Complicated ↠ Damon Salvatore [1]

08

"Hey, Vicki, how are you?" Elena asked, looking up at the new vampire in sympathy and worry.

Echo turned to her sister. "She was killed and then turned into a friggin' vampire. How do you think she feels?"

"COFFEE is our friend," Stefan told Vicki as they all sat in the kitchen.

"Hell yeah!" Echo exclaimed in agreement, taking a large sip of her own coffee just to prove her point.

Stefan chuckled and turned bad to face Vicki who was staring at the younger Gilbert twin in amusement. "It's the caffeine. It circulates through our veins, and it warms our bodies so we're not so cold to the touch."

Echo was sitting on top of the table, her legs criss-cross applesauce, and she was sipping her coffee, sighing in happiness.

"Well, what if I wanna drink human blood?" Vicki asked.

Stefan shrugged. "You're gonna have to learn to live with that urge, and fight it on a daily basis one day at a time."

"Oh, God," Vicki groaned out. "Don't start with that whole twelve steps thing. School counselor has been down that road, and it doesn't work for me."

"It can work," Stefan told her. "It's your choice, Vicki."

"So, you've never tasted human blood?" Vicki asked Stefan.

He sighed and said, "Not in a long time."

"How long?"

"Years and years," Stefan stated. "I'm not proud of my past behavior."

Echo nodded in agreement. Even though she is not a vampire, she has done a lot of bad things in her lifetime. Just like her father, she was taken over by a demon, turned into a vampire, a werewolf, she had been to hell and back, purgatory, etcetera. All that can mess with your brain and you start to turn into the very thing people think you are — a monster.

"Does this sketchy feeling ever go away?" Vicki asked in exaggeration. "It's like I have a massive hangover. This daylight thing is a bitch." She sighed and stood up. "I need more blood. Where's your bathroom? I have to pee. Why do I have to pee? I thought I was dead."

Stefan pointed to the door behind him, amd Vicki walked away.

Echo was amused by the whole thing and turned to her sister and Stefan.

"I'm going to uh, go get her some more," Stefan told the twins. "I'll be quick."

Vicki suddenly walked back into the room and said, "False alarm. My body's feeling really... funky. It's a good funk, but it's weird." Vicki picked up the phone, ready to dial someone.

Elena quickly stood up and asked, "Who are you calling?"

"Jeremy," Vicki said simply like it was a dumb question.

Elena shook her head. "Vicki, you can't see Jeremy anymore."

"Oh, come on." Vicki sighed. "I'm gonna see whoever I wanna see."

"I don't see a big deal about this," Echo said as she pushed herself off the table.

"She could hurt him," Elena stated before turning back to Vicki.

Vicki shook her head, saying, "I would never hurt Jeremy."

"I know you think that, but we can't take that risk," Elena said, shaking her head as she walked towards the newly turned vampire. "You're gonna have to let Jeremy go now."

"Oh, really?" Vicki asked. "And how long have you been preparing the "you're not good enough" speech? I'm assuming it predates the whole vampire thing."