[*Chapter Forty*]

Beware of the chaos ahead!

The music thumped in tandem with her beating core. She swept away the faux sweat coating her forehead and rubbed at her vibrating chest. The racing rhythm of her heart pulsated under her fingertips.

"Damn, Stef, pump those arms any harder. You'll have a girl falling to her knees."

Stefan grunted, the muscles in his arms bulging as he pulled himself up on the high beam in his room. "No one told you to watch."

"How could I not? Some women would pay to watch this show, and lucky me, I get it for free. What did I do in my past life to deserve such honour?" Darcy said.

"You need to get laid," Damon said, walking into the room, a glass of blood in his grasp.

"Who needs to get laid when you have the blessing of such view?" Darcy said, watching as the older vampire turned off the music and sat down in the chair positioned in front of Stefan, placing his glass down on the table nearby.

"When are you going back to school?" Damon asked Stefan.

"Soon," Stefan said as he jumped down and began doing push-ups.

"I can give you a good show," Damon said smugly, looking over at Darcy sitting on Stefan's bed, wiggling his brows.

"Ugh, don't entice me with lethal temptations," Darcy groaned playfully, flinging herself on the bed and throwing her arm over her face.

"Snooze, you lose. Oh, come on. Just drink already. This self-detox is unnatural," Damon said, offering Stefan the blood.

Stefan stood up and moved a few paces away, crossing his arms over his chest. "Can you get that away from me, please?"

Darcy narrowed her eyes, noticing Stefan's gaze grabbed possession of the glass of blood before he got back down on the floor and resumed his exercise.

'He's baiting himself,' she thought.

"How long did it take you to wean yourself off it after you last "indulged"? Damon asked, tilting his head.

Darcy and Damon exchanged worrisome glances when they got no response. 'That's not good.

Stefan waved them off. "I'll be fine. It just takes a little bit of time."

Darcy shook her head; they wouldn't be in this position if a certain someone had not forced him to drink her blood. She stood up off the bed and walked over to Stefan, patting him on the shoulder as he met her stare. "Whatever you decide, Stefan, just know we won't judge you," she sent him a small smile before making her way to the door.

"You not gonna stay and watch the show, Princess?" Damon asked, turning around in the chair, observing as she paused in the open doorway.

"I'll combust if I stay any longer," she tossed over her shoulder with a wink as she left the room, just as fast the façade she had been wearing all morning faded.

"You're missing out!" Damon yelled.

"You can tell me all the details later," Darcy yelled back, jogging down the stairs and exiting the boarding house.

"Something's wrong. She's not her usual sassy self," Damon commented, eyes still fixed on the space Darcy just resided.

"That could be for many factors. The circumstance she's somehow still alive, when an average human would have died, or how she's beating herself up lying to her friend about why his sister's dead body had been found. That and making sure Jeremy is stable," Stefan muttered, staring down into the crimson liquid before tearing his gaze away as Damon turned his attention on him.

"Those or something much more," Damon said, staring around the room with creased eyes.

*•*•*•*•*

Darcy slid the key into the door and stepped into the house; she raised her brows at Elena and Jenna congregating in the hallway before making her way up the stairs.

"Hey, Darce! Can you tell Jeremy to get his butt downstairs? Elena's taking him to school," Jenna called.

"No need, I'll take them," Darcy said, sending a brief smile to the strawberry blonde as she made it to the top of the stairs.

Jenna creased her brows at the dark-haired girl and shook her head as she buttoned her jacket and slipped her bag over her shoulder.

"Are you sure you're okay to go back to school, Darcy? As well as taking Jeremy?" Elena inquired, frowning.

"Yes, Elena, for the last 100 times you've asked me. I'm fine. We can go in my baby now I've got her back," Darcy said over her shoulder.

Finally, after what felt like a hundred years, she's got her car back. Don't get Darcy wrong; she loves her bike. But her car is basically her baby.

A tap sounded on the doorframe causing Darcy to swivel on her heels and face Jeremy, who had been standing there for a few minutes watching while she rubbed at her head as she talked to herself.

"You know, talking to yourself is a sign of madness?" Jeremy said a tilt of a smile on his lips. The expression wiped away as she continued standing there, staring at him with a vacant look. "Are you okay, Darcy?" He asked, waving a hand in front of her face.

"Huh? Oh. Yeah, I'm good, Hen...Jer. Just a lot on my mind with Matt and Vicki," Darcy said, gazing down at her feet. "I should be asking you how you are. But I won't pressure you. Just know when you're ready, you can talk to me."

"I-I... What do we do about Matt? I can't look in his face knowing we know the truth."

There's nothing they can do but be there for him as his friends. That's what Matt needs right now, and she can't imagine his Mother is being much help. Darcy's just glad he's got Caroline, no matter how overbearing she can be at times.

"Be a friend, Jer. That's what he needs," she said, picking up her bag and kissing his cheek before leaving the room. "Be down in five!"

If it's another thing of Jeremy's love for Darcy, it's how she doesn't suffocate him when times are hard. She would wait until he's ready. He's grateful and selfish for that. He rubs at his chest, knowing she would be disappointed, possibly indignant, if she ever learned of the thoughts currently flying through his mind.

Ruffling a hand through his hair, Jeremy turned to leave the room but stopped glimpsing something on Darcy' desk. "Wait! You've forgotten something," Jeremy called after Darcy had left the room.

He knows Darcy lately has not left anywhere without the odd-looking piece of jewellery and walked over to her vanity table. He picked up the necklace only to drop it with a clang and jerk his hand away. Letting out a pained hiss, he shook his hand and then abruptly halted his movements upon noticing the faint rosy pigment draping his palm.

The youngest Gilbert's mind began spinning as he pulled the sleeve of his hoodie over his hand and picked up the chain before leaving Darcy's room, bumping into her as she was heading back his way.

"You forgot your necklace," he said, lifting his covered hand; the ruby pendant spun mockingly in a circle on its chain.

"Oh, thanks, Jer. I was just coming back to get it," Darcy said, taking the necklace and clipping it around her neck. "Are you ready?" She asked, turning on her heels and began to descend the stairs.

"Yeah," he said with a frown. What the hell?

"Here," Jenna said, smiling as she handed Darcy her lunchbox and Elena her thermos.

"Thanks, Aunt Jenna," Elena said, sending her a grateful smile.

"I love you, woman!" Darcy grinned, smothering the woman in a tight hug.

"D-Darcy... c-can't b-breath... going to die," Jenna gasped, smacking Darcy's back.

"Oops, we can't have that now, can we?" Darcy grinned, removing her hold. And as if something magical had arisen, she suddenly felt on top of the world.

Who knew what the thought of food could do?

Checking the time on her phone, she let out a curse. "Crap, we got to go. Ten minutes left!" Darcy exclaimed, running out of the kitchen and opening the front door. She froze at the person standing on the threshold and slammed the door in their face.

She grinned evilly and turned around, barricading the door, looking at Elena, Jenna's, and Jeremy's curious faces. "Just a salesman-,"

The door knocked.

"Go away! We don't want to buy your services," she yelled and let a string of protests when Jenna pushed her aside and opened the door.

"Uncle John!" Elena said whilst looking at Darcy as she glared at John Gilbert walking into their house as if he owned it.

"Darcy, good to see you haven't changed," John said, an annoying smirk resting on his mouth.

"I can't say the same about you-- What the Jenna!-," the rest of her sentence became muffled since Jenna decided to slap her hand on the girl's mouth.

"John, you made it-- Ew! Did you just lick me?" Jenna exclaimed, snatching her hand away with a disgusted look.

"You shouldn't have stuck it there--" Darcy's reply got stifled again as Jenna wiped her hand on her face. "Jenna, I lied. I don't love you anymore!" she exclaimed, slapping Jenna's hand away.

"Take that back!" Jenna said, pointing her finger at Darcy's face. She snapped her head at Elena and Jeremy's snickering.

"I said I would be here by nine," John said, stopping their bickering.

"Uncle John, what's up?" Jeremy asked, smirking at Darcy, knowing the longer they stay there, the more she would get frustrated.

"Hey!" John exclaims as Jeremy slaps him on the shoulder and walks out the door, leaving Darcy behind with a taunting wave.

"Don't leave me! Take me with you... Jeremy!" Darcy yelled, running out of the house and down the porch.

"So, nothing has changed-," they all looked over at the bickering teens when there was a loud yelp and thump.

"DARCY! YOU PUSHED ME!" Jeremy yelled, jumping up from the lawn.

"SUCK IT, YOU TRAITOR!" Darcy cackled as she dived into her car and reversed out the driveway, leaving Jeremy to run after the moving vehicle.

"Elena..." Jenna said.

"Yeah, got it. I'll make sure they don't kill each other," Elena chuckled, jogging down to the lawn and finally getting the younger Gilbert into the car after Darcy had finally stopped curbing the vehicle.

*•*•*•*•*

"Darcy, Elena could you stay back for a minute," Alaric called out after the class is dismissed. Darcy shoved her books into her bag.

"What did you do?" Matt asked her as he was leaving the classroom.

"Why does it have to be I've done something?" the dusky haired girl asked.

"Because it usually is," Elena commented at her side.

"Rude," she muttered as they walked to the teacher's desk.

"You wanted to see us? And here I thought a night of slaughtering vampires together would be enough," Darcy said, hiking her bag onto her shoulder.

Alaric gave her a look of disdain. "Not now."

"Okay, Ricardo, tell it to me straight... you're confessing your underlying love for me?"

"What? No!"

"It's okay. Everyone loves Darcy, too."

"Darcy," Elena hissed, nudging her side.

"I don't love you!" Alaric whisper exclaimed, wide-eyed.

"Oh, wow, Ric! And here I thought we could have an illicit affair," Darcy gasped, a hand to her chest.

"Darcy! Don't be so disgusting," Elena slapped her arm but couldn't keep her giggles in check.

Alaric stared at the devil child with a look of horror. "No, no illicit affairs. No confessions of love."

"Okay, I get it, it's a hate to love relationship," she winked at his deadpanned face. "Or not..."

"What do you need us for, Ric," Elena asked, cutting off the rest of Darcy's unrequired sentence.

"I wanted to show you this. I made a copy of the paper Jeremy wrote for me." Alaric pulled a paper out of his bag and pushed it forth towards them. "I think you should have a look."

Darcy picked up the paper and read the title out loud. "Fact or fiction: The truth about vampires in Mystic Falls.

"Jeremy wrote this?" Elena asked, peering over her shoulder.

"It's very clear that he didn't think it was real," he said as he began packing up his classroom materials.

"Why would he write this?" Elena's asked as her face lost colour. She glanced at Darcy's emotionless face.

"Well, I can tell you now, that's not true. Jeremy is very much aware that vampires are real and that they are currently running around Mystic Falls," Darcy said, handing him back the paper.

Alaric's hands froze as he was putting papers into his bag. "Jeremy knows?" he asked incredulously. "What if tells the wrong person?"

"Since the beginning. I wanted to make sure he was aware and safe. He won't. Jeremy's a smart kid," Darcy said adamantly. "I hope."

"So, how does this explain his paper. If he knows it's a fact, why base it on a lie?" Alaric asked.

Darcy blew out a breath and crossed her arms. Her gaze roamed around the blackboard as she collected her thoughts. "The only reason I can come up with is Anna."

"Anna?" Elena and Alaric asked in parallel.

"Yeah, Pearl, the leader of the Tomb vampires, that's her daughter. I think something is going on between the two. Anna and Jeremy. I gave Jeremy his father's family journal, which coincidently Anna took from your desk, to open into the tomb to free her Mother. She used him for what she wanted. However, I don't know if her actions are genuine or manipulative. That and Jeremy's too weak to resist her advances."

"So, she could be telling him her history, but he's also covering the covering the truth," Elena muttered. "I knew telling Jeremy would be a bad idea."

"That's where you're wrong, Elena. With Jeremy not knowing, he won't know the dangers he could face, or not be able to protect himself," Darcy said, brushing the dusky strands out of her vision.

"How are you protecting him?" Alaric asked a look of wonder marks his face.

"I've given him and Jenna vervain bracelets, and I also put it his, Jenna's, and Elena's coffee every morning. That way, If a vampire does try to compel them and take the bracelet off, compulsion wouldn't work with the vervain in their system."

"That's why my coffee tastes weird in the mornings," Elena mumbled, looking up at the girl with a small smile. Even though she disagrees with Darcy's reasons for telling her family the truth, she couldn't help but admire all the lengths Darcy pulls to make sure they are protected. They wouldn't know what they would do if they lost her.

Life would be worthless without Darcy.

"Yep, since the Tomb vampires escaped, I've made it my mission to make sure you're all covered," Darcy grinned, throwing her arm around the brunette girl, and pulling her into her side.

"What about Jenna? Does she know?" Alaric asked.

The grins and smiles dropped with a sigh. The girls' shook their heads.

"No," Elena answered.

"I want to, but this one here likes to appear like magic whenever I try," Darcy said, messing up Elena's hair.

"So, how do you deal with it?" Alaric asked as he grabbed the paper off the desk and put it in his bag.

"What do you mean?" Elena asked, straightening out the tangled mess Darcy has created.

"With all the lies and secrecy, you have to lie to everyone important to you," Alaric said.

Darcy removed her held off Elena, and scratched her head. "It's not that we want to lie. We're doing it for their wellbeing."

"It's not safe for them to know the truth, so yes, I keep it from them, but it's only because I love them," Elena added.

Alaric nodded and got to his feet. "I think Stefan's a good guy, but at the end of the day... he's still a vampire."

Elena shook her head, avoiding Darcy's probing stare. "I know it's hard to understand, but he would never hurt me," she insisted. Looking at Darcy, she told her she would see her at home and left the classroom.

"You know what could happen, don't you?" Alaric asked.

"I get why you're worried. You don't know if you could trust them, and I don't blame you. Your experience wasn't the best, and that's all you can base Stefan and Damon on."

Alaric put his work bag over his shoulder as he stared at her with an analysing look. "Do you trust them?"

Darcy shrugged. "They haven't given me a reason as of yet not to trust them."

Alaric shook his head and began walking over to the classroom door. Darcy followed his tracks down the corridor once he had locked the door and suddenly paused, rooting in her bag. "Wait! I almost forgot. Catch!" she exclaimed.

Alaric held up his hands when something small and red flew in his direction. He caught the object. Looking down at his hand, he let out a laugh. "An apple? You're actually giving it back?"

"Consider it a token of thanks for helping to get Stefan back," Darcy grinned and patted his back when she reached his side. "Next time I see you in the Grill, I'll buy you that drink I owe you," she winked before leaving school.

"She's something else," Alaric thought with a shake of his head.

*•*•*•*•*

"Hey, bitches, I'm home!" Darcy shouted as she entered the house and tossed her car keys in the dish bowl next to the door.

"No swearing!" Jenna yelled from the kitchen.

"Jen, you can't yell at me for swearing when you're just as bad," Darcy snorted as she took a seat next to Jeremy at the dining table.

"Shh, you're not meant to sell me out," Jenna said with a pout.

Darcy flashed her a grin before jumping up and heading into the kitchen. Opening the freezer, she pulls out a tub of B&J cookie dough ice cream.

"Don't overeat. Dinner will be here soon," Jenna said, whipping her butt with a dishtowel.

"I won't just want a little taste," she mumbled. "Mmm, so yummy!" she moaned, licking the ice cream off the spoon.

"Hey, that's mine!" Jeremy yelled, leaping out of his seat to snatch the tub out of her grasp.

"Sucks to be you, Jer! It's mine now," Darct cackled, darting around the other side of the counter and shoved another few spoonfuls into her mouth before sliding it across the counter with a look of accomplishment.

Jeremy investigated the tub and looked back over to her, astonished. "You ate it all! You had about four mouthfuls, and it's all gone... How is that possible?"

"She hasn't changed one bit, has she?" John murmured to Jenna as they exchanged smirks watching the two.

Jenna shook her head, smiling. "No, and I wouldn't have her any other way."

"It's all about talent, Jer," Darcy winked before sitting, taking her seat at the table.

Jeremy whined, tossing the empty tub in the trash, and sat next to her. "It was my last one," he grumbled.

"Aww, Jer, don't be sad. I'll buy you another," Darcy said, ruffling his hair.

"Where's jerk face?" Darcy asked Jenna.

Jenna snickered, covering her mouth whilst looking behind Darcy.

"Jerk face is right here, and I'm good, thank you," John said as he rounded the table and sat opposite her.

"Oh, I'm sorry. How are you, Jerk face? Oh, wait... I don't care," Darcy smirked.

"Always so hostile, why?" John asked, shaking his head with a smile.

The doorbell rang. Darcy watched as Jenna jumped up to fetch their takeout before turning back to John.

"Tell me why you're here."

"Just a little business," John said.

"Hmm, I wonder what business requires you to change your abode," Darcy muttered before picking up her glass of water and taking a sip. Her unnerving stare remained on John until Jenna came back with plates and their food.

"Awkward," Jeremy coughed as he began preparing his plate. He grabbed hold of the rice just as two different hands did.

"I had it first," Darcy insisted, her grip tightening on the aluminium container.

"You've got enough," Jenna snorted, tugging the rice.

"Well, I want more," Darcy said, pulling it back towards her.

"Stop being greedy and give me some," Jeremy said, yanking it to him.

Another hand joined in the tug of war.

"I paid, and I'm the guest. I should get the next take," John claimed.

"Too right you are... the unwanted guest," Darcy snickered and jerked harder.

"Alright, that's it. Give. Me. The. Rice!" Jeremy exclaimed, wrenching the box.

They froze... watching as the food soared into the air, the contents tumbled out, splattering all over the eldest Gilbert.

"Oh, crap!" Jenna choked on her breath as Jeremy and Darcy let out belly laughs, tears of joy spilling down their cheeks as they smacked the table, unable to contain themselves.

"Oh, my, God, that was amazing! Look at John's face." Darcy cried, wiping the tears from her eyes.

John's face was picture-worthy. His eyes bulged out his head, and his mouth dropped open as egg fried rice sat atop his receding head.

"Hold on... Wait.! Stay there... just like that. Yes!" Jenna cheered, taking a picture on her phone.

"You're badass, Jenna," Jeremy smirked, smacking her hand as they shared high fives.

"Jenna, I love you again," Darcy chuckled, watching as John went upstairs to change his shirt.

"Oh, please, you'll always love me," Jenna snorted whilst cleaning up the mess on the dining table. She winked at them. "Lucky, I ordered extra, huh?"

Jeremy and Darcy glanced at each other before snapping their heads at the strawberry blonde, who cracked up at their reactions. "So, you're telling us, all that was for nothing?" they said in unison.

"And we wasted perfectly good food," Jeremy added incredulously.

"Oh, it was for something... if it gets John out of here sooner, all the better," Jenna grinned.

"You evil woman... I love it," Darcy smirked, taking a sip of her water.

The three schooled their expressions as John re-joined the table with a clean attire.

"So, Jeremy, Darcy, are you going to the party?" John asked after he took a bite of food.

"I have no interest in the founder's day kick-off party," Jeremy snorted.

"Like I have a choice, you'll just drag me along anyway," Darcy said sarcastically, pushing the food around her plate as she munched on the chicken.

"Sure, you do its tradition," John said. He turned to Darcy. "You used to love coming when you were younger."

'More like they loved to force me to go,' Darcy thought.

"Far be it from us to break from tradition," Jenna muttered, scraping her food across her plate.

"The Gilbert's have been part of this town for over a hundred and fifty years. One of the founding families."

"Oh, for the love of God! We don't need one of your history lectures during dinner," Darcy muttered, pushing away her plate. John glared at her interruption. "Johnny put those little evil eyes of yours back into your skull. We've tried this before. It won't work on me."

Jenna coughed into her hand before picking up hers and Darcy's partly empty plate and taking them into the kitchen.

"Anyway, back on track... The Gilbert's are one of the founding families, and with that distinction comes certain obligation-,"

A carrot was thrown at John's face.

John swallowed the piece of chicken he was eating. "Alright, who was it?"

Darcy pointed her finger at Jeremy, and he, in turn, pointed his at her.

"It was her!"

"What? It was him!"

"Are you blind or dumb? I just saw you sneak your hand over thinking I wasn't looking," Jeremy exclaimed, waving his hands around.

"So, it's your fault," Darcy said with a grin, folding her arms.

"How is that possible? You threw the carrot!"

"Yes, but you didn't stop me."

"INCLUDING GOING TO THE PARTY," John shouted, breaking up their squabbling.

The two teens shut their mouths and looked at the man as if they'd been caught red-handed. "One day when you can appreciate the significance. I will tell you all about your heritage," John finished.

"Hmm, the Gilbert family legacy," Jenna said. "I forgot how sacred it was. I'm not a Gilbert, so I was never cool to hear it."

"I wish I could trade places with you," Darcy muttered under her breath.

What she would give to be a typical teenager, without overbearing people breathing down her neck. I'm not even a Gilbert.

"Why does Jenna hate you?" Jeremy asked his uncle.

"We used to sleep with each other," John said, smirking.

Darcy cracked up as Jenna picked up a banana from the fruit bowl on the kitchen Island and launched it at the back of John's head.

"They weren't supposed to know!" Jenna exclaimed.

*•*•*•*•*

Darcy groaned and shifted under the covers. She suddenly froze, feeling warm air breathe down her neck and the sensation of something hovering above her. Opening her eyes, through the blur, Darcy saw the vague outline of a person. She swallowed, and on instinct, her arm brushed over to the bedside table and gripped the metal baseball bat.

"Do you always talk in your sleep-,"

Her eyes widened hearing a males voice. She swung her arm and smashed it over the person's head.

The weight of the person was released as they jumped to their feet. "Fuck, Darcy!" they cursed.

"Damon?" Darcy exclaimed, jumping out of bed, discarding the bat on the floor.

"Yes, Damon. Who else?" Damon gritted through his teeth. "You had to hit me with a baseball bat?" he hissed, moving his hand from his bleeding head.

"Don't hiss at me, idiot! Why the hell are you in my room in the first place? And why were you touching me like a pervert?"

A grin too sinful to appear upon one's face plastered Damon's as he gazed up and down her frame. "Can you blame me when you sleep in clothes like that?" He asked, pointing at the tank top and shorts she was wearing. "Which are hot, by the way. If I had known you sleep like that, I'd have come sooner."

"Don't hiss at me, idiot! Why the hell are you in my room in the first place? And why were you touching me like a deranged pervert?"

A grin too sinful to appear on a person's face plastered upon Damon's face as he gazed up and down her frame. "Can you blame me when you sleep in clothes like that?" He asked, pointing at the tank top and shorts she was wearing. "Which are hot, by the way. If I had known you sleep like that, I'd have come sooner."

"Keep talking, or I'll bash your head in again," she gritted through her teeth". She reached down and picked up the bat, clenching both hands around the cold steel.

Damon smirked and raised his hands, head tilted mischievously. "What? Sue me you're hot,"

Darcy closed her eyes and shook her head. "Too bad, I think you're ugly," she grumbled.

"No need to lie. We both know you think I'm sexy."

"Tell yourself that in your dreams."

"Say it... Damon, you're so hot."

"No—"

"Yes—"

"I hate you—"

"You love me—"

"Damon, you have two seconds to tell me why you're here before I shove this bat so far up your ass it will reach–" Darcy hissed, raising the bat threateningly.

"Woah, no need to be aggressive, Princess. Although it turns me on, I value my ass too much," Damon grinned and stepped back when she advanced on him, bat poised, ready to strike. "Ahh, okay! I'll stop... I came to check on you. How's your head?"

Darcy halted in her tracks, pausing in front of him. She frowned, searching his eyes for any hidden motive. She averted her gaze, looking out the open window when she found nothing but his reflected sincerity. "Remind me to lock the windows to keep the pests out."

"Like that would keep me out and stop avoiding the question," Damon said, turning her head, so she met his icy pools once more.

"I'm fine. You should be worrying about Stefan instead of me," Darcy whispered, trying to pull away before Damon gripped her hands and steered her over to the bed. The raven-haired vampire reclined on the mattress and lounged against the headboard. Opening his arms, he gestured for Darcy to sit with him.

"Don't give me that bull. We both know you're not fine, and Stefan has himself handled for now. Come, tell Damon what's going on in that head of yours."

Darcy eyed him with caution, and before she had the chance to open her mouth, she could only yelp when Damon yanked her atop him. "Really? Are you that desperate to get in bed with me?" She teased, shuffling off him to sit at his side and laid her head on his shoulder.

"Oh, baby, if I wanted to get you into bed with me, we would be skipping this pointless talk and be shaking under the sheets," Damon smirked, his eyes glint with wicked desires.

"You're disgusting. You have no shame," she bounced up and down when Damon started laughing.

"Sweetheart, shame went out the window when I came out of my mother's-,"

"Finish that sentence, and I'll shove the bat down your throat," Darcy hissed, slapping her hand onto his mouth.

Damon peeled off her hand, a smirk already rooted on his sinful lips. "Do you have a kink play? Because if you do, I'm down with it... OW! You do! No need to be shy, Princess. Ouch! Okay, let go... I'll stop!"

Darcy released his ear and stared him down with a glare. "Are you done? Or do we need to go for round two?"

"I'm done... for now," Damon jerked his head away and held up his hands in submission when she leant over the side of the bed and picked up the bat. "I'm done!"

"Good," Darcy grinned, dropping the bat and eased beside him in her previous position.

"You ready to talk now?" he asked after a moment of silence, wrapping a strand of inky hair around his fingers.

Darcy smiled to herself, knowing the fool only worked her up to get her comfortable enough to talk to him.

She hummed, eyes passing around the darkened room. "I'm confused and honestly a little freaked out. How am I still human? How am I alive even? I should have died. The arrow struck between my lungs and liver. Add that with the force of a vampire... It's not normal."

Damon sighed, his hand now massaging her head. "Stefan fed you his blood that would have healed you before your heart stopped beating. It is strange, though. Your heart remained steady."

"But that's not all the headaches, and the voices have intensified."

"Intensified, how?" Damon paused his actions.

"Whispers and chants, they raise in volume so much it feels like my head's going to explode," she said, pulling away to look at him.

"Do you know what the voices are saying? Do you understand them?"

Darcy shook her head. "That's the thing. I don't understand what they are saying... They are in another language I can't comprehend."

*•*•*•*•*

Elena had dragged Darcy with her to tell Jeremy she was adopted, and here she was walking with the two, arms linked together as they strolled along the lake.

"I can't believe Mum and Dad didn't tell you that you were adopted," Jeremy said after Elena had explained what had happened.

"I'm sure they would've eventually," Elena said.

"But why were you worried about what I thought? Darcy is adopted too, and I don't think any different. She's still my sister and much as you are," Jeremy said.

"I don't know... it's weird," Elena said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Aww, Jer, when you speak like that, it does weird things to my heart," Darcy said, a smile gracing her lips as she glanced at the boy at her side.

"What you go all mushy and gooey inside?" Jeremy teased.

"Yeah, I don't do those emotions, but for you, I'll endure," she grinned up at him.

"Is this your way of getting out of throwing the carrot at John?" Jeremy asked, laughing.

"Got him to shut up, though, didn't it," Darcy laughed with him.

"What? You threw a carrot at John?" Elena asked, looking at them bewildered.

"Yep, and Jeremy threw rice at him," Darcy cracked up and released their arms as Jeremy shoved her.

"That was your fault! If you, Jenna, and John had given me my rightful serving, he wouldn't have ended up wearing the rice!"

"What is wrong with you both today? Not that I'm complaining, It's a nice change from the usual drama," Elena asked, giggling as Darcy threw her arms around their shoulders and tugged them into her sides.

"I don't know, ask the author. This is all her doing," Darcy grinned. "But, Elena, I just wanted to say, adopted or not, you and Jeremy will always be my sister and brother. I love you guys."

"We love you, too, Darcy," Elena and Jeremy said.

*•*•*•*•*

"I can't believe you're making me go to the party," Jenna grumbled, walking down the stairs in her blue attire with an expression of a slapped arse.

"Me too," Jeremy said as he followed behind Jenna in his black tux. Once he reached the bottom of the steps, he glared at the Protectress and slapped her hands away when she began fixing his tie.

"Oh, stop being babies. If I'm being forced to go, I'm dragging you along to my hell, too," Darcy grinned as she patted his cheek.

"I'll drag you to hell myself," Jenna muttered with a glare as she opened the front door and shoved the two teens out on the porch. "Where's Elena? Isn't she coming too?"

"I heard my name?" Elena said as she jogged past Jenna before she had the chance to shut the front door.

"And we're just missing one," Jenna said, glancing from the house and to the three teens.

"We should leave him behind," Darcy smirked.

"Don't be mean, Darcy!" Elena giggled. "We can't leave Uncle John behind."

"Jenna! Are the kids ready?" John called out.

"Of course, we can!" Darcy said, grinning like a madwoman.

The four glanced and the door and to each other before making a run for it towards Jenna's car.

"Let's go!" They all yelled and jumped into the older woman's vehicle and high-tailed it out of the driveway, leaving John Gilbert behind.

*•*•*•*•*

This chapter was more of a filter. The next will be the same. I wanted to take on a more fun approach and let Darcy have some fun before the end of the series approaches. After "Under Control", things will be heading south.

Any ideas? I've dropped some clues, and more will come in the next chapter, which will be up later today/tonight once I've added some more scenes and edited the draft.

Ohh, I almost forgot! I have something for you... I'll just drop it here <3