Grayson lounges on Damon's bed as the younger vampire takes a shower, her brown eyes trained on the television. "The authorities believe last night's assailant may also be related to the missing campers and park ranger who have yet to be found, as well as 25-year-old Jessica Cohen," the Hunt sends the Salvatore a pointed look. "-reported missing this morning. The sheriff's department says investigations are pending and no further comment will be made. In related news Mayor Lockwood spoke earlier today..." Damon wraps a towel around himself and stalks into the entrance of his room, his eyebrows drawn together as he glances at the news report.
"Feeling guilty?" Grayson sniffs, her head lolling to the side to aim her gaze.
Damon smiles wryly, "about what?" When the Hunt's lips only quirk up in response, the Salvatore scowls. "If you're already aware of the situation, why even ask?"
Grayson shrugs, "to see if you'll lie to me or not."
"Well," he strolls further into his room and toward his dresser. "I guess you got your answer, didn't you?"
"Guess I did," she hums.
·······
The Hunt girl couldn't care less. As she sits at Stefan's desk and paints her nails a dark red color, she tries her best to ignore the bickering Salvatore's in her vicinity.
"You brought back John Gilbert?" Damon asks his brother, an incredulous look on his face.
This catches Grayson's attention, an annoyed grunt escaping her lips as she messes up her nail polish from the surprise. Her dark eyes glance toward Stefan and she shakes her head in disappointment. "I don't even have history with the man and even I know not to call him,"
Damon gives Stefan a look that says, 'even the girl who doesn't know John Gilbert, doesn't like John Gilbrrt'. "That was your big 'save Elena' move?"
Stefan sighs, his stance radiating irritation. "I went to go look for Isobel, and I get John instead. He said he can help us, and we're desperate."
Grayson's lips quirk upwards. "On a scale of one to ten, how desperate were we?"
Stefan squints at the older vampire. "Remember that fan fiction you showed me where Harry had never-"
"Okay," Grayson rushes to stop him. Her cheeks flush and she rolls her lips. "I get it,"
Damon makes a face, "We're not that desperate, Stefan."
"Aren't we, though?" The Hunt girl asks as she goes back to painting her nails.
Damon makes a noise from the back of his throat as he shoots Grayson a look, "The guy tried to barbecue me!"
Stefan huffs, "Damon, Bonnie's new witch friend is working with Elijah, so we have to assume that the moonstone was never destroyed. Elena is putting all of her faith into some deal that she made with Elijah to keep everyone safe. I mean, do you trust Elijah?"
Grayson looks up, "sort of." When the two brother's shoot her a look, she shrugs. "He doesn't seem like a man that betrays people much, you know?"
Damon nods sarcastically, "much."
Stefan puts his hands on his hips to make a point, "I don't trust him. He's an Original, he can't be trusted."
"Can you trust me?" Grayson questions snidely. "Elijah and I are essentially the same age, Stefan. So tell me, do you ever wonder if I'll kill you in your sleep, of if I'll plot against you one day?"
"Yes," Stefan replies bluntly.
Grayson stares at him for a second before kissing her teeth. "No objections,"
Stefan nods once, "It's not like we can just go up and kill him, because apparently, he can't die!"
"I'm still waiting for the part where John Gilbert is the answer," Damon tells him.
"He knew about the sacrifice, Isobel told him. He said he knew of a way to keep Elena safe,"
"This is literally the guy that tried to kill all of you," Grayson reminds him.
Ignoring the girl, Damon asks, "And how do we do that?"
"He's not talking," Stefan shrugs. "At least not to me anyway."
"Great work Stefan," Damon says dryly. "Top notch. As if I didn't have enough problems,"
Grayson looks up, her eyebrows drawn together. "As if we didn't have enough problems,"
Damon snorts, "sure."
"Hey, I'm sorry about Rose." Stefan tells the oldest Salvatore abruptly.
Grayson's eyes widen and she gives Stefan a warning look.
"Whatever," Damon brushes it off. "I knew the woman for five minutes."
"And you cared about her after five minutes," Stefan arches a brow. I wonder what that means?"
"It means I care, Stefan. It means I'm changing, evolving into a man capable of greatness." Damon starts, "Better watch your back, because I may just have to go get a hero-hairdo of my own, and steal your thunder."
"Not if I shave your head first," Grayson mutters under her breath.
"I heard that!" Damon yells from down the stairs.
"You were supposed to!"
Stefan makes a frantic movement from where he's standing, causing Grayson to stand up and shuffle over to him. He silently gives her his phone, the words '911 NOW' flashing from their very own Caroline Forbes. Grayson gives him a curt nod, and they both rush out of the room in a speed unknown to humans.
·······
Grayson, careful not to damage her fresh nails, knocks on the door to Caroline Forbes' house. Caroline, as if she had been waiting for them around the corner, opens the door quickly and ushers the two vampires in. Grayson scans the surroundings of the house, her shoulders slumping from their tense stance when she doesn't see any visible danger. "Did you call us here for a threesome?"
Caroline gapes, her cheeks flushing. "Um,"
"What's wrong?" Stefan cuts the blonde off.
Finding it hard to rip her eyes away from Grayson, after a short pause, Caroline replies, "Tyler knows about you, Damon, and Grayson."
Grayson's eyes narrow.
"He knows that Damon killed Mason,"
The Hunt girl leans against the wall, her arms crossed over her chest. "Do you have any good news?"
Caroline smiles meekly, "I didn't say a word."
"Oh." Grayson stares, amused. "I guess it's okay then."
"It's that woman, Jules." Stefan informs the two girls, ignoring the way they were beginning their own conversation. "She had a run-in with Damon,"
"Tyler was so upset," Caroline frowns.
"Naturally," the Hunt girl mutters to herself.
Caroline ignores her. "The look on his face, he was so betrayed."
"Wow, this is bad." Stefan huffs.
"No shit," Grayson remarked.
Caroline's eyes widen, "You're not gonna tell Damon, are you?"
"No!" Stefan exclaims, "He already wants to kill him. He thinks all werewolves should die, and he's not wrong to think that, Caroline. I mean, what if Tyler tries to retaliate? He has every right to. He could get himself killed,"
Grayson grins without speaking, receiving a weak glare from the Forbes.
"Well, we're not gonna let that happen. We have to get to him and reason with him before he does something stupid. You have to talk to him. Just try to explain, you know? You always know the right things to say, okay? He and I...we're friends,"
Grayson's phone beeps with an incoming message and the girl groans loudly, letting her head fall back with a thump against the wall. Ignoring the curious looks from her fellow blood-suckers, she checks the notification and as expecting,
Damon: 'Gilbert's house. Now.'
Without another word to Stefan or Caroline, she's out the door and rushing over to Elena's.
········
Miraculously, Grayson makes it to the Gilbert residence in seconds, her breaths coming out in quiet huffs. Her eyes flick from Damon to the front door, squinting at the man when he just stares at her blankly. "What?"
"Why are you panting?" He questions.
"Why are you lurking?" She shoots back.
The two vampires have a staring match for another few seconds before the Salvatore swiftly opens the front door and stalks in. "Where's John?"
Grayson closes the door behind her, folding her arms over her chest and waiting for Elena to explain what's going on.
"He's not here, he left." The Gilbert sighs, "I don't know where he went. He just blew in, announced to Jenna that he's my dad, and then took off."
"Wait," Grayson's arms fall limp and an amused smile plays on her lips. "John's your Dad?"
Elena blinks, then glances at Damon. "Do you not tell her anything that goes on?"
Damon shrugs, "I didn't know it was supposed to be public knowledge."
Elena scoffs, "Apparently it is."
"Are you okay?"
Grayson gives Damon a dry look.
"Yeah," the Gilbert replies. "Jenna's head spinning, but I'm okay."
Grayson furrows her brows, "did he say what he was doing here?"
"No," Elena replies. "You know, Stefan thinks that he's telling the truth about wanting to help me."
Damon shuffles closer to the girl and Grayson looks away, feeling as if she was intruding.
"Do you believe him?" Damon murmurs.
"No, I don't believe him for a second."
"Me neither,"
"What are we gonna do?"
"Kill him,"
Grayson's head snaps up at that, her eyes wide. "I don't think-"
Damon turns to leave, pausing when Elena sighs out his name.
"I'm joking," he defends himself. "Okay, I'm a little serious."
"Damon!"
"I'm not gonna hurt him, Elena."
Grayson feels a small smile quirk at her lips, her head tilting at the softness radiating from Damon as he looks at the Gilbert.
"I'm the good guy now, remember?"
"What does that mean?" Elena asks, confused.
"I'm gonna have a civil conversation with your father,"
He saunters out of the door without another word, leaving Grayson and Elena to scramble after him.
········
Grayson trudges behind Damon and Elena as they burst into The Grill, letting the two be as close as they wanted. A little too close for someone who's dating Damon's brother, but it's none of her business.
Elena presses her side against Damon, looking over her shoulder to glance at Grayson as well. "We just need answers," she informs the two vampires. "Please don't do anything stupid."
"Yeah, but stupid is so much more fun." Damon all but whines.
"Damon, I mean it. All I'm asking is you try to keep it together," she softens her approach. "Be the better man."
Grayson squints at the space between Damon and Elena but quickly sobers up when Damon sighs and says, "Okay then."
Without a moment's hesitation, the trio join John- who looks as if he's harrassing Jenna and Alaric.
"John, buddy, how have you been?" Damon asks politely, being the better man.
"I've been all right, Damon." It's clear the Gilbert man can see right through Damon's facade, but he says nothing about it. "It's good to see you."
Awkward silence ensues between the group of people, Grayson being the one to curse under her breath and mutter something about getting a drink before stalking off.
········
Grayson innocently shuffles over to the candle light vigil, picking up one of the sticks and lighting a few candles with it. The Hunt feels John's eyes on her from a few feet away but she ignores it until Damon saunters up, a smirk gracing his lips. "So, John. Rumor has it that you know a lot, and won't say anything."
"How do I know you can be trusted, Damon?"
Grayson squints at John's smug tone, her grip tightening on the wooden lighter.
"Originals can compel vampires," John continues. "And, according to Stefan, that's why Katherine's still in the tomb, because an Original has compelled her to stay there."
"Only because all of the vervain had left her system," Damon drawls. "Stefan and I, on the other hand, are chock full."
By the silence ringing in the air, Grayson can tell John is shocked. Her lips quirk into a proud smile, and she begins lighting the candles again.
"You guys are drinking vervain?" John questions after a moment.
"It's an acquired taste," Damon's eyes dart to John's finger. "I don't see that magic little ring on your stitched finger-" he means impossibly close. "-so if you know something about Klaus, you better start talking, or I will kill you in your sleep."
John pulls away from Damon, a blank look on his features. "Is that any way to convince me that you and I are on the same side? First, I need to know that I can trust you, Damon, that I can count on you. Then we'll talk,"
When John walks away, Grayson takes her chance and lunges forward. "Damon," she gets his attention. "That was incredibly gay."
··········
Grayson leans against the bar post with Elena, her eyes trained on Damom and the woman that's trying to pick him up. Grayson side eyes Elena, humming when she sees the off-put look on the dopplegangers face. "He's not going to go for her,"
Elena's head snaps over to the Hunt. "Who, Damon?"
Grayson rolls her eyes. "Yes, Damon. He's not going to go for her right now, at least."
A small part of Elena deflates and Grayson smiles gently, happy that Elena's allowing herself to be vulnerable to Damon's feelings.
"Why?" Elena asks, her voice small.
"Because you're here,"
The two girls simutaneously turn in Damon's direction, watching as he walks away from Andie with a tight smile. He approaches Elena and Grayson with raised eyebrows, silently asking what they're doing.
"You totally blew her off," Elena blurts.
"I'm steering clear of all women at the moment," he replies.
"You didn't have to be rude,"
A dry smile arises on Damon's face. "Trust me, it's in the best interest of women everywhere."
Before Grayson can scold him for self-depricating, Elena's phone rings and she hurries to answer it. "Stefan? What is it?"
With one look, Grayson's face falls and she's urging the two into the bathroom.
·········
Grayson wraps her arms around herself, her lips pulled into a frown because of the scolding look Damon's sending her.
"Why am I just finding out about this now?" He questions.
"Stefan was worried that you--"
"That I'll what?" Damon cuts Elena off. "That I'd kill him? Of course, it's what's need to happen,"
"I don't like Lockwood either," Grayson says, her voice small and timid. "But he's just a kid, Damon. He has a life to live."
Elena nods in agreement, "Do whatever you need to do to get Caroline back but just leave Tyler out of it, okay?"
"Why?" The Salvatore scoffs, "He's a werewolf, he needs to die. I'm willing to kill him, it's win-win."
Elena shuffles forward and touches Damon's arm, her wide eyes pleading with him. "Damon please, okay? Too many people are dead,"
"You need to stop doing that," Damon demands.
"Doing what?" The Gilbert removes her arm, subconsciously knowing that Damon's frustrated with her actions.
"Assuming that I'll play the good guy because it's you who's asking,"
Elena purses her lips, "Be the better man, Damon."
Grayson sinks her teeth into her bottom lip, trying not to snap at either one of them. The Hunt thought they had better things to do, like save Caroline. Just as she's ready to speak up, John Gilbert saunters into the bathroom.
"Do you mind?" Damon asks rudely.
"What's going on?" He asks, seeing Grayson's distraught face.
"Nothing," Elena brushes him off.
"It doesn't look like nothing,"
Damon finally snaps, "Well guess what John, trust works both ways. Get out,"
"Look, we don't have time for this." Elena begins to say.
Grayson raises her eyebrows. "You couldn't have come to that conclusion before you wasted time pleading with Damon,"
Elena ignores the Hunt, "We need to get Caroline back."
"We don't need to do anything," Damon voices. "I'll take care of it." He turns to John, his eyes sharp. "First dad duty: ground your daughter. Keep her here,"
Grayson sends a fleeting look to Elena before following Damon out of the bathroom.
·········
Grayson rests against a tree, her head angled toward the sky to look at the stars. Her eye twitches when Jules' voice rings out, "I know you're out there."
Stefan rounds one of the trees with Tyler in hand, his forehead wrinkled with worry lines. "Where's Caroline?" He demands to know.
"Locked up tight," Jules snarks.
"Let her go, and I'll release Tyler," he tells her. "It doesn't have to get any messier than it already has. I'm not your enemy, Jules."
"It's a little late to be waving the white flag, don't you think?"
"You need to leave town," Stefan says. "No one else has to get hurt."
"I'm not leaving without Tyler,"
"Tyler is free to make his own decisions, as soon as you release Caroline."
Damon, opposite the tree from Grayson, wiggles his eyebrows and signals with his head for her to follow him. "My brother the peacemaker," he announces his presence. Grayson lingers behind him but her aura is just as threatening. "Since Stefan got here before me I'm gonna let him try it his way before I resort to my way, which is a little bloodier."
Grayson looks at the werewolf and lazily says, "So give us Caroline."
"Let go of Tyler,"
"Give us Caroline," Damon grumbles. "Without a full moon it's not an even fight and you know it. We will take you,"
"I'm not so sure about that, tough guy." Jules whistles and the rest of her pack spawns out of no where, all holding weapons including stakes, cross-bows, and a flame thrower.
"Let's try this again," Jules looks smug. "Give us Tyler,"
Damon and Stefan look unnerved, but Grayson's face stays blank. Damon, obviously threatened, glares at Tyler. "You heard her. Go. Get over there,"
Tyler scampers over to the blonde like a scared puppy, standing behind her as if she could protect him. A werewolf that Grayson didn't recognize, steps forward with a dark look. "Which one of you killed Mason?"
On a whim, Grayson plasters a smirk on her lips. "Uh, that would be me." She waves her fingers and cocks her head condescendingly. "He just couldn't seem to stop following his heart, so I, uh...ripped it out."
Grayson can feel the rage rolling off of Damon in waves but that doesn't stop her from sending him a reassuring look.
"Boys," the same man from before growls. "Make sure that one suffers."
Damon looks between Stefan and Grayson, "We can take them."
"I don't know about that," Stefan mumbles.
Damon, now glaring at his pessimistic brother, shrugs. "Well then..."
Damon rushes over to Jules, officially starting the fight. Not worried if the two boys can hold their own- because she's positive they can- Grayson waits for the boys the werewolf instructed to come for her. There are only two, which Grayson's not impressed with. They come one by one, the first thinking running toward her head on would be a good idea. The Hunt easily dodges him but a few more times of playing tag and she gets frustrated, waiting for him to make contact with her. Her fingers wrap around his wrists and she easily crushes the bones between her hands, prying the dagger he held in his palm.
Hearing Damon's cry of pain, Grayson whips around and finds the Salvatore pinned to the top of the RV. Her eyes go wide and she feels her blood surge, her panic for Damon overwhelming her fear of death. It takes a short second for Grayson to begin sprinting, lunging toward the top of the RV with a snarl aimed at the werewolf- who currently had his hand in Damon's chest.
Her arm comes down instinctively, the dagger lodging itself inside the wolf's spine. He slumps over, a quick death, his body pinning Damon. Grayson's hand yanks itself from the knife, her eyes trained on the dead body at her feet.
"Grayson," Damon breathes as he scrambles away from the wolf. He shuffles toward the Hunt, cradling her face between his palms in order to make her look away. "Grayson, sweetheart, why did you-"
A commotion happens beneath them but Grayson's eyes- filled with unshed tears- stay focused on Damon. "He was going to kill you,"
Shock flickers in Damon's eyes but their moment is quickly over when the werewolves scream in pain, dropping one by one with their hands over their ears. Damon jumps down from the RV, Grayson's trembling form wrapped in his arms. It was clear he didn't trust her to stand on her own, and so he held her weight for the time being.
"What's happening?" Caroline- who looked exhausted- asks.
"What the hell is going on?" Tyler chimes in.
Grayson watches silently, the side of her head pressed against Damon's chest, taking comfort in the steadiness of his heartbeat. Her interest peaks when Jonas Martin appears, his hands held high and incantation slipping through his lips. "Elijah made a promise to Elena," he says suddenly. "I'm here to see it's upheld. You need to go. Get out of here. Now."
Damon tightens his grip on Grayson and uses his speed to get them out of the forest, quickly stopping where it's safe. He pulls her back from his chest, frowning when he sees the crocodile tears rolling down her cheeks. "Grayson, I-"
"I know I've killed someone before," she croaks. "I'm a thousand years old, I had to have killed someone, but-"
"It's okay," Damon hushes her. "I know you don't remember, and you don't have to try to remember, okay? We can just sit here-" he cuts himself off when Grayson buries her face in his chest with an awful sob. "-however long you want. Even if it's all night."
Grayson shakes her head, Damon's shirt clenched between her shaking fists. "Take me home, please. I just want to go home,"
And when Grayson doesn't protest it when he brings her to the Boarding House, he squeezes her with a soft smile and lets her cry for as long as she wants.
··········
thank you all for sticking with me even though i haven't updated in forever. i hope you liked this chapter, although it was not edited. love you bunches,
madds.