[*Chapter Fifty-Two*]

3rd POV

"Maybe so, but where's a little fun without no trouble, Damon?" Darcy singsongs and cuts the call.

She chucks the phone on the sofa beside her and looks up at the occupants in the living room. "Did you get it?" she asked, her limbs jittery with excitement.

"Yep!" Alaric voiced, looking up from his phone and chuckling with disbelief. "I can't believe you stole it."

"Technically, it's not stealing if I didn't take it myself," Darcy grins, winking at Jeremy.

Alaric and Jenna whirl around to the Gilbert boy. "You stole it? But how?!" Jenna gapes incredulously.

Jeremy's cheeks tint pink at the attention now focused on him. He shrugs and zips his lips coyly.

"That's not important right now. We now know who wants the invention,"  Darcy said. "But the real question is, why?"

Jenna shakes her head and walks into the kitchen. She flicks the tab on the kettle and then pulls four mugs out of the cupboard next to the fridge. The History teacher watches the strawberry blonde before walking over to the sofa where his work bag is situated and pulls out a faded sheet of A3 paper. He unfolds it and peers down at it as he sets it on the coffee table in front of Darcy. "Last night, when we were going through the journals, this fell out. I figured it was yours. I didn't know you could draw?"

Darcy sighed and wiped her face with her hands. She lowered them and picked up the drawing off the table, a sad smile playing on her lips as she traced her index finger over the faces. Her eyes trail over the family portrait of nine individuals who invade her sleep on a nightly occurrence - the sleep she has been avoiding for the past three nights in fear of the ever-increasing mourning that seeps from them.

Her eyes pause on a laughing man with a gorgeous long pale mane, his arm thrown over a girl's shoulder with equally beautiful hair but dark. A familiar girl could be Darcy's twin, but she somehow knows she is not.

"Who did you think I learnt from? I learnt from Darcy," Jeremy speaks up wearing a proud smile, which soon evaporates into a gloomy frown remembering Darcy hasn't put a pencil to a paper and created a piece of art in a year, which for Darcy is absurd. Before his parent's died, he and Darcy would stay up most nights, when the dreams became too much and pick them apart, drawing them out before they became lost in the sea of forgotten memories.

"This is brilliant! You could almost mistake them for being realistic. The lines and details are amazing," Alaric praises. He pauses, eyeing her with a knowing glint but asks anyway. "Who are they?"

Darcy glances at Jeremy, earning an encouraging head nod. Her throat burns as she turns the piece of art over, showing the cursive writing written on the back.

Mikael, Esther,

Finn, Elijah, Niklaus,

Darcella, Kol, Rebekah, Henrik.

Darcy turns the drawing back to the front and swallows the lump in her throat before peering up at Alaric. "Do you remember our talk last night about sleep and missing pieces and how we can touch them, but they'll be gone again when we wake up?"

Alaric nods his head, frowning.

Darcy looks down at the drawing in her hand. Her eyes lock on a shoulder-length brown-haired male with identical eyes to her own. "These are my missing pieces."

Alaric's expression manifests into bewilderment. His eyes scan the ancient-looking family, skimming over them and pausing on the dark-haired girl, who looked eerily like Darcy, dressed in similar clothing of tunics and long flowing frocks. His head snaps up, staring dead into her eyes. "Do you know them? Do they have names?"

Darcy hesitated but nodded. "Whilst I sleep, I do."

Alaric pointed to the family's youngest member, standing beside the blonde-haired man. "What's his name?"

"Henrik."

"And his?" he points to the blonde man.

"Niklaus."

"And him?" he points to an older dark-haired male, who seemed to be the oldest of the siblings.

"Finn."

Next, he passes his eyes over a blonde-haired girl, the Father and Mother, another dark-haired male and pauses on the two fraternal individuals. "And them."

"Kol and Me-Dar-look, can we do this another time? We have to get to the school. Elena requests our presence," Darcy intercedes, jumping up. A pain spears her heart, and she massages her chest as she turns her back to them. "We don't have time for this."

"But Darcy-" Alaric speaks up, concerned.

"I said leave it!" Darcy whirls around. A frantic gleam shines in her eyes. "Promise me?" she glanced into the kitchen, taking note Jenna was no longer there and stepped closer to the teacher. Her voice lowers to an edge. "You will not breathe a word of this. This stays between us three. Got it?"

Alaric gulps, jumping at the hand resting on his shoulder. He looks into Jeremy's earnest gaze. The boy shakes his head, urging him to comply. Alaric nods. "I promise."

"Thank you," Darcy replied and exited the living room, bounding up the stairs.

Alaric glanced at Jeremy. "What the hell was that? How did it change so fast? Who's the girl?"

Jeremy shakes his head. "It's best to leave it be. Darcy is... let's say... protective over them. It's best to forget we ever had this conversation. It won't end well otherwise."

"Does Elena and Jenna–" Alaric protests.

"–Drop it, Mr Saltzman," Jeremy cut him off, entering the kitchen, and shuffled onto a high stool at the island.

"I-uh, I'm sorry. I didn't know," Alaric blabbers.

"It's okay. It's just best if you leave it alone," Jeremy smiles understandably.

It won't end well for Darcy," he thought to himself.

Alaric looks at him uncertain but shakes his head and obeys. He grabs his work bag and hoists it on his shoulder, and walks over to the front door. He pauses, hand hovering above the handle and peers over his shoulder at Jeremy. "Tell Darcy...I'm sorry. And I hate to say this with everything going on and being the ass of a teacher I am. You're both still needed at school."

"You got it," Jeremy shoots up his thumbs.

*•*•*•*

Darcy stalked across the hallway on the upper floor, wearing an emotionless guise upon her face and the drawing clutched in her right hand. Pushing open the door to her bedroom, she waltzes inside and immediately halts in the centre of the room, seeing the fair-haired vampire lounging on her bed.

"I'm starting to wonder if this little infatuation you have with me is becoming a tad bit obsessive," she drawled amusingly.

Stefan snorted, turning his head away from staring at the ceiling. He gazed at her with a teasing grin, eyes twinkling. "I can assure you that my infatuation hasn't quite reached an obsessive level... yet. Though, if you asked Damon, his reply would be extremely different."

"So, we agree you're infatuated with me," she grinned, setting the drawing down on the vanity and then lying down beside the vampire. "We both know Damon has reached past the obsessive levels. He's on another spectrum. Let's say if he were a dog, he would be cocking up his leg and scent marking his territory."

Stefan rolled over to his side, propping his head up with his hand, allowing his eyes to trace over her exquisiteness features. Drawing from her iridescent cerulean eyes, sweeping cross the dusting of freckles dotting along her cheekbones and nose, down to her plump, red-coated lips and back up to the starting line. "I think I've already made that pretty obvious," he mumbled unabashedly.

Stefan reached over with his other hand, tucking a strand of hair that had escaped from the ponytail behind her ear. He trailed his fingertips down the side of her face, catching sight of the raised goosebumps as he did so. "No matter how hard I fought the impulse, in the end, it was always going to be inevitable."

Darcy copied his position and leant her forehead on his shoulder, her fingers fiddling with the zip on his leather jacket. "I'm sorry for putting you and Damon through all of this... all this waiting."

Stefan rearranged his form, slipping his arm under her torso and shifting her so her head lay on his chest. He lifted his hand and pulled the hair tie out of Darcy' hair and set it at her side, and then began to thread his fingers through the silky dark strands. "As much as it pains me to say this, and as much as I hate the thought of us not being together... officially. I-We will wait until you're ready. We won't pressure you into something that you're not ready for."

Darcy sighed and wound her arm around his chest, hugging closer to his warmth. "I want this. I want it all and everything in-between... I'm just cautious with everything going on. What if something goes wrong, and we lose everything? It would kill me not to have you both. I went from being afraid of the thought of love, hell, even the word made me want to run away. Yet, you and Damon came along and turned everything on its axis. And now, I can't imagine you both not at my side," she paused, her tone drifting off in a mere whisper.

Stefan glanced down, noting the vacant look in her eye as she gazed out of the open-draped window. He tilted her chin up, leaving her no choice but to gaze into his green eyes. "What is it?"

Darcy swallowed. "It feels... loving you... It will be a losing game. No matter how much we will fight for this. For us. It'll end up in heartbreak."

Stefan frowned, a jolt of pain striking him in the gut as he stroked the smooth skin along the bottom of her jaw. "And what you're just going to give up? Before we have even begun?"

Darcy remained silent for a moment, analysing his handsome features. She shifted around until she was sitting up. Lifting her hand from his torso, she danced her fingers along the side of his face, from his eyebrows, down to the groove above his top lip and brushing the curve round to the bottom. Darcy smiled. "No. I'm going to fight way past the finish line."

Stefan grinned and pulled her down atop him, kissing the top of her head.

A comfortable silence drifted around them as they lay together. Stefan swallowed and sat up, moving to the edge of the bed. "Today... What you did. Things could have turned ugly. I'm worried about you."

"What I've been up to?" a nonchalant eyebrow rose as she moved off the bed and sat at her vanity, beginning to re-tame her hair, picking up a hairbrush.

Stefan's eye's followed her fascinated movements, brushing through the silky raven strands with a practised flair, flicking to the voluminous waves as they settled in place. Her gaze met his through the mirror as she set the brush down on the table. "You may want to elaborate?"

"Your behaviour this morning with Isobel was reckless, and I'm beginning to question if you know what you're getting yourself into," he said, resting his elbows on his knees and slotting his fingers together underneath his chin.

"I think my behaviour was perfectly acceptable. What do you expect me to do, sip tea and discuss our preferences in men? Clearly, hers would be subpar."

Stefan watched as she stood up, grabbed a wooden box off the side and approached the bed, sitting behind him. His heightened hearing caught the sound of crinkling before his nose grabbed the scent of a familiar smell. He saw the box resting on her vanity earlier but chose to respect her possessions of and not snoop.

He dropped his arms and shifted, raising a bent leg on the bed, peering at Darcy fiddling with a bundle of wrapped vervain herbs. "What are you planning, Darcy? I'm all for you being your own independent person, but you need to think seriously for a moment and ask yourself what you're getting yourself tangled in. What's your purpose here?"

Darcy sighed, placing the vervain back into the box, closing the lid, and settling it into her lap. "My primary purpose is making sure Isobel doesn't hurt Elena and Jeremy-,"

Stefan raised a finger to his lips, signalling for her to be quiet and pointing to the door. Someone was outside in the hallway.

Darcy closed her mouth, obeying. Her eyes followed his actions and attempted to get up, only for Stefan to clamp a hand on her calf and shake his head.

"John is outside," he mouthed.

"What... Is he just standing there?" she gestured with her hands erratically.

Stefan nodded, tilting his head, gaze fixed on the door as if he was trying to see through it. He stood to his feet. "I'm going to go. I'll see you later. Be good. Okay?"

Darcy stared at him; a cheeky glint shone in her eyes. She neither complied nor denied as she watched him climb out of the bedroom window.

*•*•*•*

"Hey, Anna. Where are you? What's up? Uh...Give me a call when you get this," Jeremy said into the cell phone. Hearing footsteps behind him, he hastily stuffs into the pouch of his hoodie and lets out a breath of relief, seeing Jenna round the corner of the stairs and enter the lounge.

"Still no luck? I like that girl. She has fire," Jenna said, dumping a travel case onto the sofa.

"No. I'm starting to get worried," Jeremy mumbled, running his hands through his chin-length brunette strands.

"I'm sure everything's okay. Anna will contact you when she's ready," Jenna said, coming over to him and rubbing his arm.

They didn't hear another set of footsteps descend the stairs during their talk. "Girl trouble?"

Jeremy and Jenna shifted around and fought to hide their groans, seeing John standing before them. The youngest prayed Darcy didn't come down. He knows things won't end well if she does.

"No, no trouble. Anna just owes me a call, that's all," Jeremy replied with discomfort.

John nodded, nearing them, his stare immovable on the youngest Gilbert as he joined them at the kitchen Island. "Is that the girl I saw you with at the Founders' pageant? You two are getting hot and heavy. When was the last time you saw her?"

Jeremy frowned, sharing a glance with Jenna, suddenly wishing Darcy would now appear. What was she doing up there?

"Why?" the young Gilbert boy questioned.

"I was just making conversation. No one else in this house likes me. At least I can talk to you, especially if you need someone to talk about girls," John shrugged and continued. "So, seriously, how well do you know Anna?"

"I know Anna extremely well," Jeremy shifted, feeling uncomfortable under John's watchful eye.

"I want you to know that you can talk to me about anything. I'm here to answer any questions that you have, to help you in any way I can."

A snort sounded from the direction of the stairs. "And you wonder why no one likes you. Perhaps, it's your need to shove your nose where it's not wanted, or maybe it's 'cause you're a two-faced, larcenous wanker."

"Darcy!" Jenna snorted in amusement. She tried disguising it with a cough as she moved out of the kitchen and skirted around Darcy' frame and back up the stairs to collect more items to pack into her travel bag.

A smirk appeared on John's face as he stood up, looking over at the dark-haired woman. "The black sheep returns, I see."

"The way I see it, Jenna didn't disagree. I know someone who did agree, though, perhaps a female of about 5 ft 4 with black hair and green eyes. Don't you think, Johnny?" Darcy smirked, leaning against the wall of the staircase.

John's features hardened before rearranging into nonchalance. "I don't think I'm familiar with who you speak of," he brushed her words off carelessly.

"Ah, that's a shame... However, I got my confirmation after she told me about your little teenage crush. She played right into my hands," the smirk turned into a full beamed grin when she saw his eyes twitch. "I sincerely hope you plan to relay the information to Elena. We wouldn't want the words to escape from the wrong mouth, now would we?"

"You wouldn't," John's lips ticked up smugly, ignoring the probing eyes of Jeremy a few feet away from him.

Darcy's eyebrows raised in response. She pushed away from the wall and paused at the base of the steps. "El-"

John's face turned beetroot red. He rushed across the room and slapped his hand across Darcy's mouth. "Stop! Elena can't know," he urged in a desperate plea.

Darcy glared up at him and bit down on his hand, drawing blood and pushed at his chest. His back collided with the wall before he regained his senses, coming at her a second time. Darcy reared her arm back and socked him in the jaw. She watched in satisfaction as he peered up at her with watery blue eyes, cupping his mouth.

"You dare to bring her into this town, around the people I care for and not expect the consequences? I've never seen a more idiotic bastard than the one before my very eyes. Now I know where your daughter gets it from. The apple doesn't fall from the tree, does it? I wonder what Grayson would be saying from his very grave?"

"Don't you dare speak a word of his name, you ungrateful bitch!" John glared, spitting the blood from his mouth. "He'd be thankful for what I plan for this town."

Darcy let out a loose cackle. "Ungrateful? Me? Oh no, darling, I think you're talking shit about yourself here. I kept my word. I kept my promise of protecting his family. But what are you doing, huh? You're doing the opposite. You're the one who's brought your own family into danger, and for what, Revenge? Revenge that's not even yours. How pathetic."

John laughed, brushing his bloodied lip with the sleeve of his arm. "You don't know anything. You're nothing but a treacherous child. A child Grayson and Miranda shouldn't have taken in. They should have left you to rot with Sarah and David. Where you belong."

A screech sounded from the kitchen before footfalls thumped along the wooden flooring, and Jeremy came into view, pushing his way in front of Darcy, blocking her from John' view. The boy stood taller than the man with a sharp, unforgiving glare decorating his youthful features as he regarded him.

"You're wrong, you know. Darcy belongs to be here more than you ever will. You don't know half the things she has done for this family, the very things you should have been doing. Where exactly were you after Mum and Dad died, huh? Where were you when Darcy consoled us in her arms, reassuring us that we'd be, okay? That, Elena, Jenna, and I would be okay because we would have each other to get through the dark times.

"Where were you when I turned to alcohol and drugs? You weren't there."

"But Darcy was. She was there every step of the way, pulling me back every time I threatened to step off the path, never judging me for my actions, unlike Elena, who thought what Mum would have done would help. Coddling me, and always up in my business. It didn't. It only drove me to relapse more. Yet, Darcy was there guiding me along and supporting me.

"Where were you when Jenna was granted custody of us? Where were you when she suddenly had three teenagers thrown into her arms without a moment's notice and was forced to become a mother figure at twenty-seven? Where were you when you were supposed to help us? You were nowhere to be found or seen. No word. No phone calls. Nothing.

"But Darcy was. She was there every time I would cry myself to sleep," another voice chimed in, jolting John to turn his attention to Jenna standing at the top of the staircase. "Because I felt weak, powerless, and unable to provide them with love and care a parental figure should always do. Darcy changed my perspective, praising me whenever I did something right, even if it succeeded in cooking toast, 'cause you know, I can't cook to save our lives.

"Even when Darcy was fighting her own battles, waking up screaming because she had another nightmare, she put herself aside and crawled into bed beside me, holding me close when I cried in my sleep. Crying for my sister to come back because I believed I wasn't enough for them," Jenna paused, wiping away the tear that slipped down her cheek. She exhaled in a choppy breath before continuing.

"Elena and Jeremy would be forced to watch me in tears, crying in Darcy's arms because they had felt ashamed of themselves. In their eyes, Darcy was doing the job they were supposed to be doing. Still, they couldn't because they were grieving too. They are just kids, who had lost their parents too young, and Darcy was forced to become not just my little sister but their mother too. But look around you, John. Look at Elena and Jeremy," Jenna gestured to Elena, who had now joined her side with tears staining her cheeks before pointing to Jeremey, who had his arm wrapped around Darcy, still glaring at John.

"They aren't suffering or in pain as before. They can get out of bed. They can go to school and continue to be around their friends. Shit, they can even eat a meal too!

"Look at me now. I'm happy. I don't feel weak anymore. I can get up with a smile on my face. I can now prepare breakfast without starting a fire because Darcy has started teaching me how to cook. I can go to college, earn an education, and get a job to provide them with warmth and a happy home. Guess what? Again, all because of Darcy. She did all that. She has given us a meaning, a purpose to continue. But here you are, months later, after turning up at the door unannounced and degrading her, saying she deserves to rot at the hands that had abused her. How dare you? How could you?!" Jenna yelled, stomping down the stairs. She stopped on the last step, glaring into John's cold blue eyes.

"How could you say such a thing when all that girl has done is give a reason to continue to live."

Elena followed Jenna, her bag in hand, pausing a step behind the older woman when John's attention averted to her. "Not only has Darcy done all of that, but she's also protecting this family from the very things you're supposed to be doing."

John scoffed out a laugh. He whirled around on the dark-haired woman. Darcy stood a few steps away, her stance relaxed. He failed to see the sparkle of gratitude return to her blue eyes before they dimmed as the delusional man rounded on her. "Protecting this family? You're a disgrace to the family name! Gilbert's have been hunters for many, many years. And yet, here you are wrapped up in the arms of two and fraternising with the enemies. You should have killed the Salvatore's the moment they stepped foot into this town, the moment they were a threat!" he paused his rant, letting out a maniacal laugh. "But of course, you're not even a Gilbert. That explains it all. You're not worthy of such a name."

Darcy hooted hard; her eyes watered. "You can keep your inferior name. It's nothing on the lines of fantastic, really," she smiled and stepped into his space. She may she slightly shorter, but her stance and the powerful glint in her eyes made her appear mightier. "Want to know something, Johnny? No? Well, I'll provide you with an insight regardless," she turned on her heels and walked into the lounge, standing at the centre point of the room. The three Gilberts and Sommers followed like sheep to a cartel. She dropped her arms to her sides and relaxed, watching as Elena, Jenna, and Jeremy took seats on the large sofa and John remained behind them.

"You talk to the big game about being a traitor and fraternising with the enemy, yet you have the balls to talk to my face in front of them when you're doing the same. So, tell me, John, who's the real traitor here? Me or you?" she tilted her head, analysing the poor excuse of a man, permitting a mocking laugh. "You can talk the talk, but can you walk the walk? Can you be a man and own up to your real purpose here? Can you look your nephew in the eye and tell him why you're asking questions about his girlfriend? Can you look Jenna in the eye, knowing she knows you killed Anna's mother, Pearl? Can you look Elena in the eye, knowing you're working with Isobel, who we all know is also a vampire?"

John stood, shocked at the information that was released. He wasn't aware Jenna and Jeremy knew about the vampires. He wasn't aware of anything. Because while he thought he was protecting his family and killing the wrong people, Darcy had done his job for him. For now, they are all in the know, potentially giving them a chance of survival in the oncoming massacre. Also, very close to knowing his real goal. Their goal. And he can't have that happening. He needs to stop them.

The show must go on, regardless of who ends up taking their last breaths.

John looked at the disappointed faces of his 'daughter' and nephew, lost for words. Jenna's angered, red face caused him to turn away and gaze at his shoes for a moment. He was reduced to feeling weak, powerless and for once not in control of his own game.

"You don't deny?" Darcy said with amusement. "You can't own up and admit your wrongdoings."

John's head shot up, glaring. "I've done nothing wrong but protect my family," he gritted out.

Darcy chuckled and nodded her head. She got what she needed. Glancing at the seated trio, she sighed, seeing their saddened expressions. Walking over to Elena and Jeremy, she held out her hands, and her lips twitched when they grasped each hand and pulled themselves up to their feet. Dropping their hands, she picked up Jenna's bag and hoisted it on her shoulder and then placed a comforting hand on the strawberry blonde's shoulder, giving her the encouragement to stand and lead the two teens over to the front door and outside.

The door closed behind them, leaving Darcy and John in the room glaring at each other.

"Where are they going?" John asked. "Why does Jenna have a travel bag?"

Darcy let out a sigh and shook her head at the man pityingly. "Elena and Jeremy are going to school, and Jenna is going away for a few days, just until it's safe for her to return."

"They are safe. I won't hurt them," he looked at her in disbelief. "I'm not the bad guy here."

Darcy scoffed. "You've done a shit job of proving that. The way I see it, you're the bad guy with a hidden agenda. Why not tell me what your real game is here?"

John deliberately ignored her and changed tactics. "What happened, Darcella? When did you change? This isn't you. You're not the girl who used to love to train with Grayson and me. Where did she go?"

"This has always been who I am. Have you ever thought this was the life I wanted? Did I want to slaughter vampires and the like? No one asked what I wanted. I was forced to become this person. And now, I'm on the opposite side. You don't like it. I can't win. What do you want from me?"

"I want you to protect your family and be on the right side!" John exclaimed, throwing his hands out, frustrated. "I can't stand the thought of you with either of the Salvatore'. I've seen them glued to your side, trotting along like territorial dogs. They will lead you to your death if you don't put an end to this now," he urged, softening his tone.

That was nothing she hadn't thought about before. Darcy knows if they are at risk, she'll follow them into the fire. But before that, she'll intercept all the stops beforehand.

Darcy looked at him as if he was senile. "I see what it is now. You have it out for them, and for what? What did they exactly do to you to cause this hatred? It can't be because they are just vampires. If that were the case, you would have killed Isobel the moment you knew she was a vampire too. But you won't because she's Elena's mother. And now she's here, doing your dirty work for you because you're too incompetent and weak to do it yourself."

"Isobel isn't the issue here!" John urged. "This isn't about her. It's about you and choosing the wrong side and using the right morals!"

"Right morals? Do you lack a brain, or are you naturally thick-headed? What the hell do you think I've been doing all this time? I've been protecting your family! What you should have been doing, I've done the job. They are aware of everything happening in this town. They are stocked up on vervain and take it regularly every morning without fail. They know the ins and outs of compulsion and inviting vampires into the home. I've even started discussing training with Jeremy, so if I'm not here, he can protect them too.

"It's funny, you know. You show up after the tomb vampires escaped, roped in Henry to do your dirty work, target the Salvatore' 'cause you're an arrogant little man who doesn't know how to stop poking his nose in others business. You knew about Isobel the whole time and chose not to do the right thing. You willingly let her come into town and threaten the people I care about!"

"She won't hurt anyone. It's all talk," John butted in, waving his hand dismissively. "We have the same goal here. She won't do anything."

Darcy laughed mockingly and stalked over to him. She poked him in the chest, forcing him to back into the dining table and grasp onto the edge, so he didn't lose his footing. "Won't hurt anyone? She's already threatened to go after Jeremy if we don't obey her bidding, and that's before she kills the town's residents. So, go on, talk to me about she won't do anything. But know this, John, If she touches a hair on his head. So much as says anything to him or lays a hand on him. I will kill her, and I will bring you tumbling down with her. You wanted a killer? Congratulations, your plan succeeded. I hope you and Grayson dearest are proud!"

John gaped out her, spluttering, "J-Jeremy? She won't hurt him. It's all a part of her game. She's luring you into her trap. It's what she wants."

Darcy froze him in his tracks with her following words.

"Well, let's hope you're right 'cause if she does proceed with her plans, Elena's mother or not, her hearts mine and the blood will be on your hands. Try and stop me. I'll be there intercepting your every movement. You know, John, It didn't have to be this way. All you had to do was tell me the truth. What's your purpose here? What's the end goal? It can't just be because you want the device. There's something else happening here. And you choose to lie to my face and won't admit what's going on. I could be on your side and helping you, yet you continue to deny me. I can't help if you won't tell me anything. I hope you're happy with the grand aftermath."

She left him standing there thinking about his mistakes and what he could do to rectify them.

-

I forgot to add a note. It feels naked without any. The next update should be up by next week. There may be some delay as I've hit a serious case of writer's block 😔. I have a partial chapter written out, but I'm not happy with the outcome, and you all deserve the best, so a bit of waiting is needed.

What do you think of this side of Darcy so far? Would you like to see more?