The Story Of Julia (Previously Called The Youngest Gilbert)

Chapter 18

Stefan is doing exercises in his bedroom when Damon enters with a glass of blood in his hands and Julia on his back. "Could you turn it up a little bit? It's not annoying yet." Damon tells Stefan. "Sorry." Damon switches off the music. "When are you going back to school?" Damon asks him. "Soon." Stefan is on the floor, doing push-ups. "Oh come on. Just drink already. Come on, this self-detox is not natural." He puts the glass next to Stefan. "Can you get that away from me please?" "How long did it take you to wean yourself of it the last time you indulged?" Stefan continues doing push ups. "That's not good." "I'll be fine; it just takes a little bit of time." "I don't get it; you know, you don't have to kill to survive. That's what blood banks are for. I haven't hunted in a human in...God way too long." "Oh, I'm impressed.
Damon: It's completely self-serving. I'm trying to get the town off the trail of vampires which is not very easy considering that there is an entire tomb of them running around." "What are we planning on doing about that?" "We are not going to do much of anything if you don't have your strength. There's nothing wrong with partaking in a healthy diet of human blood from a blood bank. You're not actually killing anyone." "I have my reasons." "Well, what are those holier-than-thou reasons? You know, we never actually discussed this. You know, I'd- I'd love to hear this story." Damon sits down on the couch, Julia giggles and slides round and onto his lap. "You're really enjoying this, aren't you? Watching me struggle?" Julia nods "Very much so." "I hate to break it to you Damon but...I actually have it under complete control." "You do? Well, then you should just carry on, making the rest of us vampires look bad." Damon gets up with Julia in his arms. "Have a great day, Stefan." He leaves the glass of blood on the table. Stefan stares at the glass. Damon returns. "Oh, hey, almost forgot something. Oops." He takes the glass and leaves. He drinks and relishes in the taste of the blood. Julia then gets a message from Jenna saying that her Uncle John is in town. "Great." "What?" "My Uncle is in town. He's a dooche."

Damon arrives to the council meeting and meets the rest of the council for a reunion. Julia sits with Damon drawing in a nite m book. "Does she know?" Sheriff Forbes asks Damon. "Yeah she does but she will keep it a secret." "The coroner's office has officially ruled Vicki Donovan's death a drug overdose. Her family has been notified, the truth will stay in this room and we can put this behind us." The Sheriff tells the council. "Thank you Sheriff. And on to a more pressing issue, John Gilbert has asked to say a few words." Mayor Lockwood tells them. Damon seems surprised and looks at Julia who rolls her eyes at the mention of him. "Welcome back John, it's good to see you." the Mayor greets. "Hello everyone, it's wonderful to see you, I wish it were under better circumstances. As a founding family member I find it's my duty to report some very distressing news." John says. "He's a Gilbert?" Damon asks both Julia and the Sheriff discretely. "Julia's Uncle. His name is John but I call him Jackass." the Sheriff says Julia nodding in agreement. "A hospital blood bank in the neighboring county of Amherst has reported several break ins over the past two weeks. 7 hunters, 4 campers and 2 states employees have been reported missing as well. All of this within a 75-mile radius of Mystic Falls." John continues. Mayor Lockwood interrupts him. "Okay okay, no need to get alarmed right at this moment." "Meaning he doesn't want to cancel the Founders' Day Kick-off Party." Sheriff Forbes says to Damon and Julia. "You think all of your problems are over but I'm here to tell you, nothing's been solved." John tells everyone. Damon seems uncomfortable and Julia glares at John.

Elena opens the door for Damon and Julia "Oh good you're here." "You ask I come. I'm easy like that." Elena points upstairs. Damon sees Jeremy eating in the kitchen. "No Elena, I will not go to your bedroom with you." he says loudly causing Julia to giggle. He laughs and goes upstairs with Elena, Julia following. Jeremy looks at them before ignoring them Elena and Damon enter her bedroom. "Ah, just like I remember." Damon jokes. "Stop messing around." He goes to her bed, takes the teddy bear off the pillow, lays on her bed and holds the teddy bear on his chest. Julia jumps on next to him. "Did you know that your uncle has been kicking it with the Founders' Council?" "What?" "Yep." "Perfect, we'll just add it to the growing list of how everything is falling apart." Damon notices the broken lamp and points an arm of the teddy bear towards it. "What happened right there?" "Uh...nothing." She seems uncomfortable. He looks at her. "Look Damon, I'm worried about Stefan. He says that everything's okay but he's clearly struggling. How long is it gonna take before he goes back to normal?" "A few days, give or take." "It's been a few days." "Give then, I don't know. What's the big deal?" He gets up and gives her the teddy bear. "He's not himself, Damon." Damon goes toward the dresser, opens the drawer and looks in it. "Well, maybe his problem is that he has spent too long not being himself." He takes a bra from the drawer, Julia giggles. Elena takes it from him and put it back in the drawer. "Please don't make me sorry for asking you." He takes a picture from the mirror; she tries to take it back but is too slow. "It is what it is Elena. The Stefan you know was 'good behavior Stefan', 'reign it in Stefan', 'fight against his nature into an annoying excessive level Stefan' but if you think there isn't another part to this then you have not been paying attention." He pouts at Elena as if ready to kiss her, but instead Elena takes back the picture. "He's not you, not even close." "Well, he doesn't want to be me. That doesn't mean that deep down though he's not." He gets closer to her, looks at her and leaves with Julia.