CHAPTER EIGHT:
162 candles

     Samuel didn't think he would spend his morning being questioned by the sheriff. When Elena woke him up saying he didn't have a choice to stay home. He was annoyed right away, now he sat in front of the sheriff sipping on a cup of cheap coffee.

"Samuel, when's the last time you spoke with Vicki" he looked up at her. "Do I look like I associate with someone like Vicki Donovan. I just got back into town a few weeks ago, the last time I even mustered a word to that girl was likely at the grill asking for coffee".

The sheriff sighed as she pressed her face into her hands. Samuel set his empty cup down "can I go now? I doubt I'll be helpful in this situation".

She looked at him "yes you're free to go" he stood up walking out of the room in a hurry. He walked outside where he huffed at the sight of Stefan on the steps waiting for Elena.

"I swear every time I turn around you're there with your stupid Justin Bieber hair. And Damon's in the other corner being annoying".

"I'm just trying to help Sam, Damon on the other hand he's trouble. I suggest you stay far away from him, it won't end well for you".

Samuel rolled his eyes "please, the last thing on Damon's mind is killing me or tormenting my life. If anything like that even happen I'd kill him before he could even muster a lame apology":

Elena appeared and Samuel moved away from Stefan. "I'll meet you guys at the car" Jenna nods at the girl as her and Jeremy walk down the steps.

Samuel huffed slightly as he looked at Elena "coming here was pointless, I'll be at the grill drowning whatever's left of my sanity in cheap alcohol and piles of fries".

He walked down the steps getting into his car "why don't we drown our sanities together". He looked in his backseat "well you weren't lying about me knowing when you'd find something out. You could've sat in the front you know".

Rebekah rolled her eyes as she jumped into the front seat "I thought perhaps I'd scare you, but that plan didn't work out so well".

Samuel laughed as he drove off towards the grill "I saw you before I even got into the car. It's not hard to miss a hot chick in the back seat of your car".

She smiled slightly "well I found out some information from a witch I meant with last night. It's not much but its something".

He tapped his fingers along his steering wheel as he looked at her. "I get the feeling we don't want prying ears to hear, you down for a little road trip?".

—

     The place he went to was small and practically empty. "I come here a lot whenever a vampire needs help with anything. The owner lets me use it whenever I visit". He walked inside the door chiming loudly as he neared a booth in the back.

Rebekah trailed behind him her tone full of surprise "I'm rather surprised I haven't heard of you before. A man running around helping vampires and not killing them, it's rather shocking". He set his jacket down beside him "well at first it was different, I mean I had found out about things that weren't human. I did kill a few here and there".

A waitress approached them "hey Sam, I was wondering when you were gonna show up again". He smiled lightly "been a busy few weeks, just visiting for the day. I'll take a coffee and she'll have...".

Rebekah looked at the waitress "a milkshake is fine" the waitress nodded before walking off. When she wasn't in his sight he spoke again. "Don't worry we can trust her, she stays in the back whenever I have company with me".

"You have a rather risky business, most vampires don't seek out help. They're far to busy draining victims of blood". He laughed "you'd be surprised how many seek me out, it's mostly newly transitioning ones or ones looking to hide. Simple stuff, it's been kinda quiet lately. So I went back home for a while".

"Mystic Falls used to be my home once. Long before all of this, it was odd being back after so many years. It's so different from the olden times".

He couldn't help but smile at her words as he grabbed tiny packets of sugar. He sighed his tone quiet as he hunched over the table.

"I thought coming back would be a good thing, but I don't know. Everything's hectic, maybe it would've been better if I just stayed away. My siblings would've been better off with me gone. Jenna probably would've loved me staying away".

Rebekah sat up "is Jenna an ex or something" he burst into laughter making her frown "what?". He smiled at her "you're pretty funny Rebekah, uh no. Jenna's my aunt, she sorta hates my guts".

He smiled at the waitress who set his cup of coffee down. He let the sugar pour into the cup almost instantly as Rebekah sighed.

"Why does your aunt hate your guts? Were you a bad child or something?". He hummed lightly as he leaned into the seat cushion.

"I can't remember, it's all blurry and messy. We used to fight a lot, my parents practically told her to stay away whenever I was around. But now she's sorta around all the time and let's just say it's not pretty. But let's not talk about me, what did you find out from your witch friend?".

Rebekah sipped at her milkshake her face lighting up at the taste of it. "Pretty good right? I swear Susan puts her entire soul into every milkshake she makes here. I get them every night".

Rebekah laughed lightly as she wrapped her fingers around her cup. "Well I went looking around for some answers and only one witch was remotely useful, she's a rather old witch. Explains how she's heard of this rather situation".

Samuels eyes shifted past Rebekah looking at the doorway. He practically smacked himself "I'll be right back, just stay here and don't go anywhere".

He smiled weakly at Rebekah as he stood up from the table walking outside. "Are you following me!" Damon Salvatore rolled his eyes at the boys words as he leaned into the wall.

"Well someone had to make sure you weren't dead. Especially after I got a rather urgent message from your sister saying she saw you leave with some chick. The same one who mind you, nearly killed you! I got the blood on my couch for proof".

Samuel sighed deeply as he pinched the bridge of his nose "Damon I'm fine, if I wasn't I wouldn't have called you either, I can handle myself. Go home, I'm busy right now".

He went to open the door but Damon grabbed his arm stopping him. "Yeah that's not gonna happen, no way in hell am I letting you get mauled by this crazy chick! Elena would have even more reason to kill me". Samuel glared at Damon "if you don't let me go, Elena won't be your only problem".

His eyes darkened as he pulled his arm free from Damon's grasp. He pushed the door open walking inside sighing as he sat back down.

"Sorry about that, uh what were you saying?" before she could even muster a response. Damon walked inside sitting down in the booth across from Samuel view. The boy rolled his eyes as he sighed.

"Is that man bothering you? I can gladly kill him if you'd like Samuel". He looked up at Rebekah's words "no need, he's just being an ass".

Damon huffed as he approached the table "you must be the mysterious woman Samuel told me about, you know he's being stubborn right now and my guess is you've compelled him, so I'll just take him off your hands and no one has to die".

Samuel scoffed at Damon's words as he sipped at his coffee. He looked at the man speaking in an annoyed tone "Damon, I'm not compelled! I told you I'm fine and I don't need any help!".

Before Damon could even speak his neck was snapped and he fell towards the ground. Rebekah rolled her eyes as she sat back down.

"Now enough of that, where were we?" Samuel couldn't help but smile at her.