[M*Chapter Thirty-Nine*]

*Strong language and Mature content (Violence)*

(3rd Pov)

Damon parked further down from Mrs Gibbons house and killed the engine. He stays seated in his seat as Alaric climbs out of the car whilst Darcy rummages in the back seat, chucks the crossbow and quiver aside, and swaps coats with Elena so that the longer material will hide the thigh straps. She caresses her jeans, fingers stroking the sharpness of the blades and spikes of the stakes.

"Are you sure about doing this, Darcy?" Elena asked her worriedly.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I'm more worried about Stefan and the damage they have done to him. We've been gone too long," she said, tying her hair up into a ponytail and pulling the hoodie she still has on underneath Elena's jacket, over her head.

"He'll be fine. Stefan's stronger than he looks," Damon said, turning around in his seat and offering her an encouraging smile.

"Yeah, let's get this over with," Darcy stares at Elena. "And you, what did I say?"

"Keep my perky butt in the car," Elena said, rolling her eyes.

"Good girl, glad we came to an understanding," she said, patting her hand and shuts the door.

Elena hides her grin, closing her hand around the object in her hand.

She looks up, meeting Darcy's wink through the window before she walked away with Alaric at her side.

*•*•*•*

"Alright, how're we doing this?" Alaric asked, peering at Darcy at his side.

Darcy wiped at the rain pelting at her cheeks. "You hold out your arms, and I jump," she said, shrugging.

"Couldn't you have come up with a better plan?" he asked grumpily.

"And what? Do you have a better idea?" she asked, cocking a brow, and grinned when he didn't reply. "You best not drop me, or we are fighting."

"Yeah, yeah, just hop on," he said, holding out his hands and grunted when she jumped into his arms. He groaned, adjusting his hold around her lower back and legs, and began walking up the porch steps. "You owe me a drink."

"That's the least I can do for not telling Jenna you touched my butt," she laughed at his priceless face, red hues blossomed his cheeks.

Darcy buried her head into his chest as Alaric knocked on the door to have Frederick open it. "Oh, good, someone's home. Uh, could I use your phone? My wife's water just broke, and my car broke down a few miles up the road. This was the first house I saw."

"Well, lucky you," Frederick said.

"Yeah, lucky us. It's no trouble, is it?" Alaric asked as Darcy wailed in his arms, clutching her stomach.

"Not in the slightest," the vampire said, grimacing uncomfortably.

"Great."

Frederick moved aside, allowing Alaric inside the house and shut the door.

"Hey, man. I appreciate it. It's rough out there."

"Billy, show our visitors where the phone is in the kitchen. And get me something to drink," Frederick yelled.

"Get it yourself, you lazy shit," Darcy griped under her breath.

"What was that?" Frederick asked, stopping in the doorway of the living room.

"My wife said she was having another contraction," Alaric gritted through his teeth, loosening his grip, causing Darcy to squeal-scream and clutch onto his wet jacket.

Frederick raised his brow and speed-walked into the living room just as Billy came forward and walked down the hallway, stepping into the kitchen, Alaric and Darcy following.

"Hey, Miss Gibbons, this guy and his wife want to use your phone," Billy said, pausing next to her.

"Oh, sure, honey. It's right there, " Miss Gibbons said, pointing to the phone on the wall as Darcy taps Alaric's arm. He sets her on her feet and hovers an arm over her back as she haunches over, gripping onto the counter, moans slipping out of her mouth.

"Poor thing, your wife looks like she's in a lot of pain," the woman said sympathetically.

"Thanks," Ric said, walking over to the phone.

Alaric caught Darcy's head nod and slowly slid the stake down his sleeve into his palm as Darcy's hand glides down her thigh to grip a knife. Behind them, a hiss sounds. They spin around, Darcy darting aside as Alaric stabs Billy in the chest.

"The closet put him in the closet," Darcy whispered and opened the closet door, assisting Alaric in shoving Billy's body in the cupboard. Closing the door, the huntress glides over to the woman and grips her by her shoulders, while Alaric turns on the sink and blender to block out the other vampires hearing them.

"What's happening?" Miss Gibbons asked as she tried looking over at Darcy. She dragged her feet upon recognising the huntress's face whilst being pushed over to the front door. "Hey! You're not allowed in here! How did you get in?"

"Loopholes, darling. Loopholes."

"I'm really sorry. But You're going to need to invite a friend of ours inside," Alaric said as he opened the door, revealing Damon on the other side.

"Oh, I'm sorry. He's not allowed in the house," she said, turning to the male hunter. "Both of them aren't."

"I know that. But you got to make an exception," he said.

"Get her out of the house. Now!" Damon said, looking around. Darcy shoved her forward, causing Damon to catch her fumbling frame.

"Hurry, Damon. We don't have much time," Darcy said, looking over her shoulder and listening out for Frederick and his minions.

"Miss Gibbons, tell me the truth. Are you married?"

"No," she said, shaking her head.

"Parents, children, anyone else who lives on this property?"

"No, it's just me," she said smiling.

"Good," Damon said as he snapped her neck, watching as Darcy caught her body before she fell on the porch.

"You were supposed to compel her!" Ric said incredulously.

"Ta-da! Plot twist!" Darcy grinned, lowering Miss Gibbons body onto the wooden floor.

"She's human," Ric exclaimed.

"Thanks for pointing out the obvious, Ric,"

"And I'm not! So, I don't care. Now, get out of here and get rid of the body," Damon said, walking down the hallway.

Alaric and Darcy looked at each other. The younger shrugged. "Leave her there. It's not like she can go anywhere. Get the weapons. I'll wait here."

*•*•*•*

Frederick was sitting in the chair listening to music as he watched the other tomb vampires play a game of pool. "Billy, what's the holdup?" he yelled as he asked someone to turn the music down.

Frederick had another vampire go into the kitchen to check on Billy when he didn't answer.

Once, the vampire trudged down the hallway and approached the kitchen. Damon jumped out of his hiding place and staked him in the heart, and dragged his body to the cupboard containing Billy's body.

Rick hurries through the rain over to Damon's car to grab the bag enclosing weapons. He curses, noticing Elena wasn't inside.

"Dammit, Elena. Darcy's going to kill us all," he muttered, yanking the bag, shutting the car door and ran back to the house, meeting Darcy at the door. He handed her crossbow and quiver, waiting for her to put on the leather pouch before the two set off sneaking inside the house, Alaric covering her back as she edges closer to the kitchen.

As she approaches, a vampire turns out of the living room. Darcy halts, lifts her arms, wedges the crossbow's metal contraption around his neck, and spins around. She releases and kicks him in the back, pushing him forward as Alaric drives his stake into his heart.

She grinned, slapping Alaric with a high five and passed him another stake before dashing down another hallway, Alaric steering in a different direction. Coming up to a set of stairs that lead to the basement, Darcy pauses, backs up and jumps the length of the steps, grunting as her feet hit the floor.

Stabilising the crossbow, Darcy puts her back to the wall and walks stealthily towards the room at the end of the hall. She pauses next to the open door, hearing distant murmurs inside. She cocks the device, finger hovering over the trigger as she exhales and enters the opened room.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here? A kinky house show? How rude of them to not invite me," Darcy said, grinning at Stefan tied to the wall.

"Darcy, you shouldn't be here," Stefan groaned, pain twisting up his face.

"Ahh, you know me, Steffy. I'm not one to miss out on the fun," she said, hooking the crossbow over her arm, pulling out a knife and walking over to the wounded vampire. "How about we get you out of here, yeah?"

Just as she got to him, Damon and Elena burst into the room. She groaned. "Just a heads up, I'm gonna beat your girlfriend's ass."

"Got it," he grunted. "There's vervain on the ropes," Stefan whispered as Damon went to grab the ropes.

"She was supposed to stay in the car," Damon said to them.

Darcy ignored him.

"I cut. You catch." Damon nodded, and Darcy cut the ropes off Stefan's wrists and quickly wrapped her arms around his waist, lowering him into Damon's arms.

"Alright, let's go. Clothes on," Damon said, passing Stefan his shirt. He turned to Elena. "Can you get him in the car?"

"Release Henry. He had no part in this," Stefan whispered to Darcy.

"Yeah," Elena said, watching Darcy as she walked over to Henry and ripped out the stakes in his legs.

"Just go, Elena," Darcy said.

"What about you?" Elena asked them, still looking at her sister as she helped Henry to his feet and encouraged him to leave the house, to get as far away from Mystic Falls as he can.

"You rescue, we'll distract. Go!" Damon said, placing Stefan into her arms and pushing them out of the basement.

*•*•*•*

Upstairs, Frederick was sitting in his chair as he watched the doorway. "Turn that down. It's too quiet. Spread out. Now! You two, back of the house. Go. Check out both rooms. Cellar, now!" He said before walking into the hallway right as Darcy kicks him in the stomach, sending him crashing into Damon.

Frederick hurtles up and attempts to stake Damon, only for Darcy to run, shove her hand into her pocket and jump, her legs hooking around the back of his neck and shoves the vervain into his mouth.

"Eat shit, asshole! Not so the tough guy anymore, huh?"

He screams at the fire sensation burning his throat and thrashes. Darcy flips backwards, landing in a crouch as three vampires surround them, cornering Damon.

"Come on then, bad boys," she taunted with a smirk and whipping out a stake in one hand and a knife in the other. "Show me what you've got."

They rushed at her just as she spun in a circle, staking number one in the heart, stabbing number two in the chest, and flinging him to Damon to snap his neck. She dodged out the way of number three as Alaric shoots him in the heart, letting out a string of curses as Frederick runs out of the house.

The trio exchange looks, and the two dark heads say. "I'm going after Frederick!" They chased after him—Damon towards the back exit and Darcy through the front.

Elena and Stefan got to the car. She fumbled for the door, helped Stefan into the passenger seat, and then ran around, getting into the driver's seat. She goes to start the ignition, only for her hand to fall into an empty slot.

"Oh, no. Stefan..."

Before Elena can finish, Frederick smashes his hand into the window and drags Stefan out of the car. Stefan groans as he hits the floor.

"This is for Beth-Anne," Frederick said, raising his arm and stabbed Stefan in the stomach with a stick. Stefan yelled out as Frederick pulls it out, ready to strike again, "And this is for the tomb."

"No!!!" Elena yelled as she watched Frederick aimed the stick towards Stefan's heart.

Just before the stick pierced his chest, Darcy launched herself on his back, knocking them onto the ground and slams the crossbow onto his head.

"Die, you bastard!" Darcy yells, leaping to her feet and smashes his head and back with the crossbow, repeatedly, only for Frederick to jump up, his speed sending them colliding into a tree.

"Darcy!" Elena cried, watching as the two vanished from her vision.

"Looks like I get to correct your manners after all, huh?" Frederick leered arms around her centre, fangs poised at her throat.

"Bite me!" She yelled and snapping his neck before he could rip into her.

"Well, that was fun. Let's do it again sometime," Darcy shoved him off her and climbed to her feet. She held a hand to her bleeding head and kicked his back. "Sleep well, dick."

The Huntress ran back through the trees upon seeing Elena crying at Stefan's side. She threw down the crossbow and dropped to her knees.

"Come on, Stef! You're not dying on me today," she whispered. "Not after we've come so far. Come on, open those pretty eyes for me." She uttered, tapping his face.

He doesn't respond, head lolling to the side.

"Alright, you leave me with no choice," Darcy muttered, rearing her hand back and slapping his face. He groaned, eyes fluttering open. "There we are... there are those pretty eyes," she turned to Elena. "I got to go back and help Alaric and Damon."

"What about Stefan?" Elena cried, stroking Stefan's face.

"Bitch slap him. He'll stay awake," she hollered, about to get to her feet when a hand latched onto hers.

"S-Stay...," Stefan groaned out, his hand falling limp. "B-Blood...You're hurt."

"Oh, God, Darcy, your head is bleeding," Elena whimpered, staring at the bleeding gash on her hairline.

"Freddie's having a little nap," she grinned, wiping the blood trailing down her cheek, smearing it across her face.

"No, no, no, Stefan! Get up!" Elena screamed, shaking Stefan as his eyes flickered shut again. "Do something, Darcy!"

"And what should that be, wise old one?" Darcy asked sarcastically, slapping Stefan's cheeks. Her eyes narrowed when she got no reaction.

Come on, Stef, you're stronger than this.

"Feed him your blood or something. Just do something!"

Darcy didn't hear what Elena had said. Her head zipped to the side, hearing a crack echoed in the distance. She stood up, sweeping up the crossbow at her feet, eyes squinting through the thick downpour, trying to see into the dense trees.

"Fine, I'll do it!" Elena snapped. And then noticed a scratch on her hand, blood seeping from the wound. "Here, you need to drink." the brunette said, forcing Stefan to drink her blood.

Stefan's weak protests brought Darcy back. She swung around, shoving Elena away from Stefan. "You stupid, foolish girl! What have you done?"

"I kept him alive! He would have died if I didn't feed him my blood!" Elena cried.

"No, He wouldn't have died. Damon would have gotten them out of here and fed him animal blood. He's not been staked in the heart. He may be weak but not dead. You fucked up, Elena!"

"But... he..."

"Just go, Elena! Go and get Damon and Alaric. They should be done by now."

"But...Darcy."

"Leave, Elena!" Darcy yelled, pushing her towards the house. She sighed, wiping another trail of blood off her face, and stared down at Stefan. She cursed at the wound on his stomach healing.

Her ponytail whipped to the side as a sudden gust of wind whizzed behind her.

"Alright, you fucker, let's do this!" she shouted into the darkness.

The huntress vaulted to the side as a dark mass barrelled towards her. She skidded in the mud, her feet seeking traction as she twisted around—hands gripping the raised crossbow as she leered at Frederick standing several metres away.

"How was nap time?" a smirk graced her ruby lips.

"Would have been better if I sunk my teeth in your jugular before you snapped my neck, but here we are," he said as they began circling each other.

"And here we are," the Protectress said.

And then they were off, a clash of fangs and metal as Frederick sped forward, knocking them to the ground. He sunk his fangs into her shoulder, causing Darcy to bite down on his upper arm and latch her legs around his waist. She turned, rolling them and straddled his chest.

"You know? We could have probably been friends in another lifetime, such a shame. Here I was starting to like you, little Freddie. " She raised the metal contraption, ramming the butt of the device into his face. He snarled, smacking it from her grip and dug his nails into her thighs, flinging her to the side.

"That's a pity. I don't like you." Frederick jumped up, snatching the machine off the ground and stalked his way towards Darcy as she surged to her knees. He sped up behind her, jamming the crossbow under her chin and dragged her backwards, grating her windpipe. Darcy gasped, hands clawing at his wrists as her legs flailed along the wet ground.

"Pussy ass bitch isn't man enough to use his hands, " she coughed as he jerked harder.

Her left foot caught on a tree root, giving her the acceleration to use her right leg to push her body up, staggering until she was standing and then hunching over, allowing Frederick to arch over her rear and flung him onto his posterior. Spying a tree branch near his feet, Darcy snatched it up just before he growled and leapt to his feet. She swung the wood, blowing into his stomach. She snickered as he flipped and landed on his face.

"Come on, Freddie, entertain me. I'm bored. Don't you want to play?"

He glared, spitting the dirt out of his mouth, and then stood up, yanking out the quarrel, tossing the crossbow aside. "You're a particular kind of human. Most would have given up or perished by now."

"Oh, baby, I'm a special kind of human, " she grinned, still gripping the wood.

They subconsciously began to circle each other, neither of the predators breaking the charged tension. They could have played this game all night, but like all games, they draw to a climax.

"Hmm, such a shame for one to go to such waste."

"That's where you're wrong, my Dear Freddie. I'll be dancing to the end."

"What makes you so confident that you'll come out of this alive?"

"Faith. Listen to the heart."

Frederick chuckled sardonically. "Listening to your heart leads you to your death."

"Hmm, you might be right about that. How's Beth-Anne, by the way?" she grinned.

"You're a conniving little witch! It's about time I teach you a lesson about manners," he yelled.

"Oh, Dear Freddie. You don't know half that statement." She cackled as she advanced.

They joined in a blur, boots pounding along the ground as they met in the middle with a collision. Hoisting her foot up, Darcy kicked him in the groin and skidded through his exposed legs. Extending her arms, she sailed them in a circle, sweeping his legs underneath. She lunged atop as Frederick backtracked, hooking his arms around her middle and reversed their positions.

Enclosing his fists around her neck, he squeezed, abridging her of oxygen. She choked, feeling the blood rush to her face. Her limbs flailed, one arm reared back and punched him in the jaw and the other clenching around the wood still in her clasped hand wrenched through his back, puncturing his heart.

However, if she paid attention just before she staked him, Darcy would have noticed when his grip slackened from her punch and felt him stab the arrowhead between her ribs, missing her lungs by an inch. Instead, she continued oblivious.

Raising her arms, she wrenched the wood down and impaled his heart again. "This is for torturing Stefan," she exclaimed, ripping it out and only to be plunged furthermore.

"This is for Elena forcing Stefan to feed him her blood." Crimson splashed upon her exterior as she tore the wood away and pierced through his back a third time.

"This is for making a bitch bleed. Make sure you say hi to Beth-Anne for me!"

Too weak to continue, Darcy dropped the stick and pushed off his desiccated from off her. She rolled onto her side and stared up at the darkness, blanketing the sky. Her saturated clothes stuck to her skin as her chest heaved with laboured breaths feeling the adrenaline had finally caught up with her, along with the pain shooting across her body. A sharp seared through her side as she attempted to sit up.

She groaned, hands fumbling clumsily along, stopping at the arrow protruding through her ribs. Pulling them away, she grumbled at the blood coating her palms.

"Nice parting gift," she slurred, lumbering on her rear, and dragged herself backwards until she rested against a tree.

Three thoughts persisted in her mind.

Get back to Damon and Stefan. Buy Alaric a drink. Beat Elena's ass.

One hand slapped the rough bark as she rose shakily to her feet; the other clutched her side under the metal arrow. A wave of dizziness strikes at her throbbing skull as she stumbled away from the tree when a snap resonated through the hazy mist surrounding her vision.

Looking around, Darcy saw Stefan standing over Frederick's prone form, hands releasing from his snapped neck. "S-Stefan..."

Stefan snapped his head at her voice. "No..." he rushed to her side, catching her in his arms before she collapsed, a whine of protest slipping past her lips.

"Back to the land of the living, I see," she whispered as Stefan picked her up, splaying his arms under her back and legs and placed her head on his shoulder.

"Shh, don't speak. Rest. You're losing a lot of blood," he muttered, making sure he doesn't knock the arrow rooted in her side as he began striding towards Mrs Gibbons house.

"I'm fine, just a little blood," she murmured, staring into his forest green eyes with a sleepy smile. "I'm glad you're okay."

"No thanks to you and Damon. Thank you for avenging me," he said sincerely, avoiding the topic of the amount of blood loss. He could see the laceration on her hairline, incisions in her shoulder and the arrow jutting out of her side and marvelled at how she was still alive.

"All or nothing. I'm going all the way—" she trailed off, falling limp in Stefan's grip.

"—Darcy! No, come on! Stay awake. You can't go out on us now. Open those ocean eyes for me. Darcy!" Stefan yelled, falling to his knees beside Damon's car. He shook her, trying to wake her up. Biting into his wrist, he opened Darcy's jaw and dripped the blood past her parted lips, ripping out the arrow afterwards.

His desperate yells caught Damon's attention as he, Elena and Alaric descended the porch steps.

Elena screamed, running to their side, and dropped to her knees, shaking Darcy. "No, Darcy! Wake up! Please stop messing around and wake up. Darcy!"

"No, tell me she isn't," Damon whispered. He sped forth, joining the two crowding around Darcy. "Move! Give her some space," he pushed Elena aside and cradled Darcy into his arms.

"Her hearts still beating. I think all the trauma to her body had taken its toll," Stefan said, squeezing Damon's shoulder.

He blew out a breath of relief, hearing her rhythmic heart beat against his chest.

"Come on, Princess. You can't back out on me now. Remember our agreement? It's all or nothing," he brushed away the dusky strands plastered against her forehead, fingers caressing her cheeks. "Stubborn woman doesn't know when to give up. Why couldn't you listen to me? You gotta come back to me."

"Will Darcy be okay?" Alaric asked. He winced, eyes assessing the blood and wounds littering Darcy's frame. "She looks like she did a round with Mike Tyson and his tiger."

"She should be okay, as long as no accidents happen, and she somehow doesn't die in the next 24 hours." Stefan sighed, sitting on his haunches and rubbed his face. He spread his fingers apart and peeked at Alaric's and Stefan's anxious expressions.

"Why did you feed her your blood?" Elena asked incredulously, the events catching up with her. "What happens if she dies in her sleep from the head wound? She's bound to have a concussion. What if she dies in her sleep and wakes up as a vampire? What would we do then? What would Darcy do?"

"If that was the case, we should be thankful that she's still with us and not gone forever. And if she did transform into a vampire, that would be her choice if she wants to complete the transformation. Not me. Not you. Not us," Stefan said and gestured to them all. "That's up to Darcy," Stefan said.

"What? The choice that you, Damon, Vicki, and every other vampire in Mystic Falls made? Yeah, because what a great choice that was!" Elena cried.

"So let me get this straight. You would rather have your sister die than her becoming a vampire? The same species as your very vampire boyfriend?" Damon asked, standing up with Darcy in his arms and glaring down at the Gilbert girl.

Elena remained quiet, staring down at the dirt ground.

"You're a selfish person, Elena. If there's one thing, I've learnt since meeting Darcy. That would be we should be grateful for what we have, not for what we lose. You're lucky to have someone like her in your life. She just risked her life to save my brother, your boyfriend." Damon asserted.

Elena looked up at the two vampires and hunter, begging them to understand her reasons. "I just wouldn't want to lose her again. I couldn't bear what happened to Vicki, happen to Darcy."

"It wouldn't," Stefan assured, shaking his head.

"How do you know that?" Elena asked, standing to her feet.

"Because Darcy is much stronger than you give her credit for," Damon muttered, walking past them.

"What happened to Frederick?" He asked Stefan, his cautious eyes never leaving Darcy's face.

A proud smile titled at Stefan's lips as he stood up and brushed off his jeans.

"Our Huntress ended him."

~

*Deleted scenes*

Darcy ran up the porch of Mrs Gibbons house, pausing as Damon and Alaric exited the front door.

"Frederick's gone," Damon said.

"Let's get out of here," Alaric said. He turned to Darcy and froze at the blood seeping from the laceration on her hairline. "Oh, God, Darcy!"

"Freddie's having a little nap," she grinned, wiping the blood trailing down her cheek, smearing it across her face.

"I'm going to kill him!" Damon exclaimed and started for the porch steps and abruptly halted, seeing more vampires appear, surrounding them at all sides. "How many of those certain darts you have left?" he asked Alaric.

"One."

"Not gonna be enough," Damon said as they both turned back and ran to the house, only for the door to slam on their faces.

"Help!!" the pounding on the door. "Darcy!"

"Fuck off!" she screamed on the other side. "I'm too young to die!"

"Darcy! Let us in!" Alaric yelled, his pounding turning into panicked banging. "Darcy!"

"It was nice being hunting buddies while it lasted, Ric. I'll be sure to write you an epic farewell speech at your funeral!"

~

I love Darcy! I don't know what that was 😂😪