-Mariana-
I heard a distant buzzing sound, waking me up from my sleep and I grumpily rolled over. "What?" I asked groggily into the phone once I answered, not opening my eyes.
"Mariana." Ric replied in a heavy voice and I furrowed my eyebrows, now sitting up with my eyes wide open.
"Alaric—what's going on, is Freya okay?" I asked in some worry only to hear him give me a small chuckle in response.
"We—we're fine.. but It's Elena." He pointed out and I rose an eyebrow and pulled my knees towards my chest, leaning my elbows on them.
"Let me guess.. Elena somehow found out about you erasing Damon from her memories. Now, she's pissed at you for obliterating the only good memories she had of him." I stated, tilting my head a bit as I heard Alaric sigh deeply from the other side.
"How is it that you're never too far off?" Ric pointed out and I chuckled a bit and smiled. "You know, as much as I like to think that I am full of wisdom—I think it's time that I stop pretending that I actually know what's best." He added sarcastically and slowly nodded and looked out the window beside me and up at the crescent moon.
"You have your own issues to sort out right now.. We all do." I stated quietly and looked away from the window and around me at the familiar loft. "Look, just give Elena her old diary.. there's probably stuff in there that she wrote about Damon.. That will explain it better than anyone ever can." I pointed out with a small nod and heard Alaric slowly sigh from the phone.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't be talking to you about this." Alaric said in defeat and I shook my head back at him and shrugged.
"It's fine, really. We're all dealing with it in our own way. I understand what it's like to want to forget sometimes." I admitted quietly before silence came from the other end and I cleared my throat. "Well, it's late and I'm pretty sure you have a class to teach tomorrow so I'll let you go to bed. Love you, kiss Freya for me." I stated, hanging up quickly and letting out a heavy breath once I did. I stared down at my phone to see the picture I had set as my lock screen and I rolled my eyes as set my phone back on the nightstand. "Are you just going to lurk or come back to bed?" I asked, looking towards the kitchen area to see Marcel leaning against one of his counters, only wearing his underwear.
"That depends. Are you going to be here when I wake up?" Marcel countered, drinking from his small glass of blood.
"I had an emergency back home." I stated, looking away from him and back out the window. "You should be grateful. You were the first one I decided to see when I got back into the city." I admitted and looked back at him to see a smirk fall across his face.
"Have I not already shown you how grateful I am?" Marcel asked teasingly, setting his glass down on the counter behind him.
"Hmm.. Maybe I need more convincing." I answered with a smirk of my own. Marcel watched me intensely before he vamped towards me and I chuckled a bit as he hovered over me now. He stared down at me silently, flickering his eyes between mine and my lips before he kissed me roughly. I kissed back and let my hands wander over his shoulders and back, lightly grazing over his skin. I smiled and felt his lips move down my chin and neck, letting my eyes fall in the moon again and I couldn't help but feel a slight pain in my chest.. but I quickly ignored it and pushed it away.
-Damon-
I whistled in tune as Bonnie and I walked through the woods, making her raise an eyebrow at me. "You're in a good mood for the first time this decade. Stop that." Bonnie stated in amusement and I rolled my eyes.
"I got a hot date with my girl tonight." I pointed out smirking back at her and she sighed in annoyance.
"Yeah, assuming Kai's telling the truth." Bonnie countered full of doubt but I ignored her.
"I'm thinking dinner and a movie." I admitted, thinking deeply about it before I scoffed. "You know what, skip dinner and a movie—I'm skipping straight to the good part." I added, smirking a bit and poking Bonnie playfully with the stick I found on the ground.
"Yeah, assuming I can do the spell. We'll know when I see it." Bonnie replied in doubt yet again and I sighed deeply.
"What happened to hope, Bon? Remember how I was all like, boo, grr." I said gesturing and doing actions as I put the stick in my shoulder. "And you were all—Hooray, hooray, we're getting out of here." I added, throwing my hands up dramatically.
"Look, I wanna go home more than anything but Kai's a psychopath." Bonnie pointed out as she shook her head back at me. "But who's to say he won't screw us over?" She asked, rolling her eyes and slinging her bag higher over her shoulder.
"Me. I say." I answered, raising my eyebrow at her. "Because I will go ahead and kill Kai as well as anyone else who gets in the way of us going home." I warned, nodding at her and swinging the stick like a sword in front of me.
"I heard my name, all good I hope." Kai stated with a smile as he walked towards us before looking up at the sky. "The eclipse will happen directly overhead. Perfectly aligned with the Gemini constellation." He informed and I sighed. "You, dig a hole into the tunnels below us. We'll do the spell there." Kai ordered towards me as he gestured at the ground and I rose an eyebrow.
"Why?" I countered, narrowing my eyes at him.
"Have you never portal jumped through an eclipse before?" Kai asked sarcastically as he looked at Bonnie and I in amusement, making us roll our eyes. "Okay look, the light of the eclipse will shine down and activate the ascendant." He stated, gesturing down at it as he held it in his hand. "You do your little witchy woo, and then poof—anyone standing in the light while holding the ascendant, will go home." Kai added with a shrug and I nodded, poking into the dirt with the stick I still held.
"By witchy woo, I assume you mean the spell. Let me see it." Bonnie stated towards him as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"When the time comes." Kai reassured with a smile before he walked passed us and I furrowed my eyebrows.
"Where are you going?" Bonnie asked, raising her eyebrow at him and he looked back at us.
"Into town. I need to gather up some important supplies." Kai answered with a nod and I shrugged at him, turning and picking up a pick axe before looking between my stick and the axe in my hand now. I smiled in amusement before I threw the stick beside me and started digging into the ground with the pick axe.
-Mariana-
I roamed around the city of New Orleans, smiling to myself as I watched all of the street performers either painting or playing music. I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket and I answered it, not reading the caller I.D. "Hello?" I asked, looking over most of the shops that I didn't get a chance to fully browse.
"Mariana? Mind telling me where you are?" Caroline's asked in a worried voice from the phone and I rolled my eyes and let out a sigh.
"I am about to be out of service. So talk fast or forever hold your peace." I answered in annoyance, making her sigh back at me deeply.
"Well, long story short—Enzo's practically ignoring me and he seemed to leave out the detail that he made Ivy drink his blood before he killed her. So, low and behold, vampire Ivy is now in my care while Stefan is out trying to get Bonnie to make her a daylight ring." Caroline stated in both anger and annoyance, making me raise an eyebrow.
"I'll be at the dorms in a few hours." I stated with a short nod before I hung up as Marcel came towards me, a wide smile spread across his face.
"Well, well, well. Look who's still here." He stated in some amusement and I slowly nodded and looked away from him, making his smile drop. "But you're leaving again." Marcel pointed out and I let out a small sigh.
"I told you that whatever this was, it wasn't going to last." I replied, tilting my head at Marcel who gave me a small chuckle and looked away. "Look, I like you, okay? You're handsome, loyal to the Mikaelson's—but I'm in no position to make commitments right now. Not when I am still attached to my past and the people in it." I stated, folding my arms over my chest a bit.
"I get it." Marcel said with a shrug as he looked back at me and I rose an eyebrow. "You will always be drawn back to who you are. And I understand that, I mean—that's why I am here in the first place." He admitted, looking around New Orleans with a smile. "Our past helped make us who we are.. So I understand." Marcel added, looking back at me. I stepped forwards and kissed him gently on the cheek before I pulled away and slowly shook my head.
"I'm glad I met you, Marcel Gerard." I admitted with a small smile and he slowly nodded back at me and ran a hand gently over my curls.
"Well.. don't be a stranger. Especially to New Orleans. This city never deserves that." Marcel replied, making me chuckle a bit before I nodded. I turned and walked away from him, not looking back. I couldn't.
-Damon-
"Hey!" Bonnie stated loudly towards me after two or so hours of digging. "You know, there's a very probable chance you're digging your own grave and—" She started sarcastically before I looked up at her in annoyance. "Not bothered." She quickly said with a small shrug. I nodded and rolled my eyes before I took one final swing into the ground below me before a hole appeared in the soil, indicating the tunnels below me. I looked back at Bonnie in amusement and she rolled her eyes before Lao appeared behind her and threw a bag off of his shoulder.
"Looks like I got back just in time." Kai pointed out and I rose an eyebrow and vamped towards him and grabbed his bag, opening and rummaging through it.
"Zima, grunge—every Alex Rodriguez card known to man." I stated going through the bag in some annoyance before I scoffed. "A pager? Really?" I asked, rolling my eyes at Kai before putting the bag down.
"Five-five-five-hi-Kai. No way am I giving those digits up." Kai replied in amusement and I looked at him skeptically.
"Those were the important supplies you needed to get?" I asked sarcastically as I stood in front of him.
"Look, the future sounds great, alright? I'm super excited about the Internet. But 1994 has been my home for most of my life. I'd hate to get home sick, so let's get down there—" Kai started before Bonnie cut him off as she stood from behind me.
"No." Bonnie stated emotionlessly and I went towards her but she shoved past me and stood in front of Kai. "We are not going anywhere until you show me the spell." She warned, tilting her head at him and I rose an eyebrow.
"Oookay." Kai replied with a nod before he put both of his hands in his pockets and smacked a big smile across his face as he looked between Bonnie and I.
"Are we literally not going anywhere?" I asked impatiently as I narrowed my eyes at him and Bonnie shrugged.
"Fine." Bonnie stated, nodding towards him as he tilted his head at her in amusement. "You don't wanna show me the spell, then you can do it yourself." She pointed out and I rose an eyebrow. "You want my magic—" She started, cutting herself off as she held her hand out towards him. "Take it." She added emotionlessly and he chuckled.
"Uh-oh. She's being brave." Kai stated, smirking towards me from where I stood behind her.
"I'm serious. This was your big threat, wasn't it? If I don't do the spell and let us out of here—You'll just take my magic, leave me for dead and do the spell yourself." Bonnie admitted, crossing her arms over her chest and he narrowed his eyes back at her. "So go ahead. Take all of it." She threatened, moving towards him. Kai looked at me in annoyance before back at Bonnie and sighing.
"Don't mind if I do." Kai replied with a shrug before he put his hands on Bonnie's shoulders and she gasped as he siphoned her magic from her.
"Bonnie." I warned in a calm voice as she groaned but shook her head back at me.
"It's okay—He won't kill me." Bonnie replies in a heavy voice and I scoffed as I watched the scene.
"Doesn't look like that from here." I countered, tilting my head at them before Bonnie started groaning in pain louder and they glared at each other. "Whoa—Bonnie, hey, guys." I said, furrowing my eyebrows at the two. "Stop!" I stated loudly and Kai let go of her with a smirk plastered on his face, making Bonnie back away breathlessly. The two narrowed their eyes at each other as Bonnie controlled her breathing and slowly tilted her head at him curiously.
"He doesn't know the spell." Bonnie stated after a minute, and I watched Kai's smirk immediately dropped. "Which means.. We don't need him." She added emotionlessly and Kai chuckled at her and slowly nodded his head in doubt. "Motas." Bonnie changes quickly, holding her hand out towards him before the pick axe went into his chest. Kai gasped and I widened my eyes as he breathed heavily and looked down at the axe before falling to the ground.
"No, no—Bonnie!" I countered in annoyance at her before I looked away from Kai. I sighed and tapped her shoulder in annoyance and slowly shook my head. "Great work, Bonnie." I scoffed, turning away from her.
-Mariana-
I walked towards the little shopping mall outside of Whitmore and found Caroline angrily talking not her phone. "Hey, Stefan! This is the third message alerting you that your psychotic little she-vamp has gone AWOL. And if you hadn't noticed, it's dark outside—so every dead sorority girl tonight, is officially on you." Caroline stated in anger before she hung up the phone and I rose an eyebrow.
"That bad, huh?" I asked and watched Caroline look up at me from her phone and sigh in some annoyance yet relief.
"Where have you been?" She asked with a sigh and I shrugged, putting my hands in my pockets.
"It doesn't matter.. I think that I am officially staying." I replied with a short nod and Caroline slowly smiled at me. "Now, what about this little she-vamp? How'd she get out of your sight?" I asked and heard Caroline groan back at me.
"That little brat snapped my neck after she asked what board games I had." Caroline answered and I chuckled a bit as we started walking down the street. "She was obviously a little mad that I wouldn't let her go to a party." She pointed out and I furrowed my eyebrows.
"What party?" I asked curiously and she sighed back at me and shook her head.
"Some stupid corn maze thing. Elena even went. And she had a date." Caroline answered and I rose an eyebrow at the thought. "And what do I get—I get to babysit." She added in annoyance and I sighed back at her.
"We'll find her." I stated reassuringly before I put an arm around Caroline shoulder and she nodded in some relief back at me. We walked in silence for a few seconds before I rose an eyebrow and stopped, making Caroline furrow her eyebrows beside me. We both looked over a car that was parked by the curb beside us with blood spattered all over the driver's side door. Caroline sighed loudly and ran her hands over her head in defeat before car lights shined on us and we both turned towards them. The sound of an engine came through my ears and a car stopped in front of us and the lights were shut off. I rose an eyebrow at the familiar car before Stefan got out and Caroline scoffed.
"Thank god." Caroline stated in annoyance and Stefan closed the car door behind him.
"You lost her?" He asked with furrowed brows as he came towards us and she rolled her eyes back at him.
"Do you decide to listen to your messages a million hours later—no, I didn't lose her." Caroline answered in anger and Stefan sighed back at her. "She snapped my neck, what the hell took you so long?" She added and I rose an eyebrow as he looked away from her.
"I got caught up." Stefan answered and I folded my arms over my chest.
"Caught up doing what?" I countered in defense and watched him look back at me in annoyance.
"Driving halfway out of town." He answered and I looked at Caroline who furrowed her eyebrows at him.
"You were leaving?" Caroline asked in disbelief as she looked at him taken aback and he sighed back at her.
"I slid Ivy's daylight ring under your front door—" He started in a monotone voice before Caroline quickly cut him off.
"No, no—I don't care about some stupid daylight ring, Stefan! Were you seriously about to dump your vampire ex-girlfriend onto my lap and then skip town?" Caroline asked in anger and he put his hands on his hips but didn't answer her.
"Who are you right now?" I asked with a light scoff as I looked at him in disappointment.
"I'm someone who's trying to start over, and then suddenly you two and Enzo show up and now I have hunters on my trail—and a brand new vampire who wants to kill me and everyone else in her path, and that's not how someone starts over, Mariana!" Stefan countered angrily towards me and I stared back at him silently. Caroline slowly shook her head at him, making him look down silently.
"You know what the sad thing about all of this is?" Caroline asked quietly towards him and he put his hands back on his hips. "A month ago, I wished that Damon would come back, because I knew that if that happened—I'd get you back, too." She pointed out and I looked away from her while Stefan watched her in silence. "But right now, all I want is for you to get back in your car and go." Care stated angrily. Stefan narrowed his eyes at her before her walked back to his car and got in, starting it. I looked a Caroline in defeat as she breathed heavily from beside me. Her phone started ringing and she quickly pulled it out, looking over it and answered. "Where are you?" She asked in anger and I rose an eyebrow.
"I did a really bad thing." Ivy's voice answered in distress from the phone and Caroline scoffed.
"You mean like break my neck—I noticed." Caroline replied in annoyance and Ivy sighed in defeat.
"Okay, two bad things." Ivy replied and I exchanged a confused look with Caroline. "Look, I'm sorry." She added with a sigh and I gave Caroline a stern look, making her roll her eyes.
"Just tell me where you are and I'll come get you." Caroline stated with a short nod before the two of us walked towards my car.
-Damon-
"Mm." I stated, drinking from a vodka bottle as Bonnie sat in front of me, reading over a book. "Mm-mmm" I added dramatically and watched her look up at me with narrowed eyes.
"Can you stop? Let me concentrate." Bonnie asked in annoyance and I sighed back at her and looked down at the bottle.
"On the bright side, this stuff's not so bad. It's fruity and fizzy." I pointed out as I narrowed my eyes at Bonnie who rolled her eyes.
"Damon, I'm working on something." Bonnie stated in annoyance but I ignored her.
"On the not so bright side—Is your intelligence because you took the only chance of us getting out of here and turned him into a giant... Douche kabab." I countered, looking down at Kai who was laying on the ground in front of us with the pick axe still in his chest. I sighed shaking my head down at Kai in disappointment before bringing my lips to the bottle again.
"Think about it, Damon. What prison gives an inmate a key?" Bonnie asked with a raised eyebrow and I furrowed mine.
"Is that a trick question or is this stuff finally starting to kick in?" I asked sarcastically, looking down at the vodka in confusion and Bonnie rolled her eyes back at me.
"I think The Gemini coven used a Bennet spell to create this place." Bonnie pointed out and I rose my eyebrow. "What if that's why my grams sent me here?" She asked and I tilted my head at her.
"This is the face I make when I don't understand you." I answered, crossing my eyes at back and making her sigh deeply.
"You know, the last thing my grams said to me was to stay strong.. What if that was her way of telling me I had the power to get out? I have the ascendant—A massive celestial event to draw from." Bonnie shrugged towards me and I ignored her as I downed the rest of the bottle. "Plus a burning desire to get away from you." Bonnie added in amusement and I fake smiled back at her before she raised the ascendant that she held in her hands. I watched in boredom as she started speaking the language of who the hell knows—before the ascendant moved in her hand. I furrowed my eyebrows and Bonnie did also before getting up off of the ground and coming towards me quickly. "That's why Kai wouldn't kill me." Bonnie stated in realization as she shook her head at me. "He needed a Bennett and I was his only way out of here." She whispered with a smile as she looked down at the ascendant before walking towards the cave that I dug up.
"Whoa, where you going?" I asked in confusion and she looked back at me as she stepped into the hole.
"Home. You coming?" Bonnie answered with a smirk and I looked up at the sky to see the Sun almost right over us. I looked back at her and nodded, quickly throwing the bottle behind me as I went towards her. The two of us walked down into the tunnels and I leant against a boulder and watched Bonnie stand in the small patch of light peaking in from above her. Bonnie stated down at the ascendant curiously before she cut the palm of her hand with one of the jagged pieces. She moved her bleeding hand over the one that held the ascendant and dripped her blood over the ascendant. "Okay." Bonnie whispered with a shaky breath and i watched in amusement as she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She started chanting the same words that she said minutes ago. The ascendant clicked in response and shifted its pieces, making her stop and raise an eyebrow towards me. "It's time, Damon." Bonnie informed with a smile and I nodded back at her.
"Alright." I stated, rubbing my hands together in relief as I walked towards her. "Let's get awkward." I added in amusement before I put my hand underneath her hand that held the ascendant. "Like this?" I asked, raising my eyebrow at her.
"Yeah." Bonnie answered in agreement and I sighed at her and looked between her and the ascendant.
"I'm sure there are about a billion other people you'd rather be with right now." I stated, quoting her from months ago and she smiled, slowly shaking her head back at me.
"Not exactly." Bonnie answered and I smirked back at her. "Let's go—" She started only to be cut off as an arrow went into her stomach, pushing her out of the sunlight. Bonnie dropped the ascendant on the floor and I widened my eyes as I looked over her and the arrow in her chest before I turned around to see Kai.
"Forgetting someone?" Kai asked with a smirk before he slowly lowered the crossbow in his hands. "Did you really think I hadn't tried to kill my self before?" He asked with a sigh towards Bonnie who groaned and sat uncomfortably. "Because I had. Lots of times. Lots of ways." He admitted, putting another arrow in the crossbow. I looked down towards the ascendant that sat on the ground across from me before back at Kai. "Grab that and the next arrow goes in her heart." Kai warned, raising the crossbow with another arrow pointed at Bonnie. "Your choice." He added with a smirk and I eyed him before I heard Bonnie groan from behind me and I vamped over towards her to see a blood starting to soak through her white shirt.
"It's okay, I got you, I got you." I reassured gently, quickly bringing her into my arms and pulling the arrow out of her, making her groan in pain but I bit my wrist.
"Damon, no!" Bonnie yelled back at me in worry and I furrowed my eyebrows and looked over my shoulder to see Kai grabbing the ascendant from off of the ground. I vamped towards him and pushed him back against the tunnel wall, choking him. He dropped the ascendant and I clenched my jaw before I groaned as he stuck an arrow into my chest. I groaned in pain as he clenched his jaw and pushed it in further. I put my hands around the arrow trying to stop it from going any further before I looked back towards Bonnie.
"Bonnie—" I groaned in pain towards her as she still weakly sat on the floor across from us and moved towards the ascendant. "Get out of here." I warned in a breathless voice and she quickly shook her head back.
"I am not gonna make it." Bonnie countered in a breathless and shaky voice and I groaned looking back at Kai. "But you are. Motas!" She added loudly and I furrowed my eyebrows as Kai got thrown away from me and the arrow was pulled from my chest. I turned around and looked at Kai who stared at me and Bonnie in confusion as my entire body was pulled back from him and towards the patch of light peaking in from above us.
"Don't!" Kai yelled towards Bonnie angrily as he become aware of what she was doing. I tried to grab something to hold onto but there was nothing in my reach. I quickly turned around to see Bonnie laying in front of me and she threw something at me and I caught it, furrowing my eyebrows down at it as I realized it was the ascendant. It clicked and shifted its gears in my hands and I shook my head in realization. I looked up and saw the eclipse shine down on me from overhead as I stepped into its light again.
"No." I whispered, shaking my head up at it before I looked back at Bonnie who nodded at me in relief as she let her body lay weakly on the ground in front of me. "No!" I yelled out angrily towards her before I saw a flashing bright light and I felt the ascendant drop out of my hands.
-Mariana-
"Where are you, I've been standing here for a hundred years!" Ivy stated dramatically from the phone, making me roll my eyes.
"Don't exaggerate. We're almost there." I answered and exchanged an annoyed look with Caroline before she hung up and I looked back at the road. As we came closer to around the boarder of Mystic Falls, I put my foot on the break and came to a quick stop.
"What's going on?" Caroline asked in confusion from beside me. I ignored her and looked in front of us to see a van stopped in the road while a man was talking to a woman in front of it. I looked closer and furrowed my eyebrows in realization that it was Ivy.. and the man was Matt's Mystic defense instructor. I exchanged a look with Caroline and the both of us put our hair behind our ears and listened in.
"I heard about the big campus accident on my scanner. Sounds like some people got hurt or something? Were you apart of that?" Tripp asked as he walked towards Ivy who had blood smeared across her face and chest.
"I'm fine." Ivy answered, turning away and walking away from him but he followed after her.
"Campus accident? Could it be the corn maze party?" I asked, looking at Caroline in confusion but she shrugged back at me.
"Actually, you're bleeding. You must be in shock." Tripp countered calmly towards her. Caroline went to get out but I grabbed her quickly, having a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach.
"Please, just go." Ivy warned in a serious tone but he put his hand on her shoulder.
"I don't mean—" Tripp started before Ivy turned back towards him and shifted into her fangs and eyes. She lunged at him and he grabbed something from his belt and pulled it on her. Caroline and I breathed heavily in worry as Ivy went limp in Tripp's arms and he quickly dragged her towards the back of his van. Tripp threw the now unconscious Ivy in the back of his van and shut the doors quickly, looking around to see if anyone saw before he got in the driver's side. I gripped the steering wheel with widened eyes and looked at Caroline whose face had become pale beside me.
-Time Skip-
"He's back? How?" Elena asked in confusion as she stood in front of Caroline while I sat on Bonnie's empty bed quietly.
"I don't know. Honestly, everything Stefan said after 'Damon's back', is kind of a blur." Caroline answered and I furrowed my eyebrows as she let out a small sigh.
"What about Bonnie?" Elena asked in a voice full of hope but Caroline fiddled with her fingers in silence before she slowly looked between us.
"He said that she wasn't over there." Caroline answered quietly before she looked down again and I scoffed.
"Where is 'there' exactly?" I asked, raising my eyebrow at her in annoyance and Caroline looked back at me in uncertainty.
"Something about 1994." Caroline replied emotionlessly and I looked at Elena in doubt before I rolled my eyes and got up from the bed.
"You think he'd pick a better year than when Kurt Cobain killed himself." I stated sarcastically, making the two look at me with saddened looks but I ignored them. "I need some air." I pointed out, quickly walking out of the dorm.
~~
"He wants to see you." Ric stated in defeat as he stood before me and I scoffed, folding my arms over my chest.
"I don't want to see him." I countered emotionlessly, sitting back in the chair behind his desk and looking up at the ceiling.
"Mariana, you loved him. What changed?" Alaric asked with furrowed brows and I looked at him in annoyance.
"Maybe the fact that Stefan nor Damon himself told me he was back? Or maybe the fact that I found out that Elena drove into Mystic Falls with him and only one of them ended up coming back? I mean, come on, Ric. I'm pissed off at him, meaning—if I see him, I might kill him." I warned sarcastically, rolling my eyes and he sighed deeply back at me.
"Mariana, he'll kill me when I tell him you don't want to see him." Alaric protested and I looked back at him skeptically.
"No, he won't because you can't be killed." I stated with a shrug and he folded his arms quickly over his chest.
"Doesn't mean he won't try." Ric pointed out and I looked over him carefully before I shrugged.
"Whatever. I'm going to visit Elena at the hospital." I replied, getting up from the desk and Alaric furrowed his eyebrows at me.
"Why?" He asked in confusion and I looked at him in some annoyance.
"Because Damon came back and I'm trying desperately to avoid him." I answered in a matter of fact tone, making him sigh and shake his head.
"Fine. But while you're there, avoid the woman Elena tried to set me up with last night. Her name is Jo, so add her to the list." Alaric replied and I furrowed my eyebrows at him.
"Why?" I asked, folding my arms over my chest and he sighed back at me.
"Because I compelled her to forget our days the other night and it didn't take." He answered in concern and I rose an eyebrow. "Either she's on vervain or there's some other reason—but she can't be compelled.. maybe you can find out why." Alaric admitted with a sigh and I slowly nodded.
"I'll let Elena know, but will you call Jer?" I asked, tilting my head back at him and he looked at me in confusion. "I had to tell him about Bonnie over the phone.. And you can imagine how that went." I pointed out, slowly shaking my head and Alaric nodded back at me in defeat. I moved towards the door but it was quickly opened to reveal Caroline and Matt who walked in.
"Tell them what you told me." Caroline stated in an angry tone and I looked between the two in confusion before Matt let out a small sigh.
"Tripp, has Enzo locked up somewhere in the woods." Matt stated emotionlessly and I felt my body stiffen before I looked at Caroline for confirmation and she nodded.
"Why didn't you tell any of us this before?" I asked, shaking my head back at Matt in annoyance and anger, making him narrow his eyes at me.
"Well, I didn't think anyone was missing him." Matt answered in defense and I rolled my eyes.
"Matt." I countered with a loud sigh and he shrugged back at me and sat in front of Alaric's desk.
"I'm sorry, I was confused about which vampires we like and which ones we don't." He admitted and Alaric looked at me in defeat before I looked at Caroline who shook her head.
"Okay, well what about Ivy, is she there too?" Caroline asked, raising her eyebrow down at Matt. I watched him carefully sigh and look between the three of us in some defeat.
"Tripp drove her and two others across the border last night." Matt answered and I ran my hands through my hair in defeat while Caroline sighed in disappointment from beside me.
"Do you know where Tripp is now?" Alaric asked as Caroline sat in the chair beside Matt who shook his head.
"He's running down another lead. He didn't tell me what though." Matt informed and I rose an eyebrow at him.
"Well can you find out? We need to know who his next target is." I pointed out and looked at Caroline and Alaric in some concern.
"If Enzo talks, it'll be you guys." Matt replied and I furrowed my eyebrows, not even wanting to believe or think that Enzo would do that.
"Well, that's not going to happen. Because we're busting him out, right? If for no other reason so then I can kick his ass for getting caught in the first place." Caroline scoffed in annoyance as she shook her head and I nodded in agreement.
"Do you have any idea how Tripp even managed to get his hands on him?" Alaric asked with furrowed eyebrows towards Matt before footsteps interrupted us.
"He didn't." A voice stated, walking into the room and all of our eyes fell looked towards it. "I turned him in." Stefan added emotionlessly as he stood in front of us and I slowly shook my head and looked at him in disbelief.
~~~
"Look, Enzo wasn't being careful. Tripp would've caught him eventually, and that meant danger for all of us." Stefan pointed out as we walked through the woods towards the area that Matt said Tripp and his men were keeping Enzo.
"Right, so you handed Enzo over so we wouldn't be targeted and now you're rescuing him so we won't be targeted." I replied, shaking my head as I thought it over. "Way to go." I added sarcastically with a scoff.
"I thought Tripp was going to kill him, I didn't think he was going to keep him alive for information." Stefan countered in defense and I quickly turned towards him.
"Oh—well in that case, sounds like you were just being practical!" I stated loudly in annoyance, making Stefan out his hands on his hips. "So did you give up Ivy, too?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest and he furrowed his eyebrows.
"What?" Stefan asked with a light scoff and I tilted my head back at him.
"You threw her onto Caroline because you didn't wanna deal with her and you wanted her gone, now she is." I pointed out and shrugged at him. "You know you really should write Tripp a thank you note." I stated sarcastically again before I turned and continued walking.
"Wait, so Enzo turns Ivy, a hunter kills her and takes Enzo but yet I'm the bag guy?" Stefan asked in disbelief from behind me but I ignored him. "I'm not the one threatening to turn in vampires to save his own skin." Stefan added in annoyance.
"The only one who's turned in other vampires is you, Stefan." I stated in disappointment, looking back at him now but he looked away from me. "That's why you're helping. Guilt for getting Damon's friend captured." I pointed out in a matter of fact tone before I looked away from him.
"Yeah, Damon's my brother and I gave up on him first, Enzo didn't. So if rescuing his idiot friend is going to make it up to him so be it. That's what I'm going to do.." Stefan replied in agreement and I rose my eyebrow. The two of us now stood in front of some type of shed before I turned back to him.
"Good, then you can also find a way to make it up to me for being a di—" I started in defense, before Stefan quickly grabbed me, cutting me off. He vamped us behind a stack of crates, hiding us as two men came out from the shed. I heard the shed door close and lock before I exchanged a look with Stefan and noticed how close we were to each other before I looked away. "Let's get in there." I stated emotionlessly, vamping up and towards the door. I broke the lock easily and opened the shed door quickly, walking in only to see four or more disposable cups that looked like they had dried blood in them from hours and even days before. Other than the cups and some chains attached to the wall, the shed was empty. "Well? Where the hell is he?" I asked with a scoff and looked at Stefan who stood next to me now. I walked out of the shed before I took my phone out and dialed Matt. I heard the dial tone ring a few times before I stopped and I rose an eyebrow.
"Hey Mar, did you get him?" Matt asked in some concern through the phone and I rolled my eyes.
"No, he wasn't even here. Any idea where Tripp might've taken him besides the very obvious one?" I answered, shaking my head in defeat.
"Hang on." Matt sighed from the phone and I and looked at Stefan who listened in as we walked a few feet away from the site. "Uh, Mariana we have another problem." Matt stated in concern and I rolled my eyes and let out a sigh. "Tripp has Ivy's phone.." Matt warned and I shrugged, folding my arms over my chest.
"And? I mean the guy's a murderer, petty theft isn't much of a stretch." I countered sarcastically, watching Stefan who looked around the shed for clues.
"Yeah, but Caroline's name is at the top of the recent re-dialed list." Matt pointed out emotionlessly and I furrowed my eyebrows, coming to realization.
"W-wait—That means he knows what she is." I stated quietly, shaking my head in concern as Stefan looked up at me again and narrowed his eyes.
"And I'm guessing he knows where to find her." Matt pointed out with a sigh from the phone and I slowly clenched my jaw.
"That means we just have to get there first—Call Elena and warn her, I'm going to the dorm to find Care." I replied with a quick nod before I hung up and gestured for Stefan and I to leave.
~~~
I walked briskly down the Whitmore hall to Elena and Caroline's dorm before I opened the door and walked in, only to see no one. I let myself walk in fully and let out a sigh in defeat before my breath caught in my throat as the floorboards creaked from behind me. I turned around instinctively to see Tripp standing in the doorway, holding a vervain gun up at me. I felt my jaw clench before I let out a low growl, letting my eyes shift angrily. Tripp fired the gun, trying to shoot me with a vervain dart but I caught it and threw it back at him, watching it go into his leg. Tripp groaned and pulled out a stake from his belt, and I vamped towards him and grabbed the stake quickly, twisting it around in his hand until it was right under his chin and rested it right under his jaw. "You've killed enough of us." I stated in some anger, about to plunge the stake into his skull before I groaned and dropped the stake, feeling three pin like objects go into my back. I slowly turned around to see the two men who came from the shed earlier. I furrowed my eyebrows at the two who came towards me threateningly But I was kicked from behind and fell to the ground harshly.