A day has passed since Vicki died. Stefan has done nothing but wallow in self-pity and mope in his bedroom. He has not spoken to Elena, though not any negligence of his own: He's tried, she's either hitting decline, forwarding them to voicemail, or switching her phone off. The only person he was successful with was Darcy.
The past twenty-four hours she's been a Godsend, calling or texting to check-in on how he's feeling. For some particular reason, she can see past the barriers that he keeps so far up he's beginning to think he's a journal wrapped in iron chains. But here comes the little huntress with a key and suddenly she's slowly unravelling the chains, breaking through the steel façade.
Darcy knows deep down Stefan loathes himself, what he is, whom he has become. Yet, here she comes barreling into his, and his brother's life, loosening the shackles, making them question humanity. They have never encountered a person so strong, protective, loyal, empathetic, yet still battle their peculiar inhabiting obscurity. It's left them utterly bewildered and frankly a bit unsettled.
How can one measly human, get them reminiscing their past lives, recalling a once brotherhood, then flash forward hundred-odd years and want to chuck away the loathing and promises of eternal miseries?
But Damon. Damon is back in Mystic Falls for another motive. He came back for another reason, and it's left him wondering is it truly worth it? Worth destroying the only remaining family he has left.
How can this girl get them questioning themselves? Want to fix past mistakes and move forward.
A thud snaps Stefan back to the present. He looks down, seeing the journal he was writing in now on the floor. He reaches down to pick it up when he hears a sound.
"Damon?" Stefan called getting up off the couch.
He walked into the middle of the lounge about to venture into the hallway when another noise alerted him. He paused, straining to hear where it came from, but was stopped by a sudden force knocking him off his feet and on to the floor—sharp fangs scraping his neck.
Stefan was about to throw the person off until he froze realising who the person was.
"Lexi?" He asked in astonishment.
"Hi," She chirped, as her fangs retracted and the veins in her face slithered away.
"What are you doing here?" Stefan asked, still shocked his best friend is in front of him, after many years.
"How could you even ask that?" Lexi rolled her eyes playfully.
"I've missed you," Stefan said as they got off the floor and pulled her into a hug.
"Happy Birthday," Lexi said with a beaming smile.
💜🖤💜
Darcy, Jeremy and Jenna were sat in the police stations waiting room, waiting for Elena to speak with Sherif Forbes. They all had to give individual statements regarding Vicki's whereabouts. The three were bored. Darcy and Jeremy took it up to themselves to keep entertained.
"Darcy here, try this," Jeremy said, handing her a cardboard cup. She looked up at him with a questioning expression. "Don't worry; it's just coffee. I can see you're jittery, and I noticed you never had your morning coffee." He rubbed his neck sheepishly.
Darcy takes over the cup and cautiously raised it to her mouth, swallowing a mouthful and promptly spat it back out, coincidentally hitting Jeremy square in the face. "Aggh! Darcy!"
"What fuck was that? Shit?" She said heaving and hacking, hoping to bring up the vile liquid, then paused seeing Jeremy glaring at her, his face dripping with coffee. She promptly burst out laughing.
"O-h God your face!" She laughs hard, smacking her leg purely cause she can't control herself. "Fucking priceless..."
"Ow! What the hell?" Darcy swivelled around to Jenna with a pout, rubbing the back of her head.
"Watch your potty mouth, next time it'll be a bar of soap shoved down your mouth," Jenna warned, trying to keep her face straight at the look of shock on her nieces face.
"Aww Jen you wouldn't do that to your favourite Gilbert, would you?" Darcy smiled sweetly.
"Who, Elena?" Jenna said smirking.
Darcy gasped crushing the cardboard cup and threw it at Jenna's face. "How rude."
Jenna spluttered caught off guard, glaring at the raven-haired girl, While Jeremy stood watching in amusement, it never fails to amuse him when Jenna and Darcy are on one.
"You've declared war!" Jenna cried, throwing the cup back, Darcy batted it away, hitting Jeremy again in the face, he threw it back at Darcy hitting her square in the nose.
"That's it you're going down!" Darcy let out a battle cry swinging her arm back and just as she released the cup an officer walked past, it flew over Jeremy as he ducked hitting the man on his bald head.
"Shit..." The trio chorused.
The officer paused in his tracks, head-spinning in their direction. "Who did that?"
Three arms pointed at each other, Jenna to Jeremy, him to Darcy, and she exaggeratedly at the strawberry-haired woman. On cue, they all burst out in a boisterous bicker.
"You started it."
"Nu-uh, that was you!"
"You hit me first!"
"You said Elena was you're favourite!"
"And that warranted abuse?"
"Hey, what about me? I got spat on by coffee!"
"Shut up, Jeremy!"
"Enough!" Shouted the officer, reaching for his handcuffs and baton.
"Crap Jen, Jer, he's gonna spank and cuff," Darcy yelled, pulling Jenna up of her seat, clutching onto Jeremy and hauled themselves out of there.
The officer grinned. "Works every time...damn do I love my job."
~
The trio burst outside a laughing mess. Darcy paused, seeing Stefan outside the station chuckling amused having heard the commotion they made inside. She tells Jenna and her brother she'll catch up with them back at home then shuffles over to the vampire sheepishly. "That didn't happen, got it?"
Stefan hummed, raising his hands in surrender, eyes twinkling mischievously. He went to open his mouth to speak, but the door to the station opened, Darcy turned seeing his gaze pinned on Elena.
Elena's stare flickers between the two before walking over to them and standing next to her sister.
"Are you okay?" Stefan questioned.
"I don't think the sheriff suspected anything. Jeremy stuck to what we told him," Elena said peeking at Darcy who avoided her gaze, staring nonchalantly at her polished red nails.
They were all told to tell the sheriff that Vicki had left town, having no idea why or where she was going. Though the Gilbert's, Stefan and Damon knew the truth. And Darcy couldn't feel any more of a bitch going behind one of her best friends back and blatantly lying to his face. When the truth is Vicki was lying 6 feet under the ground not far from Grayson's and Miranda's grave.
Damon stuck to his word and gave the lifeless girl a decent burial, it wasn't much just a sheltered hole in the dirt, but at least it was something and not left somewhere to rot. Maybe when things have cooled down, Darcy will decorate Vicki's burial place with flowers, as she does with her parents. It's the least she could do. The girl deserves something nice in her life for once.
Darcy and Elena were not on the best of terms. Elena wanted Damon to take away Jeremy's memories to completely forget about the supernatural as well as Vicki's death. Elena believed she was protecting him, when in fact, it would place him in more danger. But what Elena wants, Elena usually gets, only this time she was not successful.
When Damon arrived at their house, the brunette requested Damon to compel Jeremy, only for him to refuse, saying he made a promise to Darcella and would not back out on his word. Which was not something the cocky vampire would usually do, he likes to cause mayhem and bloodshed, yet this little huntress asks a lowly favour and he caves.
Therefore which stemmed Elena to have a sulk and blow up at Darcy when she finally came home after driving Matt home, demanding her to agree to have Jermey compelled. But Darcy would not have any of her tantrums and asked how would she feel if her memories were taken away.
How would she like it if she was made to forget something without no forewarning? She wouldn't. Darcy knows Elena would have a huge fit and go around storming and raging. The protectress will not her brother's mind tampered with.
"Thank you." Stefan declared.
Elena shook her head sadly. "I can't do this Stefan. Every time I look at Matt or Jeremy, all I think is that Vicki is never gonna come back. Around you, people get hurt, and people die. I can't...I just...it's too much...," She trails off avoiding his hurt gaze.
Darcy's head snapped up at her sister's words, her shimmering blues dart between the pair. Her heart clenches, seeing the pain on Stefan's face.
"Elena, you can't say that...It wasn't his fault that Vicki died. I played a part in this too. Blame me...Not Stefan...If we never killed Vicki, you and Jeremy would be dead. You should be thankful the girl got put out of her misery, and you're still standing here." She peered into Elena's watery brown orbs.
"If she were still alive, Mystic Falls would be a blood bath, and many newborn vampires could be roaming the streets."
Elena backed away, shaking her head, refusing to hear Darcy's words.
Stefan followed. "Why don't we go somewhere and talk about it." He asked desperately.
"No, Stefan, you have to stay away from me," Elena said as she turned around and walked away, leaving the two staring helplessly at her back.
"Don't worry, Stef she'll come around. I know my sister, and I know she can't stay away forever... Just give her time." Darcy said, staring up at him, covering her face away from the beaming sun rays.
💜🖤💜
A few hours later, Darcy was seated next to Jeremy at the kitchen table; the older sibling was helping him with his homework.
Jenna was moping, pouting at the tv when Elena trudged down the stairs and plopped down next to her.
"Your wallowing," Jenna said, looking over at her.
"So are you," Elena replied.
"My wallow is legitimate. I was dumped."
"Logan was an ass. You're better off without I say." Darcy piped up.
Jenna rolled her eyes with a slight smile on her rosy lips. "You didn't get a brush-off email saying, 'I'm leaving town, see ya'."
"Want to keep it down over there," Jeremy yelled beside Darcy, causing her to startle and almost topple off the chair.
"Jeez warn a girl next time," Darcy said placing a hand on her galloping chest.
Jeremy ignored her already invested in his work.
Elena and Jenna glanced at each other confused. "Why? What are you doing?" Jenna asked.
"Homework."
A proud grin pulled at Darcy's red-matt lips. She's proud of her little brother if you asked if he would be doing this six months ago, the answer will be hell no, he'd be too high on drugs.
The brunette and strawberry haired women perked up and leaned over to get a look. Both thinking was this a joke?
"Since when do you do homework?" Elena asked, unable to process the thought.
"I gotta finish this, I'm way behind, and I have a quiz tomorrow. Darcy said she would help me get back on track..." He trailed off pen back on the paper, scribbling away.
"What do you think? Alien?" Elena whispered loudly, resulting in the oldest Gilbert throwing a pen at her head.
"Some sort of replicant?" Jenna joked.
"He can hear you," Jeremy said. Darcy sniggers as he glares, glancing up from his work.
"Aww, leave him alone, he's trying, and that's the main thing," She says standing and grabbing her leather off the back of the chair.
Jeremy pauses and watches as his rock gathers her school supplies and shoots him a grin, he smiles to himself as she ruffles his bed hair as she passes by to jogs up the stairs. A light feeling flutters inside, happy to make her proud. Even with Vicki gone, he knows with Darcy at his side he'll always be okay. He will always strive to make her happy.
💜🖤💜
(Third POV)
"Mr Salvatore come on in, could you get the door for me? Sheriff Forbes asked.
"Sure." Damon walked in and closed the door.
He strolled over to her desk and taking a seat, placing the box he had on his lap.
"I understand from Mrs Lockwood, that your uncle is out of town," Liz said, peering over at him.
"Yes, he is, but I spoke to Zach. He filled me in and asked me if I could bring this to you." Damon said, sliding the box on her desk.
Liz picked up a pair of scissors, cutting the tape and opened the flaps, looking inside. "Vervain." She said, glancing back at Damon.
"That's all we have at the moment I hope it's enough."
"It's a small circle, founding families, a few city officials," Liz said.
"And your deputies of course, right? Are we any closer?" He asked as Liz settled back in her seat.
"I think our facts are wrong. We always believed that vampires could only come out in the dark. What if that has changed?"
"So, is that even possible?" Damon asked, playing along.
"We've exhausted every other option. We have to consider the vampire may be walking around during the day, right in front of us." She said.
Damon suspected the sheriff did not know who it was and exhaled a silent breath of relief.
"Hmm. So what's the next step?" He asked, appearing curious.
"We are looking at anyone new to the town since the deaths began. Should turn up a suspect or two," Liz said.
A thought shot in Damon's mind, the sheriff could link the deaths to him and his brother, then an idea spruced. He tried fighting the smirk that wanted to pull at his pale lips. He has to do anything to deter her.
"And I, of course, will do anything I can to help," Damon said, smiling.
He got up telling the sheriff he had to pick up his brother. As he left the office, Damon pulled out his phone and dialled a certain protectress.
"Hello, Darcella,"
"What can I do for you, Dickmon?"
He scoffed amused, "When are gonna skip to using Damon?"
"Hmm, never?" Darcy teased. "Let's miss out on the pleasantries and tell me why you called."
"How are you with planning parties?" Damon grinned when he heard her groan in disgust.
"Have you seen me? Do I look like the sort who can arrange parties?"
"I don't know I think you could pull it off."
"Nope. You should ask care, that's her thing."
Damon smirked, remembering he gave the blonde the necklace, he so desperately wanted back.
"Oh, how perfect."
"What are you up to?"
"Oh, you know being the good brother and setting up a birthday party for the little bro."
Darcy gasped. "It's Se-Stefan's birthday!" Damon hummed. "And he never told me? How rude. What an ass, wait until I get my hands on him." Darcy went off ranting of ways she could cause the green-eyed vampire pain.
Damon rolled his eyes are at her antics and smirked again. "Actually change of plans. You can go to Stefan and bring him to the party. How great is that? Oh, yes, just brilliant."
Darcy paused, hearing the smug tone down the receiver. "You have another motive, don't you? I know you, Damon. You don't do nice acts, not unless there's another agenda."
Damon never replied, and he didn't need to his silence spoke volumes.
Darcy sighed. "Damon, whatever you do... be careful, yeah? Think before you follow through. You know Karma has it in for you ass."
"Will do. It was lovely talking with you Darcella."
"Darcy, Dickmon. Get it right."
"Yep, Darcella. Got it, bye-bye now."
"Asshole," Darcy mutters, hanging the call.
💜🖤💜
(Back to Darcy's POV)
Darcy was laying on her bed, eyes closed, earphones in humming along to Nicki Minaj. When a pillow attacked her face, she shot up glaring at a sheepish Bonnie.
"Really? A pillow?"
Bonnie shrugged. "You weren't answering when I called."
"And you didn't think to remove an earphone, or I know tap, shout?"
The brunette witch shook her head unaffected of Darcy's typical tirade. It was nothing new; this was Bonnie's usual welcome.
"Nope." Bonnie grinned before lying down next to her best friend.
Darcy glance at the girl. "So, where have you been hiding lately?"
Bonnie looking up at the ceiling feeling oddly nervous about confessing to Darcy, she knows her friend will support her regardless, that's how the huntress is.
"Shall we call Elena? I think she should be included in this, too." Darcy nodded, and Bonnie sprung back up, to retrieve Elena.
A few minutes later, the two girls walked into Darcy's bedroom. Elena offered her sister an apologetic smile. Darcy opened her arms, knowing she can't stay mad at her sister for long. The latter didn't waste time jumping into her arms and snuggling into her side. Head in the crook of the older girls neck, breathing in her calming Jasmine aroma. "I'm sorry," Elena whispered.
"Shh, now. Let's forget about that, yeah?" Darcy soothed, running her nimble fingers through Elena's tangled hair.
Elena nodded, pulling away and settled criss-cross apple sauce. They both peered up at Bonnie, who stood at the end of the bed, smiling at the sisters.
"Bon?" Darcy questioned, reminding her what she needed to discuss.
Bonnie exhaled a breath. "Just remember you asked for it." She said as Elena looked at her, confused. Darcy had a pair of scissors on her bedside table. She grabbed them and snatched the pillow out of Darcy's grip before the dark-haired teen could complain. Bonnie, cut into it, shredding it apart, feathers sailed all over the place.
"Hey!" Darcy protested.
"Be patient." She said, trying to hold in the giggle bubbling inside.
"Okay..." Darcy mumbled, then released a whine when the girl continued to ruin her pillow.
"I need you both to swear to secrecy." She said, looking between Darcy and Elena.
"It's kind of a bad week for that kind of stuff," Elena said, shaking her head.
"Swear, cause I'm not supposed to be showing you this." She said, her brown eyes pleading for her friend to listen.
Darcy laid her hand on Elena's arm, getting her sister's attention. Her blues implored for her to listen, after all, they have kept the Salvatore's habitat a secret, why can't she do the same for the girl she's known her for her whole life?
Elena nodded, looking over at Bonnie. "Okay. I swear."
Bonnie glanced around the room. "There are no windows open, right?"
"Right."
"No fan? No air conditioning?"
"None."
"What are you doing?" Darcy asked, perplexed.
"Grams just showed me this. You're gonna love it. You ready?"
The girls nodded their heads; eyes fixed on the beaming smile gracing her beautiful features. Bonnie looked down, focusing her attention on the feathers that were now on the bed. She hovered her hand and closed her eyes. After a few second of nothing happening, the girls were about to say something, when suddenly the feathers lifted off the bed and floated in the air.
"Wow. That was awesome." Darcy said in awe, then jumping up batting her arms about to gather the feathers. Bonnie giggled at her awestruck face.
"Bonnie? What's going on?" Elena asked, holding in her laughter when a feather landed on Darcy's nose. She was practically cross-eyed with the euphoria of the surrounding amazingness.
"It's true." Bonnie paused, catching the ebony-head as went to excitably tumble off the bed. "Everything Grams told me. It's impossible, but it is true. I'm a witch." She said, smiling at the girls.
Darcy peered up on Bonnie in her arms, her face lighting up. "Damn Bon you're a badass witch... Does that mean your vision was true and I'm gonna hook up with a hot dude?"
Bonnie and Elena threw their head back, laughter filling the room.
💜🖤💜
(Stefan, Lexi & Damon)
Stefan and Lexi were perched in the living room, talking and reminiscing. The blonde vampire opened up a suitcase revealing numerous blood bags.
"So this Elena girl. She'll come around I know she will." Lexi said as she pulled a blood bag out.
"No," Stefan said, shaking his head.
"Sex always works. You'll rock her world a hard with your vamp sex." Lexi continued.
"Yeah, but this isn't about sex, or compulsion or any of our other tricks. She has to be with me on her own terms."
"Wow, that sounded all mature and grown-up." She said, taking a sip out of the red substance pouch.
"I'm not getting any older."
A look of relief floods over Lexi's features and the blood flowed through her veins. She opens her eyes, finding Stefan watching her. "Want some?"
"No, thank you."
"Relax. I didn't kill anyone for it. I went out with this phlebotomist; he's my supplier. Oh, don't judge, okay? Listen, I tried the animal diet. It lasted three weeks." Lexi said, rolling her eyes.
Stefan shook his head with a pained expression merged on his face. "It doesn't matter, cause if I started again... I don't know if..."
"You could stop." Lexi finished.
"Lexi I'd never judge you." Stefan implored.
Lexi shook her head with a smile. "I'm just jealous of your restraint. I have none. I delight I hedonism...Speaking of which, what are you doing tonight?"
"Funny you should ask," Damon said as he walked through the front door.
"Well, I wasn't asking you," Lexi said, not bothering to turn around and look at him.
"There's a party at the grill. You'll love it. Banquettes, tacky waiting staff. Stefan's bestie and other friends." Damon said, grinning like a goon.
Lexi gave Stefan a look to explain. "Bestie, huh?"
Stefan shot Damon a glare, which went unaffected given by the wink he got in return and looked back at his oldest and dearest friend. "Oh, um...that be Darcy..." He trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck.
"And Darcy is? Hmm?" She asked, leaning forward, looking at Stefan's squirming form.
"Oh, you know his girlfriend's sister, who happens to a hunter..." Damon smirked at his brother. "What does she hunt, Stef?"
More intense squirming. "Vampires." He muttered, looking everywhere but at Lexi.
"Stefan! A hunter!" Lexi exclaimed, shocked he would develop and friendship with that kind.
"I-uh...s-she's different." Stefan stuttered, looking at Damon to back him up. He just continued smirking, enjoying his discomfort. "I don't know ever since we've met we just had this instant connection. I can't tell on her part, but she's never actually set out to harm us unless when Damon is not a dick."
"Hmm. Go on Stef tell Lexi what she helped you achieve..."
Lexi looked between the brothers, curious to know more about this girl, who's obviously caused a stir.
"She...uh helped kill Vicki. She's very protective of her family, she's like a little protectress, and if anyone hurt them, they'll feel her wrath. But that night Vicki died, she attacked her Elena and Jeremy. I wouldn't allow her to have someone's death on her hands, but she adamant she would not let me have the blame and we uh...we killed her together."
"I think she didn't want you to have the guilty conscience on your hands." Damon cut in with a thoughtful expression. "I think Darcy knew you would beat yourself up over Vicki's death."
Lexi sat stunned but also happy that Stefan had found someone who he could obviously be himself with. "Wow." She was speechless.
"But that's not all, she's loyal to the fault, compassionate, and dare I say it human," Stefan said glancing at his brother who had a troubled look on his face. "We've...Damon and I have never come across someone who's got a gold soul. Even though she helped kill Vicki, she sat with her corpse and spoke to her and she uh requested Damon to give her a decent burial. Darcy didn't even like Vicki, but for the sake of her brother and his love towards the girl, she put her feelings aside and did what a decent human being would do."
Lexi found herself wanting to meet this special girl, see who she is, and honestly, she wants to thank her for putting aside her hunting urges and being Stefan's friend. One he desperately needed at his side.
She looked over at Stefan. "When do I meet her?"
Stefan looked shocked. "You want to meet her?"
"Yeah, if she has had this massive impact on you and Damon too, then I want to meet her."
Damon snapped himself out of his thoughts and clapped his hands smugly. "Perfect. I think you shall be expecting her soon." He grinned at Stefan.
"Why? What did you do?" Stefan squinted his eyes.
"Oh, you know, I might have told her it was your birthday." Damon shrugged like it was no big deal.
Stefan paled, glancing at Lexi who smirked at him. "Damon, why would you do that?"
"All the reasons why you should have a party."
"I don't want a party." Stefan denied.
"Well, it's not for you. It's a party party. No ones gonna know it's your birthday. Caroline's throwing it." Damon said glancing between the blonde and his brother.
"Damon, stay away from Caroline," Stefan warned, not wanting a repeat of before and having the huntress on their case.
"Relax. Darcella suggested it." Damon said. "We're friends it's cool. The town needs to see us out and about like normal folk. We need to blend in." He paused, eyeing at the blood bag in Lexi's hands. "I prefer mine at 98.6." He said and proceeded to walk out of the living room.
Lexi looked at Stefan with pleading eyes. "Let's go, please?"
Stefan sighed, shaking his as he got up from his seat and headed for a shower.
"And bring Darcy. I want to meet her!" Lexi shouted at Stefan's retreating form.
*4471 word count.
~
So sorry for the wait guys! This judging is ruining my ass :( But be patient... 1.2 will be up shortly tonight/tomorrow, depending what time is wherever you all are. Also I'm sorry if it's not up to my usual standards. I wanted this chapter to appear more fun, rather than depressing. We all need some light 💜