I wake up at 5:45 A.M. After groaning and getting out of bed, I take a sip from the water bottle on my nightstand. I get in the shower, not waiting for it to heat up.
When I step out, I sigh and walk over to my dresser, picking out my underwear, then walk to my closet, where I pick out some brown pants, a white tank top, a brown sweater, and my Nike '77 high tops.
After getting dressed, I walk down the stairs, into the kitchen. I open my phone and press on the song Love Grows by Edison Lighthouse. I start to cook french toast while dancing to my heart's content. I put the slices of soaked bread in the pan, swaying my body. I go to the fridge and get out whipped cream and strawberries for toppings. When I turn back around, I see Elijah leaning on the kitchen island, staring at me with amusement. I smile at him and continue to dance a little while washing the fruit.
"I can cut the fruit," he offers. I nod and hand him the colander filled with strawberries then grab a cutting board and knife for him. After that, I get back to cooking. We don't talk, but are comfortable in each other's company, just listening to the music.
I put the last of the french toast on the big tray. I ask Elijah to bring the bowl of fruit and the tray into the dining room. I get out the plates and silverware before following him in.
After placing them down, I grab silverware and a plate then place my breakfast on it. While taking out my phone and pausing the music, I text the people who were currently here, telling them breakfast was ready.
Elijah sits across from me with his plate and we start silently eating.
"How did you sleep?" I ask, breaking the silence. I put a forkful of food in my mouth.
"I slept well, thank you. How did you sleep?" He responds politely.
"I slept great," I respond, taking another bite of food. I look up at him and his lips form a smile. "What?"
"You have some whipped cream on the side of your mouth," he motions to the side of my face it's on.
I reach my opposite thumb up and swipe the whipped cream off before I get an idea. Jokingly, I slowly bring my thumb up to my mouth, making eye contact with Elijah. I then suck the whipped cream off of my thumb. I see Elijah gulp slightly and I look down before smirking in victory.
"So, it's the full moon," I say. "Do you guys have a plan?"
"I believe we are finalizing the details this morning. Are you participating?" He inquires.
"I think I will, I just don't know what part of the plan I'm helping with. I just hope Damon doesn't go all ballistic today. That would not be helpful." I sigh and take the last bite of my piece of french toast.
"Yes. Speaking of which, you've known Damon for so long and haven't ever thought about being more?" He asks.
"Not that it's your business," I start, raising my eyebrows at him, "but no. People have thought that we had crushes on each other and, I guess I can't speak for Damon, but from what I know, we have never thought of each other that way. The only things remotely romantic or sexual that happened between us was when he forced me to pretend to be his girlfriend for a double date and when we kissed to make Stefan and his best friend think we were dating. They were so excited when they thought it was true," I laugh fondly at the memory. "I'm finished with my breakfast and am going to go check on Damon. Do you have everything you need?"
"Yes, thank you, Penny."
⇢⇢⇢⇢
I knock on Damon's bedroom door but don't wait for an answer. When I walk in, I see him laying in bed, staring at the ceiling. I hear Stefan and Elena wake up but ignore them. "Damon?" I ask softly.
He looks at me, his hard expression softening a bit. "Hi," he says plainly.
"Look, we're going to make it out of this alive. All of us. I promise that I will do my best to ensure that."
"But what if we don't?" He quietly snaps.
"Let's not think about that right now. Focus on what you can do to help," I encourage him.
He doesn't say anything, just huffs. I wanted to lighten the mood a bit because we shouldn't be sad yet. I jump on him, straddling his lap, and start tickling him. He tries to keep a straight face but fails, ultimately laughing. He goes to flip me over, but I vamp to the doorway then start running down the hall and stairs at human speed.
When Damon and I have play fights, we typically don't use our vampire powers much.
I hear him behind me as I reach the bottom of the steps and laugh. When I run into the study, both of us are not aware of our surroundings as he catches me, turns me around, and picks me up. He then spins a few times, making my smile impossibly bigger.
I hear a throat being cleared and turn my head to see Stefan, Elena, and Elijah by the fireplace in the study. I'm still in Damon's arms and notice Elijah looking at him with... an angry feeling?
Damon lets me down, kisses me on the top of my head, and vamps out of the room. "What's up?" I ask, turning to the three other people in the room.
"We were just talking about the plan," Stefan says, unfazed by the me and Damon thing.
Elena looks at me weirdly before blurting out, "What was that?"
Stefan sighs. "I'm guessing one of their tickle fights. It's a way they cheer each other up."
I nod and go to sit in the chair next to where Elijah's standing. "We should assume Klaus is prepared to break the curse," he says.
"Elena said that the sun and the moon curse is fake? That it's actually just a curse placed on Klaus." Stefan asks for clarification.
"Klaus is a vampire born of a werewolf bloodline," Elijah continues. "The curse has kept his werewolf aspect from manifesting."
"I'm gonna zone out," I tell them, "let me know if there's anything new you're gonna say."
I zone out, like I said, focusing on my fingers running along the leather chair. They continue talking and Damon comes in spewing some bullshit. I don't have to be listening to know that.
Eventually, Stefan and Damon leave. I'm snapped back into reality when I hear Jenna screaming. I get up and vamp to her.
When I'm next to her, I see Alaric and Jenna with a crossbow pointed at him.
"Jenna, put the crossbow down, ok? It's me," Alaric says.
Everyone joins. "Hi Jenna," I say since I haven't seen her in a while.
"Hi, P," she responds.
They figure out that it is actually Alaric in Alaric's body and he says he has a message from Klaus. "The sacrifice happens tonight," he says.
⇢⇢⇢⇢
I'm upstairs in my room reading while they have their little reunion/info session. When I hear Damon and Elena talking, I listen in to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid. I hear him bite into his wrist and vamp to his bedroom, pushing him against the wall. Unfortunately, I already see blood in Elena's mouth.
I glare at Damon. Stefan comes in a moment later and the brothers start fighting.
Damon walks out and I turn to Elena. "I'm sorry," I tell her genuinely. She nods. I turn around and go after Damon. I know now is a time where he needs to be the first to talk, so I won't push him. Instead, I sit in the dining room where I can give him space but make sure he's okay.
A bit later, I hear him go to the front door. I vamp to him. "I'm going to the grill," he tells me. "I'm gonna vamp there if you plan on coming too."
I simply nod and after he takes off, I follow him to the end of the street the Mystic Grill is on. We walk in and go to the bar. The bartender gives Damon his usual and me my usual.
"I'll have the same." I look up to see Alaric on Damon's other side, motioning to Damon's glass.
"I screwed up," Damon says.
"Yeah," Alaric responds. "Yeah, you did."
Suddenly, I hear a man with a British accent behind me. "Gentleman?" He asks.
I turn in my seat while saying, "One of us is," referring to myself. Damon glares at me and I smirk. When I look at the man, the first name that pops into my head is Klaus.
"Why so glum?" He asks, looking at Damon.
By the look on Alaric's face, I guessed right. "Ugh," Damon shakes his head. "Klaus, I presume."
"In the flesh," he says, now staring at me intently. "Thanks for the loaner, mate." He momentarily looks at Alaric before his eyes fall back to me.
"Any reason you stopped by to say hi?" Damon questions, getting up.
"I'm told you and your brother fancy my doppelgänger. Just thought I'd remind you not to do anything you'll regret."
I scoff. Too late for that.
"Thanks for your advice," Damon says. "I don't suppose I could talk you into a postponement, by any chance, huh?"
Klaus chuckles softly. "You are kidding. He is kidding right?" He looks at Alaric and I.
"Nope," I say, popping the p.
I get up, tired of the back and forth and go outside, waiting on a bench across the street. Not a minute later, someone sits next to me. I look up to see Klaus. I scoff, "You're lucky I didn't rat you out."
He looks at me with amusement. "You knew? When?"
"During our dinner I figured it out. I knew something was off earlier in the day but hadn't figured it out yet. Your mannerisms were not like Alaric's. It was the little differences I noticed. Also, the whole calling me 'love' thing was not helping your case." I go to stand up but an an arm pulls me back. I snatch my arm from his grip. "What?" I ask, very annoyed.
"You're smarter than I gave you credit for. And don't think that you not ratting me out should make you any less scared of me." He says with a smirk.
I get up and turn to him. "Not to bruise your ego or anything, but I'm honestly not very intimidated. Yeah, I know to be careful and I don't doubt you, like I said at dinner, but you're name and presence isn't going to make me fear you."
I walk to the grill, bumping into Damon. "You ready?" I ask him.
"Actually, Alaric and I have to do something. Go without us." He says.
"Not suspicious," I mutter, "but sure. See you then."
Because Damon isn't walking back with me, I grab my phone and headphones, pressing shuffle, like usual. Movin' Out by Billy Joel fills my ears. I lightly bop my head as I walk, listening to the lyrics.
I decide to take the wooded route because I'm a vampire and can handle myself, also it's very pretty. The song fades into The Cult of Dionysus by The Orion Experience. All of a sudden, Klaus is in front of me. I just stop walking, not startled since I knew someone was following me. I then go to side step him, but he steps with me.
"What?" I groan. He just smirks. "Either say something or get out of my way please," I snap.
"Snappy," he comments, seemingly amused. "I wanted to know how you know Damon, Stefan, and the doppelgänger as well as the nature of your relationship with them."
"Why? You know what? If it'll get you off my back, then I'll tell you. I know Stefan and Damon since childhood, when we were all human. Stefan is one of my close friends and, in some ways, like a little brother. Damon is my best friend. Finally, Elena, I know her through Stefan. When I came to visit the brothers, I met her. She's a somewhat friend. Great, can I go now?" I ask impatiently.
"Not quite, love." He says. He bends down and looks into my eyes. "Are you dating someone?"
Compulsion? Really?
"Yes," I say dramatically and sarcastically. "In all honesty, no. Plus, I take vervain, dipshit." I roll my eyes.
He steps away, obviously shocked.
"Why'd you even ask that? Need to know my loved ones that you can kill? You know what? Don't answer," I tell him, taking a deep breath. "Okay. Seriously can I go?"
"Sure love, but first," he reaches into his pocket, "for you." He holds out a small box and I look at him skeptically. He only nods in encouragement. I delicately open the box to reveal a necklace with a small heart locket.
"Why?" I ask. "Is this some sort of tracking thing? Or a vampire-power remover?"
He chuckles. "No, I had it made yesterday for you. Consider it my thank you for not ratting me out."
I look back at the necklace, furrowing my brows. "But you didn't know I knew you were him."
He only smirks then vamps away. "Motherfucker," I mutter. Nonetheless, I put the small box in my pocket and continue my walk back.
⇢⇢⇢⇢
Stefan walks into the house, telling me it's time. I get up, slip my sweater back on, and we go.
Elijah, Stefan, Alaric, and I get into the car, Stefan and Alaric in the backseat. When we pull into a spot in the woods, Elijah gets out, me, Alaric, and Stefan follow him.
"The sacrifice is completed in stages as the full moon sets," he says. "First the werewolf is killed, then the vampire. Finally the doppelgänger. Once Elena dies, the curse will be broken. Klaus will become a hybrid."
"When do we attack?" Alaric asks.
"Elena's death will activate his dormant werewolf side. He'll be vulnerable during the transition. That's when Bonnie comes in."
Didn't we already know all of this?
"And you're sure Bonnie will survive this?" Stefan questions.
"If she can bring him to the brink of death," Elijah says, "I'll finish the job myself."
⇢⇢⇢⇢
I sit with John, Alaric, and a sleeping Jeremy in a house haunted by a hundred witches. Jeremy's head is in my lap as I absentmindedly read through one of the journals. They thought it would be best if a vampire looked over the two Gilbert men and Alaric. I subconsciously reach up, toying with my heart necklace. Earlier I asked bonnie to quickly check if there was magic in it but she said there wasn't. I know I probably shouldn't be wearing it, but it was pretty and probably expensive.
John gave up his life to save Elena's and give her back her choice which I admire. Sure, the dude wasn't a great person overall, but at least he's dying doing something honorable.
When Jeremy starts to stir, I set the journal down and smile lightly at him. He looks at me with a small smile filled with sadness.
⇢⇢⇢⇢
Damon walks in with Elena and we all get up. Jenna didn't make it and Elena's life status is to be determined. I know I seem insensitive, but I've experienced a lot of death of loved ones and I can't imagine anyone but Damon's death to feel even close to the amount of pain the death of Isaac brought upon me. I can't let myself break down in front of others. I walk over to Damon and give him a hug which he returns, nuzzling his head in my shoulder.