Come As You Are¹ || The Vampire Diaries

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝟷𝟹: 𝙿𝚘𝚒𝚜𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝙵𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚁𝚘𝚘𝚝𝚜

Unknown, September 1864,

"Stop the carriage." Theodore, Lydia's cousin commanded and he leaned closer to the window.

The carriage halted to a stop. A mixture of confusion and fear spread across Lydia's face. She stared at Edmund and Theodore with wide eyes. "Why are we stopping here?" She asked them with some hesitation.

Her brother groaned in response and shook his head. "I don't know, Lia."

"...I saw something." Theodore replied quietly as he armed himself with a rifle. He loaded it up with wooden bullets before he swung open the door of the carriage and gestured to them to follow him.

Edmund ran his fingers through his hair before carefully taking out a strange and unfamiliar device that seemed to be roughly the size of his wrist. He secured the watch-like device quickly onto his wrist and loaded it up with some wooden bullets before he passed the bow at his feet to Lydia for her safety. He followed after Theodore.

Not wanting to stay behind, Lydia picked up the bow that Edmund had passed to her and slung it over her shoulder, being sure to carry some arrows as well. Silently, she counted the arrows in the quiver, letting her fingers trace over the marking on it. The Fitzroy family crest delicately marked all of the arrows.

She nodded to herself for courage and stepped out of the carriage. The driver stood guarding the carriage with an ax in his hand. He nodded in a silent greeting before leading her to the men that had disappeared into the woods..

Off the path where they had stopped their carriage, another was overturned and abandoned. Edmund gestured for them to a stop as he carefully inspected the insides. He disappeared inside the carriage and Lydia held her breath, silently praying for her brother's safety.

On the side, Theodore kept watch.

"I found something." Edmund called out. They all rushed to where he was and stared at the spot on the steps of the carriage.

It was barely illuminated by the pale moonlight but from a slight iron-like stench he could tell it was blood.

Lydia looked around, starting to panic as she brought her weapon forward. She could barely hear her brother share his findings over her deafening thoughts but she managed to give a small nod in response.

Theodore looked off to the distance into the woods that the path led to. His sharp eyes narrowed as he focused on that single spot.

"Over there!" He harshly whispered to us before breaking into a sprint towards the direction where he had kept watch over.

Dead leaves crunched beneath Lydia's feet as she tread through the deep and dark forest. Taking each step in a measured and controlled manner, they reached a clearing.

Two bodies were splayed on the floor. Their throats slashed and clothes ripped with scratches all over them like a wild animal had attacked them.

The carriage driver who had lingered behind Lydia produced a lighter and lit up a lantern. He brought it closer as Edmund and Theodore hunched down over the two dead bodies to examine them.

"Looks like an animal attack." Edmund stated, standing back up.

"Ma...ma...maybe some wolves got to them?" The carriage driver offered as he shivered in fear.

Cautiously, Lydia glanced back at him. She had even forgotten that he was here with all that was going on. Without a word, she took a step towards one of the corpses. Carefully, she bent down. Making sure that her riding boots were not anywhere close to touching the corpse, she examined the corpse.

She beckoned the driver to come forward and he did so. In the dim flickering flame of the candle, she could somewhat make-out the markings on the cadaver. It looked like an animal attack, so why...

"This was staged." Lydia announced, taking a step back. The three men snapped to stare at her in disbelief with the driver ready to reinstate his belief.

"...Their necks, it seems like it was the only part that was really targeted." She pointed back onto the road. "Their carriage was overturned but nothing was broken and Edmund—" She gestured to her brother, remembering his findings from before. "—You only found a few specks of blood. If this was an animal attack—"

"It's too clean." Theodore added as he pulled out a dagger from underneath his coat and started playing with it. There was a strange glint in his eyes as he licked his lips in anticipation. A slow and sadistic grin formed on his face as he clicked his tongue, getting up to stare at them. "You two know what this means?"

No one dared to answer.

They all knew what he was thinking just by looking at Theodore's expression, it seemed like Lydia was more concerned about her cousin than whatever was lurking in the woods.

"We should head back and inform the rest of the family." Edmund said after a brief pause of silence.

"Where's the fun in that?"

"People are dead, Theo and the killers could be out there." Lydia chastised as she took out a handkerchief to cover her nose to mask the overwhelming scent of blood.

"All the more reason to hunt those demons down." He bit back, coming face to face with me. "Besides—" He turned around and gestured to the bodies around us. "—This is enough proof that they've gotten too brave."

"Theo's right." Edmund chimed in. Theodore beamed brightly at his cousin while Lydia, behind her handkerchief, scowled at them both. "...which is why we need to tell the council as soon as we get back." Edmund finished with a stern look and turned around to go back to their carriage.

The carriage driver sighed in relief as he scrambled to follow Edmund back. Theodore and Lydia lingered behind. He scowled as his eyes burned with anger before swiftly turning around and stomping back. Lydia waited a few moments before she followed him back to safety.

I grumbled quietly under my breath as I walked down the almost empty hallways of the school with a travel mug of coffee in one hand. My camera was hung around my neck as I strutted down the halls, making my way to my locker. I know I was early but anyone would be if they were kept up by their ancestors' memories.

Bringing my braided hair forward above my shoulders, I gave one last glance to the mirror before slamming the locker door shut only to jump back. Startled, I clutched my chest and heaved lightly.

"Ava." Stefan greeted me with a serious tone.

"Stefan." I greeted back, plastering a smile on my face and turning around to greet him.

At that, Stefan walked around and came to stand next to my locker. He and I shared a look before he clasped his hands and leaned over to me. "We need to talk." he said, giving me a knowing look.

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "We do. When do we don't." I mumbled under my breath.

"It's about—"

"—Damon?" I cut Stefan off and stared at my painted nails, bored. "Not here." I gestured to a classroom across the hallway.

Without another word, I led the couple to the old art studio-like classroom. Looking around for anyone, I carefully unlocked the door with the key that I definitely did not steal from Mrs. Saunders.

The classroom was almost abandoned, no longer used for anything really. The walls were painted exactly like the other classrooms but if anyone looked closer they'd see dried paint splatters across them. It was fairly neat for an abandoned classroom. It was also where I spent my free classes.

I aimlessly walked towards one of the counters and hopped onto it, sitting on it with my legs crossed. I swirled my coffee mug before bringing it to my lips. I drank two sips of the warm liquid before I turned my attention to the anxious couple in front of me.

"So what did Damon do this time?" I questioned.

"Nothing yet." Stefan added. "He wants to find the Grimoire of Emily Bennett and open the tomb...and I offered to help."

"...Y'know what a Grimoire is right?" He asked. "It's like...a witch's cookbook."

I shook my head, holding myself back from laughing. Imagine telling Sheila Bennett that or Grandma Janine. Hilarious. "It's not a... y'know my grandma was a witch right?"

"Right...sorry. I assumed." Stefan smiled awkwardly as he rubbed his hands together, embarrassed. He probably thought I was like Elena or Bonnie. This was becoming a habit of his, a bad one at that. He either assumed I knew nothing or I knew too much. There was no in-between for him.

I sat up straight. I sighed and stared at the floor. "Anyways. You didn't hear this from me but...last I heard, Emily Bennett's grimoire or anything she had really were destroyed after she was burnt at stake."

He shook his head.

"It wasn't?"

"The founders must've known it was important and hid it somewhere and Johnathan Gilbert knew where."

"The Gilbert journal."

"—It has the location of grimoire."

"That makes sense. She did spell the—"

I swallowed my words in an instant and shook my head, quickly composing myself before Stefan realized what I was going to say. He and his brother were still too busy with their petty feud over Katherine to even think about the Gilbert device and I didn't know yet if I wanted them to know or I could trust them to know.

"—tomb that trapped the vampires." I carried on like nothing. "So where does this leave us?" I questioned out loud.

Stefan sighed and clasped his hands together as he leaned back on the old blackboard behind him. "I told Damon that I'd help him find the journal."

I snorted and stared at him with a look of shock and disbelief. "You're kidding, right?"

He shook his head. Like a fish out of water, I opened and closed my mouth a few times, trying to digest Stefan's words while staring at him with a tilted head and wide eyes. He really was serious. I could tell him in six different languages including sign that this was a terrible idea.

After a moment of silence and a few sips of coffee later, I decided to say something. "So lemme get this straight—" I began again. "You offered your help to Damon to find Emily's Grimoire." Stefan nodded.

"I have a plan." Stefan cut.

"Let's hear it."

"I'm not gonna give him what he wants."

"That's a terrible plan but go on. Humor me."

"We'll find the journal before him and hide or destroy the Grimoire before Damon finds it."

"Gotcha." I stared at him again.

He didn't look confident enough which really wasn't helping me. There was a slight look of anxiety and fear of it all going wrong clearly on his face.

"... I'm sorry but this plan sucks." Hopping off the counter, I grabbed my bag and prepared for class. "Look if Damon realizes we screwed him over, he'll flip and do something crazy. Maybe go on a rampage or something then the tomb being opened will be the least of our worries."

"—which is where you come in." Stefan stated. I gestured at myself with a dumbfounded look. "Damon trusts you, maybe even cares for you. So I was thinking..."

I threw Stefan a look of disbelief. "Did you get your daily fix of bunny blood, Stef?" I questioned out-loud before continuing. "Cause the more you speak, the more worried I am over the people of this town." I ran my fingers through my braid and blinked.

"Damon trusts you a little and I think you could help us. Either by keeping him busy or by looking through your ancestors' journals."

"Stefan—" I tried.

"Ava..." Stefan cut me off. "If things go south, you can always defend yourself, y'know with—"

I clicked my tongue and sighed. "That's great and all but..." I trailed off before bringing my left hand in front of me, palm open. My eyes darted to the open palm and I squinted hard, trying to conjure up a ball of light. Tiny orbs of light floated in the air as it swirled around in my hand, slowly forming a bigger orb for a moment before it started flickering. I grunted in pain and tried to form the orb again or do anything really. But it just wouldn't stay together. I stopped and pulled back my hand, shoving it back inside my pocket.

Stefan stared at me with a look of concern while I pursed my lips and looked away. "I guess I might've overdone a bit." I added quietly. I shut my mouth and stared at him, ready to bite back. But I chose not to say anything.

I glanced at him for a while and closed my eyes. Stefan owed me big time. Taking a deep breath "But I'll take distracting Damon over journal duty. There's at least fifty journals I'd have to go through. And if this plan of yours backfires...just know I warned you." I finished with a sing-songy voice.

Stefan nodded understandingly. "We're all on the same page. Elena and I are gonna look for the journal after-school at her place. Be careful."

"Do I have a choice? It's either that or..." I bit back and sighed.

The loud shrill of the school bell stopped me mid-sentence. The two of us stared at each other before giving each other a determined look. Before I could blink, Stefan was gone.

I sighed and started getting all my things together, ready for class. I paused mid-action as my phone flashed in my other hand, indicating I had a call.

I scrunched up my brows and stared hard at the flip phone in my hand. My grip on the phone tightened as Damon's nickname flashed on the screen several times. Speak of the devil and he shall call.

Biting my lips, I hesitated picking up the phone, only to put it down. I waited for the phone to stop ringing before I turned it off and took out the batteries for good measure. I could work on Stefan's plans later. For now, I needed to focus on school.

Without another thought, I left the room, making sure to lock it. Absent-mindedly, I clutched the bloodstone necklace on my chest as a form of comfort. Sighing, I blinked tiredly before making my way to my first class of the day.

─────⋇⋆✦⋆⋇─────

Fitzroy Manor, September 1864,

"Apologies for the wait." Lydia quickly bowed and apologized to the two middle-aged women in front of me.

Mrs Fitzroy, an elegant yet kind woman smiled politely at Lydia as she nodded as a sign of acknowledgement. "Did you bring what I asked you to?"

Lydia nodded once before handing the package in her hand to her mother. Her mother carefully examined the package before nodding and passed it over to a strict-looking woman who sat across her.

Mrs Fell sat straight with her arms neatly on her lap with an air of disinterest and boredom yet at the same time you could tell that she was more than aware of her surroundings.

"You look well." Mrs Fell remarked as she stared at Lydia.

"Thank you." Lydia replied.

"...You poor thing. It was dreadful what that Salvatore boy did." She spat out 'Salvatore' with a hint of disgust while appearing to be sympathetic to me.

Lydia knew that Mrs Fell simply didn't care to comfort Lydia but was instead showing her dislike of Damon and the Salvatores. As far as Lydia knew, he had not been quite liked due to wild-nature.

"...Giuseppe and Lillian should've raised that boy better."

"It's hardly Lillian's fault that her boys turned out that way. She passed when they were just young after all." Lydia's mother quickly jumped in as she put down her teacup. "Besides, Stefan isn't all that bad."

"The rumors say that he too is also involved with Miss Pierce." She added with a disgusted look on her face. "That 'Miss Pierce', who does she think she is?" Mrs Fell muttered as I smiled awkwardly and coughed.

"Well it's just mindless talk. It has no meaning nor is it relevant to us. After all, the Salvatores and we have nothing to do with each other anymore." Lydia's mother smiled politely with as much warmth as she could muster. "Here." Gently, she handed the package over to Mrs Fell. It was clear to me that she had overstayed her welcome.

Mrs Fell stared at the package and brought it close to her face. No doubt to check if it was really the herb that she and the town needed. For a moment, she did nothing before she let out a sigh of relief.

"This will do for now." She spoke out.

"If you need more, we are always here." Mrs Fitzroy replied with a polite smile gracing her face.

Mrs Fell said nothing in response but instead looked around. "...Going somewhere?" She asked, staring outside.

Lydia followed her gaze to the window. There, servants were running around hectically with luggages from the storehouse, trying to keep to the schedule. Lydia clicked her tongue in annoyance. The family was behind schedule.

The founders still had no idea what they were planning and they intended to stay that way or so they tried anyways. Mrs Fell's sharp gaze fell on Lydia and her mother, trying to decipher their thoughts. Effortlessly, Lydia pulled on a mask and smiled politely.

"Not quite." Mrs Fitzroy replied, her eyes wide and face strained.

"My great-aunt Eliza has been taken ill, we wanted to visit her." Turning the bloodstone pendant in her hands, she added. It wasn't a lie but it wasn't the truth. I knew Mrs Fell would think this was them running away after being humiliated by the Salvatores yet it was the furthest from the truth.

"Was it simply an illness?" Lydia nodded. Mrs Fell's face softened as she nodded understandingly. "These times are dark."

"Indeed."

"—Especially for a young woman like you. Be vigilant." Mrs Fell hunched forward and grabbed Lydia's hands, staring at her with wide eyes.

"Always am." I replied back with a courteous smile before I handed the package to Mrs Fell.

"Actually, if I may..." I paused and signaled Winnie to come forward. Winnie came forward and handed me a velvet pouch.

Lydia picked up the pouch and opened it, checking if the contents were there. Satisfied, she handed it to Mrs Fell. "Father wanted to give these out at the next founders meeting but...we may not be here."

"What is it?"

"Vervain seeds." Mrs Fitzroy answered, sipping her tea.

Mrs Fell looked pleased and nodded approvingly. "This will do well." She mumbled under her breath. "I suppose I can trust you both." She added as an afterthought. "I plan to make an elixir and have Pearl at the apothecary sell it at a low price."

Lydia nodded, understandingly. Mrs Fitzroy smiled before getting up, gesturing for her daughter to follow her. I watched from a distance as they escorted Mrs Fell out the doors. "Well we hope it works out for the best. But do be careful."

"You too. I bid you a safe journey, Anne-Marie and your family as well." Mrs Fell smiled at her acquaintance's remarks and turned to leave.

I watched as Anne-Marie Fitzroy smiled stiffly while a pained expression crossed her face. She reached out her arm but hesitated before she went after her acquaintance. "Honoria." She called out.

At that, Mrs Fell stopped in her tracks and turned. Carefully, Lydia's mother walked outside with Lydia in tow. She looked around for a minute before she leaned in towards Mrs Fell and dropped her voice. "You haven't heard it from me but the apothecarist is quite suspicious. She might be one of them." She warned.

"You believe Miss P—"

"—And that's all we have time for today." Mr Saltzman finished just as the loud ringing of the bell filled the classroom.

Without even dismissing the class, everyone shuffled to gather their things and get out, I tried to follow along. All the while, Matt gave me a look of concern while Elena turned around and tried to catch my eyes. I groaned internally when I saw the look on her face. She and I made eye contact before she mouthed something that I could barely make out.

I rolled my eyes and huffed. I knew what this was all about without even talking to her. It was no doubt something to do with the Grimoire. I didn't know where it was and I didn't want to know where it was.

Aimlessly, I gathered my things quickly, trying to get out before Mr Saltzman changed his mind and decided to give us homework. He was a good teacher despite there being something off about him. I picked up my backpack and was about to go meet Elena when Matt stood in front of me.

"Hey, you okay?" He asked, blocking my way.

I stared at Elena for a moment who stood in front of the classroom with Stefan next to her and then back again at Matt. "Uh...I'm fine." I said after a moment of hesitation. "Why?"

"No, it's just you kinda looked out of it."

I nodded and smiled. "Y'know how boring history can be." I took a glance at Elena and Stefan again and back at Matt. There was a look of urgency on Stefan's face. I sighed and pursed my lips. "Look, Matt. I really have to—"

"Ava." Mr Saltzman called out to me from the front of the classroom. He leaned on the table and beamed at me. "You haven't left. Great. Uh—Do you mind if I can take a bit of your time?" He asked.

Matt took that as a hint and walked out, all the while muttering 'good luck' to me. Elena walked out as well while Stefan lingered outside the door. I gave him a look that I would talk to him and Elena later before going over to close the classroom door. Mr Saltzman went and stood near the window of the door, staring out of it. He waited for Stefan and Elena to be out of the hallways before he snapped his head to stare at me.

"Sorry for keeping you behind but I really needed to talk to you." He began, clasping his hand and walking over to his desk. He took out his messenger bag and rummaged around for something. "...If I can just find—Oh, there you go." He said as he placed a book in front of me.

I inched closer to the desk and scanned the front of the book. It was tattered and aged, looking less like a textbook or notebook. It looked familiar, the binding and the way the pages looked from outside. "...This is—"

"Johnathan Gilbert's journal." He stated.

My eyes widened for a second before I swallowed down the words bubbling inside and quickly composed myself. "Um, no disrespect but I'm a Fitzroy not a Gilbert." I said, folding my arms and trying to look confused. "You're better off asking Elena, Jeremy or even Jenna about this." I paused. "...Speaking of which, how did you—"

"Jeremy gave it to me...I borrowed it actually." He replied without any hesitation.

"She might know something."

"Maybe I should've asked Nathaniel..."

"...I need to know..."

"...They're real."

"Isabel."

"I need to know what—"

"Da—"

I blinked away at Mr Saltzman's thoughts, frowning at them. My head throbbed in pain and without even knowing what I was doing, I brought a hand to my forehead. All the while, I tried to think of a way to distract him.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." I retorted, taking away my hand from my forehead. "Just tired." I swallowed. "So what did you want to ask me? I mean it had to be something in particular that you couldn't ask Jeremy or...Elena." I questioned, folding my arms and staring at him.

He stared at me hard for a minute, debating whether or not he should say what was on his mind. Mr Saltzman sighed before placing the journal in the middle of his desk. "In the journal, Johnathan mentioned your family—" He began, clasping his hands together, nervously.

"I mean, we were one of the founders. Practically helped fund the development of this place with...zero credit." I stated. "Just saying." I added as an afterthought, not trying to be seen as someone who was bragging.

"That's not what I meant."

"Oh." Anyone could hear uncertainty and anxiety in my voice, afraid of exposing my family's secrets. I didn't care what he knew about this town. It was the fear that my history teacher might become a threat to my family and maybe Stefan.

Mr Saltzman laughed in disbelief, taking me by surprise. "Sorry. It's a funny story actually. I didn't believe this myself." He swallowed and let out a deep breath. "...In this journal, it talked about some weird and strange things. And I know what you're going to say 'Sir, he was a writer and inventor' but the thing is it's strange that he would go into so much detail about this thing. This one thing. It seems more than a passing imagination."

I stared at him for a while before forcing myself to laugh. "...I'm just...woah." I pursed my lips and laughed a little more before stopping myself. "Lemme guess, it's about the—" I dropped my tone and crept closer and almost whispered. "—'the vampires'. Right?" I asked with a dumb smirk on my face.

Mr Saltzman nodded fervently. I rolled my eyes at this, this was getting tiring. "Those are just stories. There's no historical proof that vampires ever existed in this town...or ever. I mean you should know, you're the 'history' teacher, shouldn't you be more focused on the facts?"

He said nothing and shook his head. Turning away from me, he picked up the journal and flicked to a page he had bookmarked. He read out loud some extracts from Johnathan Gilbert's journal, all focused on my family.

For a moment, my mind went blank as various thoughts and excuses flew around. I didn't know what to do. Mr Saltzman knew or at least he suspected something. I knew now he was not here as a teacher but for something else. My eyes narrowed slightly as I studied my so-called history teacher for a second, he was too busy with the journal to notice my gaze.

I relaxed the moment he finished reading. With one hand, he closed the book shut and stared at me for an answer.

Awkwardly, I coughed and straightened up. Jonathan Gilbert was lucky he was already dead. As if I was acting out a play, I blinked twice and tilted my head in a confused manner while staring at my history teacher with a look of disbelief. "That was chees— imaginative...to say the least. He really was a writer..."

"Ava, I'm not asking a lot. I just want to know if your family still—"

I chuckled. "Do you hear yourself? It sounds ridiculous. My parents are busy enough as they are to barely take care of themselves. Don't think anyone in my family has time to be a part-time vampire hunter." I paused and looked away. "...And if they existed that is. It's ridiculous." I added in.

"You're right. It was stupid."

"See!" I gave a nervous laugh, almost fidgeting with the strap of my bag. "If you ask me, I think you've been reading that thing for too long." I gestured to the journal. "You didn't hear this from me but in my family journals and a couple other founder journals, Johnathan is labeled as a...well...to put it in a nice way, an eccentric which y'know is the old fashioned way of calling someone in-saane."

"Right. Um. I think that's all I have to ask for now." Mr Saltzman said, flustered and distracted by something.

Crisis averted. I nodded and moved towards the door. I stopped, turning around to stare at the journal. Stefan and Elena words ringing in my ears. That journal was probably safer in Mr Saltzman's hands but would he be safe keeping the journal? That was something I didn't know.

"Is something wrong?" Mr Saltzman asked, noticing my gaze on the journal.

I shook my head with a smile. "Nothing. It's jus—That journal is a heirloom and a piece of history itself. So do you mind keeping it safe? Maybe somewhere out of sight?" It was an excuse and I knew my words had double meaning to it. If Mr Saltzman was smart, he'd understand. I had a feeling that Damon was clearly not the only one after that journal. There was someone else.

"Maybe she does know something?"

"I was just about to put it away. Don't worry about it." I turned away from him and just managed to turn the door handle. "One more thing, actually..." He stopped me in my tracks. "It's about Damon. Damon Salvatore?"

Confused, I turned around again to stare at my history teacher. "What about him?"

"I know it's not my place to say this but he's not a good person. For one he's too old for you and—"

"—a monster."

"Oh my g—It's not like that." If I couldn't hear Mr Saltzman's thoughts, I would be very much horrified by this. "He's Stefan's older brother who believes we're friends which we most definitely are not. If anything he's a stalker."

"He's dangerous. Stay away from him...I'm saying this as a concerned adult."

"Gotcha." I nodded and waved my hand in understanding before walking out of the classroom. Mr Saltzman knew more than he let on. And I had a guess that this 'Isabel' had something to do with it. But right now, that wasn't my priority.

With a quick glance behind, I pulled out my phone and searched up Uncle Nate's name in my contacts. I had to let him know that Mr Saltzman was onto us.

Scrunching up my face, I stared at the pages before me. I twirled the pen in my hand while at the same time, contemplating everything I knew so far about the tomb and the events of 1864.

The table in front of me was a mess. My journal was in front of me while Edmund Fitzroy's journal was placed next to it. Above his journal, the preserved but half burnt remains of his sister, Lydia's journal lay. Half of her journal was in a delicate yet sturdy plastic to prevent further damage while the rest was lost.

My pens and highlighters were scattered on the table while I frantically worked to make a timeline of events.

I know I promised Stefan I was going to be watching Damon but I'd rather have a head start on the grimoire than be stuck babysitting. I trusted the Salvatore brothers as far as I could throw them. Stefan may not have given me a reason to distrust him yet but at the end of the day he was still a vampire and most of all he knew and loved Katherine Pierce just like his brother.

I still had mixed feelings about them. You don't get used to being buddies with vampires after growing up and being told that they're dangerous monsters. You just don't. There was no saying that he wouldn't turn his back on Elena and work with his brother to get her back even if she wasn't in the tomb. And even if he wasn't, I'd rather be safe than sorry.

I sighed again as I clicked my black pen in annoyance.

"You really love history." Matt's voice invaded my thoughts.

I picked up my head to glance at him. He stood over me before taking a seat across from me. He looked better than before. I guess he had gotten used to his new 'normal', a fact that I too had to get used to. The guilt I felt had almost faded but it would resurface now and then whenever I saw Matt.

"You know me." I shoved a french fry into my mouth. "I'm an overachiever." I paused and tilted my head. "You off work now?"

"Not really." He replied, getting up again to grab his order. He placed his burger and fries on the table before he sat back down. "I'm on my break. Why? Do you need anything?"

I shook my head before going back to what I was doing. "Nope. Just asking."

"You sure do a lot for extra credit."

A laugh escaped me. Despite how stressed I was, Matt always knew just to say to make me forget about things for a second. If only this was extra credit. I would've liked it more. I put my pen down, picking up a neon yellow highlighter. I gave him a teasing look before turning my attention back to my timeline.

"Maybe...if you put half as much effort as I did, you wouldn't be failing history." I joked.

"Ouch." Matt held his chest like I had just wounded his heart before breaking out into a fit of laughter. "For the record, I like the whole dumb jock thing I have going on and Mr Saltzman's cool with it too."

I rolled my eyes as I highlighted some of the dates on the page. "I'd like to graduate with all of my friends, not just some. Come on." I pushed aside the timeline and closed my journal. "I'll even tutor you in whatever you're failing at." I put my bag on the table and threw down our history textbook.

"Are you gonna tutor me?"

"Why do you think I took the textbook out?"

Matt grinned ready to make another teasing remark before I gave him a look. He shut his mouth. "I better ace all my classes." He crossed his arms and leaned over to me.

"Well, you better Donovan cause we're gonna be doing this till we graduate." Matt snorted as I said this. He pulled back and clutched his stomach, trying to stop himself. "Stop. I'm being serious."

He shook his head, continuing to laugh and threw his head back. "I'm sorry, you just look adorable trying to be all serious." He wiped small tears off his face and stared at me with a smile that I hadn't seen in a while. "Has anyone told you, you're not threatening at all."

If only he knew.

"Gee thanks, Matt."

"You're welcome." He grinned as he pushed his now empty plate aside. Pouting, I decided to put everything away. I can be threatening and scary. "Hey, is that your ancestor's journal?" He asked, gesturing to Edmund' journal. I nodded. "Cool. I've only heard of these journals and seen them at the Lockwood exhibit. Can I—"

"Knock yourself out." I shrugged and carefully wrapped Lydia's journal in an old worn out discolored white cloth before placing it back into my bag.

When I turned around, I found myself staring into darkness. "Matt?" I called out as I swallowed anxiously while looking around. No response. Slowly, moonlight poured through the clearing where I stood. "Hello?" I tried again, getting up from the cold damp floor, I held onto a tree for support.

Sounds of rustling and shouting were heard in the distance. A light shone brightly in my direction before it disappeared. I squinted at the spot where the light had come from before breaking into a sprint in that direction.

A flashlight laid on the dirt floor still turned on in my direction.

The voices got louder and louder till I could hear them clearly and it was familiar.

"—can't let you bring her back—sorry." Stefan's distorted voice spat out.

"So am I—thinking—that I could trust you." I heard Damon reply as I broke through a clearing.

"Oh. You're not capable of trust. The fact that you're here means that you read the journal and you were planning on doing this yourself."

"Of course I was going to do it by myself, because the only one I can count on is me! You made sure of that many years ago, Stefan." Damon paused before he swallowed and turned to look at Elena. "But you..." I stared back and forth between the two, wondering what Elena did to Damon for him to become this way. "...You had me fooled."

Elena didn't respond. Instead she looked down in shame. I narrowed my eyes on the couple and turned my attention back onto Damon. Worried that he might do something dangerous. He took a step closer to the couple.

"So what are you going to do now? Because if you try and destroy that, I'll rip her heart out."

"You won't kill her."

Damon nodded, choosing not to say anything. I guess Elena's resemblance to Katherine left a soft spot in his cold dead heart. I carefully watched Damon and Stefan, studying them and trying to predict what they would do next. All the while trying to keep an eye on my friend. I couldn't watch Damon kill another person.

Not again.

Not after Tanner.

But before I could blink, he had Elena in a choke-hold.

"I can do one better." He spat out as I watched on in horror.

He bit his wrist and violently brought it to Elena's mouth, force-feeding her. I gasped out loud and tried to run over to them but my feet wouldn't move. I was frozen.

"Give me the book, Stefan, or I'm snapping her neck." He paused for a second. "And you and I will have a vampire girlfriend."

"Let her go first."

From the darkness, I watched as Damon pulled his wrist away from Elena's mouth. She shook in fear, on the verge of tears.

"The book!"

"I'm not going to give this to you until she is standing next to me." Stefan tried to negotiate.

His brother scoffed. "Problem is, I no longer trust that you'll give it back!"

"You just did the one thing that ensures that—"

I blinked and I was back at the grill.

Lights around me instantly blinded me while my eyes tried to adjust to the environment. I cowered a little as the sounds of light chatter felt deafening. My senses were getting overwhelmed. I almost choked before trying to compose myself.

Drip. Drip.

Looking down, there were some water droplets on the table. My face felt wet. Gingerly, I brought one hand to my face. It felt wet, like I had just cried. Who wouldn't after watching that?

"—va." Matt called out to me. "Are you okay?"

I nodded numbly before shaking my head. Nervously, I checked my forehead and my neck with my clammy hands. "I'm fine." I tried to convince him. "...Really. I'm fine."

Matt stared at me, unfazed by my attempts. But before he could even say a word, one of his co-workers came over and called him back. I guess his break was over. Matt sighed while he got up. He gave me a look which definitely said that this conversation was not over.

I gave him a forced smile as he went back to work. I was not fine. At all.

I pursed my lips and got out my phone, debating about my next moves for a while. I had a hint of what I should do, even then I was confused. If I made one wrong move, Elena would be dead and I could go down with her. I passed my phone between my hands, playing around with it contemplating.

All of sudden, my phone started blaring loudly. I closed my eyes and sighed before checking the caller ID. Leech. Damon. Remembering my chat with Stefan this morning, I groaned. Right, baby sitting. I rolled my eyes and flipped my phone open, picking up the call.

"Helloo Sunshine." Damon's somewhat cheerful voice greeted me.

It was weird. For someone who only brought misery, he was waay too happy.

"Damon." I greeted back after a moment of silence while I gathered my things.

"Happy to hear from you too, firecracker."

"Firecracker?" I repeated in disbelief as I slung my backpack over my shoulder and paid for my food. Matt was fortunately a little caught up with work to notice my exit.

"What's wrong with 'Firecracker'? I think it's adorable."

"And I think you're annoying." I walked outside the grill and quickly crossed the parking lot. Hurrying to my car, I shivered a little as the cold December wind blew across me. "...If this is about the tomb, then you can save your breath—"

"Oh great. You're caught up. Anyways. I was thinking you and I should team up. Y'know since Stefan and Elena are working as a team—" I made a sound while I tried to juggle my phone and tried to find aunt Diana's old car keys. "—I called in the morning but—"

"Get to the point Damon." I grunted, trying to one-handedly open the car door. In frustration, my hands lit up.

Cars around me started loudly beeping as alarms went off. My phone lost signal for a while before the light disappeared and everything returned back to normal. I stared at the parking lot with wide eyes before quickly getting in and starting the car.

"—A..va? He...l..lo" Damon's voice crackled on the other end of the cell. "Yo...u there?"

I hesitated, throwing my phone onto the passenger seat. I huffed and tried to control my breathing.

My hands kept flashing, on and off.

Dusts of light hovered all over the inside of the car. In the rear-view mirror, I caught a glimpse of myself. My eyes glowed a bright amber hue. And then it was all gone.

I breathed out in relief. With one hand on the wheel, hesitantly I grabbed my phone with the other and brought it back to my ear.

"Sorry, technical difficulties. You know, small town cell reception."

"Right..." Damon replied clearly unconvinced. "Where are you?"

"Just left the Grill, why?"

"Great! Drop by Elena's house. It's weird if I show up alone."

"Where's Stefan?"

"...Um...Hello? Did you miss the part where I said he teamed up with Elena to find the Gilbert journal."

"Slipped my mind."

Damon made a disgruntled sound. "Anyways. That means, you're on my team."

"Do I have a choice?" I asked. I was obviously playing here. After all, I did have to watch him for Stefan.

"Nope. You want me gone. I get Katherine and get out of your sight. We all win." He made sounds of faux cheering in the background while I resisted the urge to facepalm myself.

I sucked in a breath and tried to hold myself back from bursting his excitement and joy. "Fine. Where are you right now?"

"On my way to the Gilbert house."

"Why? Stefan and Elena are not there."

"No but the Gilbert journal might be...and Elena's not the only Gilbert." I took a turn that led to the Gilbert house as I silently cursed Damon. "Oh, I just pulled up to the house. Hurry up, sunshine." That was the last thing he said as he hung up.

I grumbled and sped up. Taking another few turns and before I knew it, I was there. I pulled up to the Gilbert house's driveway and killed the engine. As I got out of the car, I gently dropped the hood of my red coat and hugged it closer to myself.

Outside the house, Damon stood nearby his car. Instantly he spotted me and sauntered over. "There's my fav—"

"Don't. You. Dare. Touch. Jeremy." I spat out as I stomped over to him.

He drew back and put his hands up defensively. "Relax. It's family game night. I promise I won't touch a hair on Elena's baby brother...in exchange you help me."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Fine. I'll do as much as I can." I grumbled out as I stomped over to the door.

I plastered on a smile before knocking twice on the door and ringing the doorbell three times. Taking a step back, I waited and looked around. Now and then Damon would make eye contact with me. When our eyes did meet, he would throw me an excited smile that made my stomach churn.

"Remind me again why Damon is here?" Jenna whispered as she poured herself a glass of red wine. The two of us along with Damon were standing around the Gilbert kitchen. Damon and I were helping cook the meal that night for some reason, I couldn't even remember. Jenna was pleased at first until Damon offered to help. She didn't know or like Damon much, it seemed.

I pursed my lips and shrugged before craning my head to check where Damon was. "...Well it's obvious isn't it?" I replied back in a low voice. Jenna gave me a puzzled look as I grinned. "He's a stalker."

"That's more—concerning than amusing."

"Dark humor?" I stared at Jenna who didn't look convinced. "No? Well..." I paused as my phone started ringing.

Turning away from Jenna, I fumbled through my bag on the counter to find the ringing device. Stefan. I turned back to face Jenna as I gave her a look. She sighed realizing that I was going to leave her alone with Damon. With her glass in hand, she left the living room and went into the kitchen.

With Jenna gone, I took another peek at the kitchen before making my way to the backyard. I flipped my phone open and dialed Stefan's number. It didn't take long for him to pick up.

"Hey. Did you find anything?"

Stefan let out a frustrated sound. "I did and then I didn't."

"What do you mean?"

"Mr Saltzman—" He paused for a moment as he dropped his voice low. "—had the journal."

This wasn't brand new information but I was surprised to find the journal missing. "Had?" I almost hissed before I flinched back and realized the harshness of the response. "...what happened?"

"I don't know. There was another vampire."

"Might be the other vampire that was at the school dance?" I offered.

"Maybe. I think so too."

I sighed and pursed my lips. "It's not looking too good for us. We need to find the journal."

"Ava—"

Frustrated, I pushed my hair back and stared at the evening sky. Flashes of that vision came to me in pieces. "Stefan, I think you should be honest to Damon."

Silence responded. For a moment he didn't say anything, probably too surprised to say anything back. "Did Damon threaten or do something?"

"I can't be compelled and usually it's me doing the 'threatening'. Look I know it seems crazy but looking at your brother's track, he's gonna lose it if he finds out what you and Elena are really up to."

"...I appreciate your concern but I know Damon."

"Stefan—" And he hung up on me. I huffed loudly and hugged myself. I guess I could try convincing Elena instead.

Behind me Damon was busy chopping up some tomatoes while Jenna sat across both of us on a counter, drinking wine and watching us. From a stranger's perspective, this would seem like a typical Friday night. A family night even. But it was anything but one.

For one, Damon was here. Damon, the animal behind the so-called animal attacks. I lowered the heat and added some spices into the pan as I carefully took a glance behind me.

"My father never approved of anyone I dated, which only made me want them more. Of course. What about you?" Damon started as he glanced at Jenna.

Oh god. Here we go again. More mopping over Katherine. Can he and his brother move on already? It's been over a hundred years.

"There were a few guys. Logan isn't the only loser I've dated." Jenna replied with a lopsided grin.

"They ever find him? Or is he still missing?" I almost snorted at Damon's questions.

I forgot Damon also had a hand at taking out Logan. Can't say that he didn't have it coming. Egotistical bastard. I guess I'd give Damon a pass for that one.

"He's not missing. He's in the Bahamas working on his tan. Very entitled, that one. Marches to his own drum." She gave a bitter smile and finished whatever was left in her glass before looking up again. "He's a Fell. They're all snooty." She added.

"Not all Fells." I said in a small sing-songy voice.

"—Is what Nate would say." We both knew which Fell we were referring to.

Damon chuckled and walked over to Jenna, pouring more wine into her glass. She raised her glass to him while Damon turned back around to continue slicing.

The two then glanced at me for a moment. I froze and awkwardly smiled. "What about you?" Damon questioned. "Got any stories."

"Oh, she has plenty. I bet." Jenna commented while sipping her drink. "Don't you, Ava?"

I laughed awkwardly, tilting my head in confusion. "I mean, I guess." I grabbed the soy sauce, uncapping it and adding a few splashes of it on the vegetables before replacing it with some MSG, adding a teaspoon of it. "There was this one guy. My parents didn't exactly approve of him."

"Like Damon's parents?" Jenna asked.

"Yes and no." I turned up the heat and stirred the vegetables, adding a little bit of water. "Actually, they were okay with him, at first but it all went downhill pretty fast. He fell into the wrong crowd and basically treated everyone around him as trash. Cheated on me and then broke my heart but I moved on." I finished with a plastic smile.

"Ouch. That sucks."

"I went to therapy and found closure, so I'm good now."

Damon hummed lightly under his breath before taking over my spot. "Well, may he suffer for all that he put you through." He smiled at me with a strange look in his eyes. I shook my head as Jenna agreed.

"Actually, he's dead." I quietly added. Jenna froze and looked at me while I just shrugged. "He was a mess and his messes got the best of him." Damon passed me the chopped tomatoes and moved to stand next to me. He seemed too happy for someone about to be betrayed. Elena's struggling face flashed in front of my eyes for a second. I quickly blinked it away, moving on to focus on the sauce-pan.

"Well, here's to making sure the dead stay dead." Jenna muttered through her glass.

I simply nodded her way while sparing a glance at Damon who rolled his eyes.

"Hello, Elena." Damon greeted.

Hearing Damon speak, I turned around and waved at my friend. Elena's eyes scanned the kitchen before landing on me. She gave me a questioning look and then turned to glare at Damon.

"Hey. Where have you been? We're cooking dinner." Tipsy Jenna smiled blissfully at the presence of her niece as she gestured to me and Damon.

At that moment, I wished I was Jenna, blissfully ignorant.

"Is Stefan with you?" Damon asked Elena.

Elena hesitated for a moment as she leaned against the counter Jenna was sitting on before she responded to Damon's question. "Um—he'll be here soon."

I raised an eyebrow and carefully watched the two. Damon was suspicious. Why was I not surprised? Elena sucked at lying and Stefan sucked at being honest or appearing to be honest. A match made in heaven, I guess.

Flicking my hair back, I glanced at Elena who was far too busy glaring at Damon's back. I sighed and tried to catch her eyes. She turned to stare at me confused as I gave her a look while tilting my head towards the door that led to her backyard. She nodded slowly before walking out the kitchen.

"What happened to 'this' not being our problem?" Elena asked in a quiet problem. I didn't say anything but sighed. "I mean, I'm just saying you were hellbent on staying away from all of this and now you're helping Damon."

"Okay. I am not helping Damon...and I still am hellbent on staying away from all of this. Besides, this whole thing is not gonna be a Stefan or Damon problem anymore if the tomb gets opened."

The cold winter air gently blew past me, making me cower as a chill passed through me. Well, it wasn't the only thing making me shiver. I glanced back at the backdoor to the Gilbert house. Through the lit fogged up windows, I could barely see a few figures. No doubt the Salvatore brothers were among them. My gaze hardened as I remembered why I was even getting involved.

"Look, I get you're trying to be a model girlfriend but this is bigger than both of us. If you know what vampires are capable of by now then you would be on the same page as me."

"I thought you trusted Stefan."

"I don't know El."

"Come on, this is Stefan."

"—Whose defended his psychotic brother more times than I can count."

"Yes, but he has a plan."

"Like he always does." I sucked in a breath. "Look, all I'm saying is maybe if you're gonna not help Damon then don't lie to him. The last thing you could do is give someone like him hope—and that's the closest he'll get to being happy." I locked my lips and looked down. "He doesn't deserve to be happy, not after Vicki, Tanner and... Caroline."

Elena looked at me with a conflicted look. She was torn. I knew her well, she was someone who tried to care about people's feelings. And right now she was lying to Damon for Stefan. What she didn't know was that her lie was going to get her killed. That was something I had to keep to myself for now. After all, I didn't want to attract any more attention than I already did.

Elena didn't say anything else as she led back inside her pause. Her thoughts were written all over her face. I almost facepalmed myself when I glanced over at her. Could she be a little bit more transparent? I stopped and pulled at her sleeve. She frowned before she noticed my look. Her face shifted as a fake but cheery smile slowly spread across her entire face. I guess she still had the cheerleader perkiness in her.

Jeremy and Damon both sat side by side and were too busy to notice my presence. Quietly, I snuck a glance at the duo. Both seemed to look too engrossed in their game to notice anything, at first glance. But I could tell that Damon was a little distracted.

"—I'm a fast learner, quick reflexes." Damon stated, clearly winning against Jeremy.

All of a sudden Jeremy's phone went off. I narrowed my eyes as he paused his game and took out his phone. His face shifted as he tossed his phone aside, resuming his game.

"Who are you dodging?" Damon quizzed.

"This girl Anna. She can be, uh, persistent." Jeremy answered, a little distracted.

"Is she hot?"

"Yeah, yeah, but she can be weird."

"Hot trumps weird, trust me."

"You would know." I mumbled under my breath, just quiet enough for my own ears. Obviously, Damon heard and he snorted at my comment. Jeremy smiled as he threw a quick look between me and Damon.

I zoned out after that. There wasn't really anything else to do other than waiting and seeing; and I've never been a patient person. My mind wondered as I went over the possible events of tonight. Damon flipping and attacking Elena was what was constantly on my mind.

I wondered if I should just let things happen as they are. Maybe take a quick trip to the old Salvatore plots and get the grimoire myself. Granted, Damon would still lose it but at least the tomb would be shut.

But Elena.

The little voice in my head cried out. Guilt swelled up inside me, I tried hard to swallow it down. This could be for the greater good, I tried to argue back.

Unfortunately, I didn't get to entertain all the 'what ifs' in my head as the loud shrill of the house bell rang through my thoughts. As soon as I heard it, I pushed myself off my seat and walked over to the foyer with Damon following my steps closely. Elena had already beat us to the door. She quietly opened the door and let Stefan in.

Stefan stood outside, looking tired. He scanned his surroundings before he paused as his gaze landed on his brother. Elena shrugged in response to Stefan's questioning look while I just simply rolled my eyes.

"Well?" Damon questioned, wanting to know if Stefan's search had been more successful than his.

Sighing, I looked around for a sign of Jenna and Jeremy before grabbing Damon and gesturing to Elena and Stefan to go outside. Stefan nodded before he led us outside to the front porch. I let go of Damon and lightly closed the door behind me. One of these days, these people would need to learn the meaning of secrecy.

Damon rolled his eyes at my actions while I scowled at him. He ignored me, starting again. Stefan nodded once before filling him in on what I really knew. I nodded my head off, acting like I was keeping up. I wrapped my arms around me and started pacing.

"Who took it?" Damon asked again.

"I don't know."

"You know what, it's that teacher. There's something really off about him."

I made a move to defend Mr Saltzman even though I did agree. Stefan quickly saw what I was doing and jumped in to defend our history teacher. "No, he doesn't know anything. Somebody got to it right before me."

"Who else knew it was there?"

Elena looked down, confused. While Stefan gazed at the window. I followed his gaze and stopped. My stomach dropped as I found what he was looking at. Jeremy. I clenched my fists as Damon started walking back into the house.

Horrified and finally understanding the situation, Elena followed after Damon while Stefan and I tried to make sense of the new information. Someone used Jeremy to get to the journal. Someone that probably knew about the tomb.

Taking a deep breath, I ran after Elena and Damon, Stefan following closely behind. From the foyer, I could hear Elena's protests as Damon walked over to the unsuspecting boy.

"—Damon, leave him out of it!" Elena hissed.

"Why, what's the big deal?" Damon retorted. There was a slight anger in his voice. Anger and excitement. Not a good combination.

"Damon." I called out. He turned to stare at me. "You promised." I echoed, trying to remind him of our conversation outside the Gilbert house.

"Relax, I'm not gonna hurt him." Elena did not look convinced and neither did I or Stefan. We had no choice but to believe him.

Damon took a seat on the arm of the sofa Jeremy was sitting on as leaned over to speak to him. "So...I heard you found a really cool journal from back in the day. Who else did you show it to?" He started, trying to sound casual.

Jeremy scrunched up his face and looked at us. "Huh?"

"Don't ask questions, just spill." I crossed my arms.

"You're kidding me, right?"

"Jer, did you tell anyone other than Mr. Saltzman about Johnathan Gilbert's journal?" Elena pressed on, frustrated.

"Why is everybody so obsessed with that thing?" Jeremy seemed annoyed while continuing to play his game.

I rolled my eyes and leaned over Jeremy. "That thing is a piece of history."

"Right..." He said, still unconvinced.

"Who else did you tell?" Elena tried again.

Jeremy hissed and paused his game for a second to answer. "Just that girl Anna."

"The hot, weird one?" Damon asked while Jeremy nodded.

"Wait, who is Anna?" Stefan questioned out loud.

"I was gonna say that." I chimed in. "Whose Anna?" I asked Damon.

"That's what I want to find out." Damon said as he opened his mouth to say something.

He was cut off as Elena's phone started blaring loudly. She took a look at it before mouthing something to me and going off to answer it. It was Bonnie. No doubt she wanted to talk about her date. I shrugged and made a mental note to call Bonnie later tonight when everything was over.

With Elena gone, Damon put his attention back on Jeremy. "How do you know her?" He pressed on.

"I just know her. She wants me to meet her at the Grill tonight."

"Perfect. I'll drive. Come on."

"O-Okay."

Jeremy got up and followed after Damon. I watched them go before I turned to Stefan. "I'm gonna keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't hurt Jeremy."

Stefan nodded and I went to follow the boys. I stopped when I felt a tug on my arm. "Be careful. Try not to get hurt." I smiled at Stefan's words as I freed myself and met Damon outside. Guess he knew I was gonna tag along.

"...Can I trust them?" Damon asked, breaking through my thoughts. He took a seat next to me, looking around for a sign of this 'Anna' girl. I sighed loudly, thinking back to the family Thanksgiving dinner, so much for staying out of vampire business.

"Stefan is your brother. And you just met Elena." I accepted a glass of pink lemonade as I turned to glance at Damon. "So you tell me, Damon. Can you trust them?" I echoed his question with a bored look.

"That's not what I asked." He retorted.

"You want the truth?"

"I wouldn't have asked you otherwise."

"You asked Elena this too back at her house."

"And she said I could...but I wanna know from you." His eyes bored into mine intensely like he was searching for the truth in them. I almost wanted to laugh. He was trusting the wrong person.

I snorted. "Can I trust you?" I bit back, taking a sip of my drink. I pushed my drink off to the side and looked away from him.

"I haven't given you a reason not to."

"Right." I rolled my eyes as I thought back to Vicki, Mr Tanner and Lexi. All three of those situations went south because of him. "Like you didn't turn Vicki Donovan into a vampire who killed Logan Fell, tried to kill Lexi."

Tilting my head, I paused to think of more examples. "Oh right, almost forgot how you used Caroline as a human blood bag and treated her like—dirt or the time you rage killed my idiot history teacher and let's not forget why we're here: Your obsession with Katherine." I harshly whispered as I turned back to glare at him.

"When have you given me a reason to trust you?" I mumbled under my breath.

Glancing around, I let my words mull in his head before I closed my eyes and sighed. I didn't say anything for a while. My eyes wandered around the grill, looking for this 'Anna' girl.

I paused when I noticed Matt from a distance. He looked tired and busy but he stopped when he noticed me. He put down the washrag and waved at me before his face hardened as he noticed my company. I simply smiled in response. I sighed, not really being able to do much. Can't even get rid of Damon without hurting Stefan's feelings.

After a period of silence, Damon spoke out. "Well, I want to trust you. I really do."

"And why's that?" I took a sip of my drink.

"Believe or not, I used to be friends with your ancestors Lydia and Edmund. We grew up together after all. Did everything together. They even took me in when my father used to—"

"Oh my god. Is this the part where you tell me your tragic backstory so that I feel some sort of sympathy for your stupid quest to get your psychotic ex back?" I cut him off.

I couldn't let him continue. Unfortunately, I knew if I heard anymore, I would probably be more sympathetic and that's the last thing someone like me should be towards someone like him.

Damon clenched his jaw and leaned over to stare at me. His wintery blue eyes stared at me with a conflicted look, like he was searching something. "Can't be compelled..." I muttered in a sing-songy voice.

"Wasn't trying to." He bit back. Surprised, I threw him a look of disbelief. "I was checking to see if you were really related to Lydia."

"Technically, Edmund is my ancestor." I corrected.

"Makes so much sense."

I pouted and my eyes widened. "What's that supposed to mean?" I huffed, pulling a strand of my hair back before throwing a glare at Damon.

"I wasn't lying. I really did care about them. Never got a chance to tell them goodbye too."

"...They cared about you too...despite everything." I added quietly. He whipped his head to stare at me in shock while I tried to avoid his gaze.

After a moment of pondering silence, I decided to answer his question. "...I don't know." I answered his question after a while. Thinking back to what I saw when I was going through Johnathan Gilbert's journal. "I don't know if you can trust Stefan or Elena." I changed my mind and decided to give him an answer after all. Damon was unpredictable. There was no saying that he wouldn't attack Elena like I saw in my premonition.

"Thought you would know." I did know.

"I don't know the record between you brothers but I do know Elena is loyal or so I remember her to be." I leaned closer to Damon and looked up at him. "But if I were you, I would be a little less optimistic and maybe even prepare for disappointment."

"What makes you say that?"

"People change Damon. They can surprise you in the worst way possible." I pulled back and gave him a knowingly bitter smile. I shivered a little. "...I think that's 'Anna' right there." I gestured.

Damon followed my gaze to where Jeremy stood. There stood another person, a petite east asian girl with long wavy black hair and a bright smile. Her eyes on the other hand looked a little empty. She was definitely a vampire who was pretending to be human.

I glanced at Damon for a second before a troubled look flashed across his face. It shifted as his eyes widened and his mouth opened wide. Before I could ask him, my phone started ringing. I scowled as I fumbled around in my bag, trying to find my phone.

Uncle Nate's name flashed across the screen. I gave a quick glance to Damon before slipping outside. Hurriedly, I threw open the backdoor of the grill and walked over to the car. "This better be important." I greeted as I flipped my phone open.

"Yeah. Yeah." Uncle Nate answered back. "I'm sure your history teacher interrogating you on our family history is important."

"Right. Ugh. Mr Saltzman."

"How the hell does Ric know?"

I held my phone a few distance away before bringing it back to my ear. Then I looked around as I carefully quietened my voice to answer back. "I'm at the Grill with a vampire, stalking another vampire who may or may not have been around in 1864. So do me a favor and keep it down."

"...What do you mean you're stalking a vampire? What happened to laying low?" He questioned, a little quieter than before. "Wait. You're with Damon aren't you?"

"Yes."

"What do you mean 'yes'? Elaborate."

"I'm with Damon at the grill...well...keeping an eye on him."

"I have so many questions."

"Yeah, I know."

"What part of 'no hunting', did you not get?"

"I'm not hunting, I'm...babysitting, sort of. There's a difference."

"Ugh. Whatever. Just be safe and we need to talk about Alaric."

"For now let's worry 'bout the tomb opening."

"I'll talk to Sheila Bennett. Give her a heads up and all."

"Great. I should head back."

"Stay safe."

I made a noise of agreement as I flipped my phone close. Sighing, I made my way back inside the grill, weaving through a crowd of people at the pool tables. I stopped. Damon was gone. My eyes widened as I scrambled to find Damon. Jeremy was still there where I had last seen him but his friend, Anna was gone. Pushing through the crowd, I walked up to Jeremy who looked focused on a game of pool.

"Hey Jer, where did your friend go?" I asked with a feigned peppy voice which almost made me sound like Caroline in her cheerleader mode.

Jeremy looked at me with a weird expression before nervously laughing. "I don't know...she...uh...just disappeared—said she'd be back but I don't know where she went." He bent down and aimed the pool-stick before shooting his shot. "...Come to think of it, weren't you and Damon together."

"Together?"

"Yeah. You two came in together."

"Uh. Right." I nodded. "I lost track of him."

"Guess our dates ditched us."

"Damon's not my date. We're joint chaperones."

"Right..."

I rolled my eyes and leaned over the pool table. This wasn't going anywhere. Taking a deep breath, I bit my lips. I wasn't supposed to do this but I don't think I had a choice.

"Where did Anna go?" I asked again while keeping an eye out for Damon. Glancing back at Jeremy, he monotonously replied the same answer as before.

He really didn't know where they went. I sighed and looked away. "Good talking to you, Jer. Enjoy the rest of your evening. Stay out of trouble." I didn't have to look at him to know that his eyes had flickered to amber yet again as he nodded mechanically.

Without any hesitation, I flipped my phone open as another message came through. Stefan and Elena knew where the grimoire was. They didn't tell me where. I knew why. They still thought Damon was with me. Boy, were they wrong about that.

Quickly, I paid for my drink and ran outside to the parking lot. I got inside my car, heading straight to the old Salvatore burial ground. Giuseppe Salvatore was the one who had the grimoire, not Johnathan Gilbert. After all, it would be too obvious if he had it hidden. He wasn't as intelligent as the rest of the founders made him out to be.

I haphazardly parked my car on the side of the woods leading to the old Salvatore plots and all but ran out into the darkness. Before I ran out, I grabbed the crossbow from the trunk.

Hurriedly, I ran through the trails, hitting branches and jumping over boulders. I came to a halt as I spotted three figures in the distance, illuminated by the faint light of a torch. Breathing in deeply, I stepped back into the cover of the darkness and pulled a notch to unfold the crossbow.

Carefully, I loaded it up and notched the string. Without hesitation I fired.

As if expecting it, Damon dodged it with ease. I loaded another one and moved to take cover before firing again. This time it hit his shoulder. I guess my aim wasn't that bad.

Damon grunted in pain while I smiled. "Look who finally decided to join the party." Damon's voice called out. "You can come out, sunshine. I know it's you."

I clenched my jaws and loaded another arrow, ready to fire again but I stopped. My eyes adjusted more to dim light and my heart dropped. Just like my vision, Damon had Elena in his grip.

"Damon..." I warned, making my presence known. I pointed the crossbow at him.

"Don't. I'll rip her heart out."

Stefan swallowed and stood in front of me protectively. "Ava." He warned me carefully. There was a sense of panic and urgency to the way he said my name. Breathing out, I threw my crossbow in front of Damon and put my hands out to show I meant no harm. Anymore.

"Let Elena go."

He narrowed his eyes at Stefan and glanced at me. "You knew." He stated in a small voice with a tone that I couldn't make out.

I swallowed heavily and nodded. "I did warn you."

Stefan stared between me and his brother with a conflicted look on his face. He hesitated giving up the grimoire. "Damon..." He tried again.

"The grimoire, Stefan."

I huffed and craned my head to look at Damon. "You can't open the tomb, Damon." I warned. "Katherine's not worth letting all the others out."

"Stefan already tried that, sunshine. Try something else."

"Fine." I clenched my jaws and slowly tried to find my dagger on my belt. "I'll just take you down."

He snorted. "I know you don't really have it in you."

I breathed out heavily. He was right. As much as I hated to admit, I wasn't skilled enough to take him down. Maybe if uncle Nate or my brother were in my place, then maybe Damon could be stopped. But I couldn't. I could barely use a bow. And my new abilities were too unstable for me to use. At the end, Elena or someone would still get hurt.

Stefan and I glanced at each other. We were conflicted. It was either Elena or the town. If my brother or anyone else from my family were here, they would've sacrificed Elena without a thought but I wasn't them. I cared too much.

For a while, neither I or Stefan said anything. We both stared at each other, silently trying to decide our next move before we both nodded. His eyes traveled to Damon and without taking it off his brother, he threw the grimoire on the dirt floor.

Without another word, Damon pushed Elena over to Stefan who caught her with ease. He glanced at me while Stefan disappeared with his girlfriend but not after an exchange with his brother that I was too tired to care about.

I had just about enough with them or their messes. I knew I was gonna get involved with them again somehow.

"Ava, I—" Stefan gone, Damon tried to talk to me.

"I hope Katherine will be worth all of this." I said quietly, turning around and starting to walk away.

Damon laughed bitterly and shut the grimoire loudly. "...Thank you for warning me before."

I glanced behind me to stare at him with a blank look. "I wasn't warning you. I was being honest...giving you hope is giving you the closest thing to happiness—" I sucked in a breath to calm myself. "—And someone like you doesn't deserve to be happy...not without redemption."

"And I don't even know if there's anything in you that's worth redeeming." I continued, quietly. I didn't bother to look at him this time. I know I never trusted him in the first place but it still did hurt knowing what he did tonight to Elena.

My eyes burned with anger and disappointment as I tried to stop myself from doing something impulsive. I turned away from him, starting to walk back to where I had parked my car. A thought or memory darted past my mind as I smiled bitterly.

Pausing in my tracks, I gave a short glance to Damon before looking away again. "Oh by the way. I think Katherine may not be in that tomb after all." I started walking away.

"What do you mean?" He asked, dropping the grimoire to his side.

"Nothing. It's just a hunch." That was all I said before disappearing into a thicket of trees. I didn't know if what I saw was real. But if Katherine Pierce really was never in the tomb, then what was the point in all of this?

─────⋇⋆✦⋆⋇─────

Salvatore Estate, September 1864,

The Salvatore's garden was filled with tension as Katherine and Lydia quietly stared at each other. Before Katherine could comment once more. She was interrupted. A set of loud voices interrupted the two.

"Miss Katherine." "Miss Katherine. We're back." The two Salvatore brothers yelled out as they ran to where Lydia and Katherine were. They halted when they noticed Lydia.

"Lydia—I mean—Miss Fitzroy." Stefan greeted Lydia with a deep curtsy.

She nodded weakly as she gently placed the china cup down on the table. The tea was untouched. "Lydia." Damon said with a confused look. "I didn't know you were...visiting." He remarked. She looked away and avoided his gaze. "I would've—"

"Miss Pierce invited me for tea, Damon." Lydia replied back with a sickly sweet smile. Winnie quietly slipped back and whispered something in Lydia's ears. She nodded as she gracefully got up. "... Unfortunately, I will not be able to stay for long." Lydia excused herself, dusting herself and gently wiping her mouth with her napkin. "Forgive me, Miss Pierce—"

"Katherine." Katherine attempted to correct me again. She again had no desire to befriend this woman.

"Miss Pierce." Lydia repeated with much conviction. "And Mr Salvatores-"

"Lydia, there's no need to be so formal." Damon tried to placate his childhood friend. Lydia scoffed and clenched her jaws. "And please stay a bit longer. Stefan and I have only come back home."

For a moment, she said nothing before she signaled to Winnie to prepare the carriage. She had no intentions to stay and be a part of this.

Katherine's maid's eyes were trained on Lydia as she quietly tracked her every movement. She paused when she noticed Lydia's gaze on her. She lowered herself a little to apologize before focusing on Katherine one again. It seemed Lydia's mother had told her about Emily Bennett.

Winnie came back and whispered sharply. Her brother, Edmund, was here. It was no doubt he was here to officially end the engagement agreement between the two families. He was representing their father who was far too busy with the newly established council to attend to family affairs. Yet Lydia held no complaints.

"Mr Salvatore..." She drawled out, narrowing her eyes at Damon. "Please refrain from casually addressing me with my name." She warned him. "Especially since we no longer have anything to do with each other." She added, bowing lightly as she took a few steps back and turned around.

She didn't get too far. Only reached the front of the grand manor when a hand gripped her arm. Immediately, she stopped. Lydia hissed in pain as the grip on her tightened. Annoyed, she turned to glare at the person apprehending her, only for the glare to shift to a look of sympathy.

"Da—Mr Salvatore." Gently, she pried his hands off of her and bowed with utmost curtsy. "Can I help you?" She asked, not really caring much for his answer.

"Lydia, did I do something?" He asked in turn, taking a step back. "You've been acting very odd lately."

A bitter laugh escaped her before she could help herself. "It's not me who changed, Damon. It's you." Lydia pointed at him with a sad smile. "Miss Pierce has changed you and not for the better. It's almost as if I can't even recognize my friend anymore."

"I'm still the same. It's you—"

"Lydia!" Edmund called out as he descended down the steps of the Salvatore manor.

A maid followed behind him. It was one of the Salvatore maids. She bowed and handed him his coat before she bowed again in greeting to Damon. Taking a few steps back, she excused herself.

"Dam—Mr Salvatore." He continued after the maid had left. "Thank you for entertaining my sister. Now if you would excuse us." He nodded as he took my hand and tried to guide us to a carriage.

"Wait." Damon stopped us again. "Did I offend you both in any way to make you both act if I am some stranger." He bit out in desperate frustration as he ran his fingers through his hair.

"How did you not offend us?" Edmund asked in turn, taking a protective stance in front of his sister. He glared at Katherine who was peeking through behind a pillar and looked at him again. "You know what you did."

Damon stumbled back. His face contorted in pain as if he had swallowed something bitter. Lydia took a step forward.

"I never asked for much. I tried to understand you and your situation with your father." Pausing to gather her bearings, she continued. "—But to humiliate not only me but my family..." She clicked her tongue in disapproval and looked away, unable to even look at Damon. "...That I cannot forgive." She finished with a deep sigh of disappointment.

"I apologize for everything, I really do." Damon started. "But please, don't...don't—" He paused, trying to compose himself but he failed. Stray tears escaped his eyes as he turned away and quickly wiped them off. "Please...I..." He swallowed. "I beg both of you, please consider our past and don't abandon me..."

Lydia turned away from Damon to stare at Edmund, conflicted. "It's not us who are abandoning you, it's you who abandoned us first." Edmund spoke out, his voice tinged with sadness and anger yet he sounded tired.

"Damon." The slow yet seductive voice of Katherine Pierce interrupted us as she called out to the man in front of us. She carefully strode towards us with her arms in Stefan's, an enticing smile plastered on her face. She feigned a look of surprise as she came to a halt near where we stood. "Oh!" She covered her mouth with her gloved hand. "Am I interrupting..."

The Fitzroy siblings shared a look of disgust before Lydia plastered a smile on her face. "Not at all, Miss Pierce—" She began.

"—We were just leaving." Edmund finished. 

With a bow, they turned their backs to the Salvatores and left, never to return.

─────⋇⋆✦⋆⋇─────

I slammed the car door shut, making sure to lock it as I walked to the front door. "Hey Bon, it's me again. I just wanted to check up on you and update you and all. Call me." I sighed as Bonnie's phone kept going straight to voicemail.

The foyer was dimly lit while the lights in the house were mostly turned off. On the side table, there was a note next to the newly replaced vase and the coat-hangers. I walked over to read the note, all the while keeping my phone in my hands. Maybe a part of me was worried about Bonnie. She had been quiet since her date. I wanted to know if it went well or if she was safe but so far I had nothing.

The note on the table was scribbled in a hurry and was barely legible. I pushed my hair behind my shoulders, crept closer and squinted at the note.

'𝚈𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚍𝚊𝚍 𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚗 𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚛𝚐𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚢 𝚖𝚎𝚎𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚗 𝙷𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚜𝚋𝚛𝚘𝚘𝚔.'- 𝚄𝚗𝚌𝚕𝚎 𝙽𝚊𝚝𝚎

Pursing my lips, I held my phone in one hand and the scribbled note in the other. I waited for Bonnie as I walked up the stairs, never taking my eyes off the phone. Sighing, I flipped my phone closed and threw it at my bed before making my way to the bathroom to get changed into my pajamas. Maybe by the time I came back, she would call or text me. I threw an aspirin intp my my mouth before downing it with some water as I dragged myself off to my bed.

My head felt like it was being split open. I guess tonight was too much for me. Then again, I've had cases of migraines for weeks now.

Buz. Buzz. Buzzz. Buz. Buzzzzzzzz.

All of sudden, there was buzzing in my head as my world felt like it was spinning. I swayed side-to-side before I threw myself onto my bed. A warm sticky liquid ran down my nose, eyes and as an iron-like scent invaded my senses.

Riiiiiing. Riiiiiiing.

The phone on the bed stand started ringing, breaking me out of my thoughts. I turned away from my bloody hand to stare at the phone for a second. I looked away and contemplated picking it up on the first few rings but paused. It wasn't Bonnie calling.

My jaws hardened as I stared at the caller ID. I cursed under my breath, another headache, just as the aspirin was starting to kick in. I silenced my phone and took a tissue to wipe off any blood. Giving myself a onceover in the mirror. I went back to bed and dragged the covers over me but not before I turned off the lights, drifting off to another memory of the past

─────⋇⋆✦⋆⋇─────

September 1864,

"Eddie!" Lydia clutched her skirt with a smile on her face and ran towards the library. There was no response. "Edmund?" She called out again. This time, She peeked her head inside the room.

An empty library greeted her. He must have been out. She knew her brother, he would practically live in the family library if he could so where was he?

She sighed, almost leaving but she stopped. Half written letters were clustered around a desk near the huge window, Edmund almost always used to sit by. At first she tried to ignore them despite my protests of telling her to go and take a peek.

Though my protests fell onto her deaf ears, Lydia's curiosity got the best of her and she carefully looked around the deserted library before inching closer to the desk. She picked up the letter that looked like it was actually finished writing from the bunch and carefully examined it. Her gloved hand delicately but firmly held onto the letter.

"Edmund, what did you do?" Lydia gasped, her hand over her mouth in shock.

She fell back and dropped the letter before grabbing all of the drafts. She started a fire at the fireplace and threw the letters in one by one.

The sound of the doors opening was heard as both me and Lydia turned our heads to stare at the door. Edmund stood at the door with a content smile on his face. His smile dropped as he noticed the tear soaked face of his sister.

"Lydia..." He began. "What do you have in your hand?" He asked as bit his lips anxiously.

At her brother's voice, she turned around and glared at him. "You know exactly what." She spat out. "How could you!"

"I did it for you. For us. For our family."

"You endangered us."

"I did what had to be done." He tried again to calm his sister down. Lydia shook her head violently as tears slid down her face and a fearful look flashed across her face. "Please, Mr Salvatore had to know."

"Know what? That he willingly let a vampire into his home. He won't believe us and we'll be made a mockery of."

Edmund had exposed Katherine. It was the Fitzroy family who tipped the council off about her and the other vampires.

"—Except. He does believe us."

She shook her head in disbelief. "So you had to be the one to tell him."

"His sons weren't going to, so it fell onto us."

"It did not." She sucked in a breath and threw in the last of the letters before carefully sitting down at an armchair nearby. "Stefan and Damon. They—"

"—chose their side. We chose ours." Edmund added, taking a step forward.

"We promised ourselves that we would distance ourselves from them when we left. What happened to that?"

"You know what happened. Monsters lived among us in Mystic Falls. Not only that but Mr Salvatore was harboring the biggest one, the one who took your happiness—"

"You're making excuses...you didn't do it for me."

Edmund sighed and closed his eyes. "It's already done." Lydia stared at her brother with a look of disbelief. Her brother didn't respond; instead he stared at the crackling flames as it consumed the unsent letters before spitting out the ashes of its remains. "...Father received a response from Mystic Falls last night—the preparations are done, soon Mystic Falls will be purged of those vampires—" He paused as he turned to face his sister. A cold smile graced his handsome face as stared deeply into Lydia's eyes. "—And we simply watch the show from the comforts of our refuge."

"Yes, until they find the letters father and you sent."

" If . If they find out about it, that is."