A/N: Sorry this chapter took a while, but lots of good stuff including some smutty goodness! Enjoy!!
At the Gilbert House it's morning and Elena is lying in her bed staring at the ceiling. She reluctantly sits up and goes over to the window and pulls the curtains wide open.
In Jeremy's bedroom, light from the window suddenly spills on him in bed as Elena pulls up the curtains in his room too.
"Aaahh! Early. Bad!" He moans and pulls the covers over his head.
"Ahh. It's not early." She walks up to bed and pulls his cover off. "You're late for work. Matt just called."
Jeremy sits up and looks at his phone. "Well, maybe he'll fire me." He reflects.
Elena calls back over her shoulder. "Aim high."
As she heads downstairs Elena answers the phone call from Caroline.
"What are you doing?" El asks.
"Just shopping for the party you're trying to bail out on." Caroline grins as Elena walks into the kitchen.
"I never said yes in the first place." Elena points out.
"You were never going to and we both know there was no way in hell Ember was. Which is why I planned it anyway. Speaking of which. Where is she? I have her dress for tonight!"
"Em stayed at the boarding house last night. Apparently Damon had something romantic planned." Elena tells her.
Caroline rolls her eyes. "It's still weird and icky that he is like boyfriend of the century."
"Agreed." Elena confirms.
"Oh, my mom wants you to call her." Care remembers.
Elena pauses. "Did she find something?"
"An animal attack in Memphis. It's the third one this week in Tennessee." Caroline shares.
"And you're sure it's a vampire?" She glances at Alaric who is in the kitchen making coffee and they exchange looks.
"Yes, but that doesn't mean that it's Klaus." Caroline points out.
"Doesn't mean it's not." Elena remarks and moves around the counter, pushing Alaric out of the way to fix the coffee pot. "I'll call her."
"All right. Well, I gotta go. I'll see you in a bit." Caroline chirps.
"Oh, Caroline wait, just... keep tonight small. Please?" Elena asks.
"Wear something pretty." Caroline hangs up.
Alaric has moved to the couch and is folding up his blankets from last night. "Was that uh... Stefan news?"
"Could be more Klaus victims." Elena admits.
"You certain Stefan's still with him?" Ric asks as Elena pours him some coffee.
"Easy to be certain when the alternative is that he's dead." They look at each other silently for a second. "Are you sure you're still okay on the couch?" Elena asks.
"Yeah, Yeah, I'm good."Ric assures her a picks
up his cup of coffee.
"Because you spent half the summer on it. If you need your own bedroom?"
He gives her a doubtful look. "Eh, sleeping in your dead parent's room or my dead girlfriend's room. Nah."
Elena nods in understanding and starts to walk away. "Hey Elena." She stops looks at him. "Happy Birthday."
..............Smut*.............
At the Salvatore Boarding House, Ember is still deep asleep and only vaguely aware of the feather light kisses skimming down her chest until Damon drags his teeth along her nipple and draws the firm flesh into his mouth to suck it into a hard point. She arches into him and he switches sides to pay equal attention to the other sensitive bud.
Ember's fingers slip through his inky strands of hair and she rakes her nails against his scalp. Damon glances up and releases her nipple with a wet pop. "Morning baby." He crawls up her body to kiss her softly. "Happy birthday."
"Morning." Ember whispers in return and melts under him as his mouth turns hot and possessive. His tongue tangles with hers while his hand skims down over her breast and waist to stroke her hip and pull her leg over his.
His fingers trail down her leg and between their bodies to find the aching little nub of her clit and circles it with his thumb while his fingers slip through the lips of her sex to spread the gathering moisture there. "Fuck baby, your so sweet and wet and tight for me." He mumbles against her neck as he presses hot kisses to her throat and sinks one long digit into her slick channel.
"Damon, more." She demands and can feel him smiling against her throat. He exhales and his lips closed over her earlobe before tracing a line back down her neck with his nose. Ember arched back in his arms, and he kissed down to her collarbone then returned to her breasts as he worked another finger into her sex and started stroking slowly.
His lips wrapped around one stiff nipple as his hand palms and messaged the other. "I love your breasts, absolutely perfect." He rumbled as he curled the tips of his finger's, finding her g spot and making her legs tremble.
"Damon!" She gasped and tugged at his hair making him turn his crystal blue eyes up to her. "Please." He grinned wickedly and moved up to trace her lower lip with his tongue.
"What do need baby? All you have to do is be a good girl and tell me."
"Need you Damon, need you inside me." She whimpered. His fingers leave the aching tightness of her slick pussy and Ember felt the broad head of his cock replace them at her opening. The fingers that had just been inside her brushed her lower lip and Damon watched her as her softly ordered her.
"Open your mouth sweetheart." Ember relaxed her jaw and as he pushed his slick fingers in to her mouth and across her tongue she closed her lips around them and without have to be told to greedily sucked. "There's my naughty girl." He smiled and pulled his hand away to raise up on his knees so he could watch as he impaled her slowly on his dick. "So perfect baby, everything about you is so perfect. But god, the way you take my cock like you were made for it."
Damon pinned her hips in place with his strong hands when she tried to buck to take more of him as he set a deliciously slow pace and watched her writhe under him. Once he was hilt deep he moved over her to brace his hands on each side of her head and with that sinful one sided smirk of his he withdrew to the tip and then slammed back into her so hard and fast she thought he might have vamp blurred.
It was probably good they had the house to themselves the way she screamed his name. One of her legs she wrapped around his waist and hooked over his ass and the other she braced against the mattress for leverage as she meet his hips thrust for thrust as he pistoned into her. Ember hands came around his back and she cling to him, her nails digging into his shoulders and raking down his back making him growl in approval and pound into her harder letting out a rough grunt.
Ember could feel a sizzle of lightning staring at the base of her spine as he stretched and filled her in all the best ways. Her mind was overwhelmed and her body ablaze with the feel and smell of Damon, the sound of them coming together. "You feel..." He rocked back into his knees still between her thighs and kept her pinned to the bed with his hips while he lifted the leg braced on the bed up on his shoulder. The move allowed him to stroke and circle her clit and with a jerk her body rocked up into his as the first sparks of her orgasm started low in her belly.
Damon began to move his hips in easy, long motions, one hand teased between her legs while the other stroked her belly, her hips and thighs softly. "You feel so fucking good, sweetheart. Your sweet little pussy feels like heaven." his voice sounded rougher and strained as his hips pressed forward again, again, deeper and harder until Ember came apart screaming his name and arching off the bed as sparks went off in her blood like fireworks.
He was still murmuring filthy words against her throat as he leaned over her, his thrusts growing frantic as he got closer to his own edge. When she went limp, he stilled, but he didn't pull away and she whimpered in protest when he demanded. "One more, sweetheart, give me one more. I know you can do it."
"I can't," she protested weakly but as his fangs brushed against her pulse she knew she was lying and so did he. "You can. I want to feel you come on my cock again. One more for me baby girl." She shattered and exploded like a supernova, and Damon's fangs pierced her skin carefully as she came apart again, to overwhelmed to even feel the brief pinch of discomfort.
The bond, that was always like a faint whisper in the back of their minds snaps into place full force and everything they are both experiencing reverberates through it. Damon goes rigid over her, his fangs pulling back from the twin puncture marks as he watches her, as the tension overtakes his body and he comes with his teeth clenched and his head thrown back.
Ember watches him mesmerized, every muscle in his body is tense and the morning light bathing his hard muscles and warm skin is stunning. He is beautiful and she watches as he grins and looks down at her reading her emotions. "Agree to disagree princess, you are the beautiful one." He turns her head to the side and drags his tongue over the bite mark not wasting a single drop.
The feeling of her blood on his tastebuds rocks them both with a jolt of pleasure and Damon rocks into her as her aching sex clenches around him. He also feels the faint edge of discomfort she does and Damon's lips find hers and his teeth cut into his own lower lip just before they do. The combination of their blood floods her mouth and she dutifully sucks on his lip as the wound rapidly closes and swallows the blood. Damon had learned several tricks over the summer to make feeding her his blood more palatable for her. Kisses were her favorite because as much as she hated the taste of blood she loved being kissed by him.
She gives a content cat like stretch as she feels the bite on her neck heal and the well fucked ache between her legs ease into pure pleasure.
Among the long talks they had had after the fiasco of the ritual, Damon almost ending up dead from a wolf bite and Stefan sacrificing himself for the cure, had been one about Damon forcing her to drink his blood.
Ember understood his panic better now that she had almost lost him, while he knew that didn't completely get him forgiven for taking her choice away, it did allow them to move forward. He knew she didn't want to become a vampire but the ideal of being separated from Damon was worse so she had agreed with him that she always had to have his blood in her system, especially with the threat of Klaus still looming if he discovered that she and her sister were alive.
The other conversation had involved the connection between them. The realization that even without their blood in each others systems Ember still felt his pain had thrown Damon. "Stupid witchy hijinks." He had muttered. But the information meant that not sharing blood wouldn't protect her from feeling his pain if he was injured and Damon was never one to deny his more hedonistic tendencies without a good reason.
Something in him seemed to sense the perfect moment to bite her that insured she did not feel any pain and he never took more than a few sips to activate the bond.
Damon eases away for her limp and relaxed body and can't help but admire how her eyes and skin almost glow in the morning light as she watches him with heavy eyes. He rolls off the bed and heads toward the bathroom and a moment later Ember hears the water start in the tub and smells the scent of her favorite lavender bubble bath and citrus bath salts. Damon walks back in and scoops her up off the bed. "I'm not done with you yet birthday girl, champagne bubble bath time."
.....................
Damon and Ember are in the bath, he is leaned back against the end of the tub with her astride him. His hands are gripping her hips just a bit to tight and will probably leave marks tomorrow but she could care less as she rides him hard towards completion.
Damon grabs the champagne bottle nearby and pours the bubbly liquid over her breasts causing her to gasp at the sudden cold. He leans forward to lick and suck the alcohol off her breasts and nipples as she clenches above him. Her orgasm rockets through the bond and sets off his own as he thrusts up into her tight core.
Ember collapses into his chest with a shudder and his hand strokes and soothes her back and long damp hair while she she comes down. He gently lifts her off his chest and eases her back against the other end of the massive tub to relax in the steaming orange and lavender scented water. Damon goes to pour himself some more champagne into a champagne flute but finds that the bottle is empty.
"We're out of champagne." He comments.
Ember smiles drowsily. "No, you are out of champagne. I don't like it and it's 7 o'clock in the morning."
Damon leans forward in the water and brushes a kiss over her soft mouth. "I guess that means I should go get more so I can lick it off you." She hums in relaxed agreement and he smirks at seeing her so blissed out and well loved.
"Hmm." With a grin Damon gets out of the bathtub and Ember eyes pop open to watch him.
"You're dripping a little." She mentions watching his firm ass walk away as he leaves soapy footprints on the hardwood floors.
"Mmhm." He walks out of the room and down the stairs towards the wine rack in the kitchen as Elena walks in the front door. Damon comes up behind her with a gleeful smirk "Good morning."
"Hey, I was gonna..." She turns around, and sees Damon naked and he laughs.
"Oh!" Elena turns back around with a huff. "You heard me! You knew that I was here." She realizes.
"Yeah, you should learn to knock. What if I was... indecent?" He mocks as Elena puts one hand over her eyes and with the other hand she grabs a towel and throws it to him as she turns around with one hand still covering her eyes. He a roll of his eyes Damon puts the towel on around his waist and Elena peeks between her fingers to make sure he's covered up. She sees he is and drops her hand from her eyes.
"Sheriff Forbes gave us another location to check." She tells him and pulls a note out of her pocket. "Memphis."
"Another dead-end you mean." He scoffs.
"You don't know that." She objects as he walks up to her.
"You're right, Elena. This could be the one. After almost two months this could be the one clue that tells that Stefan is alive and well and living in Graceland." He takes the note.
"Fine, I'll go by myself." She huffs and starts to walk away.
Damon vamp speeds in front of her and takes the note. "Right, and let Klaus know you're tracking him. He thinks you and Em are dead, that keeps her safe so let's keep it that way."
"It's a new lead Damon; we haven't had one in a while." Elena looks at him hopefully.
"Okay, I'll check it out. If I find anything I'll call you." He promises.
"But..." El begins but Damon walks away. He heads back upstairs and walks into his room and straight to open his closet door where there's a map and a collection of notes. He pins the new note up on the map.
"Elena has a new tip from Liz. They moved on to Tennessee." He calls out to Ember and hears a faint splash and then the sound of her soft footfalls.
"Huh, that Florida victim we were looking into had family in Tennessee." She reminds him coming up behind him to survey the map, a short silk robe hastily tied and clinging to her damp skin.
"Which one? Pensacola?" Damon is completely distracted by her warm wet curves and the way her hastily tied up hair curls around her still flushed face.
"Umhum" she hums pressing a kiss to his shoulder and with a grin he turns and pulls her in for a long kiss.
"Up for a road trip?" He asks.
Ember smiles. "Nope, I have a summer internship to get to that enables me to look up information for you and a birthday party I don't want to get ready for." She pops up on her toes to steal a quick kiss. "But I can see if I can get you an address." They kiss slowly and Damon starts to back her towards the wall untying her robe as they move. "Damon, I need to get ready... ahhhh." Her half hearted protest dies on her lips as Damon pins her wrists above her head causing her back to arch and his head dips and tongue flicks out to tease first one then the other stiff nipple.
"You can be a little late on your birthday right?" Damon asks smugly as Ember whimpers and nods in agreement.
...........................
Somewhere in Tennessee later that day Damon and Alaric pull up to now charming
Looking clapboard farmhouse. Damon's cell phone starts ringing and he checks it then ignores the call.
"Elena?" Ric asks.
Damon gives him a questioning look. "If it was Ember you would have answered." Damon makes a face. "I don't know why you two just don't come clean and tell her where we are. It's weird l, Em hiding stuff from her."
"Because according to Em's source this is barely a half lead and she don't want to get her hopes up." Damon explains.
"Yeah, well they're all half leads, and I'm your accomplice. What do you want me to say to her, I'm practically living there." Ric reminds him.
"Still sleeping on the couch?" Damon asks as they look around the silent front yard.
Ric shakes his head. "You know, I keep waiting for them to kick me out but they don't. I don't know why, it's not like I'm helping or anything."
"Mm-mm." Damon hums in agreement.
"It's quiet." Ric says observers.
Damon nods. "Yeah. Too quiet." As they head inside Damon tests the front door with his foot but nothing is blocking him from walking in. "Oh yeah."
Alaric comes in behind him and closes the door. As they look around there are bloody handprints smeared around the walls. In the living room they find the bodies of the two women sitting on the couch, posed almost as if they were watching TV.
"Ugh. Vampire for sure." Ric observes.
"Stefan, for sure." Damon comments.
"How do you know?" Ric looks confused.
Damon gestures to the two women. "It's his signature; there's a reason they call him the ripper. Feeds so hard he blacks out and rips them apart, but then when he's done, he feels remorse. It's the damndest thing." He lifts his leg and prods the closest woman's knee with his foot. "He puts ithe bodies back together." Her head rolls off and falls to the floor.
"Back together?" Ric looks a little sick.
"Definitely Stefan." Damon nods.
After they poke around a bit Damon goes outside and comes back with a can of gasoline and starts to pour it around the living room.
"What are you doing?" Ric demands.
"Covering their tracks. Clearly they have no interest in staying in the dark, but I do." Damon clarifies and Alaric moves to give Damon more space but the floor creaks. They look at each other suspicious.
"Hang on." Damon puts the tank of gas down and bends over and flips over a corner of the rug covering the floor. There it is a hidden trapdoor leading below the floor and when they open it and can see a room full of chains. "Well, what do you know? Werewolves." Damon hums.
They re-close the door, and Damon lights a match and tosses it on the floor and the whole living room is quickly engulfed in fire.
......................
At the Boarding House Elena has been joined by Caroline and Tyler are decorating for the party.
Elena takes some napkins from Caroline while complaining about the progress of trying to find Stefan. "I feel like I have to fight Damon every single time we get a lead on Stefan." She tells them. "Em tries to tell me some stuff they find but it's even like she's afraid to tell me. What they find. The only reason Stefan left with Klaus was so that he could save Damon's life. I know Damon wants to find him." She thinks aloud.
"Maybe they don't want to get your hopes up?" Caroline suggests. Tyler shrugs his shoulders not offering a opinion just as Elena's phone beeps.
"I missed a call from Bonnie. I'll be right back."
Meanwhile Ember is busy at her summer internship at WPKW news with Aunt Jenna's friend Andie. They had reconnected after Jenna's funeral and the reporter had helped her get the internship, it hadn't been to hard a sale for the producers since Ember's grades were outstanding. The two of them had even had a giggle remembering how earlier this year Andie had fitted with Damon and Ember had gotten incredibly jealous.
"Here is your brief on your interview for tonight, your dry cleaning is in your dressing room and your mom called and I left your messages on your desk." Ember hands Andie the folder with a smile.
"Are you sure you have to go back to school soon? I honestly don't know what I'm gonna do with out you." The reporter tells her.
Em blushes. "Unfortunately I think I might need to finish my senior year. But I can't think you enough for the opportunity Andie! I've loved working here and you have been so much help looking for Damon's brother this summer."
"Even after you head back to school let me know if I can help with that anymore. Anything for you and Elena. Now, I believe you gave a party to go get ready for?" She asks archly knowing Ember hates crowds.
"Fine!" Em rolls her eyes. "Are you still coming by after the show?" Andie starts to protest but Ember insists. "Please! It's my party so I get to invite who I want and I would love for you to come!!"
Andie smiles at her. "Then I will be there." She gives her a quick hug. "Now, out of here, and Happy Birthday!"
.....................
That evening at the Salvatore Boarding House
Ember and Elena are getting ready in Stefan's room. Ember is wearing a long flowing black dress while Elena's is a short white babydoll. For once Ember's hair is down and loose hanging in long soft waves down her back. Elena is standing in front of the mirror looking at her reflection and Ember comes up to her side and hugs her. They look at each other in determination to get through tonight.
"El, I know your getting frustrated, but we're gonna find him... I promise." Ember tells her.
"I know, I just feel frustrated that none of the leads have gone anywhere. But I know Damon is trying, and I appreciate everything you have done to help follow up on them this summer." Ember and Elena hug again.
"I'm glad you and Damon are getting along better too." Ember tells her with a giggle. Over the summer despite Damon keeping a lot of the more grisly details of Stefan's actions from Elena the two of them had sort of bonded over Stefan's disappearance. They all missed the younger Salvatore brother a lot and while Damon still loved to tease and torment El their interactions now were more like a brother and sister who loved each other but drove each other crazy.
"Don't you two look pretty." Damon comments from the doorway. He walks up to Ember and kisses her forehead softly with a wink before turning a curious look at Elena.
"Don't worry I'm not gonna lose it. At least not before the cake." She promises.
Damon shrugs. "It's your party, you can cry if you want to." He walks over to the table and picks up a picture of Elena and Stefan. "Ah, Stefan. Such a pack rat." He looks at Ember and she nods with a grin.
"I got you something." He announces. "Don't worry. I didn't pay for it."
"You stole it?" Elena looks alarmed.
Damon rolls his eyes. "No!" He holds up a little box. "Found it." He opens it and reveals her necklace from Stefan.
"My necklace. I thought I'd never see it again." Elena breathes.
"Alaric found it in his loft, thought you'd be happy to have it back." Damon tells her.
"I am happy, Thank you." She looks at Ember who is beaming at the two of them. "Can you?" She asks her sister.
Elena turns around and she pulls up her hair so Ember can do up the clasp. They turn and Damon offers a arm to each of them.
"Shall we?" He offers.
Each one of them takes one of his arms and they walk out of Stefan's room and downstairs where the party is underway. They house is full and Ember clutches his arm tighter hating the crowd and noise.
They make it to the living room where there are a lot of people and a girl none of them recognize goes past them with a bottle of very expensive scotch in her hand. Damon stops her.
"Oh, hey, hey, hey, hey. You don't want that." He leans in and compels her. "You want the cheap young stuff over by the cheap young people."
Elena and Ember snicker as she walks away and Caroline comes running up to them.
"You like?" She asks but before they can respond blurts out. "Don't answer that."
"This is keeping it small?" Elena asks as Caroline just keeps on smiling. Elena sighs. "What are we drinking?" They go away arm in arm and Ember turns to Damon.
"So do I rate the good stuff or do I have to drink the cheap young stuff over by the cheap young people?" She teases and gives a little yip when Damon wraps a hand and around the back of her neck and pulls her to his chest.
"Oh Princess, you are priceless." He kisses her softly and Ember melts into him and clings to his shoulders till he pulls back with a smirk. "Come on, let's go get you a drink." He grabs he hand and pulls her towards the liquor cabinet.
After getting her alcohol they end up outside on the porch, Damon and Alaric are talking while Ember listens to the music swaying to the beat.
"I am every parent's worst nightmare. I am the chaperone teacher from hell." Ric looks around at the loud party.
"I love high school parties." Damon grins watching Ember dance around.
"There is probably something about that statement I should find creepy." Ember pipes up. "At least your not the weird girl hanging out with the old guys cause she doesn't like parties... or people..." Ember comments and then giggles as Damon makes a playful swat at her ass.
"Your not weird." He protests. "But you are totally going to pay later for the old guy comment."
"Promises, promises." She taunts. "And I am weird, but it's ok, because apparently weird is your thing." She dances up to him and steals a quick kiss.
"Isn't your sorta friend/boss/Jenna's friend from school supposed to be coming by? Then you'll have someone other than us 'old guys' to hang out with." Ric asks with a smile.
"Ten o'clock show, she should be here in a little bit. I can't wait for you guys to get to know Andie! She has been the best this summer!" Ember tells him as Elena comes storming out.
"Hello Birthday Girl!" Ric declares.
"Drink!" She holds out her arm and takes Ember's glass. "Jeremy's smoking again." She declares and Ember's eyes go wide with worry as Elena takes a drink.
"Is his stash any good?" Damon as flippantly. Both twins give him a angry look.
"Don't be an ass." Ember scolds as Elena looks at Alaric.
"Talk to him, please. He looks up to you." She puts the glass back in Ember's hand and walks away.
Damon looks at the history teacher. "You're screwed."
.....................
At the WPKW studio Andie is talking on her phone. "Yeah, Uh huh. Uh huh. Uh huh. Okay, I, I am the last person here again." She tells whoever is on the other line. "Dave, please can we do this in the a.m.? I have a party I have to get to, and you gotta get a life! Okay, all right. Bye, bye."
She walks into the dark studio and picks up her bag and a small brightly wrapped gift for Ember and turns to leave when suddenly a bright spotlight comes on blinding her.
"Hello? Not cool. My retinas are burning." She steps out of the light but the it moves and shines on her again. "Okay, Okay. Seriously who... What the hell are you doing?" There's no answer when the light turns off.
"Hello? Hello?" Andie looks around worried and starts to turn for the exit but falls over a cord. The light comes back on and a person walks in front of it. Scared she gets up and tries to run but a man is suddenly in front of her.
She recognizes him from all the investigating she has done for Ember. "Ohh! Stefan!? Oh my god! Your Stefan! We have been looking everywhere for you, what are you doing here?" She rambles clearly still freaked out. He doesn't answer but is watching her silently. "Stefan?" Red floods his eyes and his veins go black.
.......................
At the Salvatore Boarding House, Alaric is sitting and drinking. A few steps away Ember has persuaded Damon to come dance with her. Despite the fast beat of the music inside they are slowly swaying and staring into each others eyes. Ric is pretty sure the site of them would be enough to make him want to stab out his eyes if they weren't so damn adorable and happy.
Ember's phone is on the half wall next to him and buzzes suddenly. He glances down and catches the name on the text. "Hey Em, I think it's your friend Andie." He holds the phone out.
Ember pulls away from Damon and takes her phone with a thank you. She reads it and looks up at Damon worried. "Oh No! She's having car trouble! Could we run get her?" She asks glancing up at Damon.
Damon smirks. "Like I can tell you no." He replies and fishes his keys out of his pocket.
She batts her eyes at him playfully. "Your kinda awesome for a moody, slightly psychotic, way to old for me, vampire boyfriend."
He leans down and steals a quick hard kiss. "You forgot amazing in bed." He reminds her. "Beside, your 18 now, no longer jail bait."
Ric groans in disgust making Damon snicker. Ember turns to him with a apologetic smile. "Sorry Ric, can you let El know we will be right back and hold the fort down?"
"You mean the fort full of my drunk history students?" He asks.
"Drink more, you will feel less weird." Damon advises and pulls Ember with him to head towards his car
Upstairs Elena wanders into Damon's room looking for her sister.
"This room's off limits!" Some one calls out and Elena turns around and sees Caroline in the bathroom holding a blood bag.
"Caroline?" Elena asks worriedly
"Sorry." She puts the bag down. "I just needed to take a beat." She walks up to Elena. "Are you hiding?"
"I was just looking for Em and Damon."
Elena confesses.
"Well, they better be here somewhere because we haven't even done the cake yet." Caroline frowns.
Elena grimaces. "I think I'm gonna pass on the whole cake thing."
"What? no, no way, no! It's your birthday! You know it's the dawn of a new day and, you can't get on with your life until you have made a wish and blown out the candles." Caroline explains.
Elena frowns. "Is that what you all want me to do? Just get on with my life?" She asks.
"No... Maybe... I just don't think anyone wants to see you like this." Caroline explains awkwardly.
"I'm not gonna give up on finding Stefan, Caroline." Elena insists.
"Of course not. And you shouldn't, but you have to admit that you kinda just letting your life pass you by. And isn't Stefan the one who wanted to make sure that you lived it?" The blonde asks.
"You want me to make a wish? I just wanna know that he's alive. That's it! That's my wish." Elena tells her sadly and starts to walk away but notices Damon's closet door is open just a little bit and that the door and walls are covered in papers and maps. She walks up slowly and opens it.
"I'm sorry, okay. I'm just drunk and dumb tonight. Wait, what are you doing..." Caroline asks.
Elena sees all the notes and maps and articles that Ember had found this summer for Damon. He had clearly been searching for Klaus and Stefan. Caroline comes up behind her.
"What's all that?" Caroline asks.
There are post it notes in not only Damon's handwriting but clearly Embers as well. On the door can there is a post-it note with "Klaus" and a newspaper article cutout with the heading "DNA found at campsite" just below it is another newspaper article cutout with the heading "Man vanishes Friday night".
"It's Klaus. Damon and Ember have been tracking him without me." Elena realizes.
"Why wouldn't they just tell you?" Caroline asks.
More articles are cutout with the heading "Body Discovered at Drive-In" and a post-it note with "Stefan" and "Neck wounds" written on them can be seen.
"I don't know." Elena whispers but is very afraid she does know.
....................
At the television studio Ember has gone in to find Andie while Damon takes a look at her car.
His phone starts ringing. It's Elena and he grimaces. "Party Central."
"Where are you and Ember!" She demands sounding angry.
"Umm, by the... punch bowl." He guesses.
"Don't do that Damon, don't lie to me! I saw your closet." She snaps.
"Oh... Oh, I gotta, gotta go break up beer pong." Damon hangs up and look towards the building. Ember should be back by now.
Inside Ember is using her phone flashlight so she can see since all the lights are already off. Andie isn't in her office or dressing room so she heads towards Studio 3 where she films. Her light sweeps across the floor and stops when she spots Angie's purse on the floor.
A chill runs up her spine. "Andie!?" She feels his presence behind her and Stefan grabs her arms wrenching them behind her back and wrapping his hand around her throat.
"Hey Em." He whispers and Ember's blood runs cold. His voice sounds so wrong and unfeeling.
"Stefan. Please don't go this." She begs.
His head turns towards the door as he hears something to faint for her human ears.
Damon is wandering the halls looking for Ember and follows the faint sound of her heartbeat towards the studio. He enters and notices the purse and looks up. "Stefan."
Stefan is standing in the middle of the studio with Ember in front of him. His hand is wrapped threateningly around her slender neck and he has her arms pinned behind her back so she can't use her powers. "Hello brother."
Damon swallows hard, his eyes moving over Em to make sure she hasn't been hurt. She seems fine but is clearly afraid. "You don't write, you don't call."
"I Need you two to stop following me. It's causing problems." Stefan tells him.
"With who? Klaus? Are we supposed to care with he thinks?" Damon asks very slowly coming closer.
"What you're supposed to do is let me go." Stefan insists.
"Saw your latest artwork in Tennessee. Walking a fine line there my friend. Keep that up and there will be no saving you." Damon warns.
Stefan smiles and Ember gasps as his hand tightens around her throat making Damon stop in his tracks. His not restricting her air, not yet but the threat is there.
"See the thing is, I don't need any saving. I just want you both to let me go." Stefan leans down and whispers into Ember's ear. "I need you to convince them both that it's the best thing to do Em."
"I can't do that Stefan. She waiting at home for you. Just please come home with us and we will figure the rest out." Ember pleads. "We all miss you."
Stefan nods. "I'm sorry Em. I hate to ruin your birthday. But apparently, I haven't made my point. Hey, Andie you still there?" He calls out and looks up moving Ember's head so she does as well.
Andie is standing on a ledge up in the rafters. Her voice sounds terrified.
"Ember? I can't move. He told me that I can't move."
"No, no, no, it's okay, Andie. Stay calm." Ember shrieks and tries to struggle but Stefan tightens his hold oh her wrists till she whimpers in pain. "Damon! Please? Please get her down from there" she cries.
Stefan's eyes dart to Damon and he shakes if head. If Damon moves towards Andie he will hurt Ember. "You have such a big heart Em. You love so easily. It was so easy to find someone you care about. I guess that's how you can even love monsters like Damon and I."
"Not cool brother!" Damon growls.
"Aw, come on! A little bit cool. Huh?" Stefan taunts. "Hey, Andie. You can move now."
"No! No, no, no, no, no NO!" Ember screams as Andie steps off the landing and drops.
Stefan let's her go and vamp speeds to grab Damon and pushes him against the wall so he can't try to catch Andie. She hits the ground and the sound of her neck snapping is audible. Like he knew she would, Ember rushes to her side to try to heal her.
Stefan grabs Damon around the neck. "I said let me go. Before I have to hurt her next time. You should stop her before she hurts herself trying to heal someone whose already gone." He lets Damon go and Damon speeds runs over to Ember. Her palms are glowing as she tries to heal her friend but she's already dead. Damon looks back but Stefan is gone. He grabs Ember's hands and she tries to fight him for a moment but collapses into his chest sobbing.
.....................
Damon enters the still raging party with Ember tucked under his arm. She is dazed and her eyes are puffy and red. A clearly tipsy Caroline passes by being led by Tyler and presses a bottle against his chest and he takes it.
"Hey! You two missed the cake." She leaves and Damon looks around at the party, puts the bottle on the table next to him and then scoops Ember up in his arms and walks away.
Damon enters his bedroom. Elena's there and holds up a bunch of newspaper cuttings.
"What? What are you doing here?" He growls.
"Why didn't you tell me? Why did you keep it a sec.,." She turns around and sees Damon is carrying Ember and drops the pages immediately worried about her obviously distressed sister. "Oh my god! What happened?"
Damon deposits Ember in the bed and moves to slip her shoes off. Ember curls into a little ball and looks off in to space still in shock. "Can we not do this right now? I'm having a really bad night." Damon asks.
Elena looks at him. "What the hell is going on? What happened to Ember? Where were you two? All summer, every single time I came to you with a lead, you made me feel like an idiot for having hope. And Ember kept it from me! Now you come home with her in this shape!"
"You were an idiot. We all were." Damn tells her sounding furious and broken at the same time and moves to brush Embers hair back from her face.
"Tell me what you know, Damon." Elena demands.
Damon sighs. "I know you need to go shut down this party, Elena and then help me take care of your sister.
"We're supposed to be in this together. What aren't you telling me? Is this about Klaus's victims?" Elena guesses.
"They're not Klaus' victims, Elena, they're Stefan's!" He yells and she steps back.
"What?" She gasps.
"He's left a trail of body parts up and down the eastern seaboard. And tonight he added Ember's friend Andie to the list to make a point." Elena goes pale.
She shakes her head. "No. You're wrong."
"I've seen it happen before. He's flipped the switch. Full-blown ripper." Damon tells her coldly.
"Stop it, Damon." She begs.
"No, you stop, Elena! Stop looking for him. Stop waiting for him to come home. Just stop!" He points at Ember. "Look what he did to Em to prove his point! TO EM!!" His eyes are wide and he looks floored. "Stefan is gone and he's not coming back. Not in your lifetime."
He looks slightly remorseful but can't find any more words to say, so he heads for the door. He stops and looks back at her. "I'll get rid of the party animals. Please take care of your sister for me." He leaves and Elena cries and touches her necklace before turning and laying down in the bed next to Ember and holding her tight.
Down the hall Damon enters Stefan's bedroom where Ember and Elana had gotten ready for the party.. their makeup and hair stuff still everywhere. He looks around and remembers how happy Em had looked earlier and how devastated she was right now and his temper snaps.
He shoves a stack of books off the table. Flips the desk and turns over the bookshelf. He grabs a guitar and starts to smash it but manages to get a hold of himself and puts it down slowly before staggering out of the room.
..................
It's after midnight when Elena lets herself back into the boarding house. Damon had gotten rid of the guests and they had managed to get Ember changed into sleep clothes and settled into a fitful sleep. She can see Damon in the living room cleaning up and walks towards him to help pulling her hair up into a messy bun to keep it out of her face.
She grabs a garbage bag and strays throwing away bottle, cups and plates when she hears her phone ring. Digging it out of her pocket she looks confused at the Unknown Caller on the screen but answers.
"Hello?" There is silence on the other end. "Hello?"
Damon stops cleaning and looks at her curious. "Stefan?"
Damon speeds to her side and listens with her for a response. "Stefan, if this is you, you'll be okay."
Damon and Elena exchange looks. "I love you Stefan. Hold onto that. Never let that go."
On the other side of the phone Stefan stays quiet on the other end of the phone but nods tearfully.