[*Chapter Forty-One*]

Arriving at the Lockwood Manor, Darcy, Jeremy, Jenna, and Elena exit the car and made their way across the long gravel driveway and up the stone steps.

"Ready to die of boredom?" Jenna asked when they strode inside, stopping just past the doorway. They paused, looking over the crowd of partygoers, dancing and drinking champagne flutes, laughter and chatter intertwines with the calm waves of the classical music filtering the air.

"Yes, lead me to my death, my 'lady," Darcy cheered before dragging them over to the bar. "First, I need a drink."

Elena detangled herself, looking at the three with a gentle smile. "I'm just going to say Hi to Caroline and Matt and see if Stefan is here yet."

They nod, not before saying they would catch up with her later and watch as the brunette moves through the growing crowd before continuing to the bar, only for someone to cut their tracks and pull Darcy aside.

"Mind If I steal Darcy for a little while?" They asked, charming the strawberry blonde with a smile that can cause ladies to swoon.

Jenna smiled and nodding her head as the male wrapped his arm around Darcy's waist. "You can keep her. We don't want her back," she teased before winking at Darcy and dragging Jeremy along with her, ignoring his whines of protests of why Darcy gets to have fun and he must suffer watching his aunt get drunk and by the end of the night be flirting with Mr Saltzman, to get into his pants.

"She loves me, really," Darcy grinned up at the tall male. Her eyes assessed his forest green as they roamed her face with a tilt of a smirk. Her brows narrowed, noticing the expression of mischief.

"What's not to love? You're an extraordinary woman. You look beautiful." He grinned, moving his arm from her waist to clasp her hand in his before twirling her around so he could analyse her body. The black lace upon red satin caressed her ivory skin, making it look silky smooth, and the long raven waves tempted him to push them aside to breath in the alluring perfume along the column of her slender neck.

The vampire swallowed and drained the contents of his glass before pulling Darcy over to the bar.

"Glad to see we can agree on that statement," she winked and ignored his wandering eyes, chalking up his flirtatious behaviour down to the glass of Bourbon in his other hand. "Are you drunk, Mr Salvatore?"

"No, alcohol helps curb the cravings," he said as he pulled out a high stool and gently sat the Protectress down before sitting in another beside her.

Darcy raised a brow. A soft smile falls on her lips as she places her hand atop of his. "And how are the cravings?"

Stefan sighed, glancing down at the smooth surface of the varnished bar top. He wanted to lie and to say he's fine, but he can't bring himself to lie to Darcy, ever. He couldn't do it. She's done so much for him since he arrived back in Mystic Falls, and he wouldn't do anything to tarnish the strong relationship they had.  He wouldn't know what to do without her in his life, and he never wants to find out what that was like.

"Drinking masks, the thirst for a little while, but being around this many people is tempting me to rip into them and suck them dry. I'm constantly on edge," Stefan looked up when Darcy took her hand away and went to stand up. "What are you doing?"

"I can't sit here knowing you're suffering. How can you sit next to me? Touch me? When I have blood flowing in my veins?" Darcy allowed her eyes to reflect her hidden feelings, guilt, and anguish.

Stefan would not be in this situation if she had just paid a little more attention, and she was not hellbent on killing Frederick. They could have avoided this, but she had to be adamant about not giving up. And because of that, Elena forced him to drink her blood. How could she not feel partly to blame?

"No, that's another thing. Your blood does not appease me. I can hear your heart pumping and the blood flowing through your veins, and I don't feel the urge to drain you dry."

"How is that possible?" Darcy asked, frowning.

"I don't know, but being with you, next to you or even touching you doesn't make me want to eat you. And don't you ever blame yourself. It is not your or anyone's fault. It was a moment of vulnerability—my weakness.

I should have been more alert, stronger when I went out to hunt, but I wasn't and here we are. We can't do anything but let it pass. I will. I'll be under control... eventually."

"Is this what this is about? You are beating yourself up for not being stronger because you chose to survive on animals? You're much stronger than you give yourself credit for, Stefan. Look at how many years have you resisted and kept the blood lust at bay. That isn't no easy feat."

"I'm not strong. I'm weak. Look at me! If I were like Damon, I wouldn't be powerless to temptation. It's only a matter of time before I succumb," Stefan looked away, feeling ashamed of himself.

Darcy shook her head and placed her hands on his cheeks, and turned him to face. "No, Stefan. You're so very strong. Even if you did relapse, I would never think different of you. I'd still be by your side. And if what you say about my blood does not affect you, you can always come to me if you're on edge. I'll do whatever I can to help you."

Stefan's gaze softens. Raising his hand, he places it upon her cheek, stroking her soft skin with his thumb. "You're amazing; you know that, right? I don't know what I did in life to deserve someone so loyal and compassionate as you. Please don't ever change, Darcy Gilbert."

"I'll try," Darcy grins, leaning into his hand. "Oh, and Stefan?"

"Hmm?"

"Your ass looks hot in those pants," she cackled when he laughed, pushing her face away.

"Go away, Damon's turning you into a pervert."

"Oh, please, I've always been a raging pervert. I'm just stealthy about it,"

"I'm kind of offended, Princess," Damon said from behind the pair. "But now I know a whole other Darcy is hiding under the glamour."

Darcy and Stefan turned to face him and rolled their eyes, seeing the pout on his face. However, she paused and slowly trailed her eyes down his attire. The white shirt embraced his chest snuggly; the fitted black trousers hugged his thighs, making her gulp and look back up at the black suit jacket tailoring him from his broad shoulders to his trim waist. And don't get her started on the tie and his hair, encasing his neck, and brushed back, allowing her the perfect view of the icy eyes studying her in the same way.

"You look... handsome,"

"Whoa, who knew, Darcella could look so... beautiful... Hold on? Did you just say I'm handsome?" Damon taunted as he leant against the bar, staring her down arrogantly.

"We shall never repeat what just happened, got it?" Darcy said, turning away to flag down the barman.

"Oh, no, this is the best moment in history," Damon refused and sat on the other side of Darcy. He leant in to whisper into her ear. "Thank you."

Darcy looked at him, confused. Damon nodded his head over to Stefan. "You help more than you realise."

"You're welcome," Darcy shrugged, smiling.

Finally, the barman came over, and Stefan ordered the drinks. "Three shots of Bourbon, neat. Each." He gestured between himself, Darcy, and Damon.

The barman shook his head and pointed at Darcy. "She's underage. I can't serve her."

Stefan narrowed his eyes and leant forward, locking his gaze on the man. "I said, I want three shots of Bourbon, neat,  each. You will serve her until the party ends."

The man nodded. "Coming right up," he said before making their drinks.

Darcy snorted. "Damn, Stef. Who knew you could be a badass?"

Damon chuckled. "Oh, Princess, you've got a lot to learn about how badass Stefan can be when he gets down to it."

The barman slid their shot glasses across the counter as she replied. "And will I get to see this side of Stefan?" she asked them.

"Go on, I dare you to throw back all three one after the other," Stefan smirked.

"Stefan, are you trying to get me drunk? You don't want to know what could happen," Darcy returned his smirk.

"Oh, this is gonna be good," Damon grinned, watching the two.

"Chicken," Stefan said and then began flapping his arms and making noises of said chicken.

"Am I fuck."

"Then do it. Toss them back," Stefan coaxed, sliding the glasses closer to her.

"Fine, but it's you who's going to regret it," Darcy warned before throwing the three shots back. She shook her head at the burn sliding down her throat and sighed with bliss at the inferno flaming her veins.

"Yeah!" Damon cheered, tossing his shots back. Stefan raised an impressed brow and imitated.

"Another!" Stefan called out to the barman, ordering another round.

An hour later, she was on her way to the drunk phase and began dancing in her seat. "This music is shit. I need something to dance to," Darcy said with a pout. She turned to Stefan. "Hey, Stef, tell the barman to switch up the music."

"He won't. I tried," a voice replied next to Stefan. Darcy poked her head around him and laughed.

"I see you're drunk already. Why am I not surprised?" the person continued.

"Hey, it's Mrs Cougar For Hire! How're you doing, love? Catch any new guys yet?" Darcy slurred at Kelly Donovan.

Damon had just taken a mouthful of his drink and promptly choked and spat it out, hitting the unlucky barman who had just finished handing Darcy another drink square in the face.

Stefan and Darcy burst out laughing, slapping the bar as Damon coughed up his lungs while the poor man stood frozen, unsure what he should do next before hurrying off out a view.

Kelly surprised them by laughing. "I like you when you're drunk. You're fun."

"Feelings not reciprocated, I think you're a bitch and have the biggest stick stuck up your arse,"

Kelly continued laughing. "You're a little bitch."

"Don't call her a bitch," Stefan snapped at Kelly. "She's anything but a bitch-"

Stefan's sentence cut out when Darcy placed her hand on his chest. He watched with amusement as her eyebrows jumped up and down, feeling the muscle definition underneath her palms. "What he means is... he's my bitch... Damn Stef, when did you grow? What have you been hiding under there?"

Damon stood up and pulled her away by the shoulders. "Alright, let's go, Princess, before this party turns into a strip show."

Darcy snorted. "Not that you would complain. You'd be the first to join in."

Before they left, Stefan compelled another bar attendant to change the music, snatched Darcy from Damon and dragged her over to the dance floor. "I'm not your bitch," the younger Salvatore said as he pulled on her arm, spinning her into his arms.

"But you want to be," she grinned and then yelped as he swung her back out, sending her twirling into Damon's waiting arms.

"Hi, there," the dark-haired vampire smirked as he dipped her at the waist, her lengthy hair kissing the floor. "Lucky me gets another chance of dancing with you again." He pulled her up to his chest, grinning at her breathy laugh and spun over to Stefan again.

However, not expecting her to go with such force, trip on her dress and fly into Elena.

"Woah, are you drunk?" Elena asked, peeling herself away from Darcy. She narrowed her gaze at the three idiots wearing ridiculous grins plastered upon their faces.

"Darcy is," Damon and Stefan answered in unison.

Darcy gasped, pointing her finger between them, pausing on Stefan. "You're no longer my bitch. I'm replacing you... with-," she looked around the ballroom, stopping on a familiar blonde-haired boy. "-Matthew!"

"You wouldn't!" Stefan gasped outrageously, holding his chest.

"Watch me!" she flashed a wink before hiking her dress and running, albeit wobbly, over to the oblivious boy.

"She actually left us," the Salvatore brother's said in disbelief.

"Oh, you've gone and done it now," Elena said, shaking her head.

"Blame Stefan; he's the influencer," Damon said, patting Stefan on his shoulder smugly.

"You best get your girl before Matt steals her away," Stefan smirked at his brother and shoved him forward.

"Not of my watch," Damon muttered before he ran to get his huntress back.

"His girl?" Elena asked, wide-eyed. Damon and Darcy? She didn't know how to feel about that.

"Oh, this is just the beginning," Stefan replied smugly. "You just wait."

Elena grimaced, deflecting her gaze to Stefan and the glass of whiskey in his hand. Where did that come from?

Stefan noticed her gaze and grinned, pointing to a random guy behind him. "Oh, this? That guy kindly gave me his drink. How nice of him, right?"

"You are drunk," Elena stated.

Stefan smiled, looking down at his feet. "Okay, I know it's a little weird, but it's really helping me. The alcohol... it takes the edge off."

"You're totally that drunken high school guy that parties are sneaking booze," Elena whispers.

"Nah, that's Damon... minus the high school guy," Stefan pauses, seeing her pointed stare. "I totally am, yeah," he veers his gaze towards Darcy and Damon, who seemed to be making a commotion back at the bar and suddenly wished he was at their side, not feeling ashamed of himself.

*•*•*•*•*

"I shouldn't have succumbed to Stefan's games," Darcy grumbled as she took her previous seat at the bar. "Hey, dude, barman, chick, whatever you are, water please, I'm dying."

"Are you dead?" Damon asked, poking Darcy's back seeing her hugging the bar.

"I hate you," she grumbled as he sat in the seat beside her. He spread his legs, scooted closer and pulled her into his arms, resting his head atop of hers.

"We talked about this before, Princess. You love me."

"Please don't talk. My head kills."

"Ahh, the buzz wearing off?"

"No, a different kind of pain."

"The other?"

Darcy hummed, snuggling into Damon's chest and closed her eyes. She prayed the head-splitting pain wouldn't accompany any bleeding tonight.

"How can I help?" Damon asked, his eyes soothed as the girl in his arms relaxed in his hold.

"Stay with me until it passes," she whispers.

"Still hate me?"

"Not right now," a smile glimpsed her lips.

Unknown to her the same expression mirrored Damon's,

"I'll get you to fall in love with me one day," he murmured, eyes passing around the crowded room, pausing when he caught his brother stare. 'We both will.'

"In your dreams. Darcy doesn't fall in love. She's incapable of being loved."

'That's a lie... I'm falling for you, and I'm sure my brother has passed that point,' Damon thought. He chuckled as Darcy's breathing evened out. "Only time she lets me hold her without protests, and she falls asleep on me."

Stefan and Elena approached the pair, sitting in the seats next to the dark head female. "Did she drink too much?" the Gilbert girl asked, worried.

"Is she okay?" Stefan asked, frowning. He could see even though Darcy seemed to be sleeping; her face was crinkled in pain. Placing his hand on her forehead, he applied a little pressure hoping to relieve the tension.

Damon shook his head slightly, not wanting to wake up the girl in his arms. "Her head and the too much noise in here won't help."

"I should take her home," Elena said, feeling concerned for her sister.

"No, let her rest a little. This is probably the only recoup she's had in a while," Stefan said.

Elena ignored Stefan. "No, if she's not well. I'll take her home. Wake up, Darcy." She got up, walking around Stefan and shook Darcy.

Damon's hand shot out and gripped her arm.

"Don't touch her. She's in pain, and you shaking her won't help," Damon gritted out. He removed his hold, feeling Darcy waking up.

"It's okay, Damon. I'm fine," Darcy whispered groggily. She winced, holding her head as she got to her feet. "I can't leave yet anyway," she finished with a grumble.

"I'm sure he won't mind you are leaving if you're ill," Elena said, wrapping her arm around Darcy's waist to stabilise her swaying form.

Darcy let out a snort. "Come on, Elena, this is Jerk face we're talking about. He won't let me leave."

"Jerk face?" Stefan and Damon asked, raising brows of interest.

Darcy looked over her shoulder as she began to walk away with Elena, her lips angled in a smirk. "I'm sure you'll have the pleasure of meeting him soon enough." The smirk melted into a grateful smile. "Thank you for staying with me."

Damon raised the drink he had just ordered. "My pleasure, Princess."

*•*•*•*•*

Darcy and Elena were dancing with Matt when Matt spun Darcy around, spinning her into Stefan as he was heading towards them. "Two dances in one night? I've been blessed," Stefan grinned as he started twirling her around the dance floor.

Darcy returned his grin as she whirled back into his chest. "Consider yourself the lucky guy. Although I think you owe Elena a dance, she's been moping for the last hour."

"Who am I to deny such request?" Stefan said as he whirled her around too fast, causing her to smack into a drunk guy who had been passing.

"Woah, watch it!" The guy said before pausing and looking her up and down with a flirty leer. "Now I think about it. You're hot, want to get out of here?"

. "Sorry, my dude, I don't swing that way."

The man smirked, getting into her face. "It's the least you could. You did bump into me."

Darcy's face darkened. She took a step forward until their noses were an inch apart. "I said no. When a woman does not give consent, you listen. Are you following, or do we have a problem here?"

"Darcy, don't start a fight," Elena protested as she left Matt's side and ran over to her adoptive sister and the now fuming man.

"No, Elena. A man should always ask a woman for her consent. He needs to know his pace if he's not going to listen," Darcy shot back, her glare not leaving the man's sneering face.

"I'll show you consent, you little slut," the man seethed, clutching her arm.

Stefan knocked his arm off and pushed the man away. He stood in front of Darcy, his eyes darkening. "She said no, now leave."

"I don't want to leave. I want the girl."

"Stefan, it's okay," Elena said in a soothing voice, noticing the veins beginning to appear under his skin.

She went to touch his arm, only for Stefan to jerk away. His glare remained fastened on the intoxicated guy. "It's not ok. No one speaks to or touches Darcy that way," Stefan snapped.

"Whatever, man, she's not worth it," the man said, rolling eyes and turning to walk away.

Stefan grabs the mans arm jerking him back around. "I think you need to apologise," he said as he compelled the man.

"I'm sorry," the man said as he looked at Darcy.

"Now say, you'll never touch a woman without her consent again," Stefan said, compelling him again.

"I'll never touch a woman without her consent again," the man said.

"Good. You can leave," Stefan said, pushing him away.

"What the hell, Stefan?" Elena exclaimed. "You can't just compel people like that, especially around so many people."

"Of course, I can," Stefan smirked as he pulled Darcy aside. He looked down at her, his face clouded with worry. "Are you okay? He didn't hurt you?" he asked, lifting her arm, assessing for any marks.

Darcy removed her arm, shaking her head. "I'm fine. You didn't have to do that. I could have handled him."

"I know you're capable, but that doesn't make it right. No man should treat a woman that way," Stefan said before turning around and walking away.

*•*•*•*•*

Elena grabbed Darcy's hand and dragged her over to the bar where Damon was still seated. "Have you noticed what your brother has been up to?" she asked.

"No, I've been too preoccupied with yours and your ex," Damon said as the girls stopped, standing next to him. "Matt has been hounding Sheriff Forbes about his sister's death, and Jeremy nearly opened his mouth," he explained.

Darcy sighed and looked around to see if anyone was listening. "Jeremy was asking about Matt this morning, about how he couldn't face Matt knowing he knew about Vicki's death. It's a lot of responsibility on his shoulders." She pauses, looking at Elena. "We'll have to keep an eye on him, so he doesn't spill."

Damon glared at Darcy. "I could always compel him. Except for smart ass here has him on vervain."

Darcy grinned and raised her hand. "Guilty, and it's in his system, so don't even try. You won't get anywhere."

"No, I don't want you to compel him again," Elena protested.

Damon rolled his eyes and raised his arms in surrender. "Chill. Besides, I never really did anything other than take his weeping away." A grin morphed on his face. "Matt on the hand...."

"No, Damon! No more compulsion," Elena insisted, getting worked up.

"Oh, Elena, you're a fool. Don't fall for his act. He's messing with you," Darcy said, punching Damon in his arm. "Stop being an idiot."

"But you love this idiot. Why would I want to stop?"

"Right now, I really hate you."

"Not what you said earlier.... You love me. You want to kiss me, touch me, seduce me."

Darcy groaned and looked around for something to throw at him. Spotting a woman drinking a seat away, she snatched her glass, ignored her protests and was about to dump the contents over Damon's head. However, seeing her motives, he jumped out of his seat and backed away, hiding behind Elena.

"Now, Darcella, think carefully about this. You don't want to do this. I know you have a weird kink obsession, but you don't want to throw the glass at—"

Darcy pushed Elena aside and dumped the beverage atop his head. "Oh, but I do, Damon." She grinned as his raven locks became sodden, plastering the strands across his forehead and partly obstructing his blue eyes that had narrowed on the laughing girl before him.

Elena looked between them as they stared each other down. She thought Damon would have torn Darcy apart by now, given his track record. Instead, she became baffled when the playful smirk emerged on the vampire's mouth.

"Oh, you've made a big mistake, Princess. You've woken the predator, and do you know predators seek? They seek their prey. And you, my darling, have become my prey," Damon grinned and used a little speed to advance on Darcy. Though, his plan backfired. Darcy had seen it coming and had already begun backing away. She laughed, turning and fleeing through the crowd.

*•*•*•*•*

At some point, Damon had lost Darcy in the crowd. Opening the balcony doors, he stepped outside and gazed around the darkened yard.

"Damon, right?" a voice asked.

Damon looked over his shoulder, meeting the stare of the eldest Gilbert. "John."

"We didn't get the chance to meet at the council meeting," John said as he took a step forward.

"Yeah. It's a pleasure. Are you enjoying the kick-off?"

"Oh, yeah. I forgot how much fun these small-town celebrations can be," John sighed wistfully.

"Yeah? When was the last time you were here?" Damon asked.

"Hasn't been that long, my brother's funeral. How long have you been in town?"

"Well, not long at all."

"So, what do you think, Damon? You know this vampire problem is real, right? It's a potential bloodbath," John said as he paused behind the vampire.

"Oh, I wouldn't overreact, John," Damon replied.

"I think it's like 1864 all over again. Vampires running amuck." John pauses with a smirk on his face. "Guess we're just gonna have to hunt them down, throw 'em in a church, and burn them to ash. You see, it seems that there was a tomb under the church, where vampires were hidden away – waiting for someone to come along and set them free. But then you already knew that. Didn't you? Being that you're the one that did it."

"And you're telling me this... why?" Damon asked.

"I just thought we'd get the introductions out of the way," John shrugged, playing the innocent act.

Damon sighed, shaking his head. "Look, well, you know I could rip your throat out before anyone would notice."

John nods, gesturing for him to continue.

"Yeah, okay. But you probably ingest vervain, so...."

"Why don't you take a bite, find out?" John goaded.

Damon thought for a moment before shrugging. "It's not worth my time."

"Okay, let's try again. I see you've taken a liking to Darcella. Yes, I can see by your glare that's true. But I'm here now to warn you to stay away. Stay away from Darcy." John pauses, walking around Damon. "Hmm, did you know I played a part in training her into who she is today? Quite a fiery temper, that girl. I wonder what would happen if she turned her back and remembered the side she's meant to be on. How fatal would it be if she burnt you all to the ground?"

Damon chuckles and snaps his neck. "Oops, would you look at that? My hands slipped," he grinned, stepping over John's body.

Walking back down to the first floor, Damon spotted Stefan and pulled him aside. "Do you wanna hear the bad news or the really bad news?"

"Actually, I don't want any news, Damon," Stefan said.

"Alright, well, let me rephrase: do you wanna hear how the council's back in 'vampire mode', or... how I just killed Uncle John Gilbert? Darcy's and Elena's uncle."

Stefan's eyes widened. "What? Do we need to hide before Darcy kills us, or should we sacrifice ourselves now?"

*•*•*•*•*

Darcy and Elena had just finished checking up on Jeremy before they decided to get some fresh air. Darcy narrowed her gaze on Damon, who was at the bar with Alaric. Upon seeing her, the blue-eyed male quickly turned his back. She told Elena she would be back before strolling over to them. "What did you do?" she asked from behind Damon.

Damon scoffed. "What makes you think I did something?"

"Alright," Darcy turning her attention onto Alaric. "What did Damon do?"

Alaric adverted his gaze with a shrug. "How am I meant to know? I'm just the hunter slash teacher guy."

"I am right here, you know?" Damon stated.

Darcy remained impassive before shrugging and went to walk away.

"Okay! Wait. I'll tell you," Damon said as he gripped her hand to stop her. "I may or may not have messed up... big time."

Darcy shifted and turned to face them with a raised brow.

"I had the greatest pleasure of meeting your uncle John... and I may have snapped his neck." Damon paused when all Darcy did was grin in amusement.

Oh, she was going to love this.

"Why is your face looking like that? I killed your uncle. Shouldn't you be threatening to shove a stake through my heart?" Damon asked incredulously.

"You're such an idiot." Darcy laughed and turned the vampire around by his shoulders. Raising an arm, she pointed across the room, stopping on the bane of her existence. "I'd just like to point out jerk face... AKA...John Gilbert, who is very much alive."

Alaric choked on his drink, splattering it all over his suit.

"You've got to be kidding me...." Damon muttered in disbelief. "That's not possible. I snapped his neck with my bare hands!"

Darcy looked to the side a coughed into her hand, hiding her laugh. "Can I point something else out?"

Damon glared at the girl. "Why are you finding my misery hilarious?"

Darcy laughed and turned him around again. "As I said, you're an idiot. Now, look carefully. Scan him from head to toe and see if you can spot something peculiar."

Damon tightened his gaze on John's form, starting from his head and working down to his shoulders, chest, arms, legs, and feet. "I don't see anything....hold on shit." He slapped Alaric on his back, causing him to choke on his drink again. "Look at his left hand."

"Who's?" Alaric coughed, clearing his airways.

"Town's favourite son. Look at his ring."

Alaric whistled. "Wow. It looks like mine."

"Yeah... And that'd be a big coincidence if he didn't just come back from the dead. Where the hell did you get the ring?" Damon asked Alaric.

Alaric looked from Damon to Darcy with a grimace. "Isobel, my wife."

Darcy whistled. She already knew when Damon had killed Alaric, only for him to come back alive and confess his wife gave him a ring. A magical ring that brings a human back to life if the death was at the hands of the supernatural. Again, Darcy already knew about the ring because John and Grayson had told her about the means and its course. She didn't know there was another that Alaric had in his possession.

Damon hummed. "Who gave birth to Elena, under the medical care of the esteemed Dr Grayson – John's brother!"

Alaric switched his gaze to John. "You think John knew Isobel?"

"I think John knows a lot of things." He clicked his fingers at Darcy. "And you, Missy, knew all along, didn't you?"

Darcy raised her hands. "Guilty as charged." She turned on her heels with a smirk and began walking over to John. "Shall we go and say hi to the Devil?"

Just as they got to John, the oldest Gilbert was about to walk away until Damon spoke up from behind him.

"Going somewhere?"

"John, I'd like to introduce you to my friend, Damon Salvatore. Damon, this is jerk face, John Gilbert," Darcy introduced. John turned around, his gaze pausing on Darcy.

John gritted his teeth and yanked Darcy to his side. "No introductions needed. We've had the pleasure of meeting, haven't we, Damon?"

"Leaving so soon?" Damon asked, keeping his stare locked on John's hand that was clamped on Darcy's wrist.

"Never liked to be the last one to leave a party. It's too desperate. You gonna kill me again, or you gonna let Mr Saltzman do your dirty work?"

"Okay. You obviously know who I am," Alaric said as he followed, too curious to find out more about his wife.

John nodded and tugged Darcy to his side harder when she attempted to move away. "I do. Alaric Saltzman, the high school history teacher with a secret."

"Let her go," Damon said, removing John's hold and pulling her to his side.

Darcy rolled her eyes, strangely feeling like a toy being pulled and pushed in all directions.

"You sure know a lot for someone who just got to town," Damon commented.

John smirked, his stare sweeping across the three of them. "More than you can imagine, Damon. My knowledge of this town goes beyond anything that you or the council knows. So, if you were planning on some clever high speed, snatch-ring vamp kill-move, know that if I die, everything I know goes to the council – including the fascinating little tale of the original Salvatore brothers and their present-day return to Mystic Falls."

"How did you get that ring?" Alaric asked.

"I inherited one. My brother, Gray, the other. This was his, although I wouldn't have given mine to Isobel had I known she'd hand it over to another guy. I should have given it to Darcy as it was intended."

Darcy looked at him, confused. "Not that I would have accepted that, but why not?"

A look of smugness came to play on John's face. "Something else came into play."

"What do you mean?" Darcy asked, curious to know more.

"Never mind that," Damon said. "So, did you know her?"

"Who do you think sent her your way when she wanted to become a vampire?"

"You sent her?"

John shrugged. "Guilty. Why? Did you think someone else sent her? Maybe Katherine Pierce?"

Alaric and Darcy shared a look.

"How do I know anything, Damon?" John said.

Damon stepped forward. "What do you want?"

John ignored him and looked at Darcy. "What I want is for my niece to stake you in the heart and burn every single vampire roaming Mystic Falls to the ground, which she should have done the moment she knew what was happening in this town. Instead of teaming up on the wrong side. Just know Darcy, Grayson would be very disappointed in you. I hope you're proud of the failure you've become."

*•*•*•*•*

Later that night, after the disastrous party had ended, the Gilbert's had left for home. Stefan was confessing his struggles to Elena across the hallway. She could hear the whines and protests from Elena and the frustration and loathing from Stefan. Her mind went back to what John has said. Failure.

He's right. She's a failure. From the age of ten, Darcy was trained to become a vampire hunter. It was supposed to be her role in killing any vampires who crossed her path. Instead, here she is doing the opposite, and God forbid her heart keeps tugging her into their arms. It's wrong and forbidden. What should she do? Resist, or fall to the temptation? Darcy doesn't know.

The party. What a mess. She should have listened to Elena and went home. All the insistent sounds and the smothering crowd had begun to get too much for the huntress to handle.  Walking out of her bathroom, now changed into her nightclothes, Darcy walked over to the bedroom window and pushed it open. She sighed, allowing the chill of the evening air to wash over her hot skin as she looked up at the stars blanketing the night sky.

A flash of pain struck.

Fog hovers along the ground, travelling up bare legs. Her. Two boys. Sharp teeth. Claws. Blood. Death. Endless tears. A thread cut in two. A family in mourning.

Darcy groaned and gripped her head as she leant against the wall. Intense pain erupted behind her skull, tearing, pulling, pushing, and splitting.

Foreign murmurs she could not understand began on a loop, rising from whispers to chants and then merging to screams. Her screams. Darcy shrieked as the pressure increased, causing her ears to pop. Red liquid seeped from her ears and nose, trailing down her face and dripping off her chin onto her chest.

Dropping to the floor, Darcy curled up into a ball; endless cries spewed from her gaping mouth.

Damon had been coming over to check Darcy after the showdown with John. He knew she would be beating himself up.

Upon hearing her screams and cries, he saw the opened window and jumped up on the ledge and sped inside the room.

"Darcy!" His blood ran cold seeing her curled up on the floor, tears and blood combining with her agony. Running over to her, he dropped to his knees and gathered her into his arms. Ignoring the blood, he grabbed her face and pushed away the hair sticking to her cheeks. "Shh, It's ok. I'm here now."

"It h-hurts, make it stop. Make it stop, D-Damon," Darcy cried as she buried her face into his chest. "Make it go away...."

Damon's face crumbled, eyes roaming around frantically. He didn't know how to take away her pain, and he couldn't hate himself more than ever right now—what a coward.

"How? How do I make the pain stop?" he pleaded, wrapping his arms around her back and burying his face into her hair. "I'll do whatever I can."

Darcy's chest racked with sobs, the pain was relentless, and the blood continued to flow, saturating Damon's crisp white shirt. "I need Hen-Jer. I need J-Jeremy. H-He can make it stop. Please, Damon. It's killing me."

"No, I'm not leaving you like this. I don't like this, Darcy. I won't leave you," Damon denied, squeezing her tighter.

Darcy thrashed and let out a blood-curdling scream as another wave of attack struck. More plasma oozed, dotting across her face as her nails dug into her cheeks, grating the skin. "P-Please! Give him to me."

"Okay, okay," Damon soothed. "Jeremy!"

Stefan and Elena had heard the commotion and ran into the room. They stood shocked at the scene in front of them. Never has Elena seen Darcy in such a horrific state. Sure, she had witnessed many of her episodes, but never to this extent. Water clouded her vision as Darcy continued screaming and clawing at her face.

"Hennnriiiiikkkkkk!"

"What's happening?" Stefan said as he approached. He swallowed harshly and attempted to touch Darcy, only for Jeremy to rush into the room and push him aside.

"Move her to her bed. Quick!" Jeremy ordered them.

Damon and Stefan picked up Darcy, wincing as her screams intensified before laying her on the mattress. Jeremy jumped in beside her and wrapped his arms around her. He stroked her hair and whispered soothing words. "Shh, I'm here now. You can rest now."

"I'm sorry, H-Henrik. I'm so sorry," Darcy's cries and screams halted when Jeremy's arms wrapped around her. Only whimpers passed her lips before falling into a deep sleep.

"Shh, it's okay. You're safe," Jeremy assured, squeezing her tight.

"What the hell was that?" Damon whisper exclaimed. "What we just saw is not normal. And who the hell is Henrik?"

Jeremy sighed and closed his eyes. "That's who she screams for when she has these episodes."

"But who is this person?" Stefan asked, his stare still fixed on Darcy's form. He winced at her bloody state and the deep scratches forming on her face.

Walking into the bathroom, Stefan soaked a flannel and rinsed out the towel before walking over to Darcy and began clearing her of the blood marring her face and chest. He was careful not to apply too much pressure to the cuts.

"We don't know," Elena answered as she sat on the bed next to Darcy and held her hand. "For as long as we can remember, she always calls for that person. We learnt after time; Jeremy is the only one who can coax her back out of the phase."

"I've never seen anything like it before. It's like she was dying on the inside. And what's with the blood? Why does she bleed so much? Why doesn't it make me want to suck her dry?"  Daman continued to ask questions as he paced around the room.

Elena looked at Stefan. He shook his head when he knew what she wanted to ask. "No. Me too. It doesn't affect me. It's sweet but sickly. It's refreshing not feeling the urge to drink human blood, any blood at that." He paused, his eyes flickering to her necklace.

The ruby pendant glowed under the lighting, oddly looking like something was rippling through the dark see-through exterior. Stefan noticed the specks of blood dotting the shiny surface. The vampire didn't want to disturb the sleeping girl by lifting her neck, so he settled on going about wiping it down until the morning.

Jeremy noticed his intentions and opened his mouth but then stopped, wanting to see what happened.

Stefan lifted the pendant away from Darcy's chest.

He suddenly let out a hiss and jumped off the bed. He glanced down at his hand and noticed the burn covering her palm before it began healing. "The necklace... it burnt me."

Jeremy shifted his head and raised his hand, revealing the still pink pigment marking his hand. "You too? The same happened to me."

"What the hell?" Damon said, marching over and examining their hands. "So, we have weird headaches that make her profusely bleed, call out random people's names and the ugly looming necklace that shocks people?"

Elena gawked between them. "It could be a static shock? Sometimes that happens."

Damon snorted. "A static shock doesn't physically burn."

"Why don't you try?" Jeremy proposed to Damon.

Damon looked at Stefan, who nodded in agreement.

Damon glanced down at the jewellery before placing his finger on the trinket.

The same happened to him.

Snatching his digit away, he blew on the burning tip.

"Well, that covers my suspicions." They all stared at Jeremy. "I tried it with Darcy this morning. Except... It did not affect her."

Stefan suddenly hummed in thought. "This reminds me of something quite similar to another necklace."

Three eyebrows shot up.

"Emily Bennett."

"I feel like we're missing something. It doesn't add up," Damon asserted.

*•*•*•*•*

Sorry for the wait, guys! I ran into some technical issues. I hope the wait was worth it! ♥️