

Damon goes over to the kitchen cabinets and takes out a container of coffee grounds. I watched him make the coffee and putting creamer in it and added a little design of a bat. He sets it down.

"Here." He gestures to the cup. I stared at him, bewildered. "How did you…?" I looked at the coffee then to him.

"I didn't poison it, you know." He defended. I took a small sip and it instantly tasted like heaven. "Mmm! This is so good! I thought it'd be terrible, but it's not." I continued to drink it.

"I was human once you know. I used to drink this during my human years." I watched him look saddened by the memory of him being human.

"Do you miss it?" I asked warmly. He looked at me shocked, but didn't dwell on it. "Nope. I like being the irresistible, immortal stud." He quickly denied.

He looks to be wanting to say something, but he hesitates. "What's wrong?" I ask.

He sighs. "Carmen, do you want the bad news, or the really bad news?"

I thought about it. "I guess the bad news." I waited for him to say.

"Last night, the police found Vicki's body." He said, carefully. I opened my mouth in shock. 'No, that can't be…'

"Her body was pulled by the storm, which Caroline found." He explained.

My hand covered my mouth, I shook my head. "But she was gone from Mystic Falls. How did she turn up here?"

He sighs and holds me, while I think of the possibility of how Vicki died. I wiped my tears and moved from him. "I need to talk to Caroline and Matt, they must be so devastated." He nodded and let me go. I turned around. "What about the other bad news?" He shook his head.

"It can wait. You need to be with your friends. I'll see you later." He said.

I thought about the opinion to stay and hear him out or to go see Matt and Caroline. I ultimately choose to go.

══════════════

I arrived at the Donavan house and knocked on the door. "If it's Caroline with more lasagna–oh, Carmen, nice to see you." Kelly smiled as she opened the door.

I smiled. "Hey Kelly, i was just looking to see how you and Matt are doing. I just heard what happened." I spoke nervously, careful of my words to her.

"Yeah, we've been doing fine, especially after her funeral." She answered, but i could feel a hint of a lie in her words.

I nodded. "That's good. I was just about to call Matt if he wasn't here. Know that it gets better with time." I put my hand on her shoulder, as she exhaled deeply.

"Thanks, Carmen. I'm grateful that Matt has a friend like you." She smiled.

We laughed and hugged, she closed the door, and i left to go to home. I walked in to see John in the house. "Uncle John?"

He turns to me. "Carmen! How are you?"
I looked over to Mom as she looks at me also confused. I see John hold out his arms and gestures for a hug together.

I sighed. "What're you you doing here?" He looks to me and Mom. "Why does everyone think that i have some ulterior motives? Can't i just visit my family?"

"Not when you haven't seen them in a long time." I commented. "If you're planning on staying, don't cause any trouble with Elena and Jeremy."

I walked upstairs to and cleaned myself off, flashes of the tomb vampires and the torture of me and Stefan, shows in my mind like a disgusting memory.

I held onto my chest, feeling it starting to rise and cloud my breathing. The water sounds like the memory of them dipping ropes in vervain to tie up Stefan.

And the haunting memory of being stabbed in the side abdomen, with blood pouring out of me. I touched my side, even though the wound was healed.

I couldn't tell if what was running down my face was water…or tears.

══════════════

Eating a bowl of oatmeal, i heard a knock on the door and walked over to it. I see Damon at the door. "Damon?"

"Elena called me. I'm easy like that." He smirked and walked inside. I looked over to Jeremy eating cereal and i pointed to my lips in a shushing manner.

I grabbed his hand and pulled him upstairs. "No, Carmen. I will not…go to your bedroom with you." He spoke deliberately loud for Jeremy.

I rolled my eyes with a small smile. Elena opened the door and sees me and Damon walking towards her.

She lets us in. He hops on the bed and messes with her teddy bear. "You know, did you know that your uncle's been kickin' it with the Founder's council?"

"I knew that he didn't just come to visit. Just another thing to worry about, counting the tomb vampires." I sighed.

"Yeah. How are you doing with that?" Elena takes my arm in her palm.

"I'm fine. It's nothing to dwell on." I spoke calmly, not wanting to lie to Elena. I sat on Elena's bed too at the bottom.

"What happened right there?" Damon asked, using the bear's hand to point.

It was Elena's stuff on the chair, which looked to be broken. I looked at Elena as she sighed. "It's nothing. Look, i–i'm worried about Stefan. He says that everything's okay, but he's clearly struggling. How long is it gonna take before he's back to normal?"

"A few days." He answered. "Give or take." Elena sighed. "But it's been a few days." Damon huffed. "Give then. I don't know. What's the big deal?" He gave me the teddy bear and stood up.

"He's not himself, Damon." Elena stated.
"Well, maybe his problem is that he spent too long not being himself." He messes with her wardrobe.

"Please don't make me sorry for asking you." She calmly asked. "It is what it is, Elena." He continues to fiddle. "The Stefan you know was good-behavior Stefan, reign-it-in Stefan, fight against his nature to an annoying obsessive level Stefan, but if you think there's not another part to this then you have not been paying attention. Tsk. Tsk. Tsk."

"I hate to say it. But Damon's right." He puts his hand on his chest, offended. "Look, i like Stefan, but do you remember that he said that he hasn't had human blood in a long time and that he sustains on animal blood. What you did must've made him lose control."

Elena opens and closes her mouth. I sighed. I turned to Damon. "Is Elena gonna be safe with him during this?"

He hesitates, but nodded. "If you want, i could keep an eye out on him. Don't want any of the council members to find out about Stefan or other Vampires."

I nodded. He walks out of the room. Elena looks at me and Damon walking away. "What was that, Carm?"

I looked to her. "Nothing. It's nothing." I go on her bed. "How do you feel now that John is back? It can't be nice."

"I don't trust him. More now that he's apart of the Founder's Council." Elena huffed. "Mom's not liking it on bit. She should've seen the stink eyes that she was giving him." Me and Elena laughed.

"I'm gonna tell Jeremy that i'm adopted." Elena suddenly cleared the air. I gasped.

"I thought you would've told him already." She gave me a look. "Yeah i know, vampires, and never really haven't the best moment to talk."

"I'm nervous about his reaction." She admitted. I held her hand in mine. "He'll understand. You have nothing to worry about. He's still your brother and i'm still your cousin, blood or not-blood."

She hugged me. "I love you Carm."
We chuckled. "I love you Elena."

══════════════

Tonight was the Founder's 150th Anniversary Party. With my white dress and blonde hair, i entered the party with my arm wrapped around Damon's.

Stefan still seemed on edge as he stares at the party in shook – specifically at the hundreds of guests at the mansion.

"Oh, god, i shouldn't be here." He exhaled deeply, hesitant to continue.

"Come on. Don't be a downer." Damon sighed. I jab him in the shoulder. "What he means is, to not be so nervous. You can get through this tonight." I smiled.

"It's a party for the founding families. That would be us. It would be rude to skip it." Damon states. Stefan adjusts his collar. "I-i really liked you a whole lot better when you hated everybody."

"Oh, i still do. Well, except for Carmen next to me." He turned his head to me and winked at me. My face instantly goes red and i looked away. "How you feeling?" He asked the nervous Stefan.

"I'm good. I'm fine." He said.

"No cravings? No urges? Is that whiskey you've been drinkin' all day doin' its job?" Damon asked, egging him on.

I looked at Stefan's reaction, which he laughed at it. "We are who we are, Stefan. Pretending doesn't change that."

"Ah, nothing would make you happier then to just see me give in, huh, Damon?" Stefan retorts. "Whatever. It's inevitable." Damon counters. He hums.

Stefan hits his shoulder. "I'm gonna go find Elena." He walks away from us.

"Don't embarrass me, young man." He yelled to him. I looked at Damon with a really? stare. "Damon. You know that you've just possibility just made a human-blood starved vampire with heightened emotions, riled up."

"What's the harm in that?" He doesn't see the problem with the situation.

"Ergo, Stefan could hurt someone while the Council is still on the move with Vampires. You and Stefan are Vampires!" I loudly whispered the last bit. "In conclusion, bad idea."

I unraveled my arm from him and quickly walked away to go find Elena.

I watched her talking with Stefan and walked over to them. Stefan then walks away to the music player guy.

I quickly went over to Elena. "You noticed anything off with Stefan?"

She sighed. "He's drunk. But he said that it takes the edge off." I nodded and stared at him. "Why?" She asked.

"Nothing. Just wondering." I said reassuring. Kelly walks to us. "Yeah, that's not gonna work. I already tried to bribe the guy with 20 bucks and a date. He said Carol Lockwood has complete control over the music choices."

"You'd be surprised what Stefan can accomplish when he puts his mind to it." Elena said, underlining the meaning.

'Compulsion…' I thought. The music was then changed into an upbeat song and Stefan walked aback over and took Elena's hand, dragging her to the floor.

"Have i entered an alternate universe where Stefan is fun?" Damon spoke from the side of me. "Maybe cause his brother never given him a reason to let loose of the whole brooding attitude."

"You can't still be mad at me." He said. I turned to him. "I'm not mad. I'm just disappointed that i trusted you to keep an eye on him, not make sure he "accidentally" goes on a murder spree."

"He's a Vampire, Carmen. We eat and kill humans, it's not something we can just change." He explained, with a slight frustration in his tone. I huffed.

"Fine. If that's what you think. Why am i not dead? Why haven't you killed me? You had the perfect opportunity when Logan was trying to get answers or when the tomb vampires captured me and Stefan, almost killing me in the process." I felt tears fall down my face.

He instantly looked guilty and went to wipe my face. I pushed him away. "Tell me why, and i'll forget we even had this conversation." I said truthfully.

He doesn't speak nor give any indication that he'll answer. I scoffed. "Maybe you were right, i can't change a person if they're incapable of being changeable."

I walked away from him, but he didn't chose to stop me. And maybe, just maybe, that broke my heart more.

I grabbed two champagne glasses from one of the waiters and chugged them down. I looked around the party, catching Mom with Alaric, smiling happily. 'At least she's having a good time.' I thought, happy that she's happy.

I see Matt and Tyler drinking from a bottle, clearly getting drunk.

I walked over to them and grabbed the bottle from them. "Hey Carm." Tyler said, throwing his arm around my shoulder. I pulled him off. "You're drunk Tyler. Only friends get to call me that. And by the looks of things, we are not friends." I sent him a glare.

"Whoa, chill Carm." Matt laughed and tried to grab the bottle back from me.

"It's perfectly normal to grieve, trust me. But don't hurt yourself or lash out on others to self-destruction." I stated, i held my hand in his. "Just know that i'm here for you when you need to talk."

"Ye-Yeah. I will." He said. I sighed and gave him back the bottle. "Don't go overboard." I walked away from him.

I caught Damon at the bar and walked over. "I'll have what he's havin'." I pointed to Damon. "Damon, he's not doing well. I assumed that after him and Elena's dance he'd be fine. But clearly he's not." I voiced my worrisome tone.

"Well, i'm too preoccupied with Elena's brother. Jeremy's been asking questions about Vicki Donavan's death." He sips his drink. I looked over to him.

"He doesn't think it's a overdose?" I asked. "Really? "Oh, but sheriff, someone buried her. Who would do that?". He retells the exact words Jeremy spoke.

"What if he thinks it was a vampire? I can't have him apart of this, Damon." I looked over to him. "I could easily compell him, make him forget about the possibility of vampires." Damon told.

"No, i don't want to mess with Jeremy's mind. It wouldn't feel right to take his choice away." I shook my head.

"Well, you better think of something, but don't think that i didn't warn you." He picks a rose from the flower pot and handed it to me as he walks away.

'Why can't i stay angry with you? You keep wheezing your way back in, just like that. Twilight Vampires are back on the table.' I laughed at the joke. Smelling the red rose, i smiled at the romantic gesture, even if it wasn't to be romantic.

I searched the mansion for Jeremy, seeing him setting on a couch, staring at the lit fireplace. "Jere, i heard about your conversation with Sheriff Forbes, and i was coming to ask you why you were looking into her death." I sat down.

"No one is trying to figure out what happened to her. They're all willing to believe that she OD'd." Jeremy explained. I frowned my eyes. "But…isn't that what she died of. That's what everyone believes, why don't you too?"

"Is that what you believe?" He asked, honestly. I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing but air came out. "I'm not sure if it's not what happened. We both know that she'd be fine away from Mystic Falls and then a month later, she turns up dead. Jeremy, if it's true that she was killed, then you can't be asking about her, you could get hurt."

"I know. It's probably just me not grieving her properly. I'll stop trying to get information on her death." Jeremy promised. I nodded. "It'll get easier."

I smiled and held out my hand. "Come on. This party is no fun without the Gilbert and Sommers duo!"

He laughed and took it, we both headed towards the party, when we hear a sudden commotion from the outside.

We walked to the entrance seeing a crowd of people surrounding it. I could hear Elena yelling at someone to stop.

Sounds of punches and yelling from the ones who were fighting. I managed to get a clear look at the situation and see Tyler choking Matt while he's bloody.

Alaric quickly gets Tyler off of Matt and holds him against the wall while me and Elena go over to Matt. "Oh, my God. Matt. What the hell happened?"

"Come on. Put your head up." She searches his face for any serious injuries. "Where is she?" He asks.

"Who?" I asked.

"My mom." He tells.

After the whole thing escalated, everyone was back to partying like nothing happened and Mayor Lockwood called everyone to look at him. "Thank you very much. Thank you all for joining us tonight. In just a few moments, we will officially begin the countdown to our upcoming Founder's Day celebration and it's a very special one this year. The 150th birthday of our town."

Everyone started clapping for him. "And…and i would like to welcome back one of our town's favorite sons to do the honors of ringing our official charter bell. John Gilbert, would you please join me up here?" I watched as Uncle John walked to the stage and shook his hand.

"One-hundred and fifty years of community, prosperity, family. We take care of each other, look after each other…protect each other." He looks over to Damon with a knowing glance. "It's good to be home." He finishes.

I walked over to Damon. "Why was Uncle John staring at you like that? What did you do?" I asked. He scoffs.

"Nothing. Only that he provoked me first, and we all know not to provoke a vampire. So when he said some stuff, i…may or may not have…killed him." He said, nonchalantly. My eyes widened.

"You…killed him?!" I whispered.

"Unfortunately, he came back to life. So, you're welcome. He must have that same ring that the history teacher has." He pondered, not even sparing me the details of what he just told me.

"Hold on. Alaric knows about the supernatural?" I questioned.

"Yeah. He helped me and Elena get you guys out of the clutches of the tomb vampires. Did i forget to tell you that?" He told me with a sarcastic tone.

I rolled my eyes. "Why would i expect anything less?" I hit my side with my hands in defeat. Alaric walks over to us.

"Look at his right hand." Damon leans towards him. "Whose?" Alaric asked.

"The town's favorite son. Look at his ring." He states to Alaric, who chooses to see for himself and his eyes catch it.

"Well, it looks like mine." He said.
"Yeah. And that would be a big coincidence if he didn't just come back from the dead five minutes ago. Where the hell did you get that ring?" Damon interrogated him. "Isobel, my wife."

Damon chuckled. "Who gave birth to Elena, under the medical car of the esteemed Dr. Grayson Gilbert, John's brother." He pointed out the identity.

"Wait. You think John knew Isobel?" Alaric asked, shocked. "I think John knows a lot of things." He states.

John soon walks towards the entrance to exit the mansion and both Alaric and Damon follows him and take Damon's hand in mine. "Please, don't kill him."

He smiled lightly and nodded walking away from me. I watched them go and i sighed. I leaned on the wall and feel a tap on my back. I turned to see Mom standing behind me. "Had a nice night?"

"Yeah, i just never want another Founders thing ever again." She joked.

"True that." I laughed. "Why don't we head home? You look tired." I put my arms around her and walked with her heading home, with Elena, eventually catching up with us. We came back and went upstairs to our rooms.

Elena stopped at Jeremy's door. "You okay?" He turns to her. "Fine."

"Are you sure?" She asked.
"I'm fine, Elena." Jeremy insisted.

She walked out and i looked at her confused. She just shrugged and headed towards hers. I peaked in his room and see him working on a paper. I worried about his emotional state, then i left the doorway and into my own.

Chapter Text

I arrived at the same place for some treats. I walked through the doors, not expecting there to be a crowd of people.

"Cameron! How are we on those muffins?!" Edward yelled. A male with dark brown hair, and a golden retriever atmosphere on him, ran to the front.

"I need another ten minutes, then they'll be done!" He called out to him.

I decided to stay away from the hoard of people and sat at one of the tables. Watching as people come and go, gradually emptying up the place.

As the last person left, Edward and Cameron let out a sigh of relief. I chuckled, they quickly turned their heads to me and laughed.

"Finally. God, that was a lot." Edward wiped sweat off his face. I nodded.

"Why was it so crowded?" I asked.

"We're closing up for the time being. I'm escorting Bella to the Miss Mystic Falls party." Edward explained. "Oh, and this guy over here is our new employee."

He pats Cameron on the back. "Carmen, meet Cameron Williams. Cameron, meet our number one customer and all-time perfect girl in all-of Mystic Falls, Carmen Sommers." He introduced us.

Cameron looked like he was a deer in headlights staring at me. I waved my hand in his direction of sight. "It's nice to meet you, Cameron. I'm Carmen."

"Ni-nice to meet you." He awkwardly said. Edward chuckled. "Well, i'd best clean up. I'm going to go see the love of my life in the most beautifulest dress."

"Are you going to the Miss Mystic Falls party?" Cameron asked me. I pondered at the question. "Maybe, i'm supposed to be chaperoning Elena and Jeremy."

"Well, i don't particularly know anyone here, would you mind being my date?" I looked bewildered. "Yeah. I don't mind. You're quite bold." I chuckled and grabbed a napkin and wrote my number down on it. "Here. Pick me up at 7."

"You won't regret it." He said, honestly.
I nodded. I went to walk but he stops me. "Oh, before you leave, this was left for you." Cameron pulled out a stand.

It had on a singular muffin on there, with a note on the lid it 'read.

"For Carmen.
don't serve to costumers
(P.S. Please keep fresh in container)"
– Edward Knight.

I walked over to him and took the muffin out of there. "Edward always leaves a leftover one for me every time i come here. We've been friends for over two years now. He's a great friend and a great boss." I smiled at the memory.

"I've only just started, but he's great so far." He hummed. "I'll catch you at seven sharp." He walked to the back and threw off his apron. I headed out the place.

══════════════

The walk to the boutique wasn't far from here. One of the perks of living in a small town. I entered and come across Caroline and… "Bonnie?!" I gasped.

They both turned around and smiled when they saw me. "Carmen!" Bonnie greeted. I quickly hugged her. "I missed you! How have you been?" I asked.

"I've been good. Taking care of Grams was a cake walk. Caroline asked me to help with a dress for the party." Bonnie explained. I hummed and nodded.

"I need all the help i can get if i wanna win. Elena's participating." Caroline admitted. "I don't stand a chance."

I looked to Bonnie, whom shook her head. "Well, if you're buying a gown, that one isn't gonna cut it." I smiled.
"Who are you going with?" I asked.

"Some guy named Henry…? Jackson…? I don't remember. Matt couldn't take me 'cause of work." Caroline explained.

"And you?" I looked to Bonnie.

"The Bennetts weren't part of the founding of Mystic Falls, but i'm gonna be at rehearsal for Caroline." She told.

"Well, don't spare the details, you're going with Damon, aren’t you?" Caroline asked, with a excited expression.

I blinked in confusion. "Oh! Actually, Edward's new employee asked me out."

They both looked at me in shock – well, mostly Caroline. "And you said yes?!"

I shrugged. "Yeah. Me and Damon aren't exactly in the best place – which i'm still quite mad with him, right now. And he seems to be nice. His name's Cameron."

"Carmen and Cameron? Nope. Leaves a bad taste in my mouth." Caroline exaggerated. "If you want to him to regret, you must become the prettiest one there!" Caroline declared.

"Wouldn't that go against your plan to "one-up" Elena?" Bonnie asked.

"Not when my best friend is having guy troubles!" She said, almost offended.

"I'm not having "guy troubles". I denied, clearly not wanting to egg her about it.

"I know when a friend is in need of love advice, and they'll have to learn to take that advice." Caroline stated with force.

I rolled my eyes. "I'm never gonna win with you on this." Caroline shook her head. "Nope. Now, let's see what magic – no pun intended, we can do."

She takes my arm and guides me over to the ball dresses. Trying on different dresses practically took hours, until we find the perfect one. "He is not gonna be able to take his eyes off of you."

══════════════

At the Lockwood mansion, me and Cameron were doing the near touch dance for the party. "Honor your partner. Let's focus. Right hand around."

The radio plays, as everyone places their right hand in front of eachother's partners. "Flirt with your eyes."

We walked in a circle, the other girls chuckled. "Left hand around."

We then switched hands, and repeated the same thing. I looked at Cameron, noticing that he had a bright smile on his lips. I smiled at him – but not quite a full one. I was indeed enjoying myself, but not as mush as i would've liked.

"Both hands." Carol announced.

"You are quite the excellent dancer, Carmen." He complimented. I hummed. "Yes, as are you. One would've thought you to be royalty of some-kind with the way you're natural with this." I said.

"I appreciate your compliment. I have two older sisters. They both practically forced me to dance with them. So, i guess it wasn't a total embarrassment." He said, thoughtfully. I chuckled.

"Maybe perhaps when this is over, we could hang out sometime." I offered.

He nodded. "I would very much like that." We both heard giggled coming from Elena and Stefan and we turned to see them, Elena in a dipped stance, while Stefan holds her up, laughing.

"Oh, no, no no. There's no touching during this part. It's about the simple intimacy of the near-touch." Carol states. "Very nice, Amber." She praises.

"Thank you, Mrs. Lockwood." Amber smiled happily. We all went back to our usual positions and started again.

We were soon done when i spotted Bonnie and Caroline entered the room. I see an awkward atmosphere and immediately went over to them.

"Bonnie! Care!" I quickly hugged them. "I know it's only been a couple of minutes, but if feels like hours." They laughed.

"Carm, you're suffocating us." Bonnie joked. I quickly let them go.

"Hey. How are you?" Stefan asked. Bonnie seems to go tense at Stefan.

Sensing that there's something going on, Caroline speaks up. "I begged Bonnie to fill in for Matt. He had to work today."

Me and Caroline looked to Bonnie and Elena, then vice versa. "Bonnie, do you have a minute?" Elena asked, pleading.

"We only have 30 minutes for rehearsal." Bonnie declined.

"It'll only take a minute. Please." Elena said. Bonnie looks to me, and i nodded my head for her to – at least, hear her out. Bonnie and Elena go out there to talk. Me and Caroline walking away.

"So, who's this esteemed "Cameron" that has dubbed your escort?" Caroline goes back to her usual personality.

"He's right here." I guided her over to him, he, whom, is talking with the other escorts. "Cameron, meet Caroline. One thing to warn is never get on her bad side." I joked. She jabs my arm.

"Oh, don't listen to her. I'm perfectly normal." She chuckled. "That is…if you choose to keep Carm from me, then you, my good sir, are one of my many enemies." Caroline threatened.

He looked at her frightened. "Ye-yes, i will not disappoint you." He gulped.

She instantly smiled. "That's good. Now i hope to see you in a clean suit. Wouldn't want any less for my innocent Carm!"

He quickly nodded. "Yes ma'am!"

We see Bonnie walk over to us and smiled lightly. I looked over to see Elena with a saddened expression and i sighed.

══════════════

I received a call from Damon to meet at the Boarding House for important information. "What's so important that you couldn't tell over the phone?"

I looked at him. Seeing him in a black suit, was doing things to my mind. I quickly shook my head of all thoughts.

"You're not‐so-nice uncle came over here to ask me about Jonathan Gilbert's so-called invention that was lost in the church when the vampires were captured." Damon explained.

"And why would he want that?" I asked. Damon scoffed. "That's what i want to know. If it's so important, then we have to get to it before he does." I nodded.

"Would Pearl or Anna know something? They were just basically threatening us to let them stay." I questioned. He looks to me and pondered. "You may be on to something there. Best get ready."

I checked the time. "6:50!" I gasped. "I'm so late!" I huffed. "I haven't even done my hair yet!" I groaned and went to leave. He chuckled and walked to the door. "Let me drive you home? You clearly need the help." He smirked.

I didn't exactly have a choice in the matter. "Fine. Drive quickly. I'm supposed to be with my date."

He frowned his eyebrows. "You? A date?" I looked at him. "Anyone i know?"

"No. He just moved here." I said, not even bothered to look at him.

We reached his car and i went into the passenger seat. Quickly buckling-up, i watched him starting the car.

I sit there, quiet as a mouse. And surprisingly, him too. It was actually uncomfortable when he's not making some flirtatious comments or complaining about Stefan. I didn't like it.

We arrived at the house and i immediately got out of the car. Not sparing him a look nor word.

I heard him drive off. I exhaled a breath of air, that i didn't know i was holding. 'Mustn't dwell on unimportant matters. I have to get ready for Cameron's arrival.'

Heading up the stairs and into my room, i quickly got my hair ready into a nice flowy wave with a white bow knoted in. I unwrapped my dress from the wrap and put it on. The dress perfectly fitted my body and complexion.

I heard honking coming from the outside, and knew that Cameron was here. I grabbed shoes and headed downstairs. I opened the door and see a car in front of the house and i waved.

Cameron waved back and i walked out of the doorway. I headed towards him and sat inside his car. "Wow, you look…"

I turned to him. "What?"

He cleared his throat. "Pretty. You look pretty." I blinked and parted my mouth. I felt the blood rush to my face. I looked away from him, smiling. "Thank you."

══════════════

We arrived a bit late and we were invited in. The mansion was decorated with white slik in the hallways and vases filled with flowers. People with glasses of champagne, chatting.

"This place is nothing i imagined!" Cameron awed. I chuckled. "And this is only the entrance." I stated, with a noted tone. I wrapped my arm around his.

We continued to head deeper inside. We go over to the exit away to the party and i see more people. Looking around, hoping to see anyone i knew. The one person i did see was Damon Salvatore.

I unconsciously held Cameron closer to me as Damon walked over to us. "Ah, you must be her date, i presume."

He nodded. "Yeah. Cameron Williams." He held his free hand out to Damon, whom looked at it weirdly. I looked at the both of them. He looked to Cameron. "I'm sorry. Germaphobe. Rashing."

Cameron awkwardly pulled his hand down. He awkwardly chuckled.

Damon looked to me. "May i steal your date for a second?" He didn't give me or Cameron a chance to talk, since he took my arm from him and guided me away.

I looked back to Cameron helplessly. "Damon! Let me go! You cannot be serious right now!" He took me to a secluded area and looked around, seeing if anyone would hear or see.

"You need to hear this. Stefan's back on blood." Damon states, oddly urgent.

"And what does that mean?" I asked.

"It means that Stefan is more than just on edge. He could seriously hurt someone." He told me. I gasped.

"What about Elena?" I asked. "Stefan's here with Elena. Would he really hurt her?" I looked at him, hoping for question to be confirmed wrong.

"I don't know. But right now, Elena has to know. Do you know where she is?" He asked. I nodded. "Yeah. She told me that the her and the girls were getting ready."

Me and him travel to the dressing room and i opened the door. Elena turned around, her dress already on. "Hey. You can't be back here." She states.

"We need to talk." Damon tells her.
"Does it have to be right now?" She asks.
I nodded my head. "It's about Stefan."

"What's wrong with Stefan?" She asks, worry immediately falls on her face.

"Normally, i would have a completely different outlook on what i'm about to tell you but since it could really inconvenience me, i'll…squeal." Damon pauses. "Stefan's still drinking human blood. A month ago, i would've rejoiced, but with the council back on alert, it is not a good time for Stefan to fly off the handle."

"I know he's been a little edgy, but he said that was normal." She defended.

"He has a fridge full of stolen blood-bank contraband in the house." He explained.

"I've been hearing about that. So it was Stefan." I addressed. "He really hasn't been acting weird?" I questioned.

"Oh, my God." She sits despairingly on the couch. "He has no idea what normal is. His entire existence isn't normal. Normal to a vampire is drinking human blood. But he spent all this time fighting it when he should've been learning to control it. And now it's controlling him instead." Damon pointed out.

"Stefan's not himself, Elena. Even Damon noticed." I told her, clearly.

"Uh, i can't believe this. I mean, it's Stefan that we're talking about here." She denied, not believing that Stefan's changed. I looked at her, helpless.

"Stefan on human blood, Elena. He'll do anything, he'll say anything because he's not gonna wanna stop." Damon states.

"This is my fault. I'm the one who fed him the blood in the first place." Elena said guiltfully. I held her hand, comforting her panicked state.

We heard the door being opened and see Stefan looking at the three of us. "Uh…well, what's going on here?" He questioned. Damon turns to him. "I'm just filling Elena and Carmen in on your… extracurricular activities."

Stefan scoffed. "What are you talking about?" I looked to Elena. "We both know about the blood, Stefan."

"I'm gonna… Uh, i'll be downstairs drinking." Damon walked over to the door then turned around to look at me.

I squinted my eyes in confusion. He tilted his head for me to come with him and looked at Stefan, signaling me to not get involved with what's going on.

"Yeah. I think i'll go too." I slowly let go of Elena's hand and sent her a small smile and I headed towards the door.

Looking back at Elena as we walked out of there. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and guided me away. "Elena's alone in there with Stefan… How are you so sure she should be alone?"

He stopped us at a secluded spot and turns me to face him. He cups my face and looks into my eyes softly. "Because Stefan wouldn't hurt her, he wouldn't give into the blood if it meant hurting her. As much as it annoys me, Stefan loves her." I hummed and nodded.

"Why did you also want me to leave?" I asked, curiosity evident in my voice.

"Chalk it up to not knowing how to explain to Jenna that her daughter's dead." He shrugs. I rolled my eyes.

"It looks like it's time for the Miss Mystic Falls candidates and escorts to line up." I looked at the stairs and see girls waiting to be called down, but i don't see Elena.

"Where's Elena?" I asked.
"I don't know." He admitted.

I instantly got worried. 'No, no, no. This can't be happening." I walked over to the stairs and quickly walked up, with everyone watching me confused.

I opened the clothing room door and don't see Elena, only her dress left on the wardrobe mirror. I searched the room for anything that could give me a clue.

"Miss Tina Fell… escorted by Bartholomew Whitmore." I heard outside the door. "Elena's gonna miss her chance!" I heard footsteps coming in.

"Where's Elena?" I heard Caroline asked. I turned to her, holding Elena's dress.

"I don't know." I say.

"Elena's turn will be soon." She sighed, but then she got an idea. She looked at the dress to me, and smiled. I looked at her confused. "Care… what's that look?"

"Fill in for her. Until we find Elena, you have to take her place." Caroline told.

I parted my lips. "Everyone knows who Elena is. I can't just go in her place."

Caroline pondered an solution to the situation. She looks to the wardrobe and opened it. She pulls out a curly brunette wig and hands it to me. "Problem solved!" Caroline smiled and held her hands to her face in joyfully.

I looked to the wig and the dress, i was hesitant to go through with it. I guess Caroline could tell since she puts her hand on my shoulder. "You can do this!"

I looked at her and smiled softly. I nodded and went to the mirror, putting the dress to my body. I didn't look half bad. "I'll give you some privacy."

Caroline walked out-of the room and i undid my dress to put on Elena's. After, i put on the wig, now staring at myself in the mirror. I was a completely different person.

I gasped at my appearance.

I twirled to get a better sight of the dress is behind me and not unflattering. "Miss Caroline Forbes… and her escort, Jeffrey Lockwood Hamilton." I heard outside.

Making sure that everything was okay, i walked out of there calmly. Watching Caroline walking down the stairs and into her escort's arm, walking away.

"Elena… you're next. Come on." Carol whispers. I looked around, but remembering that i'm supposed to be Elena. I smiled at her and nodded.

I walked to the top of the stairs, waiting for me – Elena, to be called. "Miss Elena Gilbert… escorted by Mr. Stefan Salvatore." Cheers erupted from the crowd as i walked down the stairs.

I looked at the spot the escorts were, and didn't see Stefan. Now i was seriously worried. I watched as Damon took Stefan's place and held his arm out.

"Where's Elena?" He whispered. I shook my head. "I couldn't find her. What about Stefan?" He also shook his head.

"Let's get this over with so we can find them." He told me. I nodded. We walked to the ball dance floor with the other girls and escorts. People followed behind. We stood separated and stood in front of eachother and bowed.

The music started and we did the near-touch, staring in to his eyes while he looked at mine. It was like i was dreaming, the classical music, with the atmosphere of the party, and the intense tension of the near-touch with Damon.

It's completely like a dream. My pushed down feelings, sturd in my heart. I selfishly wished that he felt something too. The thought of telling him my feelings formed in my mind, but i quickly thought against the idea.

We soon took eachother's hands, me putting my hand on his back with his on mine. We waltzed in sync, around the dance floor, lost in eachother's eyes. We parted as the song slowed out.

══════════════

The girls were lined up for the announcement of the winner of Miss Mystic Falls. "Where's Amber?" Caroline asked. I shrugged. "I don't know."

"Before i crown the winner, i'd like to offer a personal thank you to all of these young ladies for their efforts to better our communities." Mayor Lockwood congratulated. Everyone applauded.

"So without further ado, it is my honor… to anounce our very own Miss Mystic Falls… Caroline Forbes." He anounced.

Caroline didn't process it until she say the satchel given to her. "I won? I actually won." She hugged me.

"I'm so proud of you, Care." I laughed and hugged her tightly. Everyone dispersed and i walked over to Damon.

I noticed his worried expression and we turned to a far away corner that nobody hears. "What is it? Did you find them?"

"There were signs of struggle in the upstairs bathroom. There was blood. And that Amber girl is missing." He explained. I gasped. "Oh, my God. Could Stefan have taken her?" I asked.

"Let's just find him, okay? Come on." He takes my hand and headed to find Stefan, and possibly… Elena. We walked outside the mansion and see someone running towards the mansion.

'That must be Amber.' We quickly ran over to her. Seeing Stefan appear and feed on her, we also come across Elena also running towards them. "Stefan!"

"Come on. Get in control. Come on." Damon slowly approaches Stefan, whom lets Amber fall to the ground. "It's okay."

Stefan looked like a different person. He actually looked like a Vampire. Amber's blood drips from his mouth, looking at us to Damon, weary of the ambush.

Stefan notices Damon getting closer, snapping out of his frozen state, and throws Damon against the tree.

Damon, thankfully, catches himself and stands at a distance from him. "Stefan, stop it." Elena pleaded. Stefan walks closer to Damon to continue, but then he groans in pain, holding his head.

I looked behind us, noticing Bonnie having a concentrated glare on Stefan. It looked that Bonnie was casting some spell to hurt Stefan, and in truth, it was terrifying seeing Bonnie like that.

Stefan slowly stops whining in pain, Bonnie closes her eyes, letting go of the spell. Stefan looks at us horrified by what he did. "It's okay. Stefan." Damon tries to calm him, but he runs away.

Checking up on Amber, who lost alot of blood, Sheriff Forbes walks over to us. "She doesn't remember what happened."

"It's a good thing the girls got here when they did. She lost a lot of blood." Damon lies. Liz turns to Me, Elena, and Bonnie. "You didn't see anything?" She asked.

Me and Elena looked at Bonnie, worried about what she say to Liz. She shook her head. "No, we just… found her and then called Damon." Elena explained.

"Is she gonna be okay?" Bonnie asked.

"It looks like it, yeah. Why don't you girls get back to the party. Damon and i can take it from here." Liz stated.

"Okay." The three of us headed back, Bonnie not talking and we knew that she was upset. "Bonnie, can we talk about this?" Elena tries to cætch up with her.

"There's nothing to talk about." She said, monotony. I looked at the two. "Bonnie, please." Elena tries to get her to listen.

Bonnie turns around. "I told you i wasn't gonna make you choose. But i need to make the choice for myself. Please just leave me alone." She asked and walks away from Me and Elena.

I see that Elena was about to say something, but i stop her. "All we can do right now is give her some space. Come on. Let's go." She sighed, but listens.

We walked back to the Lockwood mansion, where everyone's starting to leave the party. "Oh, good. There you are. Jenna wanted me to get the car. What happened?" He asked, seeing mine and Elena's confused and shocked faces.

══════════════

Tonight, we – Damon, Me, and Elena – planned on trapping Stefan in the Salvatore cellar to get the human blood out of his system, for him to go back to normal Stefan. Elena volunteered to be the one to do it, since he wouldn't be suspicious if it were either me or Damon. I sat on the couch, anxiously waiting for Elena and her safety.

"I don't know how long i can take waiting." I voiced to Damon.

"You're gonna have to if we want this to work." He said. I nodded, but i couldn't help but fiddle with my hands.

"STOP! STOP!" We heard from the room. I widened my eyes, terrified for Elena. I wanted to help her, protect her, but i knew i couldn't, and it was painful.

It suddenly went quite until a hard thud sounds upstairs. Damon looked to me and nodded, reassuring me that it was Stefan. I sighed relieved to know.

We walked upstairs to Stefan's room and see Elena against the wall, with Stefan passed out on the floor. "Are you sure you wanna do this?" Damon asked.

"I'm sure." She looks at Stefan's passed out body. Damon carries him to the cellar, while me and Elena waits on the outside. "There's no guarantee this is gonna work." Damon states, truthfully.

"It has to." Elena believes. We go to leave, when i noticed that Elena wasn't following us. "Aren't you coming?"

She shakes her head. "I'm gonna stay here with Stefan. I'll be fine."

I nodded and walked out the celler. I see Damon sitting on the couch, fidgeting with a trinket that Pearl gave him.

"It doesn't look important enough for John to want to want it." I said, walking towards him. He sighed and set it down.
"Perhaps i could subtly bring it up in conversation." I pondered.

"You can't be subtle to save your life. Sometimes literally." He joked.

"I may not have the best record in lying. But i must be the master of telling white lies. More-so-now with the life i live." I chuckled softly, looking at the fireplace.

The flames pushing back the others, that bright orange mixing in with yellow, waves you could just get lost in them.

I felt a hand on my cheek. I looked at Damon and melted at the expression he gave me. "I'm here, if you need me."

I smiled and nodded. "I would look good being a brunette. That wig looked perfect on me." We laughed.

"Yes. But i much prefer blondes instead." Damon gave me a playful smirk. I hit him on the chest, even though it wouldn't have hurt him. But he faked a pained expression. "You wounded me."

Chapter Text

Watching Stefan slowly grow weaker and weaker, was heartbreaking, it's only been a couple of days since "Miss Mystic Falls", and we were checking up on him.

"Stefan." We called out to him. He frantically looks at us, stopping to Elena. "Stefan. I love you, Stefan." She tells him.

Me and Elena walked out of the cellar as Damon closes the door. Elena puts her fingers in between the door's bar. "It's so hard seeing him locked up like this."

"You're the one who locked him up." He argued. I turned to him. "You helped."

"I couldn't have him running around chewing on people, while the town was looking for vampires now, could i?" Damon counters. I rolled my eyes playfully. "And it had nothing to do with you actually caring about him?" I asked.

"Your thing. Not mine." He goes and leaves, i looked to Elena and she nodded her head for me to go. I hummed and left the celler. I watched him fiddle with Johnathan Gilbert's trinket. "You still haven't figured out what it did?" I asked.

"Nope. Whatever it is, it doesn't work. Pearl thought she was stealing his vampire compass but it was a pocket watch. That Johnathan Gilbert was a crazy scientist." He added. "Have you spoken to you're uncle lately?"

"No. Not since Miss Mystic. I've been here most nights and hanging out with Caroline." I explained. "So, you're gonna be here again tonight?" He asked.

"Is that a problem?" I walked up to him. He looked down to my eyes and smirked. "Of course not. Wouldn't want you to feel unwelcomed now, would we?" He said.

He walks away from me and grabbed a water bottle filled with red liquid. "Is that blood?" I asked. He nodded.

"Stefan approved." He said. I nodded, but i was saddened by the knowledge that it was some poor animal's blood.

He goes down to the cellar and i stay in the living room. I got a text message and looked at it seeing that it was from Cameron. You may be asking, "Why are you and Cameron still talking when you just ditched him at the party?". The answer to that is – i apologized and was able to make it up to him. We exchanged numbers and have been talking since.

Cameron:
I just finished my shift, and i was hoping that we could hang at the Grill.

Me:
I could go for a bite. See you soon.

Cameron:
😉

I chuckled at the emoji, and i didn't hear that Damon came back as i heard someone clear their throat. Looking up, Damon was staring at me… or… glaring?

"Yes?" I asked.

"Whose got you so giddy?" Damon asked, with a strange tone. I blinked in confusion. "Oh. Uh, Cameron. You know – my date to the Miss Mystic Falls party."

"I thought you dumped him." He said coldly. I rolled my eyes. "We made up. We're just friends. Nothing romantic is going on." I almost said it like i was trying to prove something.

"Then why don't you explain the wink emoji?" He counters. I froze. I parted my mouth and went to say something, when his phone rings. "Hello?" He asked. "Before i hang up, how did you get this number?" He interrogates. "What kind of digging? Did he find anything? Isobel knows John. Whatever, we knew that."

Now i was super interested with their conversation. I inched over to hear who was on the phone with Damon, and i sworn that i heard Alaric Saltzmen.

"Isobel's in Grove Hill?" He asked. "Perfect. Give me the address. I'm going with you? You tried to kill me."

Damon's phone beeps as he looks at his phone. "Hold on. What? Extra broody. Hold on." He goes back to Alaric's call.

"You drive pick me up in an hour." He forwards back to the other call. Damon sits on the chair. "He won't eat anything. His favorite kind of, um, what?"

"Ew! Gross. Helps me. Now, hurry up. I can't babysit forever." He hangs up the phone. I continued to stare at him confused. "Elena. She wanted to know what blood would help Stefan get out of his starvation act." I nodded.

"What does he like?"

"He likes… puppy blood. Little golden retriever puppies with cute, fluffy ears. That's his favorite." He admitted.

I froze, but i quickly caught on to the joke. I hit him on the shoulder. "That's so not funny. Golden retrievers are my favorite breed of dog. I've always wanted one." I faked being angry. He smirked at my "angered" expression.

An hour later, Stefan still hasn't fed and Elena's started to get worried. "You know, he's just being dramatic. He's not gonna starve himself." Damon reassured, But in his own, closed off, way. Elena shook her head.

"Why would he say that?" Elena asked. "Cause he feels bad about hurting that girl. It's very typical Stefan martyr stuff. It will pass." Damon explained.

"Will it? Because he seemed to be in a lot of pain." Elena expressed worriedly.

"Yeah. Well, that will pass too, once he eats." Damon states. I gave him a look. "You know what she means." I said.

"Look, are you gonna be okay here, if i have to run out? I have to go to an errand with the teacher." Damon asked.

Elena turns to him. "The teacher?"
"Alaric. They're best friends now." I joked. Damon pointed to me.

"No. Not "best friends". We both have an objective and we need to work together. So no… not friends." He explained, disdain in his tone. I chuckled.

"We'll be fine." She said.
Damon tisked. "I was actually only referring to you. Carmen's coming with me." He wrapped his arm around my shoulders. I quickly looked at him.

"When did i agree to this?" I asked. He smirked. "The moment you decided to help me get Katherine out of the tomb. You're stuck with me." He knew that he had me right where he wants me.

I sighed. "Fine. But just know that if there's trouble, i won't hesitate to leave you guys to fend for yourselfs."

"You like me too much to do that." He smirked and went to go out the door. I looked at Elena and she just shrugged.

"Make sure to call if there's trouble. We'll come back as soon as we can." I hugged Elena. "I will. Stefan wouldn't hurt me." She told me, reassured.

I nodded and left the Boarding House. I met up with Damon who was at his car. "You totally didn't want me around Stefan. I can see right through you."

"I'm not one for friends. It wouldn't feel quite good if you were to die." Damon admitted honestly. I smiled. I walked over to the passenger seat and he started the car. After picking Alaric up, we drove to the house on Grove Hill.

══════════════

"This is the one here." Alaric confirmed. "The record shows this was paid three mouths in advance." He explained.

Damon sighed. "This is where it gets tricky. I may or may not be able to get in." Damon knocked on the door lightly.

"Yeah, how does that work? You always have to be invited in?" Alaric asked.

"By the owner or the person of entitlement. Short term rentals and hotels are bit of a gray area, you kinda gotta play it by ear." Damon goes over to the door handle, Alaric scoffed.

"Can we not kill anyone tonight?" He asks. I chuckled. 'Being with Damon, there's always a guarantee for death.'

"You mean, you just brought me alone for my company?" He turns the handle, with it not being lock, we're free to go in – At least, me and Alaric. "It doesn't look like anyone's home." He enters as i was about to follow, Damon took my arm.

"Not yet." He tells me. He looks at the door frame and manages to putt his foot inside the house. I sighed relieved.

"Yeah. I'm good." He said.

I walked inside and lightly closes the door. Looking at the dim house, the street lights helping us see. "No permanent resident, apparently."

Damon walks over to the kitchen and opens the refrigerator door. I looked around with Alaric. "Uh, Rick, we have company." Before we knew it, Alaric was tackled by the vampire living here.

Alaric put up a good fight, causing the vampire to fall to the ground. He saw me and went to attack me. I nearly screamed, when Damon pulls him away.

"Boys, boy, boys, that's enough." He walks over to the vampire. "I know you."

"Damon?" He recognized.

"You're name's Henry. You were in the tomb." Damon recalled. "Yes, sir. What are you doing here?" Henry asked.

Coming up with a fabricated lie, we managed to get on his good side. "So, how do you know John Gilbert?"

"Well, i've known him years. He's a good friend." Damon lies. "How do you know him?" I looked at Henry, skeptically.

"I met him right after i got out of the tomb. He's been helping me out." He sets a glass of blood down on the table. "Sorry for attacking you, by the way."

I waved him off. "None taken."

"Helping you out, how?" Alaric questioned. Me and Damon give him a look to go easy on the questions.

"Adapting. Well, it's a whole new world. Cars, computers, match.com. there's so much to learn. He helped me get this place." Henry voiced gratitude.

'John… helping a vampire? Either he's gone crazy, or he's planning something, which isn't good.' I thought, curiously.

"Do you live here alone or is there, uh, someone that lives here?" Alaric continued to interrogate. I tried not to look worried with a dangerous vampire.

"That's, uh, my friend's very passive aggressive way of asking, uh, do you know a woman named Isobel?" Damon saved the confusion on Henry's face.

"Uh, no, no. I don't know an Isobel. I know John. He's my only real friend. He really showed me the ropes, how to use a microwave. Separate my whites." Henry numbered off. Alaric cut him off. "What else do you do for him?"

"I help keep an eye on things you, with the others." He points to Damon.

"The others?" Damon asked.
"From the tomb. They're still pissed at the founding families for trying to burn them alive. I mean, i'm cool, but those tomb boys, they want revenge." He told.

"What does John want with them?" I asked. "He's just keeping an eye on them, you know? Trying to make sure they stay out of trouble." Henry explained.

"Well, that's John. He's such a do-gooder." Damon chuckled.

Henry's cell phone rings. "That's John now." I froze in my spot. 'Could it get any worse?' I watched Damon quickly stand up. "Oh. Hey, let me, let me talk to him, alright?" Henry lets Damon take the phone. But Damon doesn't answer it. It quickly went tense in the house.

"Are you gonna answer that?" Henry asked, wondering what was the problem. "Am i gonna…answer that?"

Henry immediately caught on. "What's going on?" He sped over at Alaric trying to bite him, but Damon managed to turn him away from him, and Alaric staked Henry in the heart. Henry decayed.

"Let's not kill anyone tonight. You're words. Just pointing that out." Damon hits his shoulder and walks away.

I put my hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry about Isobel." I said truthfully.

Damon pours out a blood bag from the refrigerator into a glass. "Find anything yet?" Alaric sits down on the couch.

"No, i looked everywhere. The place is…the place is clean." Alaric said in despair. Damon brings him a bottle of bear.

"Well, i found this behind the blood in the fridge." Damon throws the bottle. "Oh man, this was a real dead end." Alaric sulked. "I wouldn't beat myself over it, man. What'd you think you were gonna find, huh? Isobel with cigar and slippers?" Damon comments.

Alaric painfully laughed. "Oh, man, i…i gotta stop this. I can't keep searching for her." I hummed. "She's had plenty of chances to find you, but it looks like she doesn't even want you to find her."

"Really? After only two years? That's actually…moderately healthy." Damon added. "As opposed to 146 years?" I asked. "I'm thinking of stopping at the 200th mark." He joked. I rolled my eyes.

"Ahh. I mean, no answer is enough. I keep thinking, i wanna know why, when, you know, the precise moment when my wife decided life with me wasn't enough." Alaric wondered.

"To hell with her. I know that she's your wife, and you love her deeply. But she gave up on you and your lifes together. You can continue sulking about her, or you can be with one woman who genuinely likes you." I advised.

Alaric looks to me in shook. "Best listen to her. I hear she gives good advice." Damon told him. He nodded.

══════════════

We came back to the Boarding House and see Elena still sitting down on the couch living room. "God, you're still here?" Damon groaned. Elena turns to us. "Were you expecting anything else?"

"So, how was the errand?" She asked.

"Futile. Although, i think we just witnessed the teacher having an existential crisis. Has Stefan eaten yet?" He asked, almost caringly. "I thought you didn't care." Elena looked at her journal.

"Chalk it up to morbid curiosity." Damon defended. "I think he's getting there. But he's got a lot of guilt that he has to deal with. And it doesn't help that you've spent the last 145 years punishing him for getting Katherine caught." Elena said. I looked at Damon, confused.

"So, this is my fualt now?" Damon asked.

"No, it's no one's fualt, Damon." I reassured him, and confused what Elena was going with this conversation.

"You're not exactly innocent." She coldly admitted. I quickly looked appalled at what she was saying. Damon quickly got up. "You've made it your life's mission to make him miserable." She ended.

"Let me ask you a question. In all this important soul searching and cleansing of the demons of Stefan's past, did you ever manage to get the rest of the story?" Damon asked her, slightly hurt.

"He said that there was more." Elena stated. "And you completely assumed that Damon was the Villain in Stefan's story without knowing the whole thing? I may not know everything, but at least i know to get the whole truth before i assume the worst of someone." I told.

"That's an understatement." He goes to walk away, but Elena didn't let him. She grabs his arm, Damon quickly pulls her off and turns to her angry. "Tell me."

I held his hand in mine which calms him down. He turns his head at me and i nodded for him to tell us about the past.

After he explained what happened when Katherine and that Damon’s and Stefan's father killed them, transforming them into transitioning vampires. He tells us that initially he and Stefan planed to not fed and die together. But Stefan went to see their father, which turns into Stefan killing him and feeding on his blood.

Damon explained the pain from not feeding, and that he was ready to die, until Stefan forced him to fed.

It was overwhelming, listening to the way Damon tells us what happened back in 1864. I felt even more bad for him.

He pours himself a drink. "From the moment Stefan had his first taste of human blood, he was a different person. I suppose i should thank him. It's been a hell of a ride." He drinks it completely.

"Oh, my God, he said he wanted to die. That's why he won't feed, now i understand why, but…" She realized.

"His choice. If he's stupid enough to make it, so be it." Damon states coldly.

"Don't pretend that you don't care about him. You and i both know that you do." I looked to him, trying to tell what he was feeling. He looks at me, saddened.

We didn't even noticed that Elena was gone until we heard her running towards us. "Stefan's gone." She breathes heavily as she holds up his ring. We looked at it, worried for Stefan.

"Where would he go?" I asked. Elena shook her head until she realized something. "I know where he is!"

══════════════

Elena manages to bring back Stefan as they walked over to us. "Little boy lost." Damon comments. Elena turned to Stefan. "I'll be upstairs, okay?"

"Okay." Stefan said.
"Goodnight, Damon." Elena said.

she gestures for me to follow her so they could talk. "Oh, um, i'll go too." I quickly walked over to Elena and went with her.

"I'm sorry about either. I got a little heated." I apologized. She sighed. "It's okay. You were right anyway. I was only thinking about the part Damon played a part in. I should've known better."

"That's my cousin." I smiled. We went our separate ways, me into the guest room, and Elena to Stefan's.

I see that he looks completely different from Stefan's and Damon's room. It didn't look as comfortable nor warm.

"Thanks for earlier, with Elena." I heard Damon's voice from behind me. I turned around to face him. "I was just being a honest good friend." I admitted.

"Why did you defend me if you didn't know the story?" Damon asked, looking for an answer, he stares into my eyes.

I smiled. "I don't know. I just knew Elena's words hurt you and i wanted to make you feel cared about." I admitted.

"Carmen Sommers. What would i ever do without you?" Damon said softly.

"Probably dead. Because you know, i did save you." I smiled and laughed at the memory of when Lexi's boyfriend tried to kill Damon. He chuckled. "You're still not letting that go?"

I shook my head. "Not in a million years."

Chapter Text

"Caroline asked me to help with the float for the Miss Mystic Falls parade. She'll have my head if i don't." I smiled.

"I'm doing great. Thanks for asking." Damon sarcastically said. I rolled my eyes, smiling. "Elena's was wondering how Stefan is. With yesterday's events."

"Oh, him? Oh. He's…Terrible. He's just back to boring straitlaced, off the junk. Elena successfully cured him of anything that was interesting about his personality." He explained, exaggerating.

"She wasn't the only one. You helped." I told him. "I hate myself. Hey, did Uncle John mention anything to you about our field trip with the history teacher?"

"No. I've been avoiding him. What's he up to?" I asked. "I don't know, but i'd love it if you could find out for me." He states. I smiled. "You got it. I gotta go. Talk to you later." He hummed. "Have fun with the Miss Mystic Queen."

We end the call.

══════════════

"Alright, show me." Bonnie said. Caroline types something into the computer. "Let's reference last year's Miss Mystic Float. This is what they did last year."

She shows us the picture. "And it's actually what we don't want to do."

"Ew." Bonnie agreed.
"Yeah." Caroline stated.

"What did you have in mind?" I asked. "Southern classic elegance." She answered. "Gone with the wind?" Bonnie asked. "How'd you know?"

"Caroline, you can recite Scarlett in your sleep." I joked. "So true." Caroline admitted. We all laughed. "Urgh! Where's Elena? She's supposed to be helping." She looked around the cafeteria. "I don't know." Bonnie answer.

"Okay, what's the deal?" Caroline interrogated. "What do you mean?" Bonnie asked. "You and Elena are fighting. Spill. Or Carm can just tell me herself." Caroline threatened.

"It's nothing." Bonnie denied.
"It's not nothing. You know, this whole float is supposed to be about friends creating something together and everyone is fighting. Matt and Tyler hate eachother. You and Elena are on the outs. I just don't like it. And i can't fix it if i don't know what's wrong." She rants.

"I can't talk about it, Caroline, i'm sorry." Bonnie tells her. I looked at the two of them, i didn't know what to say to make less solemn. I got a text message and I checked it to see one from Damon.

Damon:
There's something you need to hear.
Everyone's in Alaric's classroom.

Me:
I'll be right there.

I looked up from my phone. "I'm sorry guys. I need to go help with something. I'll see you guys later." I apologized.

They both smiled and nodded. I left and towards Alaric's classroom. Seeing Elena, Stefan, Alaric, and Damon waiting for me. I noticed tension in the room. "What is going on?" I asked.

"Isobel's here in Mystic Falls. And she wants to see you and Elena." Alaric explained. I looked over to Elena and noticed she looks like a deer in headlights. I walked over to her.

"You don't have to do this if you don't want to." I took Elena's hand, comforting her. She shook her head. "I don't really have a choice." I looked at everyone.

"She's threatening to go on a killing spree." Alaric said. I widened my eyes.

"And that's not exactly what everyone wants. I'd be fine it." Damon comments. I rolled my eyes. "Why me? I have nothing to do with her." I asked.

"We don't know. Alaric is supposed to arrange a meeting. We don't know why or what she wants." Stefan explained.

"I wanna do it. I wanna meet her. If i don't, i know i'll regret it." Elena expressed. I turned to her. "And i'll be there, right beside you." I smiled.

══════════════

She wanted us to meet her at the Grill and as we waited for her, Elena and Stefan were talking, quiet enough for a human, with Stefan using his vampire hearing. I don't mind the conversation.

The waitress brings our coffees. "Thanks." I said, and took a sip of the coffee. The hot liquid pours down my throat and brings warmth to my body.

A woman walks over to us and sets her stuff down. "You must be Isobel." I said.

She smiles. "Hello, Elena. You look just like her. It's eerie." Isobel said, coldly. "You've met Katherine?" Elena asked.

"She found me after i turned. Genetic curiosity, i suppose. She would be fascinated by you." She explained.

"Is that how you can walk in the day?" Elena looked at her necklace. Isobel picked it up. "Katherine helped me obtain it." I noticed Elena wanting to know more about her when she asked thé question. "Who's my father?"

"Not important. He was a teenage waste of space." She denied the truth.

"A name would be nice." I argued. She turns to me. "It would, wouldn't it? You ask a lot of questions." She pondered.

"It's only right to want to know the person who gave you away. Exactly how it's only right to tell the person that you love that you're not happy in the relationship and that you want to become a blood-sucking vampire." I let her have it, but she only smiled.

"Katherine would not like you. It's no wonder you have Damon wrapped around your finger." She spoke.

I parted my mouth in slight surprise. I huffed and felt Elena take my hand under the table, calming me down.

"Why did you compel that man to kill himself right after he told me to stop looking for you?" Elena questioned.

I looked at her in shock. 'She never told me about that. It must've been when me and Elena were still fighting.'

"Traumatic impact. Wish it would have been been more effective." She didn't even express any guilt of what she did.

"Human life means that little to you?" Elena asked, distraught of what she said.

"Means nothing to me. It's just part of being what i am." She answered.

"There's other vampires that are not evil and selfish like you. There are some who choose not to kill and hurt others." I told.

"Your new boyfriend over there by the pool table? Stefan Salvatore. Why Stefan? Why didn't you go for Damon like Katherine did?" She wondered. "But i guess we already know the answer to that." She turns her head to me.

I sent her a glare. "Why did you want to meet me and also Carmen?" Elena asked. "It can't be to just catch up." Isobel tills her head. "Because i'm curious about you. But the real reason is i want what your Uncle wants. Jonathan Gilbert's invention." I squinted my eyes. "How do you know John?"

"I used to spend a lot of time here when i was younger. John had a crush on me for years. He was the first one that told me about Vampires." She answered.

"So what made you want to be one?" Elena asked. She sighed. "It's a very long list of reasons, Elena. All of which i'm sure you've thought about." Elena shakes her head. "That was your first lie."

"It's inevitable. You're gonna get old. Stefan won't. Forever doesn't last very long…when you're human." Isobel states. I frowned my eyebrows and looked at Elena. "But i guess, one of you already knows that. Don't you, Carmen?"

I don't look at her. 'I know i shouldn't even consider the possibility of something happening between me and Damon. I hate that she, and the universe are right.' I stared at the cup of coffee.

"I'm sorry. But i don't have what you're looking for." Elena takes my hand and stands up. Isobel grabbed my wrist and forces me back down. "Sit down, and tell your boyfriend to walk away."

Elena looks at me, then to Stefan and nods for him to stay away. She forcefully smiles and lets me go. Leaving a red hand mark on my wrist. "I want thé invention." She instructed.

"We don't have it." Elena stated.

"I know you don't. But Damon does." She answered. "Damon's not gonna give it to me." Elena told her, sternly.

"He won't give it to you. Oh, but he'll give it to Carmen." I raised an eyebrow at her assumption. "You have no idea of the number of care he has towards you. But if you don't, then the blood will be on your hands." She gets up and leaves.

Elena sheds tears and i wrap her in my arms. Bonnie walks into the Grill and spots us. Elena stood up and goes to walk over to Bonnie, but she freezes.

She looks behind Elena and i looked at her line of sight to Stefan. Bonnie looks to Stefan and Elena, then she runs away.

══════════════

I was busy helping Caroline taking care of the float. Trying to distract myself from the meeting with Isobel. She hands me a pink satchel and I wrapped it at the bottom of the float. "I heard that Elena and Bonnie made up." I told her.

"Finally! They were so stubborn." She sighed happily. I laughed. "Me and Elena met her birth mother." I told her.

"Is she okay?" Caroline asked.

"I think so. You would've hated her Caroline. She was such a bitch." I voiced frustration. She laughed. "I trust your judgment when you say that." I smiled.

Suddenly, a crash was heard, and we looked to see what happened, when we noticed that it was Matt's and Tyler's float. The guys were helping lift the float, me and Caroline quickly ran over.

We see Stefan lift it up and we push through the crowd and Caroline goes over to Matt. "Caroline, call an ambulance." Stefan instructed.

"Okay." She quickly grabs her phone and dials the number. Stefan checks up on Matt and his injury. "Jeremy! Jeremy!"

I heard Elena's voice and spot her looking around frantically. I, along with Stefan, look around for Jeremy.

Caroline comes back. "The ambulance is saying 15 to 20 minutes." She rushes.

"I have my car. I can take him to the hospital." Tyler offered. "Caroline can take me." Matt refuses. "But i didn't drive." Caroline explained.

"Matt, you can't stay like this. You have to go to the Hospital. At least put aside your anger towards Tyler, and go." I advised. "Fine." He gave in.

"Go!" Caroline yelled to Tyler. She comforts Matt, whom tries to calm down. "Are you going to be alright?" I asked. "Yeah." She nodded. I quickly stood up and ran towards Elena.

"What happened to Jeremy?" I asked. "She has him. Isobel took Jeremy." Elena said worried. I widened my eyes.

══════════════

We were explaining the situation to Stefan and Bonnie and we were trying to come up with a plan to save Jeremy.

"Where's the device?" Bonnie asked.
"Damon has it." Stefan explained.

"We'll go to him." Elena stated. "I-i'll talk to him." She paces around the classroom. I shook my head. "He won't give it up, if he knew what it'll do."

"But what if it's not?" Elena came up with an idea. It started with going over to the Boarding House to talk Damon into giving it to us. "Absolutely not."

"Just hear us out." Elena pleaded.

"I'm not gonna give the device to Isobel so she can give it to John who's gonna turn around and kill me. I like being an living dead person." Damon refuses.

"She has Jeremy, Damon. I don't want him getting hurt or worse, cause i didn't take care of him like i was supposed to. Please, Damon. Do it for Jeremy." I asked. I looked into his eyes, pleading.

He stares at me, a conflict battles in his mind. He sighs eventually. Damon takes out the trinket and hands it to me. "Don't let me regret this." He said, carefully.

"I promise." And i meant it.

Bonnie sets up candles and Emily's spell book. She takes apart the thing and raises her hands. The piece floats and the flames burn brighter and faster.

We watched an awe of the spell, and as quickly as it started, it ended. "Done."

"Great. Now what?" Damon asked.
"Now, we give it to the Vamp-bitch." I said. He chuckled and we all got ready to negotiate the invention for Jeremy's life.

The meeting was at the town's center, neear the church. Me and Elena walked towards the spot for Isobel. We felt wind fly passed us and turned around.

"Where's the device?" She asked.
"Where's Jeremy?" I demanded.

"This isn't a negotiation. Where's the invention?" She continues to ask for it.

'Two can play that game.' I thought.
"Where's Jeremy?" I asked. She sighed.

"Did you really think that i came alone?" She states. Two people came out and stood behind us. "Do you really think we came alone?" Stefan and Damon then came out and stood behind Isobel.

"For God sakes, call home. Ask to speak to your brother Jeremy." Elena quickly takes her phone and calls the home-line.

"Jeremy, are you okay?" Elena asked. I turned my head to her, thankful that Jeremy answered. "We'll be home soon, alright?" Elena hangs up. She turns to Isobel. "You were never gonna hurt him."

"No, i was gonna kill him. Don't look for any redeeming qualities in me. I don't have any." She answered, coldly.

"But you took the risk with Damon. How did you know he was going to give it to me?" I asked the one question i wanted the answer to. "Because he's in love with you." She answered honestly.

I froze. 'Damon loves me?'

I looked at him, but he just stares at Isobel. I decided that this was not the time to dwell on that. I walked over to her and handed it to her angrily. "Now, i have nothing to do with you." I glared.

I walked away from the place and headed home. I opened the door and see Mom cleaning up John's bloodied head.
"Where's Jeremy?" I asked her.

"He's upstairs." Before she could say another thing, i quickly ran up the stairs and opened his room door. Jeremy jumps up and sees me standing in the door. I walked over to him and hugged him. "Jeremy. I'm so, so, sorry." I cried.

"Hey. It's okay. I'm okay. John mostly took the blow." Jeremy insisted. I shook my head. "But i was supposed to protect you, especially from this. I couldn't stand the thought of you getting hurt."

"Hey, hey, you have nothing to apologize for. You've protected me my whole life. You wouldn't stop now." He reassured me. I lifted my head away. "You serious?" He nodded. "Crystal."

I laughed. "I love you, Jeremy."
"Love you more, Carmmy." He smiled.

I heard footsteps coming towards the room, and turned around, seeing Elena stand under the door frame. She smiled and walked inside. "I'll talk to you later."
I said, getting up from the bed, letting them talk – whatever happened – out.

After a few seconds, i heard the door slam and Elena walking back to her room. I felt bad for them, and hopped they'd make up sooner nor later.

My phone rang and i looked at it seeing Damon's contact name show on screen. I debated whether to answer it or not.

I thought it through and just let it go away. I sighed as the screen turned off, and walked towards my bed. I thought of talking to Damon, when i was ready to talk about what Isobel said about us.

Chapter Text

Me and Mom help Elena get ready for the parade, Mom doing her dress, i'm doing her hair as she wanted it curled.

"Ow. This dress hurts." Elena groaned from the corset. Mom laughs. "Suck it in, baby." I looked at her. "It's only for a couple of hours. After, you'll be as comfortable as a baby being swaddled."

Elena huffed.

══════════════

We arrived at the high school and Elena wanted to find Stefan, so I decided to go with her. We spot them — Stefan and Damon — together. They turned to us and froze looking at Elena.

'She must've reminded them of Katherine.' I frowned at Damon's glance at Elena and walked away. I walked around and felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Carmen! Hey!" I turned around and see Cameron smiling at me. "Where have you been? I haven't seen you for awhile." I putt my hand on my neck.

"Yeah. I've been busy helping Caroline with the float and everything with Elena and Bonnie, i never had time to hang with you." I said, half-truthfully.

"It's not completely your fault. I've also been busy. I have an idea. Why don't we watch the fireworks tonight?" He suggested. "It'll be the perfect hang-out."

I thought it over. "Fine. You've convinced me." We both laughed. Jeremy interrupts us. "Hey. Could i talk to you?" I looked to Cameron and he nodded and left.

"Has Elena told you anything about what happened to Vicki?" He suddenly asked. I frowned my eyebrows. "No, Jeremy. Why?" He sighed. "Because i know everything. I read her journal."

I widened my eyes. "You know about Vampires?" I whispered. He nodded. "And i know that Anna is one too."

This was not supposed to happen. Why couldn't Elena just be vague with the whole "Vampires are real" thing.

"Jeremy, we were going to tell you everything eventually when the time was right. But you weren't supposed to find out like this. Elena's journal of all things." I pushed hair out of my face.

"Then you probably don't know that she compelled you." He told me. I froze in place and looked at him. "What?"

"Yeah. At the Halloween party. Vicki was actually a vampire and attacked me and Elena. You… you fought her off of Elena and you… killed her." He told me everything regarding Vicki's death.

I shook my head. "No. I didn't. Elena wouldn't do that. We tell eachother everything. She wouldn't keep such a big secret from me." I tried to find anything remotely false with Jeremy's words.

"She did, Carmmy. She was lying to me too." He states. I felt tears welled-up in my eyes. He immediately hugs me.

"Oh, my God. Matt. What have i done to Matt? And Kelly? I'm a horrible person. I'm a murderer." I cried out. He shushes me and pats my head, comfortingly.

"No, you're not. You're Carmen Sommers, you're my cousin–whom i consider a sister, you have beautiful blonde hair, gorgeous green eyes, and a one in a million smile. You aren't a murderer." Jeremy holds my face while he tells me these wonderful things.

I blushed from embarrassment. "You're getting all cheesy on me." I laughed.

"And i meant every word. I don't blame you, Carmmy. You just gotta learn not to blame yourself." He advised. I thought about his words, and nodded. "I'll try."

"Now, let's enjoy this parade as best as we can." Jeremy suggested. I nodded and wrapped my arm around his shoulder.

══════════════

The parade starts and i cheered as Caroline's float drives by. Her and Matt looked so cute. Then i remembered. 'How can i face him when i was the one to kill Vicki?' I turned somber.

I see Damon walking over to Bonnie who was speed-walking away from him. I headed towards them. "Just leave me alone." Bonnie demanded.

"Thank you." He told her. I was quite surprised. "The device that Emily spelled could have killed me. I don't take what you did lightly, so… thank you."

I could tell that he meant it. I looked at Bonnie for her expression. "I did it for Elena and Carm." Bonnie explained.

"I know that. But i'm still very grateful. And… i owe you." Damon states. "…enjoy the parade." Me and Bonnie watched him leave. I chuckled. "Believe me. He doesn't like owing people anything."

I told her. She looked at me, noticing my presence. "I don't know what you see him." Bonnie commented. I widened my eyes. "Wha–how did you–" She cut me off. "Caroline. She's obsessed with you guys. It's almost creepy." She said.

I laughed. "That's Caroline for you."

══════════════

The parade was over as everyone was getting ready for tonight's fireworks display. I wanted a drink, so i headed towards the Grill. I walked inside, but came into sight with Damon.

I tried to avoid him but he ended up spotting me. I groaned quietly. "Have you been avoiding me?" He asked.

"What makes you say that?" I asked.
He rolled his eyes. "Oh, i don't know, how about the hundreds of times I see you, you always seemingly don't notice me nor talk to me anymore." He states.

"No, i'm not." I said.
"Then what is it?" He asked.

I tried to form some-kind of explanation, but one didn't come to mind. He scoffed. "I knew it. You totally are." I sighed.

"Okay. It's about what Isobel said." I admitted. "You expect me to act like what she said was just nothing, well, it wasn't nothing, Damon. Tell me that Isobel was just lying, cause i don't want to lose our friendship on some evil bitch's words." I looked at him.

"Of course she was lying. I may have moved on from Katherine, but i like you as a friend, you're honestly my only friend." Damon said. "I don't want to lose you either." He, unexpectedly, hugs me.

I was shooked by the gesture and melted into it. I smelt bourbon, and the smell of old wood mixed with a light cologne. "Did you know about Elena compelling me?" I asked the awaited question.

He froze and pulled away from me. "What?" I asked again. "Did you know about Elena compelling me or not?"

He didn't say anything. "Carmen… i–"
His face quickly turned to the side as a stinging pain went through my hand. "You've just lost me forever." I stated.

I walked out, leaving Damon to his hurt feelings. I looked around spot Jeremy sitting and walked over to him. I said a small "Hi." Which he returned also.

Sitting, i open my phone, looking at the time, sighing. Me and Jeremy hear footsteps coming towards us and see Elena walking towards us. "I don't believe that we can't fix this. I lied. I was wrong. But you're my brother, Jer, and i love you. And i have to fix it. So just tell me, what can i do?" Elena pleaded.

Jeremy stares at her. "You can go to hell, Elena." He stands up and leaves us. Elena looks to me, but i scoffed. "What?"

"I thought the one person that i could trust with anything and consider a sister, would betray me and her own brother." I clarified angrily.

Her eyebrows furrowed, until a spark of realization flooded her expression.

"Jeremy told me. How could you, Elena! Especially when i found out that i was the one who killed Vicki." I vented.

She fumbled with her words. "I was only trying to protect you. It was destroying you with knowing the truth. I didn't want you to blame yourself for Vicki."

I scoffed. "Well, you did one hell of a job." I felt myself getting angered quickly and calmed myself down. "I never want to see you again, Elena."

I walked away from her as she went to get me to stay. I couldn't face her or Damon with what i now know. I don't think i'll ever forgive them. I go through the hoards of people, trying to find Caroline, coming across Stefan instead.

"I heard from Damon that you now." Stefan states. I sent a glare his way. "And this is your way of asking me to forgive them?" I questioned, coldly.

Stefan sighed. "On the contrary, i'm not my brother. I understand how you must feel. It's perfectly normal to have negative emotions towards the compulsion." He looked at me. "But what matters is that Elena had good intentions, asking Damon to compell the memory away. If you were in her place, wouldn't you want the two people who matters most to you, to not be hurting?"

I frowned in thought. "I–"

"I'm not saying to forgive, but to understand where she was coming from." Stefan explained. I looked at him and see sincereness in his expression.

I nodded, slowly. "I'll think about it. Thank you, Stefan." He smiled and walked away. I watched him go, thinking about his words and my feelings.

══════════════

It was night time, everyone gathered around for the upcoming fireworks showing. I happened to meet-up with Cameron and we headed over to the stage. Suddenly, Damon took my hand.

"Damon, what–?" I asked.

"I know that your mad at me right now, but it's important." He looked at me worriedly. I sighed and turned to Cameron. "You go on without me."

Cameron looks to Damon and Me. "Don't worry, i'll be fine." I smiled, softly. He looked reluctant, but eventually nodded.

Cameron walked away from us then i turned to Damon. "What's going on?"

"The tomb vampires are here right now and they're after the founding families." He explained. I gasped. "And with the Gilbert device unspelled, alot of people are going to die." I stated, fearfully.

He nodded. "Yes. Stay close to me."

"What about Elena and Jeremy?" I asked. "Stefan's with Elena. I don't know about Jeremy." Damon explained.

'I hope Jeremy's no-where near this place.' I hoped. We ended up at the Sheriff's department as the fireworks started, and see John in front of us.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?" Damon asked. I stared at John, cautiously. "People are going to die. The Tomb Vampires–" He cut me off.

"Yes. As a matter of fact, i do." As Damon was about to stop John, a screeching sound went through my whole head, with me and Damon collapsing from the pain. "Ahh!" I yelled, holding my head.

"But it's not supposed to work on you. You couldn't be…" John denied.

I wasn't paying attention to him as the sound was banging into my skull.

"Please! Ah!" I cried.

I didn't hear Damon's cries and i painfully tried to turn my head, when i felt a needle go into my shoulder.

I see John standing up and looking at me, he almost looked…regretful? I couldn't understand, but i soon went into unconsciousness from the pain.

══════════════

I groggingly opened my eyes, seeing as i'm in some kind of basement, or cellar. I groaned weakly and tried to move my body. "Where–where am i?" I asked.

"Carmen? Is that you?" I heard a voice. It was Damon's. He was behind me. I tried to pick up my body to no advail.

"Damon?" I spoke.

"Yeah, i'm here." He sighed, relieved. "You have to get out of here. The room is filled with the tomb vampires."

"If i could, i would. But whatever that sound was, took alot out-of me." I said. I painfully turned my body to face him.

I stared into his eyes, the pain sparks in his irises. He looks at me, worriedly. "How did the device work on you when you're human?" He asked. I shrugged.

"It's like all those other times. When You got hurt, i could suddenly feel your pain, i don't know what it means, but it could explain how." I guessed. He hummed.

We heard footsteps coming down and someone brought one of the vampires down the stairs. "The device is down. The only thing keeping them is the vervain. We don't have much time. Let's finish this." John told the person.

A splash sound was heard, as i felt eyes on me. "Anna. You can head up, i'll take it from here." John ordered.

The person walked up the stairs and John stood over Anna. "Please. No!" I knew that he killed her since Anna yelled in pain. I didn't particularly like Anna, but i was heartbroken for Jeremy.

I heard more splashing sounds and John walking up the stairs. It suddenly got hot in the room and sounds of Vampires screams yelled. "Damon, what's happening?" I asked him. He looked back to me. "John's burning the place."

My eyes widened. 'What?!'

This isn't how i die! I pulled myself closer to him. "The vervain hasn't gotten out of your system yet?" I asked.

He hummed a no. "Bonnie unspelled it. How did he get it to work?" He scoffed. "Maybe, miss judgy witch lied to you."

'Bonnie wouldn't lie…would she?' I thought. But the more i thought, the more i was doubting the truth.

I heard grunt and see Mayor Lockwood holding his head. "Mayor?" I questioned.

Damon turned around and faced him. "Mayor. Is that you?" Damon asked. "What are you doing here?" He asked. "I'm a vampire. What's your excuse?"

Mayor Lockwood looked startled and moved away. "No, really. The vervain didn't affect you. You're not a vampire. What the hell are you?" Damon asked.

He frantically tried to get away from Damon, until he mistakenly came across a Tomb Vampire. "Mayor Lockwood." He quickly snapped his neck as i looked away. I felt Damon, weakfully take my hand in his. I was now scared.

The fire was coming closer to us. I felt myself getting more stronger and went closer to Damon. "I'm sorry, Carmen. For everything. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't be in this mess." He coughed and groaned. I shook my head.

"It's okay. If i'm gonna be dying, at least it'll be not for nothing." I held my wrist out towards his lips. "Carmen. No!"

I smiled to him. "It's okay." I mouthed. I could see the war battle in his eyes. "It'll give you strength. Take as much as you need." I started to cough from smoke.

I see the vain form under his eyes and become a dark red. He hesitantly puts his lips to my wrist, and gives it a slight kiss, then goes in for the bite. I hissed.

I felt him drinking my blood, but all i feel it happy, happy that if there was someone that could manage to get out, i'm happy that it'd be Damon.

'I'm sorry, Elena, Jeremy, Mom, Caroline, Bonnie, Stefan. It's been one hell of a ride. I'll see you guys later.' I smiled, starting to feel woozy. I don't tell him to stop, but i looked at him softly. Damon lets go, as i fall to my side, unconscious.

[THIRD POV…]

Damon quickly ketches the Sommers Girl in his arms. Pushing her hair out of her face, his eyes welded up with tears looking at the girl, whom he cares deeply for. "Carmen. Don't die on me. You hear!" He pleads, sternly.

Suddenly, a flaming plank fell down, Damon covered Carmen away from it. He was really hoping that Stefan was coming to save them, looking around the blazing room for an exit of some-kind.

He sets his forehead on Carmen's, breathing in her scent if it was the last thing he'd ever do. He heard footsteps coming down the stairs, and looked seeing Stefan running towards him.

"Damon." He called.
"Stef?" Damon asked.

"Come on." He took Carmen from his arms and grabbed onto her. "Hurry up. Hurry up." Stefan sped them out of the room and into the outside. Elena and Bonnie immediately spotted them.

"Carmen!" Elena yelled and ran over to her, and took her from Stefan. "Oh my god. She was in there?! How?!"

"John. He thought she was a Vampire." Damon explained. He coughed from the smoke still in his lungs. He wanted to skin John for what he did to her, almost getting her killed in the process.

"But the Gilbert device only works on Vampires." Bonnie states. She felt guilty, she was the cause of Carmen getting hurt, thankfully not worse, if she didn't lie. "How could it work on her?"

"I don't know. But she needs some blood to heal her." Damon states. They looked at him confused, when Elena spotted a bite mark on her wrist. "She offered me her blood. I tried to say no, but she wanted me to have my strength."

Elena gasped. "That way she looks so pale. You were drinking her blood!"

Damon scoffed. "It's not like she gave me much of a choice, Elena!" He yelled.

Elena flinched at the annoyance and anger in his voice. She quickly looked down. Damon bit into his hand, with blood dripping down his wrist. Stefan sets Damon in front of her as he puts his wrist to her lips. Nothing happens, causing a uneasy tension between them.

A minute goes by, which felt more like hours to Damon. "Come on, Carmen. Drink." His wrist was starting to heal, and she still hasn't taken the blood.

He bites into his wrist again.
"Please, Carmen. Wake up!" He pleaded.

Stefan, Elena, and Bonnie were shocked by the emotions Damon shows towards the girl, a human girl. Stefan was happy that Carmen was the one who was able to pull his brother's humanity back in.

Damon pleaded with someone, anything, to help Carmen. Until he felt Carmen's lips part slightly. He watched her, hoping that it wasn't just his imagination.

Carmen pulled into his wrist and drank from him. Sighs of relief escaped the four of them. "That's it, Carmen." He was relieved for Carmen still being alive.

After what he had done, he wasn't sure if he could go on if the one light in his, ever-so-dark life, if Carmen was dead. He wanted to protect her from the things that go bump in the night, to trust her like she trusts him, to finally tell her that he loves her. He wanted to do that all.

Damon pulled her into him. A real genuine smile shown on his lips. He didn't care if they see this side of him, as long as Carmen is alive, he's happy.

Elena watched on as her cousin's face grows in color. She didn't particularly like Damon–nor was his biggest fan, but she was happy that he is able to care about someone deeply as Carmen.

[CARMEN'S POV…]

I opened my eyes, seeing as i was out of the building and outside. Groaning, i feel someone wrapping me in a hug.

"Carmen! I thought i'd lost you." Elena cried. I flinched from the pain from my body. I weakly hugged her back.

"How did we–?" I asked.

"Stefan got you out. I helped calm down the fire." I heard Bonnie's voice behind Elena. I looked over at her and she seemed guilty. I couldn't help but feel angry at her for lying. "I'm sorry."

I turned my head away and see Damon leaning on Stefan. "Damon!" I didn't think about it and just moved my body towards him. He caught me in his arms.

"I thought i would never see you again." I cried. He holds me closer. He pushes hair away from my face. "I'm here. I'm right here. Thanks to you." He said.

I was grateful that we both were able to get out safely. I remembered what happened before I passed out. "Where's John?" I asked. I looked to them.

"He left." Elena said.

"How could he do this? Kill his own niece?" I questioned, with hatred.

"He didn't know that you weren't a vampire. He hates vampires just as much as the next person." Elena stated.

I didn't want excuses for the man. I no longer consider him family. "Come on. Let's go home." Elena took me from Damon, and we leave to go home.

══════════════

At home, Elena left me to go get her dress and clothes. I was washing my body and face from the smoke.

After, i went to check up on Jeremy. I see him sitting on his bed. "I'm sorry…about Anna." I said, truthfully. I walked over to him. "Even though she was a Vampire, you care about her, and as much as i hate to say, she care about you too."

"It's just like Vicki all over again." He said, tearfully. I wrapped my arms around him. He laid his head on my shoulder. "Why does this keep happening to me?" He asked.

I rubbed his hair, comfortingly.
"You're gonna be okay, Jer."

I suddenly got a phone call and unwrapped myself from Jeremy.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Carmen, you need to come to the hospital!" Matt's voice spoke.

"What? Why?" I asked.

"It's Caroline." It didn't even register, until i gasped. "I'm on my way." I hung up and looked to Jeremy. "Go. I'll stay here." He insisted. I nodded.

I left his room and grabbed my bag and ran down the stairs. Just as i made it to the door, Mom yelled. "Where are you going?!" I turned around. "The hospital!"

Grabbing Mom's keys, i opened the door and see Damon and Elena kissing. My heart dropped. They immediately pulled apart. "Carmen, it's not–" I ran away from them. I couldn't face them. I got into Mom's car and drove away.

I felt tears going down my face, It was not the time to dwell on unimportant emotions, Caroline needed me.