[*Chapter Twenty-One*]

*Strong language*Enjoy! 💜

We're in this mess because of you! If you were watching the road, you would have seen the man and avoided him!

Those words echoed around her head like a broken record. Her heart ached with the remembrance of Elena's harsh statement. Was Elena, right? Was the cause of the crash her fault?

Round and round they go, spinning and digging, deeper into the dark void, manifesting and growing with each repeated word. 'Because of you.', 'Your fault.'

The everlasting green trees they passed provided a distraction to the insistent babbling of her sister, who never quite grasped the idea that being quiet meant shut the hell up! Not yap on like a goddam Jack Russel. Seriously was it so hard shut her mouth? No?

God the thoughts in her head made her question her sanity, imaging sick ways to silence the girl, preferably forever after today's stunt. She felt like bitch-slapping, followed by strangling the ungrateful and selfish, immature brat. How can she blame the one person who's stuck by her side since they were kids? The little girl who was a family friend before they became adoptive siblings. The same little girl who was used as a puppet on strings to become their families protector.

While Elena is whining about her parents kept her being adopted a secret, Darcy never really had a proper family. Sure Greyson was like a father to her, but what about her biological family? She doesn't remember them; their faces became a blur after ten years. She does remember her supposed father laying his hands on her pure form, while her pathetic excuse of a mother watched on whilst drunk and high on drugs.

Her eyes watered with unshed tears, ones she will never let fall, she can't because if she did Darcy fears, she'd break apart. How can she remain strong when she's falling apart at the seams? Who would Jeremy turn to when he needed her most? Jenna? Sure she's an amazing woman but doubts she can handle his hormonal outbursts and relapses. Elena? Nah, she mothers too much always in your face demanding to know your every moment step in life.

Was a thank you too much to ask? Because not one single word of appreciation uttered out of her sister's mouth. Instead, she yelled, shouted, whined, and demanded to be taken home.

And for her to sprout those crushing words felt like a knife was stabbing her heart with each remark. How could Elena blame her? The way Darcy saw it, regardless if they were arguing the crash was going to happen either way, with or without the Protectress in the car.

"What did you do with Darcy's car?" Elena bit out, whilst glaring daggers into her sister's back; she was far from pleased being forced to tag along.

Damon's gaze flickered from to road to Darcy's silent shape, he was worried, she's been quiet for far too long. "I left it in the bushes. It was far off from the road. I don't think anyone will bother it." He said, not bothering to look in her direction.

"What about the man? Was he a-?"

"Vampire," Darcy muttered emotionless.

" From what I can tell, yeah." Damon nodded his head, agreeing with the dark-haired female.

"You don't know him?"

"Of course not. Damon doesn't do friends," Darcy spoke up sardonically.

"Hey! I have friends."

"What? Me?" She trailed her arms over herself.

"There's the Darcella I know."

"Darcy. Say it with me, Damon. D A R C Y. See? Wasn't hard, was it?"

A smirk tugged at his sinful lips, earning him a punch in the arm. "Dirty fucker."

"Hello?" Elena called demanding the attention back on herself. "In case you have forgotten there was a vampire, standing in the road?"

"Yes, Elena. I know, I'm not dumb. I did hit him, remember?" Darcy shot back, knowing Elena understood the sharp jab when she shrunk back in her seat.

"If I've ever met him, I wouldn't know. I mean, it's not like we all hang out together at the vamp bar and grill," Damon said grinning at the irony as he pulled up outside a bar.

"You brought us to a bar? Damon, we're not old enough. They are not gonna let us in." Elena protested as Damon and Darcy climbed out of the car.

"I could do with a drink after today's ballache," Darcy said, motioning her hand to the vampire. 'Keys.' She mouthed.

"What? No. How do I know if you're going to drive off in my car?" He quirked an amused eyebrow.

"I need to change jerkass!" She said motioning to her current bloodstained clothes.

Damon squinted his baby blues and pointed a finger at her innocent façade, "I trust you, but not that much with my baby!"

'You shouldn't', Darcy thought evilly. "Just give me the keys Dickmon!"

He sighed not all sure where she was going with this but passed them over.

"Darcy, you're 18!" Elena exclaimed as Darcy retrieved her bag and slid in beside Elena. She quickly shed her black tee before replacing it with a red vest and slinging her arms through Damon's leather jacket. "We can't go in there!"

"I can." She smirked jumping out of the car and pushing Elena, provoking her to fall onto her back then slammed and locked the door. "You can't."

"Oh, this is gold! Did you just lock her in?"

"Yep, peace at last." She confirmed handing the keys back.

"Darcy!" The brunette yelled, banging on the window. "You can't do this!"

"Why, of course, I can. After all, you didn't want to come, did you?" She pouted with faux sympathy, then laughed chillily towards Damon as he watched the comic drama unfold before him.

"This is why we're best friends. You're a badass."

"A bit too much, don't you think?" Darcy said while they walked away from the car, ignoring the frustrated shouts coming from the back seat.

"Nope. You'll see the truth one day." He quipped pausing at the entrance. "After you m'lady." He playfully bowed whilst opening the door to the bar.

"Thank you, kind sir!" She curtsied, before walking into the grey bar, "What are we doing here, anyway?"

"Her." He motioned his head over to the beautiful dark-skinned woman behind the bar, "Don't be fooled, she looks hot, but those looks deceive you."

"No. No, it can't be. Damon. My honey pie." The woman said, looking up from cleaning the bar. She smiles big, walking up to him and lands a kiss on his lips.

'Nice.' Darcy smirks clapping her hands behind the woman's back. Damon narrows his gaze at her earning a careless shrug before spinning on her heels and taking a seat at the bar. A moment later, the two followed, Damon sitting beside her and the dark beauty behind the bench, sliding two full tumblers of Bourbon over to them.

"Listen up, everybody! Here's to the man that broke my heart, crushed my soul, destroyed my life, and ruined any chances of happiness! Drink up! Woohoo!" Bree said downing the shot.

Darcy sniffed the drink seeing if it was spiked, she glanced at Damon, he inhaled then subtly shook his head. She threw back the shot humming in pleasure as the potent liquor simmered her veins.

Bree turned her gaze to the dark-haired girl sitting beside her old lover. She took her time appraising the girl, liking here more and more when she didn't back away feeling intimidated, unlike others. The girl had fire bubbling under her tanned skin with an air of protection and loyalty encircled around her voluptuous frame. The kind that makes you want to seek safety in those comforting arms of hers and never let go. Mesmerising blue eyes resides to an old soul, blazing with burning embers and fierce wrath. The witch reminded herself not to get on the girl's bad side; something tells her she won't come out unscathed.

"So who are you, and how did you get mixed up with the likes of him?" She said as her pointed stare veered to Damon as he silently analysed the two women assess each other.

"You got the wrong idea, love. My sister is dating his brother." Darcy said as she overlooked the crowds in the bar.

"Honey, with a man like him, you'll always be roped. He'll get you whipped and spit you back out," She said each word thwarted with bitterness.

"Hmm. I agree that's why I know not to get entangled with a man like him."

"Hey! I'm right here, you know?" Damon grumbled. "I am not that bad!"

Darcy tittered at his hurt pretence. "Sweetheart. You smell of sin, forbidden sex and broken hearts."

Damon drained another Bourbon, "Ahh, that's a part of the allure. Women love that shit."

Bree had to chuckle at the true statement. "He's right, but then we bitch and cry to ourselves when it all falls to shit."

Darcy smacked her hand on the smooth surface. "And that's why I'm smart enough to stay single. I don't need a man to make me happy."

"And miss out on awesome sex?" Damon tempted. He couldn't imagine a world without it.

"That's what hands are for, right? Or toys?" Darcy remarked confidently.

"Damn girl, I like you. You're bold." Bree chortles at the girl's shameless confidence, while Damon probed the side of her face with a smirk on his chiselled face.

"Get those thoughts out of your head, Damon Salvatore."

He chuckled, lifting his hands in surrender. "I never said anything."

"You didn't have to. Your face says it all."

"But, can I wa-" Darcy's hand shoved his face away, causing him to almost topple of his seat if wasn't for his fast reflexes.

"No, you can't watch. You nasty." Darcy shook her head, turning to Bree laughing, watching their interaction. "So...you gonna tell me how you met?" She said whilst gulping back the amber liquid.

"College."

Caught off-guard she laughed spewing the fluid everywhere, "No! I don't believe it. Damon and college don't mix well together."

"Well, believe it...I've been on a college campus, yes." Damon shot her a grin as he kept his surveillance locked on Bree.

"About 20 years ago, when I was just a sweet, young freshman. I met this beautiful man and fell in love. And then he told me his secret, made me love him more. Because you see...I had a little secret of my own, that I was dying to share with somebody."

Darcy frowned, then straightened when Damon leant closer, if that was possible he was already practically sitting on her lap, he's jean-clad thigh mashed up against hers. "She's a witch."

The huntress nodded her understanding, "Ahh..." Jeez, Is the whole world infested with supernatural species now? Vampires, witches, werewolves. What's next? Dragons, fairies and unicorns? Hell, might as well throw in the devil and Gods to the mixture.

"Changed my world."

"I rocked your world." He said while propping his elbows on the bar and cupping his face.

"Details, details or it never happened." Darcy crooned, purposely knocking her arm into Damon, causing him to slip and almost faceplant himself. She deflected the intense glare, focusing her interest on the witch.

"He's good in the sack. But, mostly he's a walk-away-Joe." Bree trailed off filling up three more shots, once handed out, she turned to Damon. "So, what is it you want?"

He sighed looking down at the girl beside him, the girl who's been testing his real motives. Is this what he even wants anymore? Does he want to get Katherine back and run away into the sunset? Damon wasn't so sure anymore, but he knows it won't end well. He just hopes he at least has a friend in Darcy when it all turns to carnage.

Darcy's gaze shined with realisation as she met his stare dead on. She sighed, flashing him a comforting smile and patted his bare arm, silently giving the go-ahead. See? Everyone needs an understanding friend like Darcy.

Getting up off the stool, he leads Darcy outside, still out of view of Elena. "Look, I know you're not going to like this, but I need you to stay with Elena. Things might get messy."

"No, Damon. As you said, things could get messy. You said not to trust her. What if she does something?"

"And that's more the reason for you to stay out here where you're safe with your sister. You don't deserve to get caught up in my mess. Okay?" Damon said, holding her shoulders and steering her over to her sister.

"Isn't that what friends are supposed to do? Look out for each other?"

"Yes, but this isn't your fight. Now stay in the car." He said, slipping her the car keys.

"Make sure you clean up your mess." She chirped grinning at her miserable sister.

"Oh, that's already sorted," Damon snorted over his shoulder as he strolled back into the bar.

"Had enough time on the naughty step?" Darcy said, sticking her face on the window with a smug grin.

"Let me out!" Elena demanded.

"What was that? I can't quite hear you." She said, cupping an ear.

"Please."

"There wasn't so hard, was it?" She unlocked the car with a cheerful smile.

"Did you have this far and lock me in the car?" Elena whined with a stubborn pout.

"Yes, yes, I did."

"I'm not a child!" Her sister said huffing while stomping her foot.

Darcy's brows raised, "Well, stop acting like one then. A bit of appreciation and quiet would be nice."

"What?" Elena asked, confused not sure what she was getting at.

"Seriously? Are you being—" Darcy trailed off clutching, her head in pain, "Ahh!" She cried out as the pain intensified.

"Darcy! What's wrong?" Elena panicked trying to pry Darcy's hands away from her face.

She shook her throbbing head, not able to reply overcome with disorientation, flashes of foreign visions drilling her mind making her halt and grip her temples in agony. "Ow, shit. That hurts." Feeling lethargic, she bared her weight on the Camaro, sliding to the ground.

A bang brought her back, snapping her head up staring into Elena's concerned face. "Your face...it's covered in blood as if someone punched you in the face."

"Huh?." She mumbled groggily, bringing her hand to her face feeling a wet texture dripping from her nose, smearing her mouth. "Why am I bleeding?"

"I don't know...What happened there? Do you remember?"

Darcy shook her head with a pained groan. "Bree and Damon. Met Bree, had drinks, then came to check on you...Ugh, my head feels like someone crushed it with my metal baseball bat."

"I've not seen you like this since we were kids."

That was true Darcy used to have unexpected migraines that incited heavy nosebleeds, like now. It used to terrify their parents waking up to Darcy screaming in her sleep; they would burst in her room, finding her and her bed covered in blood. No explanation why--Darcy was screaming in pain, whispering her head felt like something was splitting it open with a mallet and invading her brain.

She began to have unusual dreams about outdated people donning ancient garments and wielding swords since those migraines started.

Her psyche wasn't familiar with what she assumed was a family, but her heart and soul told the opposite. The other weird thing...Darcy, appeared in these dreams with this family and seemed very close and protective towards the oldest male sibling and the youngest boy. She doesn't know who they are, but her spirit tells her otherwise, there's an invisible link drawing them together. After a while her parents got used to them, they stopped running to after finding Darcy arms wrapped around Jeremy in a protective hold. They figured they were ordinary nightmares and sought comfort that only her little brother could provide.

"Come on let's get Damon. We need to get you home. Jenna, Bonnie and Stefan have called asking for you."

"Oh, fuck my car! My phone! My precious babies. What am I gonna do El? Jenna is gonna screw." Darcy moaned burying her still aching head in her hands.

"That's not important right now. You look like crap. Come on we're getting Damon." Elena said, holding onto Darcy's arm and hauling her out of the car. Once righted, the middle Gilbert assisted the eldest to the entrance of the bar.

~

I'm so excited! The plot is starting to pick up its pace 🙌👏

Tell me your thoughts? What do you think is happening to Darcy? Who are these 'people'?

Part 3 is coming soon. This chapter is super long! I know most of you prefer longer chapters. But don't worry I have a plan once I have the 3 parts completed I'll combine them together...for now I want to keep you all hanging *grins evilly*