An Elemental Difference - FIRE - Book 2 (Stefan Salvatore)

Chapter 61 - Game on, gramps.

A/N: What's this? Another update? Blasphemy! No, it's true. I've been writing like crazy these past few weeks and had to share my progress. Thank you all so much for the kind words and continuous support. Happy 2024, everyone.

Enjoy this new chapter; we finally have Stefan believing in his girlfriend!

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SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE

Ric and Damon were in the library discussing their plan, and while Damon was calm as ever, Ric was nervous, "This is a bad idea."

Damon rolled his eyes as he poured them each a glass of scotch, "There's no such thing as a bad idea. Just poorly executed awesome ones." Ric eyes narrowed on him, but Damon just smiled and handed him a glass, "Here."

"No," Ric refused the glass and began pacing, "I don't like the idea of Elijah being in the same house with Andie - she's Jenna's friend. If anything happens to her, I'll be digging my own grave-" he gestured to his Gilbert Ring "-this thing only protects me from the supernatural."

Damon poured Ric's drink into his glass, "Andie's perfectly fine, and you're safe from Jenna, though we haven't actually confirmed she isn't supernatural yet." He ignored Ric's glare, "Besides, it's just a fact-finding mission. It's totally harmless."

Alaric paused his pacing and narrowed his gaze on the vampire, "Just a fact-finding mission?"

"Yeah."

Ric was not convinced, "Listen, no sneak attacks. No surprise plans. Nothing that's gonna put Jenna's friend in harm's way. Okay?"

Damon raised his hand with a relaxed grin, "Scout's honor."

Ric's mouth opened to question Damon more when Andie walked in, "Hey, can you show me where the wine is?"

Damon turned to Ric and smiled. The teacher sighed heavily, "I'll get it." As he left the room, Damon patted his arm reassuringly.

"Thanks," Andie beamed.

Ric's response was not as cheerful, "Yeah."

As soon as Ric left the room, Damon nudged Andie from the door and shut it before he walked over to a small trunk and opened it. Pulling out the silver dagger and white oak ash from inside.

Andie walked over to him and glanced at him curiously, "What's that?"

"Dessert," Damon dipped the dagger in the ash. "Elijah's stronger than me. Faster than me. It's all about the element of surprise.

Andie pouted, "Ah, it's too bad. I like him. He's very old-school. Classy."

To be young, free, and idiotic, Damon thought of the reporter, and instead of saying that out loud, he suggested, "Which is why you should encourage the gentlemen to take their after-dinner drinks in here while you clean up in the kitchen."

He placed the dagger with the glasses and the scotch, hiding it from view as Andie screwed up her face, "Hmm. That is a little too sexist for me."

Damon turned around and looked at her coldly, "Stop talking."

Andie smiled at him, and he thanked what entity created compulsion. The doorbell rang, and Damon looked at the library clock; it was too early for Elijah. Damon just knew he'd turn up on the dot. Old people liked to do that.

Pushing past Andie, he exited the library to see Ric answer the door, and to both their surprise, there stood John Gilbert.

Ric scowled at the man, "Who invited him?"