The past two weeks had been action packed, to say the least. Klaus had realized that Elena's blood was the key to making hybrids, and almost bled her dry because of it. Tyler had been his first successful hybrid, causing lots of concern for Caroline and her boyfriend, and Katie concerned for her sisters safety. Klaus had fled to find more werewolves, leaving Stefan behind to guard his human blood bank, Elena. Most shockingly, Katherine had called Stefan, informing him that she found the famous vampire hunter, Michael, who could kill Klaus. She was going to wake him and bring him back to mystic falls to devise a plan with everyone. Tensions were high for everyone, except Damon and Katie.
Besides having to deal with the chaos going on, they really had become best friends. Granted, Katie was still deflecting his flirty comments from time to time, but they really had been simply enjoying each other's company.
They would drink the nights away at the grill with Ric, who was happy to have a third drinking buddy in the mix. They would even return from those nights and have dance parties in the living room of the boarding house until early hours of the morning. Days were spent dealing with supernatural dilemmas, but nights were strictly dedicated to friend time.
Some of the nights they would just sit outside on the porch, or have another rooftop stargaze while having hour long conversations, just as they had before. Anything from the most stupid conversations, like debating on whether cereal is considered soup, to talking about what he would have done with his life before he turned into a vampire, and where she would be had the incident at school not happened.
Damon and Katie both found themselves enjoying having a best friend again. They forgot the feeling of having someone to go to for anything and everything, and they found immense comfort in that.
Caroline and Liz both found the new friendship confusing. When Katie would say she was going to hangout with Damon, they would try and interrogate her, but never got answers. All of the sudden they would find Damon barging in to go talk to Katie about something, or pick her up to go to the grill more and more frequently. Elena, who was spending most of her nights at the Salvatore house to gain protection from Klaus, despite her protest knowing Stefan was there, was also confused by their new relationship. Damon was never home, or when he was, he was either asleep or Katie was there.
Katie was in her room, submitting her project for a class, when Caroline and Their mother came to her door.
"Heyyyyy!" Caroline said, and Katie immediately knew she was up to something.
"Yes?" She says, closing her laptop and turning to face them in her chair.
"The Lockwood Masquerade Ball is this Friday," their mother says, "and I would love for you two to come, I technically am working it but that doesn't mean I can't spend time with my daughters," she smiles waiting for Katie's response.
"I don't know, I don't have a dress or anything, plus-" she goes to make up more excuses before Caroline interrupts.
"Well that's the perfect excuse for us to go shopping" she grins, clearly excited by the idea. Katie couldn't help but smile too, knowing that shopping was both of their guilty pleasures.
"Okay, let me get my shoes on," Katie smiles, causing Caroline and their Mother to cheer at her compliance.
•••
"So, you really aren't going to tell me what's going on with you and Damon?" Caroline pries as she gestures to a dress on a hanger next to her.
"No to that dress, and no to your question. Nothing is going on, we are really good friends despite the weird start," she replied before grabbing another dress to try on.
"I don't know, the start was a little more than just weird. Let's not forget the cuddling i keep catching you guys doing."
"We both needed a friend more than anything. I think he realized that so my attempts at diverting the relationship from flirty to friendly finally landed." Katie says as the girls head towards the dressing rooms, "as for the cuddling, friends cuddle, it happens..."
"Anyways, how is Tyler?" She asks Caroline.
"Honestly I don't know. He says he has never felt better, but now he is acting weird and-ugh I don't know," she sighs.
"It's gonna be okay, Care. You both will get through this, I see how much he loves you and you love him. I think things will work itself out," Katie smiles, trying to comfort her sister as she comes out of the dressing room to show off one of her potential dresses.
"Katie that is beautiful you have to get it!!" Caroline gushes. She looked at herself in the mirror and couldn't help but feel special in the dress. It was simple but elegant. It was a sleek, shimmery black dress. It went right down to her ankles, with a slit going just above her knee. The top had a cowl neck, and thin black straps that ran down to her lower back, leaving most of it open.
"It definitely isn't masquerade but I mean you were never one to fit the theme," Caroline says.
"Yeah I don't wear old timey costume dresses with big skirts, but this is elegant enough I think it will do," Katie smiles, doing a spin in her new dress.
After she got changed, her phone started buzzing.
Damon: what are you up to?
She smiled and quickly responded.
Katie: out shopping with Caroline but about to head home, why?
She went to go pay for the dress and after they finished checking out, they got into the car. Caroline had driven, so Katie got comfortable in the passengers seat when her phone buzzed once again.
"Who is that?" Caroline asks.
"Damon"
"Of course it is," she sighs, clearly still not believing that they were just friends.
Damon: just wanted to see you ;)
Damon: tell Caroline to drive over, Katherine just got here with Michael.
She rolled her eyes at the winky face, knowing Damon will always be flirty, but she couldn't help but get butterflies at the text, like she was a young girl again and had a crush on a boy in her class.
"Katherine's at the Salvatore house, they said to come now,"
•••
Getting out of the car parked outside the boarding house, they noticed all of the cars outside, and knew the whole gang was inside. As they open the door to go inside, they saw everyone gathered in the living room, already devising a plan.
Katie was awestruck at the exact resemblance Elena and Katherine shared. She knew they were identical, but something about seeing them together in person still shocked her.
"The masquerade ball. It's in a few days, we can corner him there?" Damon suggests to the group, his attention immediately shifting to Katie, seeing that she and Caroline had arrived. She could see the happiness in his eyes, and she gave him a small smile in return.
"Yeah, we tell Klaus we have Michael in exchange for Stefan and my freedom-" Katherine says turning to whatever Damon was now fixated on.
"Well! The Forbes girls finally show. Nice to see you again Caroline," she says before looking right at Katie.
"And you must be Katie, it's a pleasure, really" she smirks, almost condescendingly as she looks her up and down.
"And you're the bitch that killed my little sister and used her for your games?" Katie smiled sarcastically back, and Damon let out a loud laugh, "it's a pleasure to meet you too!" She continued.
"Katie..." Caroline warns but her older sister was always one to hold her ground.
Katherine was slightly shocked that she would stand up to a vampire of her age, seeing that she was only human, but part of her respected her for standing up for her sister, since she would have done the same thing when she still had hers many years ago.
"I admire your bravery to stand up to me. But let's get one thing clear; I'm here to get my freedom and help out, not cause more issues for once," she put her hands up with an innocent look.
Katie still didn't trust her, but nodded and joined the group, trying to put her anger for her sister aside. She would never not defend her, and Caroline knew that-but she also knew that Katie could be stepping on thin ice when she says just about anything to Katherine, so she was happy they put that conversation to rest.
After chatting for a while about their plan for the ball with Michael, the group adjourned. Bonnie left with Elena, leaving Caroline, Katie, Katherine, Michael, and Damon.
"You ready to go?" Caroline asks her sister, grabbing her bag and keys. Katie looked to Damon, seeing if he still wanted to get that drink.
"Katherine was just about to leave to find a hideout house for her and Michael. If we want the plan to work, no one could know they are in town" Damon says looking to Katherine, making his eyes wide to signify him asking her to leave.
"No sleepover this time, Damon?" Katherine pouted as she approached him. Katie couldn't help but feel jealous. She knew they were just friends, but Katherine was intimidating. She was gorgeous, obviously, just as Elena was. She knew Damon had a soft spot for Katherine, and Elena for that matter. But she didn't know where he stood with the older vampire.
"We had so much fun last time, didn't we?" She smirks, going to put her hand on his chest, but Damon grabbed her wrist tightly before she could.
"By fun you mean you crossing us and working with Isobel trying to get Elena killed? And then me having to save your ass from Klaus? I don't think so. I suggest you go, I have things to do that don't involve you," he clenched his jaw, anger clearly written all over his face.
"Fine. You and your little 'girlfriend' over here go do whatever it is you do, but when you want a real woman," she looks to Katie before continuing, "you know where to find me," she winks, motioning Michael to follow as they closed the door.
"God she's a bitch," Katie groans in annoyance.
"Yeah what else is new?" Damon rolls his eyes.
"So you coming home with me or what?" Caroline says still waiting for a response from earlier.
"We are going to get a drink with Ric, so we will see you later Blondie," Damon says as he shooed her away.
"Why don't you bring everyone to the Grille later and we can all hangout?," Katie suggests, much to Damon's annoyance.
"Sure, I'll see what everyone is up to and we will catch up with you later," Caroline says before leaving the house.
"They we're not apart of the fun drinking vibe," Damon sighs.
•••
After Katie, Ric, and Damon had been at the bar for an hour, already many drinks in, the rest of the crew joined in, Caroline and Tyler joining everyone at the bar, while Elena, bodyguard Stefan, Bonnie, and Jeremy played pool.
Matt was working the bar, so he would join in on the conversations every once in a while when he had a moment.
"So how are the town drunks this afternoon?" Tyler laughs as the three clinks their glasses together, celebrating their new title before downing the drinks.
"That's what we're called now? Wow. I have to put that on a shirt," Ric laughs, clearly already feeling the liquor.
Katie couldn't help but giggle. When she was tipsy or drunk, she often found herself laughing at anything and everything.
"Ah, my sister is in her giggly phase, so you've had quite a lot too, haven't you?" Caroline looks at me laughing.
"Y-yes," she stuttered out between giggles. Caroline noticed the way Damon would look at her sister as he laughed with her. It was something she had never seen from Damon. His eyes were sincere, and she really had never seen Damon laugh.
"Damon has fun?" Tyler whispered to Caroline, earning a laugh from Ric who overheard.
"I heard that" Damon scowls at Tyler, making his face serious again, trying to make a point before smiling again once he saw Katie still giggling.
The door to the grill opened with a ring of a bell, and the group looked over to see who had entered the restaurant.
"Oh my god is that Carter Fell?" Tyler days before getting up to greet him.
"Oh my god" Caroline laughed, looking to her sister who was no longer laughing, instead hiding her face with her hand.
"Who is that guy?" Damon asks, noticing the awkward dynamic the sisters were showing.
"We went to high school together, we dated for a while, but he's an ass" Katie says rolling her eyes.
"Yeah a hot piece of ass," Caroline laughs, earning a glare from her sister.
"Yeah, well that was before I knew he dated a new girl each month," Katie scoffs, and Damon was enraged. Who could do that to her? How could he not see what he passed up by messing around with other women? He was beyond annoyed someone would take Katie for granted like that.
Breaking their thoughts, they here Tyler return with his long lost friend.
"Guys, you remember Carter!" Tyler says, before introducing Ric and Damon.
"Hi Katie, it's been a while hasn't it?"