[*Chapter Thirty-Five*]

Darcy zips up her combat boots and fixes her leather jacket. Ruffling her hair, she blows a kiss at her reflection in the mirror. "Come, Girl, we can do this. Put your big girl panties on. We've got a story to tell." Pocketing her keys and phone, she saunters out of her bedroom and skips down the stairs.

She smiles fondly at Jeremy playing on the Xbox. Walking over, she wraps her arms around him and kisses his fluffy head. "Love you, Baby Bro."

"I'm not a baby anymore. I'm turning into a man," he flexes his arms and pats his growing abs.

"Whatever you say, kiddo. You'll always be my baby bro, man or not." Darcy snorts, standing erect and pats his head before walking over to Jenna, kissing her cheek.

Jeremy yells, throwing the controller on the couch. "What? No... Dammit! You made me lose," he slumps in his seat, peering over at his sister and Aunt, noting their attire. "Hey, where you guys going?" he asks, scratching his stomach as he stands and walks across to them.

"The Grill for much-needed girl time," Jenna fights to close her bag. Losing the battle, she shoves it in his arms. "Want to be a man? Use those growing muscles and close that damn bag before I stab it," she grumbles with a whine and then spins, flicking Darcy on the forehead when she laughs.

"Damn, Jenna. When did you get so violent?" she chuckles, rubbing the red mark forming on her head.

"That's what happens when I've been around you too long," Jenna mutters, slipping her bag over her shoulder and buttons her jacket.

"Wow, so callous. I love it," the raven-head comments, clapping her hands. She claps Jeremy on his back. "Alright, Baby Bro. We're going. Lock the doors, and don't let any child nappers snatch you."

"I'm not a child!" he protests, rolling his eyes.

"You're fifteen. That makes you a child."

"Uh-huh, same for you."

"Nope, I'm 18. That makes me an adult."

"You can't legally buy a drink until you're 21."

"Tell that to Jenna when she spikes my drinks."

"Hey! Don't sell me out!" Jenna yells, smacking her arm. She points at Jeremy. "We never spoke of this, got it?"

"Can't hear you, la-la-la-la," he sings, sticking his fingers in his ears as he makes his way to the door and opens it, "Out. Get out, you weirdos'. Get drunk, sing karaoke, do whatever old people do."

"What crap is this, Jen? Getting kicked out of our own home," Darcy mutters to her Aunt as Jeremy shoves them outside.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Bye," the fool slams to door in their faces.

Darcy kicks the door, hearing the lock engage. "Next time, I'll make sure Jenna pisses in your bed, you ungrateful brat!"

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Arriving at the Grill, Jenna hurries off to the bathroom, knowing after a few drinks she'll be close to pissing her pants, while Darcy saunters over to the bar, eyes fixed on the back of two familiar people. "Well, if it isn't the cougar Mrs Donovan and the alcoholic Mr Dickmon. Fancy seeing you here," she flashed them a grin and hopped on the stool next to the eldest Salvatore vampire.

"Ahh, the Princess has arrived. Yeah!" Damon cheered, banging his glass on the bar.

"If it isn't the bitchy best friend, " Kelly mutters, sipping her drink.

"Pipe it, you old hag, " Darcy snips and thumps Damon on his back as he chokes on his spit.

"You cruel woman, " he snickers, grinning. "I love it."

She rolls her eyes, ignoring his flirtatious smirk. "So, is this where the old people come to hang? Get drunk and drink away their depression?"

"You got it, partner!" Kelly shouts, ordering another drink. "What's with the glasses inside?" she asked Damon, eyeing the black shades adorning his face.

Damon takes them off, offering her a sly grin. "My eyes are a little sensitive today."

"You're new around here," Kelly comments, eyes trailing over his form.

"On the contrary, I'm very old," Damon said. He glances at the approaching bartender. "Two Bourbons, neat."

The bartender complies, pouring two tumblers and slides them forward. Damon pushes one over to Darcy.

She grins, kissing his cheek. "Aww, who knew you could be so generous, huh?  She catches the irritation marring his eyes. Who did you upset?"

"Hey, I can be nice!" he protests. "Can't a guy buy a woman a drink?"

"When you want to be or when you've done something wrong... So, what is it, what happened?"

"Why does it have to be something I did? Can't I be the innocent?"

Darcy chuckles, smirking. "When have you ever been innocent? You can't play me, Damon."

He goes to retort but gets cut off before he could satisfy his ego.

"I haven't been gone that long. I would remember someone who looks like you," Kelly pipes up, ending their bickering.

His lips tug up. "Yeah. Where did you go?" Damon asked Matt's Mother, sipping his drink.

"Around and about," Kelly said.

"Of course, you would, with your job title and all," Darcy comments, draining her drink. She glances at Kelly, who looks at her cluelessly. "Cougar For Hire."

The vampire breaks into laughter, slapping the bar turning into hysterics. "You kill me. Where have you been all my life?" He pulls himself together at her deadpanned look, wrapping his arm on the back of her stool. "Why the long face? Do you have it out for cougars? Are you jealous?" he teases.

"No, you fool," Darcy points her thumb at the oblivious woman. "This one can't keep her paws off them when her son stays at home and pay the bills, which she is supposed to do. Yet, she still drops her knickers."

Damon struggles to keep a straight face. He strokes her silky hair to distract himself. "Never change, Princess. Never change." God knows he needs someone like her to spice up his life. Why have a shot of Bourbon when he can have her?

"I've been there," he tips back his drink, draining the contents. He looks at the woman. Elbowing Darcy, knocking her arms off the bar. "This one would know; she's seen me at my worst."

"Hmm, got that right. This guy turns to orgy's to drain his sorrows," Darcy said, snickering.

"A man draining his sorrows. It's so sexy," Kelly near enough purrs.

"It's more like nursing my wounds. And you?" Referring to why she's pouring alcohol down her throat like it's a tap. The woman's on her third glass since Darcy parked her ass.

"I was supposed to be interviewing for the bartender job, but I think the manager blew me off," she shrugs, not caring.

"Well, that's not very nice," Damon said, pretending to care. He twirls an inky strand around his fingers.

"Yeah. The last time I was home, I slept with her boyfriend."

Darcy snorts, shaking her head. "No wonder you have no shame."

Damon shrugs. "It happens."

"Yep, like dropping your knickers," the dark-haired girl clicked her fingers.

"Kelly? Kelly Donovan?" Jenna sounds from behind.

Darcy places her hands in a praying motion. "Thank you, Dear Lord. Thank you for saving your Child," she jumps up from her seat and kisses Jenna's cheek. "I'm abandoning you with this awful woman. I'll make sure to say a Prayer at your funeral." She pats Damon's shoulder. "Hope you don't catch cougar cooties." Over Jenna's shoulder, she spies Caroline seeming upset over Jenna's shoulder as she exits from the bathroom, and Elena follows behind, calling her name.

"Wow, thanks. Love you too," Jenna mutters, watching as her Niece cuts across the Grill.

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"Caroline!" Elena exclaimed as she increases her pace, halting when a man grabs her arm.

"Katherine?" Elena peers at him, alarmed.

Darcy suddenly appears at her side, smacking his hand off her. "You don't touch a woman without her consent. Now get your filthy hands away from my sister," she voices in a low gravelly tone, squeezing his arm in a tight vice.

The man dislodges himself and raises his hands. "Sorry. I thought she was someone else," he said, looking at them with a strange glint in his eyes.

"Well, she's not who you're after. Now go away a stop harassing teenage girls."

The guy steps forward, tightening his gaze. "I apologised. There's no need to be rude. Someone should teach you some manners."

Darcy slithers forward, whispering in his ear. "There is when I know what you are and whom the person is you called her. Now move along before I tell the Council a bloodsucker is running around."

Veins appear on the man's face, eyes turning red. "You wouldn't?!"

"Try me, and we'll see," her tone turns sugary sweet. "I believe the Mayor and half the Council is here tonight. I'll be more than happy to scream "vampire" and watch as they shove a stake through your heart. She smirks, steps back, her sinning eyes gleaming. "Actually, I'd love to do that myself."

"Darcy, it's okay." Elena intervenes before he could snatch out her jugular and moves closer to her sister, holding onto her jacket sleeve. "I'm sorry, I think you have the wrong person," she says to Frederick and tugs on Darcy's hand, dragging her away from the seething vampire.

"He called me Katherine...." Elena uttered in alarm.

"I know, it's okay. I won't let him near you, Elena. We need to tell Stefan and Damon."

If he knows Katherine, then he was around back then, and they may know him. Where did he come from? Are there more roaming around Mystic Falls? Fuck, please no. She's not mentally prepared to fight off vampires and to make sure her family is safe. Shit, she's not even on vervain and hasn't trained in a while. She's weak and powerless. Is this what the whispers have been warning her about... Are they in danger?

"Omg, Darcy!" Caroline's voice snaps her out of her thoughts. The blonde wraps her arms around her best friend's frame, making Darcy smile fondly and return the warm embrace.

Elena joins Stefan and Matt at the pool table. She pulls her vampire boyfriend aside and pulls out her phone, typing a quick message, and shows him. Stefan reads the text.

'That man over there just called me Katherine.'

He snaps his head up, examining their surroundings. Jenna, Damon and Matt's Mum are well past the drunk phase at the bar, but he couldn't see a lone man standing around. "Are you sure? Maybe you heard wrong," he said, still looking around the crowded restaurant.

"I'm sure. Ask Darcy. She was there. He grabbed my arm when I exited the bathroom. She smacked his hand away, telling him to get lost."

How did he not here? His vampire hearing is more advanced than human's; even with the mass of people in the room, he would have still heard them.

"That's not all...." Elena said, biting her lip anxiously as Darcy stops beside them.

"Hey, Steffy," she tucks her hands in her jacket pockets, rocking on her heels. "I might or might not have pissed the wrong person off."

"What did you do?"

She widens her eyes innocently. "First time we've seen each other in weeks, and you're already blaming me," she pouts. "No fair, Steffy."

Stefan evades the motion and points his finger at her face. "I know you and know you have done something to land yourself into trouble. So... what did you do?"

An evil leer graces her plump lips. "We'll find out when he rips out my jugular and drains me of my blood."

"He's a vampire? What were you thinking, Darcy?!"

"Stefan," Elena said, grasping his arm to gain his attention, nodding her head at Matt, who was pretending not to listen to their conversation. "Darcy was just making a point. You know how she's protective of us all."

"No, let him, Elena. I want to hear what he has to say. It's obvious if the guy thought you were Katherine. Come on, Stefan, make use of that old brain of yours and connect the dots."

Stefan jostles his arm, disentangling from the Middle Gilbert's grip and steps closer to the Huntress. Staring her down. "Still. Suppose he is a vampire, as you say. He's going to feel threatened, and he will be able to identify your scent. Meaning... he will easily track you down."

"Not if I find him first," she mouths when a pair of arms wrap around her waist.

"The lost wanderer returns, I see," a familiar voice cuts through the tension.

Darcy grins, spinning around and smiles at her favourite blond male. "Matty!" she hugs him tightly. "Miss me, Matty?"

"Of course, who wouldn't miss you? Are you better? It's not been the same without you around," he said, releasing and examines her features. Caroline joins them, holding her hands.

She's not. But to end their troubling thoughts and worries, she will tell a white lie.

"Much better," Darcy said, plastering a beaming smile.

"Why don't you join us? We are doing a double date," Care offered with a bright grin, then continued in a whispered tone. "Save me from the torture."

Darcy glances around the group, raising an amused brow. "Have we upgraded from threesomes now? Are me and Bonnie not enough? I'm... so proud of you, Caroline! Why do I feel like a proud parent?"

"Darcy!" Elena exclaims whilst covering her face in shame.

"Oh, stop being a party pooper!" she sobers up, a gentle smile pulling at her lips. "I'm sorry, guys. I am gonna have to decline. My ass is about to drop my exhaustion. Raincheck?"

"Okay," she agrees, hugging her. A sombre look washes over Caroline's face, usually she would whine and protest, but she knows deep down something else is wrong with her friend. For now, as her true friend, she will wait... until Darcy is ready for a shoulder to lean on.

Darcy pulls away and gestures with her hand between Elena and Stefan, flashing them a wink. "Be good and don't do something I would do." Turning to Matty, she squeezes his hand. "We'll catch up soon, Matty."

And then she's off. The foursome watched as the Protectress cuts through the throngs of people and out into the chilly night. "She's not okay," Caroline mumbles sadly.

Elena rubs her arm in an attempt to comfort her. "Darcy's strong. She'll be okay." She hopes.

She's not, Stefan silently agrees, still gazing after her figure. Past all the facade and countless layers Darcy has. He had seen her laughing with Damon earlier in the evening and wondered if his brother had also noticed the fake laughs, smiles, and dull emotion stealing the spark from her mesmerising blue eyes. His shoulders slump, hating the thought the girl he has grown attached to is suffering. And here he is watching from the sidelines, feeling feeble.

The vampire wishes he could return the favour, for she had returned his light. No longer is he ashamed of himself. Darcy did that, unlocked the iron-casted chains, showed him that being a vampire doesn't have to be a horrible thing. He could be the normal teenager he once was, repair old bonds and enjoy life. So, for Darcy, he will give her the entire world if it means he gets to see that gorgeous smile and dirty laugh again. He vows to be the anchor she needs. No matter the consequences.

~

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I have blessed you with another chapter. It was meant to be up earlier today. However, my mind keeps getting distracted with ideas for future chapters... Ooh, it's gonna be awesome. I'm excited! xD

Another chapter will be up a bit later (hopefully). I'm almost finished, Darcy's having fun hanging with the Salvatores, and I can't get them to stop... Help?!