Return To Mystic Falls

Scared

I'll never ever let you leave me

I'll try to stop time forever

Diana has locked herself in her room upstairs. She refuses to come out or let me come in to sit with her. She's pretty torn up about not being able to remember what happened tonight in the woods. I've not seen that kind of behavior out of her in a very long time. Something about the situation must have triggered the part of her that needs to feed regardless of the situation. Even though I'd assured her over and over that I'd stopped her before she'd fed on the girl, Diana is devastated, blaming herself for not being able to keep control.

As I go to run a bath in hopes of getting Diana to come out of her room, the doorbell rings. Who the hell is it? I'm not in the mood to talk to anyone. Today hasn't been one of my best. I'd like to at least try to obtain level of normalcy before having to put on a happy face. As I open the door Anna and her mother, Pearl, appear. "Not in the mood. Today's been a no good, very bad day."

"Annabelle tells me you're looking for something I took from Jonathan Gilbert," Pearl says, getting right to the point. I do like that about this woman. She doesn't bullshit.

"I'm listening," I respond before a golden pocket watch is handed to me. "What is it?"

"Jonathan was passionate about his inventions. He confided in me that he had created a detection device meant to track down the town's vampire element."

"It was a pocket watch?" I question, not quite understanding the connection.

"That's what it turned out to be, yes. That's not what I stole though. I discovered my mistake when I saw the watch in Jonathan's hand the night he took us. It's stile was pointed at me."

I flip the device around in my hand a couple times before sliding it into my suit pocket. I'll look at it more later. I've got more important things to attend to tonight. "What's the catch?"

"There is no catch. My daughter and I want to stay here. You refused to trust us, and for good reason. Consider this an apology."

Nodding, I retreat back into the house. Right now, Diana is my main priority. Everything else can wait. While the bath water runs, I change out of my suit. On my way upstairs, I toss the blood stained handkerchief in the fire. Diana's door is still shut, but when I try the nob it opens. The blonde vampire is sitting on the window ledge wrapped up in the quilt from the bed. Her makeup is in streaks down her face. She is staring at her hands with a look of torment.

"Hey," I whisper, walking over to her and lifting her into my lap. "You shouldn't blame yourself for what happened tonight. You and I don't hunt the way Stefan does."

"Is shouldn't matter. All I wanted to do was join him in draining her. From what you said I almost did. I haven't felt or acted that way since you and Stefan were new. What's wrong with me, Damon?"

"Shh, nothings wrong with you. I don't know exactly what happened tonight in the forest, but you didn't do anything to that girl. I can promise you that." I try and soothe her, my fingers slowly pulling through her curled hair. She really is gorgeous, even if she is crying.

"But I would have if you hadn't shown up, Damon. What if it's like that from now on?"

"Then you'll just drink from the blood bags. Everything will be alright," I respond, giving her the answer that she wants to hear. I don't know if I actually believe the words coming out of my mouth. I don't know how to handle this situation. Diana is always the strong one. She fixes the problems. I'm not used to seeing her so broken. "I have a bath going for you downstairs. Do you wanna sit and talk to me?"