[*Chapter Ten*]

"No discounts. No freebies. No pay-you-laters. We are not running a charity here." Caroline said to the sisters, maintaining a serious aura.

"Yes, your majesty," Darcy said, bowing with a silly grin.

"No, we are not," Elena said, chuckling at her goofy sister.

"Hi," Stefan said, walking up to the trio.

Darcy looked him up and down, then turned to Caroline waving her hands dramatically, "Care we have a problem. Stefan doesn't know the meaning of sexy in the name of whatever we are doing here today," She said, trailing her fingers over Stefan's jacket covered torso.

"Uh, the event is called Sexy Suds, you know?" Caroline sassed addressing the couple, seeing they were both overdressed. She turned to Darcy draping her arm over her best friends shoulder. "Like this beauty here." Gesturing to Darcy's black bikini top, black high-waisted jean shorts and high-top converse. Also, in black.

No, she's not an emo or goth or whatever, Darcy loves the colour black, like coffee, it matches the deepest parts of her soul. So why not make it all a package, huh?

Darcy rolled her eyes as the three stood and admired her attire, "Yeah, yeah, I know I look awesome and whatnot, but that doesn't let you get out of this."

Caroline kissed Darcy's cheek, telling her she had other guests to terrorise.

"Did we just get scolded?" Stefan asked Elena.

"And judged? Yeah." Elena said, nodding her head.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Get stripping." Darcy playfully demanded slapping Elena's ass with a wet rag.

"Ouch, Darce! That hurt." Elena whined rubbing the painful area, while Stefan attempted to stifle his chuckles but stopped when the dark head girl stepped his way, hand raised in warning.

"Yeah, thought so. Come on, chop-chop, let all these lovely ladies get an eyeful of the mysterious loner Salvatore." She teased, wiggling her eyebrows.

"I'm sorry, my ever so dear sister won't give up until we do as she says," Elena said, rolling her eyes while looking at Stefan who's still wearing a jacket.

"Uh, I think you have to go first," Stefan said to his girlfriend. Yep, hear that? 'Girlfriend' after Stefan came to his senses, him begging her brother to let him fix things. Que, a meal and talk later; they are all lovey-dovey again. Blah, blah, blah. And here we all are.

"No, nope, none of this bullcrap," Darcy said marching over, tugging off his leather jacket, then turns to her sister, yanking off her top causing it to get stuck on her head. Once she successfully wrenches the offending clothing off, she steps back and admires them both, "There, that's better, now go and get frisky, after all, it is Sexy Studs," She said walking away from the duo joining Bonnie and Matt.

"Matty, what have I said about the pining stuff?" Darcy said, soaking a sponge into a bucket of water and began washing the car.

"I'm just observing," Matt said.

"Uh-huh...Oh, Tiki this one is yours," Bonnie said, pointing to the drag car.

"Why do I always get the homely ones?" Tiki said, her voice taking on a nasty edge.

"Isn't that what you are?" Darcy questioned, only to get ignored.

"Just to be clear, your cars a P.O.S. I mean we can wash it, but it's still a P.O.S," Tiki stated.

"You don't have to be rude," Bonnie said.

"No rude is uglying up the road with that junk," Tiki said.

"Like I asked before. Like you?" Darcy advanced, ready to put her in the bitch in her place, only to get stopped as Matt held her arm, knowing what the girl can be like when she's worked up.

One thing Darcy can't stand is people belittling others, and she loves knocking them down a peg or two.

As Tiki started filling up the bucket with water, the hose abruptly started gushing, spraying Tiki in the face.

Matt left Darcy's side, "Woah. Hey. Wet and wild. Tik," He said, halting the water.

Darcy cackled, enjoying the look of displeasure appears on Tiki's face.

🖤💜🖤

Darcy was still cleaning the cars, while Bonnie was taking a break propping up against one of the vehicles.

"Sweeper duty," Tike said as she walked over to the pair.

"What?" Darcy asked, confused.

"We have to clean the pavement," Tiki said, speaking as if she was dumb.

"Yeah, so? Isn't that what water does?" She clenched her teeth, tempted to beat the obnoxious girl over the head.

"It's a car wash. By definition, the pavement is clean," Bonnie said, walking forward, saving Tiki from her possible death if she didn't keep her mouth closed.

"But not dry," Tiki stated, shoving the brush into Darcy's hands. Bad idea.

"Fuck this shit. I've had enough of your big mouth." Darcy said, raising the sweeper over her shoulders about to take a swing.

Darcy almost crapped herself when steam rising from the ground, she followed the trail, eyes widening as flames licked the asphalt, setting alight to the car and then back to Bonnie. She dropped the sweeper, before running over towards the witch. She got there in time with Stefan.

"Bonnie! Bonnie! Hey!" Stefan shouted, his large hands shook her, attempting to bring her back to the present.

"Hold on. I know what to do," Darcy said. She raised her hand and slapped Bonnie across the face, successfully snapping her out of the trance.

"Ow... What just happened?" Bonnie asked, looking up at Stefan.

"You were in some kind of a trance." He said his mind whirling with possibilities.

"Did I do this?" Bonnie asked, seeing the torched car. Her brown eyes begged her friend to deny the question. She sagged when Darcy nodded, too shocked to comprehend what had just happened. One minute Tiki was about to have her head caved in, and the next Bonnie set fire to the girl's car.

"Nobody else saw, did they? Don't tell anybody. Please," She pleaded with them. Darcy pulled her into her hug, squeezing her tight, hoping to provide her with some comfort. She met Stefan's troubled gaze over her shoulder. What the hell just happened?

Pulling out of the hold, she phoned Grams to pick up Bonnie, also dropping a hint to talk to her granddaughter. When the soon-to-be-witch left, she stood in front of Stefan, noticing his gloomy face staring into the distance.

"What's wrong, Stef?"

"Elena. She's snooping. Nevermind that, we have bigger things to worry about." He paused, knowing what he's about to tell her will send off the edge.

"What...what's happened?"

"Caroline. She's not here, she left. And I think I know where she's gone." Stefan said, staring at her expectantly, hoping she will pick up on what he's not saying.

"Oh, hell, no! No Stefan tell me your wrong, or I swear you'll be sharing the cell with Damon next." Her eyes blazed, melding them into a swirling dark blue, with promises of bringing down hell.

He didn't answer, just wrapping his arm around her shoulder and lead them away from the parking lot.

🖤💜🖤

Darcy and Stefan raced into the boarding house, well more like Stefan had Darcy wrapped around him like a koala as he sped inside. He let her down when they passed the door and held on to her shoulders, his green eyes gleaming with protectiveness.

"Stay here. Don't move. I don't know what-,"

"Yeah, no, not happening. Caroline could be down there. I don't give a crap what happens to me, but no one hurts my friend." She shot him down with a fierce glare, then ran down to the basement. She stopped in her tracks seeing Zacks dead body outside the open basement door. Stefan's loud footsteps followed behind. She turned to prevent from seeing his only other relatives corpse. "Don't, Stef." She spoke in a soft whisper, looking up at him with sadness coating her features.

Feeling his gut-twisting, he sped around Darcy's form. "No, no, no!" A broken cry tore from his chest. Black veins rippled under his skin, the whites around his eyes turned red, and his eyes merged into pitch black. Stefan's breathing intensified with each course of anger burning his innards.

Darcy's heart broke witnessing the vampire fall apart, she walked forward reaching for his hand and pulled him up, cupping his face, fingers running over the veins, she watched in fascination as they trembled under her touch. Removing her hands, she enclosed him into her arms, "I'm so sorry, Stef." She whispered.

Stefan's chest continued to breathe heavily as he pulled away and shook his head, determinedly, "No. I know what I need to do," He said, grabbing her hand and speeding them up the basement stairs. He paused, telling her to wait as sped up to his room.

It was then Darcy saw the crow. Dead and ripped apart, blood pooling around its body. She gasped creeping closer. It was that crow from the cemetery. Then froze remembering Caroline. Shit! How could she forget about her friend? She must of let Damon out, he killed Zack, drained the crow. But where was Caroline? The protectress wasted no time, she ran down the hall, boots pounding the wooden flooring. She skidded to stop when Stefan appeared in front of her.

"What's wrong? Where are you going?" He stopped her when she skirted around his tall frame.

"Caroline! Where is she? She's not here. What if Damon has got her, worse killed her?" Her voice was frantic. " I need to find her." She pushed him out the way, only for Stefan to barricade the doorway.

"No! You're staying here. Damon is on the loose, and the sun has gone down. He could be out there draining people of blood. I'm not going to let that happen to you. Not you, okay?"

"Dammit Stefan, move it! I swear I will castrate your dick with a hunting knife!" She threw punches and slaps on his chest.

Having no other choice, he threw over his shoulder and opened the door. He paused in his tracks, Darcy dangling, cursing his existence as Elena stood on the other side, tears sliding down her face.

For a moment, no one said anything. Darcy raised her head, meeting her sister's distraught face, "Well, this is just fucking great!"

Elena ignored her, her gaze resting solely on Stefan. "What are you?"