Chapter Seventeen
Stefan was at the bar with Caroline, going through with his plan. I was doing my part by being nowhere around. Elena was inside looking for Bonnie who we both couldn't get in touch with. We thought maybe she left. But figured she wouldn't leave without saying goodbye. So while my twin searched inside I stood outside by one of the side exits, hoping to catch her if she did try to leave.
I stood leaning against the wall, playing iPhone games with Jeremy. I tried calling Tyler but he didn't pick up. So I left him a voicemail: "hey. I'm sorry about tonight. It was awkward. And uncomfortable... Stefan shouldn't have spoken to you like that. But, um, thanks for sticking up for me. I needed that. Uh, let's talk about this later so I can I'll fill you in on tonight, haha. Okay? Um, yeah, bye."
The door to my left burst open. By itself. I nearly dropped my phone in shock. But thankfully held onto it while Bonnie stormed out. "Bon?" I called worriedly, shoving my phone in my pocket and walking towards her. "What's wrong?"
"Him," she growled, slow tears falling as she jerked her thumb over her shoulder. I looked in the direction to see Damon and Kai standing right past the threshold. "And him."
"What happened?" I asked her as she started walking away, quickly.
"Just leave me alone, Kenzie," she said.
"No. Wait," I frowned, reaching out to grab her by her arm as she was a few steps ahead of me. I retracted my hand immediately upon touch because she burned me. "Fuck!" I hissed at my sizzling hand.
Then she took off in a jog. Oh, no. I was not running after her. Run? Disgusting. And not while she was angry. I didn't want to get burned again. "Ugh, what did you do?" I spat, looking away from my healing hand and at Damon who was finally coming outside.
"Kai wanted to apologize to Bonnie," he told me.
"As if that would fix anything," I scoffed, rolling my eyes in disbelief. Then I shot Kai a dirty look. "She is traumatized. She has been jumpy all day. I think this party was a terrible idea to bring her to. Whatever PTSD she has is probably his fault. So why would you—?"
"Kai is blackmailing me," Damon said. "Look, I'll fix this, kitten."
"You better because Bonnie is our best friend. She needs us to be there for her."
"And I will be," he promised.
"Then go," I said while narrowing my eyes on Kai still hiding in the shadows. Damon took off and I headed towards the psychopath. "What are you holding over Damon?" I questioned angrily, yanking him from inside the party to outside where he could hear me properly.
"N-Nothing," he stuttered.
"Liar," I said, letting him go.
"Kenzie, I would willingly leave this party with you. You don't have to be so rough," he smirked.
"You repulse me," I reminded him.
"Look, I was just trying to apologize to Bon for everything I had done in the prison world."
"Don't call her that."
He rolled his eyes, "I am sorry. I've changed. You know that."
"I know what you're capable of. I know how you gave me nightmares after you tortured me. I know you say you've changed. But somehow trying to force someone to forgive you, someone hurting and fragile like Bonnie who is adjusting to being alive again... doesn't sound like a good, changed man. It sounds like Kai the sociopath."
"But I helped you once!"
"You owed me!" I retorted.
"And I'm trying to pay you all back. I asked Damon to bring me to see Bonnie cause I was full of guilt. She didn't want to see me but I couldn't wait—"
"Exactly. That's selfish."
"But I'm going to help Damon with his mom."
"With his what?" I gasped.
"Bonnie recorded his mom on video when she was escaping the prison world."
"His mom is in the prison world?"
"There's multiple prison worlds. Yes, his mom is in one. I guess Bonnie crossed over somehow when she went traveling the world to escape."
"Wait. So Damon and Stefan's mom is alive?"
"Mhm," he hummed, smiling. "Damon even pulled out her empty casket today cause he didn't believe me when I said she was in a prison world in 1903."
"Whoa, wait a minute. Slow down. 1903? Um... Stefan was 17 when he turned in 1864... His mom died when he was 11. Uh... what's that? 18....58," I said after counting down on my fingers the 6 year difference. "Yeah, so she died in 1858 of consumption. How could she be in a 1903 prison world? Wouldn't she be like 70, what could your family have trapped her for? Knitting?" I questioned, furrowing my brows.
"Like I explained to Damon she wouldn't be in her 70s if she were like you all."
"A vampire?" I asked, crossing my arms. "What? No. And she what? Abandoned her kids? Left them to be abused by Giuseppe? No. She wouldn't do that. Stefan loved her. Said she was the greatest. She loved her sons."
"Well, that's what she did," Kai said. "She turned. So she left them. And then wrecked havoc. You want to know why Stefan is a ripper? Blame his mommy."
"What?" I asked, blood running cold. "Sh-she was a ripper? She was a vampire? Are you serious?"
"Yeah, Kenzie. I'm dead serious," Kai stated. I went to ask more when Elena decided to join us.
"What is he doing here?" She growled.
"I was just leaving," Kai said.
"Wait," I frowned. "I need to know more—"
"You and Damon both. I'll explain later," Kai told me and then he walked away. Reluctantly, I let him. I didn't want to tell Elena what I just found out. And I surely didn't want to chance Stefan overhearing. I needed to talk to Damon.
"What was that about?" Elena asked me as I stated at his retreating back. I was itching to know more. How could Lily Salvatore abandon my Stefan? How could she leave her sons? Her two good boys alone with a monster?
"I don't know," I lied. "He was vague and didn't explain himself. But... enough of that. What's going on inside?"
Elena gave me a weird look, glancing back where Kai was disappearing into the night. Then she shrugged it off and looked back at me. "I couldn't find Bonnie anywhere and she's still not picking up the—"
"Oh. Shit. Yeah. She just left all upset. Damon's fixing it," I told her.
"Damon was here?" She frowned and I nodded.
"Yeah, he brought Kai who wanted to apologize to her," I said rolling my eyes. "Didn't go well."
"Go figure," she said sarcastically.
"Hey!" A new voice came. "It worked," my husband said as we turned to face him.
Elena gasped in surprise, "It worked? You're Caroline's emotional trigger?"
Stefan nodded, "I saw it in her eyes. She's still in there. We just have to find her."
"Wait. She's gone?" I frowned and he nodded, taking my hand.
"Stefan, she made it very clear that if we mess with her, she's going to retaliate," Elena said.
"Then we find her, we lock her up, and I push until I break through. I can get her back, girls," he told me and I shook my head.
"Okay. Let's go find her," Elena said.
"What do you mean push until you break through?" I asked him, holding him still before he could run off.
Elena snickered at us. Stefan was saved by the bell as his phone started ringing. He pulled it out and my brows raised in surprise. Enzo. Why was he calling? Oh, god. What more could I pile on? Enzo was hanging around his niece which I've been keeping a secret. And now his mom is alive? The weight on my shoulders was heavy.
But I couldn't break just yet. Stefan and I had to get through this no humanity Caroline business before he could take on what I needed to tell him. Yeah, after Caroline is back to normal we can makeup, make love whatever. Then handle Enzo and then join Damon with finding out about their mom.
"What, you really think I want to hear from you right now?" Stefan answered the called annoyed immediately. Not that I blamed him.
"Aw, is someone having a bad night?" Caroline came through instead of my British friend. My eyes narrowed immediately.
"What are you doing with Enzo's phone?" He asked thankfully while I struggled to bite my tongue. She needed to think he and I weren't together. We were still fighting.
"I stole it, but that's not the question that you should be asking right now. You should be asking, "Why does Enzo have Sarah Salvatore's number in his phone?" Or maybe, "Where is Sarah Salvatore?" And ultimately, "What the hell are you going to do to her, Caroline?"—" Caroline was ranting.
"Hello? Enzo?" Another female voice came through on her line. Oh no. Sarah?
"Over here, love," Caroline said and I nearly tagged at her terrible accent.
"Oh, um, actually, I'm looking for—" Sarah was speaking again.
"Enzo, yeah I heard you. He's not here right now, but I am," Caroline said and Stefan's band began squeezing mine so hard I whimpered.
"Caroline, what the hell are you doing with Sarah?"
"There! An appropriate question," she responded joyfully. "Thank you for asking. As a matter of fact. I'm going to kill her."
Then the call dropped. "Oh, my god," I gasped.
"Who is Sarah?" Elena asked.
"Stefan's niece. Zach's daughter who was put up for adoption by Stefan. After Damon murdered his pregnant girl. Sarah was the baby who luckily survived and Stefan has been hiding from Damon and everyone to keep her safe from vampires. Now here we are," I said.
"Where the hell could she be?" Stefan asked.
"How does Enzo know Sarah then?" Elena asked.
"Remember that girl we hit on the side of the road named Sarah the one Jeremy started hooking up with. She was pretending to be Stefan's niece. And when Stefan tried to get rid of her Enzo got suspicious and Enzo is clever so he figured out there was some truth with fake Sarah and he figured out a real Sarah lived," I rushed out.
"We have to find them!" Stefan snapped.
"We will. Um, scull bar. The cafe. I mean... it's not far. Her dorm is too obvious, right?" I asked frantically. He nodded and then took off.
"If she's there, should you be caught with him?" Elena asked me.
I sighed, "Ugh. I want to say I don't care. He needs me... but you're probably right. You go after him. Call me, let me listen in if you find Caroline. I'll check her dorm just in case."
"Okay," she said and we split up. I took off sprinting... for the first few seconds until I started panting out of breath. How could I be an unfit vampire? Maybe it was a mental thing. Just the idea of working out made me nauseous. I moved to get away from people then used my vampire powers that didn't make me sick.
And as expected her dorm was empty. Bonnie was the only thing here and she was sleeping. So I snuck back out. Where else could I check? Thankfully I didn't have to. Elena was calling.
I answered it quickly and reminded myself not to speak. I didn't want Caroline to know I was involved, in case there was a chance of Stefan breaking through and fixing her.
"Where's Sarah?" I heard Elena ask as I made my way out of the dorm building.
"I see Stefan filled you in on his big secret," Caroline scoffed. "Does Kenzie know too?"
"Where is she, Caroline?" Stefan questioned now s
"Not here. That would be stupid," Care responded. Then she added, "She's with Liam. Say hi!"
"Hello!" I heard Liam more in the distance. On a speaker phone? And he sounded scared.
"Sarah is helping Liam with his surgical skills," Caroline said.
"Please, please don't hurt me," a new voice came. Sarah's. Also more in the distance.
"I don't want to do this!" Liam cried.
"Duh. You're probably gonna get expelled, and then found guilty of murder. That's why I compelled you to do what I wanted," Caroline snorted.
"No! Please! Please!" Sarah's screamed.
"Look, Caroline. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pushed you," Stefan spoke up.
Caroline scoffed, "Obviously. I was pretty clear about that."
"What do you want me to do, Caroline? You want me to leave town, I'll leave town. I'll stay as far away from you as possible. Just please let her go," Stefan begged and my heart clenched.
Think Kenzie. Liam is going to do surgery. He would need tools. But the hospital? Wouldn't that be obvious and in the open? He would get caught. Maybe in his dorm. Yeah that's possible. He took tools to his room. And I don't know his dorm room number. Fuck.
"That's the problem, Stefan. It doesn't really matter how far away you are. You're still you: kind, loyal, who, with one look, can convince me that I'm not crazy. That's the Stefan that I fell for, and that's the Stefan who can bring me back," Caroline said and I scowled.
However I headed to the hospital. Maybe I could find someone that had seen Liam or knew where Liam's dorm was. Or maybe Liam would just be there, if I was lucky.
"Killing Sarah isn't gonna change that," Stefan said, pulling me back from my thoughts.
"I know, that's why I'd rather just change you. Let go of that part of you, Stefan."
"No," I whispered, freezing in place. She wasn't saying what I think she was saying, was she? No humanity Stefan. I couldn't go through that again. Not after him faking his death and these shitty months broken ipZ
"Caroline, what are you talking about?" Elena snapped at her impatientlyZ
If Stefan wants to save Sarah's life all he has to do is shut his humanity off," Caroline said and I moved to a trash can to vomit. I don't know why. Maybe from running earlier. Or all the fear of Stefan possibly flipping the switch to appease her. "Why are you both looking at me like that? Do I need to repeat myself?" Caroline asked. And then I was dry heaving. Probably cause of her stupid voice.
"He is not turning his humanity off," Elena stated. Oh, thank god.
"Elena, Stefan unleashed himself from you years ago and from Kenzie months ago. He can finally think for himself now," Caroline replied.
"It's not gonna happen, Caroline," Stefan said.
Hey Liam?" Caroline called out.
"No! Please! No! No!" Sarah shouted.
"Cut out her spleen," Caroline ordered.
"Caroline!" Elena yelled while I pulled myself and my weak stomach from the trash can. Ew. I was disgusting.
"Relax! She can live without a spleen, you know. It's really the infection you should be worried about," Caroline retorted.
"Please don't hurt me. No! No! No! No!" Sarah yelled in the distance growing louder and louder.
Liam spoke up frantically, "I'm sorry!"
"Hey, Liam? Remember that conversation we had earlier about being honest? Where are you?" Stefan asked, chiming in.
I froze outside of the hospital now. Let's see where he was. "Don't answer him, Liam," Caroline said.
"Whitmore Medical," Liam answered. And just like that I felt better. I pulled the door opened and rushed in. The place pack as usual.
"Hey!" Caroline whined. I finally hung up the phone. They would meet me here to look for them. And I would need the help.
An ambulance had just pulled in and the sirens were louder than hell. Along with all the people rushing the opposite direction of me. I headed I further, beginning to search the usually less packed wing of the hospital. I tried to listen in for Liam or Sarah's screamed but heard nothing but a familiar nurse over the PA system coming in through all the hallways and rooms.
I groaned in annoyance, halting my run down the hall to give a fake smile to the doctors and nurses coming down my way. Once I passed them I rushed forward. I checked every room. Nothing.
"Kenzie?!" I heard a yell as Elena rushed towards me. "I can't find them," she said.
"I checked the West wing. Gonna try the East."
"I already checked," she said.
"Okay, let's head upstairs then," I said. That was the only option. To go up and keep going. She nodded and we took off for the stairs as their were patients crowded around the elevator.
Two floors later, and Elena and I both met at the stairwell. We were on the top floor. "Call Stefan," I told her. Because I was losing hope. We nearly checked everywhere. "Only place left is down... the basement." Elena nodded and we took off.
"Stefan's phone?" Caroline's voice came through.
"Caroline, where are they?" Elena asked as we brush out onto the floor. It was darker up here and thankfully less crowded. I wasn't trying to hear over all the noise and the stupid sound of footsteps.
"Hey. You're gonna be a doctor, right? How long can one live without their heart? Maybe, like, three seconds tops?" Caroline asked my twin.
"She's gonna let her die, Elena," stefan said and he didn't sound good. He sounded weak and hurt. Mainly defeated and out of breath. I wanted to ask if he was okay.
"I can't find them anywhere. We're running out of time!" Elena shouted, opening a door to an empty patient room.
"Tell Kenzie to bring me back," stefan said as I took off down the hall, peeking into all the windows. Most patients were asleep or the rooms were empty.
"What? Stefan, w-what do you mean? Bring you back from where?" Elena was speaking, running after me.
Stefan sighed, "Just remember to tell her Kenzie bring me back."
"No!" I screamed, turning around. "No, no, no, no, no. Stefan! No! Stefan, no!" I shouted, snatching the phone from Elena. "Baby? Please don't!"
Then there was a dial tone. "Stefan!" I croaked.
"No!" Elena hissed. Then a loud crashing of metal came. My eyes widened and in a flash I was at the room, hearing more noise. I kicked the door in and it revealed Liam covered in blood and Sarah on strapped to the table with a cut over her chest.
"Oh, my God," Elena gasped from behind me
"Elena, Kenzie, I'm so sorry. I don't know what I'm doing," Liam said so terrified and on the verge of tears. However I brushed by him, biting into my wrist to feed Sarah.
"Just stop," Elena groaned in frustration, stepping around Liam also.
"I have to take out her heart," he replied. Elena thankfully caught him as he lunged forward. My wrist was pressed to Sarah's mouth as I was forcing her to drink as she was unconscious. Her chest wound quickly healing.
"Ah!" Liam screamed out. I looked over to see she broke his wrist. She gave me a frantic look and a shrug as if she had no other option.
A cough startled me. I pulled my wrist away as I saw Sarah was waking up. "Oh, thank god. It's okay. Everything's gonna be okay," I told her softly, stroking her head with one hand while using my other hand to grab my phone and call Stefan.
Elena moved Liam who was crying, away and then came over to help me by unstrapping Sarah from the table. "Hello?" Stefan answered.
I sighed in relief, "Stefan, hey. Thank God I found her. She's gonna be okay."
"Oh, really?" He asked. Not a sound of relief. Not a tone of interest. He didn't. No, he wouldn't. He wouldn't do that to me. To us. I saved her.
"Stefan, are you okay?" Elena asked, pressing her ear to the other side of my phone.
"Well, I will be in one second," he said and then I heard a small slurp. He was drinking something. Then he sighed. Delighted. "Mmmm... I really needed that."
I passed the phone shakily to Elena. I was in shock. He shit off his humanity. This was it. The last straw. I couldn't... I didn't know how to save him. I didn't have any fight or strength left in me. It felt like my world was falling apart. Again.
"Please don't tell me that you shut it off," Elena said as tears fell from down my face uncontrollably while I remained silent just as he did. "Stefan, don't you dare tell me that you shut it off!" Elena yelled.
"Okay. I won't," he said nonchalantly.
"He shut it off," Caroline said cockily. And she had every right to be. She was victorious. She won. He was the prize and she got him.
I snatched the phone from Elena and threw it as hard as possible at the wall. It broken into a dozen little pieces but that did nothing to quell my rage. I gave my twin a fierce look. "Fix his wrist and compel him to forget this," I instructed her.
Then I turned to Sarah, "are you on vervain?" I asked her and she furrowed her brows.
"On what?" She asked.
"Compel her too. Find her a hospital room. Let's keep her for 24 hours until my blood is out of her system. She's family. And what I'm not gonna let happen is her turn into a vampire after Stefan went through years of protecting her, even if he doesn't care about anything right now."
"Okay," my twin said, going to Liam first. "But are you going to okay?"
"Am I going to be okay? Why wouldn't I be okay? I mean, the love of my just shut off his humanity to run wild with another woman."
"Kenzie—"
"Oh, I'll be fine. After I get even."
"What does that mean?"
I didn't answer her. Instead I left, wiping my face of any tears. I had no time to be sad. I was furious. He fucked up for the millionth time. I was sick of crying over him. I was sick of holding it together.
I was acting too Stefan as if that would fill in the void of him not being here with me. I wasn't being enough of myself. Badass Kenzie who I grew to love. A mix of the happy, rebellious, and lazy human girl I was before my parents died and the confident, strong, and daring vampire I had turned into. It took so long to start loving myself, now this back forward with Stefan was destroying my self esteem and doing nothing for my recovering depression.
No humanity Stefan wouldn't be my problem. I refused to take that on. Someone else would have to fix him. I've done it so many times already. And I've been dealing with a lot this year. Between prison worlds, fake deaths, Gemini twins, Jeremy leaving, vampire hunters, Liz dying and all the drama and secrets in our group of friends I was exhausted.
I still had to deal with Enzo and Sarah later. I had to talk to Kai and Damon about the latter's mother being alive. I needed to check on Bonnie who was clearly not adjusting well. Those are the problems I will deal with. Not Stefan, not Caroline. Ugh! I didn't even believe it myself.
"Your brother turned off his humanity," I texted Damon. And then I turned my phone off. Stefan wouldn't be my problem... at least not tonight.
I impatiently knocked on the door. I knew it was late, but I didn't care. Right now I was angry. And I wanted revenge.
"Kenzie?" Tyler frowned in confusion, rubbing his sleepy eyes. My eyes racked over his nearly naked body. He was just in grey boxers. "What are you doing here?"
"I had a shitty night," I admitted, throwing my hands around his neck. "I want you to make it better."
"Okay," he yawned. He stepped back, wrapping one arm around me. I moved into the dark room with him while he shut the door behind us. "What happened?" He asked, reaching around me to cut on a light.
"I don't want to talk," I said, reaching and cutting the light back off.
"What?" He frowned. I slipped my hand still behind his neck, upward into his silky black hair. "Kenzie... what are you doing?"
"Isn't it obvious?" I chuckled, pressing my forehead to his and placing my other hand on his hot chest.
"No," he said, but I could hear him gulp. And then the light was back on.
"Tyler, I want to have sex with you."
"Why?" He asked, pushing me away finally. "Weren't you with Stefan? You two looked like—"
"Stefan turned his humanity off."
"Oh, shit. Why?"
"Does it matter? I lost him. And I'm tired. Okay? I just... I want to feel good. You make me feel good. And if you don't have sex with me I'll have to find some stranger because I am so sexually frustrated it hurts!" I snapped.
"Angry sex? I'm down," he said, cutting the light off. Then to my surprise he lifted me up. I gasped, wrapping my legs around him. "Oh, it's so much harder to see in the dark when I'm not a werewolf anymore," he mumbled and I laughed.
Then I was tossed on the bed. I gasped in surprise at the sudden roughness. But it was much appreciated. A small swarm of butterflies filled my stomach. But the need in me grew as he slowly climbed over the bed ready to dominate me.
Just as he moved between my legs, pushing my skirt up my thighs, I flipped us over. "I'm in charge tonight," I told him, pressing my hands to his yummy abs. Oh, this was going to be fun.
"Alright," he said, licking his lips. I then tossed off my sequined jacket leaving me in my bra and skirt and sneakers. "Yeah, you got a lot of clothes on," he said, flipping us back so he was on top. "Let me help with that."
I chuckled, rolling my eyes. He moved to take off my shoes and socks for me. Then slid his hands up my legs, under my thighs to grab my ass. "Ty," I whispered, blushing. This was semi-awkward. But the tingling between my legs reminded me of why I wasn't going to stop him or myself.
"Hmmm?" He hummed, his hand now tugging my panties down. And before I even uttered the words to ask, he gave me what I wanted. His lips met mine in a slow, sensual kiss that made my toes curls. Oh, my god he was an amazing kisser.
I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer so our chest pressed together while he inched my skirt down and I struggled, shimmying to help him remove it.
Soon it was gone and we were out of breath. So I flipped us over so I was on top. Tyler's hands brushed along my waist and my flat tummy, brushing the place between my legs. I shivered slightly as he squeezing his fingers under me, to rub the needy bud that drove me wild. I moaned softly, bucking my hips up to allow more room for him to touch me, while I sitting on top of him. "Faster," I begged desperately. "Oh, Ty."
His other hand slid up my stomach and stopped under my lace bralette. "Take this off," he said, voice like I've never heard. Husky and full of lust. I did as he said, yanked it off of me so his large, warm hand could cup my left breast.
"You take this off," I whined, my hands at his waist. He stopped what he was doing to reach behind me, pushing his boxers down and then kicked them off the rest of the way.
"Are you sure, Kenzie?" He asked, sitting up and cupping my face in both his hands.
"Yes," I answered, sliding down his body. I grabbed onto his thick erection and he groaned. "I want this. I want you."
Then he was kissing me. And kissing me. Everywhere. And the rest was history. Rough, loud, fast, sweaty, orgasmic, skin smacking history.
***
I groaned softly at the sunlight blaring onto my face. I cuddled closer into Tyler, trying to hide in his chest. "Good morning," Tyler mumbled, his hand sliding down my back to cup my ass.
"Stop," I whined, blushing.
He chuckled, "not what you said last night."
I rolled my eyes, pulling back from him and pushing both his hands off me. "Morning," I said.
"You want to get breakfast?" He asked me as I got out of his bed, searching for my clothes.
"Maybe after a shower."
He nodded, "why don't you borrow my clothes so you don't have to put that outfit back on?"
"Good idea," I smiled sheepishly. He laughed, getting out of bed. He went to his dresser, tossing me clothes while standing there stark naked without a care in the world. "Um, thanks," I said, quickly pulling them on. "And thanks I guess for last night."
"We both needed to get laid. No thanks necessary."
I nodded. I wasn't sure if this was awkward or not. He wasn't making it weird. But how am I supposed to act after having hot sex with one of my best friends? "Can we get breakfast another day?" I asked him and he raised his eyebrows.
"Kenzie Gilbert passing on food? It's not weird between us now, is it?" He asked, thankfully pulling on boxers.
"No," I said. "Not if we don't make it weird. But I should grab food quick and head to Mystic Falls. I'm going to see Damon."
"Ew. What for?" He asked.
"Uh, to see if he has a plan for Stefan."
"Right back to that, huh?" He smirked.
"This may have been a one time thing," I said, gesturing between us. "I have no idea what happens with Stefan now. Okay? And I really don't want to talk or thinks about it. Besides, Damon and I have another problem."
"What?" He frowned.
"I found him with Kai yesterday. And I wanted answers. So... gotta run," I told him before slipping out his dorm with all my belongings.
I headed my dorm cause I needed shower and then to put on my own clothes so I could stop at Dunkin' Donuts on the way to Damon's. Cause there was so much to discuss. Especially if I tell him what I did last night.
***
"Your mom's a ripper. Yeah. He told me that," I told Damon as we stood in his living room talking about what I found out last night.
"She turned in 1858, faked her death, went to Europe, where she went a little ripper-y I guess. Bodies piled up, she moved, killed some more, until she had to move again," he scoffed. "They think 3,000 in total."
"Jesus," I gasped.
"And, for some reason, the Gemini coven made it their duty to stop her. So, they cut her off at New York Harbor before she could tear through Manhattan. Of course, by the time they got to the ship, they found everybody dead. It was so gruesome they had to burn it there at the harbor," Damon continued filling me in.
"And you're not taking this well," I noted.
"And you haven't called her a bitch yet," he smirked back at me.
"Will that make you feel better? If I told you what I think of her now?" I asked him, I snorted. And to my surprise he nodded while his diamond blue eyes filled with desperation. Oh, he needed a hug. But more importantly he wanted someone to validate his feelings and anger. So I did. "She's a bitch."
"Right!" He grunted before hitting the couch against with the large metal poker for the fireplace. Yeah, he was destroying everything when I got here. I don't blame him.
"She's selfish. She abandoned you. She turned into a vampire. She killed thousands of innocent people. And she never came back for you and your brother. She's a monster. They locked her in a prison world like they later did for Kai. That means she's the same level of psychopath, right? And you buried her for nothing. You dug her up and but her into the crypt years later, for nothing," I said, getting louder and louder as he continued to smash the couch in. "And I hate her for you! I hate her for Stefan! I hate her!"
He finally dropped the poker and turned to me with the most helpless look. I haven't seen him look this vulnerable since we met years ago. I rushed to him, wrapping my arms around his waist while he hid his face in my neck. "It's okay. It's all okay," I told him.
"No, it's not," he sighed. But we didn't let go for another minute or two. And when we did he straightened up. He grabbed the poker and held it out to me. "Your turn."
"What?" I frowned.
"Stefan strolled in here, took weapons and left. I tried to stop him. I tried to vervain him. It didn't work. So he's on the loose," he said.
I snatched the poker away. "Don't tell anyone... But I took a page out of your book. Stefan once told me you didn't get mad, you get even."
"Oooh. What did you do?" He smirked.
"Revenge sex with Tyler," I admitted sheepishly.
Damon nearly double over, laughing. "I never thought you would have it in you to do a thing like that. Good for you," he said through his laugher.
"You're not disgusted or bothered?"
"Eh. I kind of am. You with anyone but my brother is gross. I'm used to you two being disgusting together. But it's not a big deal. It's not like Stefan doesn't deserve it. Or like you two are even back together."
"That's the thing. We were. For all of ten seconds before he went and pissed Caroline off."
"Yeah, Elena told me."
"He and I talked. We were going to make up. I was ready to get back to normal. And then he just shuts it off!" I growled.
Damon pointed to the couch. So I did as he suggested. Whacked it as hard as I could. "He's with her right now!" I shouted.
"Mhm," Damon hummed. "Probably feeding off people together. Destroying lives. Ripping heads off. Making out, even." With every sentence I swung at the couch harder and harder.
"Kenzie!" A voice shouted. "What are you doing?"
We both turned to see Elena. "Looking for a... healthy outlet for our rage," Damon explained.
"Yeah, that," I agreed before swinging at the ugly vintage lamp. Elena jumped in shock.
"We haven't found it yet," Damon said, stepping up beside me and taking the poker away. "Stefan without his humanity is one artery away from Stefan the Ripper, and every day that goes by is one year of guilt waiting for him on the other side."
"Yeah. Well, not to add to our growing pile of bad news, but we didn't just lose Stefan. We lost our chance to spark Caroline's humanity. Turns out, he was her emotional trigger," Elena said and I gagged audibly. Damon held the poker out towards her then and she shook her head. "No thanks."
"Well, take it away from me. Because I'm seconds away from using it on this," he said, grabbing the video camera off the coffee table.
Elena took the poker and both of us flanked his side to see the camera, frozen on a pale face. "Who is that?" My sister asked.
"This is Lillian Salvatore," Damon grumbled.
"Your mother is alive?" Elena gasped, snatching the video camera away.
"Yup. Turns out she's been in a prison world snapshot of 1903 for over a century," Damon said.
Elena grinned. "Your mother is alive."
"Oh, yeah. Alive and well. Not in the pine box that I thought I buried her in in 1858. And apparently, she's a vampire and not just any kind of vampire either—"
"Damon, your mother is alive!"
"She's a Ripper, Elena," I stated, helping him out and shooting her excitement down. There was nothing to be happy about. She was captured 45 years after abandoning her sons. She was garbage.
"Makes perfect sense. Stefan was always such a mama's boy," Damon said.
"How much of a mama's boy?" Elena smirked and I narrowed my eyes.
"He would have hanged himself with mother's apron strings if it meant her approval. We both would. We loved her. She was our world."
Elena smiled at him. "No," I told her before she could let Damon in on her idea. "Absolutely not."
"This is our way to get Stefan back!" Elena exclaimed cheerfully.
"What? No," Damon frowned.
"You can't tell me that his mother isn't an emotional trigger," Elena replied, giving us both pointed looks.
"Elena, this woman killed so many people that an entire coven of witches built her a permanent timeout! You don't fix one Ripper problem by unleashing another Ripper," Damon said.
Thank God he was using his brain. "Exactly," I agreed with him. "We cannot bring her back. She's where she belongs. Trapped where she can't wreak havoc."
"But, guys. Think about it. If this works, we don't just get Stefan and Caroline back. We get your mother back, Damon. Aren't you even a little curious to see her?" Elena continued smile at him.
Damon sighed, "I might know a few witches that could help."
"No!" I shouted. "No. No. No!"
"We'll get Stefan back," Damon told me.
"And then what?" I asked him.
"We get Caroline," Elena smiles, shrugging.
"At my expense," I reminded them.
"Stefan will be fake wanting Caroline," Elena retorted and I rolled my eyes.
"And then what?" I repeated. "Lily kills everyone in Mystic Falls. Or at a Whitmore. I can see it now. Her butting into mine and Stefan's failing marriage."
"If you ever get married," Damon smirked teasingly.
I bit my tongue from telling the truth. That was one secret I wouldn't reveal to anyone. Not until Stefan slid the ring off my necklace and onto my finger. If that was ever going to happen.
"This is a terrible idea," I stated.
"Fine. If we don't use their mom to get Stefan back, what do we use? Huh? You are the only other option."
"Then we'll use me."
"How long do you think it'll take Stefan to turn it on after seeing his mom?" Elena asked Damon.
"A minute or two at the most."
"You can't beat that. But you can go try to get Stefan to turn it on. We are going to go talk to the witches. You have till it's time to go to 1903," Elena smirked.
I narrowed my eyes, "but—"
"Good luck, kitten," Damon said.
"Fine," I growled.
***
I was following the most horrific sound these days, Caroline's voice. If I find her, I find Stefan. "What the hell are you doing? That was the director!" She screeched.
"And you are a vampire without humanity, singing about heartbreak," someone retorted. Just the man I'm looking for.
"It's a performance, Stefan."
"It sure is, Caroline. Especially this carefully crafted good student routine, straight and narrow, anything to keep you from making a mistake you might regret one year from now when you flip your switch back on. Oh, except the whole ruining my life part," he retorted and I furrowed my brows.
"Well, if your humanity's off, then you shouldn't really care how I deal."
"No, no, no. See, that's where you're wrong. Because, like you, I'm prone to doing bad things when my humanity is off, but unlike you, I don't have an elaborate system to keep me in check."
"Well that's not my problem."
"Well, I'm making it your problem. If my life is gonna fall apart when my humanity starts flooding back, then so is yours. When I'm done with you, you'll be drowning in mistakes," my husband retorted and I smiled to myself as I moved into the doorway of the room only the two of them were in, standing on a stage.
"This is seriously about revenge?" She scoffed, walking over towards him.
"Yes, it is. And this?" He smirked, holding up his hands that were covered in blood. Oh, no. "This is a control freak's worst nightmare. This is me undoing your routine. This is me..." he trailed off, rubbing his bloody hands against her face. "Forcing you to let go, one day at a time, until you break."
"Well, I'm going to need you to break first," I spoke up. They both turned to me.
"Ugh. What are you doing here? Spring break starts today," Caroline said.
"Mhm," I hummed. "But I came for my lover."
"And what do you want with me?" Stefan asked, grinning at me.
"I want you to help me prove Elena and Damon wrong," I said and he furrowed his eyebrows. Caroline then flashed out of the room. Which was even better. "I need you to turn it back on before they do something terrible."
"Like what?" He scoffed as I got onto the stage, walking to him now.
"Something that will make you turn it on that's not me," I said and he chuckled.
"Nothing's more important to me than you."
I forgot hot charming and sexy, no humanity Stefan could be. And how much lust ran through him. Bloodlust and regular lust. I needed to somehow use that to my advantage. "I don't believe you," I stated.
"Well, I have to go find Caroline—"
"No. What you need to do is love me," I said sternly.
He raised both his brows, "no humanity. You do know what that means? Right?"
"I know before you turned it off you asked for me to bring you back. I'm just doing what you wanted."
"What a good, doting wife," he said sarcastically.
"Yeah. I am your wife. You're stuck with me," I smirked back bitterly, taking one of his bloody hands and sucking a finger into my mouth.
"Kenzie," he said warningly.
"What? You want me to suck something else?"
"Well, yes," he chuckled, before pulling his hand from my mouth and yanking my head back semi-gently by my hair. "Sex isn't going to bring my humanity back, babe."
"Then what will?"
"I don't know," he said, letting go of my hair.
"Stefan, baby, please. I love you. We are married now. We were finally working it out."
"And I don't care," he sighed.
"What do you care about?" I asked, placing both of my hands on face, cupping his cheeks. "If you don't care about our future what do you care about?"
"I don't know," he said.
"We're supposed to have a large magical wedding. You wanted kids," I stated.
I saw a flicker flash in his eyes. "I don't anymore."
That's a lie. "Imagine it. A little girl calling you daddy. A couple boys running around a big house you built for us. With a picket fence if you liked. Playing football with them in the yard. Having tea parties with me and our baby girl on the front porch. Tucking them in. Reading bedtime stories—"
"Stop it, Kenzie," he cut me off. "It isn't going to work. I don't care about having kids. Okay?"
"Yes, you do. More than anything you want children. You wanted kids. And I'm sorry we can't have any. That I won't be pregnant one day. But we will have children. I've seen how good you are with Maverick. And... I love that little boy. You don't know how much joy it brought when he finally said my name—"
"You don't even want kids!" He screamed, shoving my hands off his face. "And guess what? Now I don't either."
I went to speak, to argue with him but then he was gone in a flash. Goddammit. Maybe if I had more time. I don't know. It might not be enough to pull him all the way back. But he seemed to get angry. That was an emotion. However the longer it took me to bring him back the more damage he could do to himself, Caroline apparently, and to those around them. Ugh, fuck.
I pulled out my phone, texting Damon and Elena. "I tried. He stormed out. You win. Let's bring back mommy dearest."
Damon better be right. Seeing his mom better make Stefan turn it on immediately. Because now I was thinking about kids. And I didn't want to be. Because every time I thought about it or spent time with my nephew I started wanting a baby. And that was completely out of the question for me. When Stefan and I were ready, years and years from now, then it'll be plausible and okay to want. Not now. Not soon. Not without my husband.
~Picture: Damon with the fireplace poker he used to hit his furniture
So um... anyone speechless? Shocked?
Kenzie SLEPT WITH Tyler!!!!! Did anyone see that coming? Is anyone mad?? Is anyone think she was free to do as she pleased???
Stefan has no humanity just like Caroline. What's gonna happen there? Hopefully bringing back Lily will do the trick. But then what happens with #Stenzie?
This book is halfway through. If not more. Hasn't it been so strange to see Kenzie and Stefan not together. Oh what will the future hold? Cause as crazy as it has been, it's about to continue when Lily Salvatore comes home. Are you ready for what's next?!
And of course there will be a book 7 😉❤️
SNEAK PEEK FOR NEXT CHAPTER:
"So, you believe I can reconnect Stefan with his humanity?" Lily questioned bewildered.
"Yes," Elena answered.
"The last memory Stefan has of you is a vision of an angel telling him "Everything is going to be okay." Stefan, loves you. And he hasn't seen you in so long. You will most definitely trigger something in him, faster than we can," I told Lily.
"So, you're gonna be an angel again. He doesn't need to how how screwed-up you really are," Damon added and I elbowed him. We were trying to convince her to help us. That wasn't helping.
Lily frowned at his words. Then she looked at me, studying my face. "Of course I'll help! I'd love nothing more than to see him again," she grinned.
I raised a brow, not sure I believed her. But before I could play the kind part and ask if she was sure, Damon slammed his hands on the table, standing up. "Pack your bags," he said.
Lily stands up quickly, "Wonderful!" She grinned, laughing softly. She looked excited. Finally some real emotion. "I'll alert the others, hmm?" She asked.
I froze midway of standing up. "You'll alert who, now?" Damon questioned.