𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐆𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞

- - -
❝Shot through the heart
And you're to blame❞

You Give Love a Bad Name
~ Bon Jovi
- - -

Despite the many warning signs, Lexi insisted on celebrating Stefan's first birthday back in Mystic Falls with a decent party. Little did Stefan's friend know how 'decent' the party would be. Caroline Forbes seemed to be outdoing herself with the buzz going on around town about a sexy big party in the Grill.

Lexi sent Kat back home with a smack on her ass to dress sexy. The wink she sent after her gave a foreboding thought that she was trying to get Kat and Stefan together, or something far from comfortable. Kat wanted to kick herself for agreeing to her.

It was Stefan's birthday and Elena had just broken up with him. Kat herself had just gone through a change that would change the face of her whole life, maybe even harm people. But Stefan was the one constant presence that grounded her in this chaos. She did not want to lose that for some silly school-girl crush on an immortal being.

In these muddled thoughts, Kat pulled up in her driveway. The Virginia sun was merciful that day, lightly filtering from in between giant clouds instead of beating down on her like a giant hammer.

But Kat would have preferred the glaring sun over what stood in her driveway any day. Elena stood on the porch with a strap-on bag in her hands as she watched Jenna lock the door to their house. Her look was anything but kind when she noticed Kat pull up in her car.

"You're late." the straight-haired twin gritted out, yanking open Jenna's car door with surprising vigor.

They had to give statements for Vicki's 'disappearance'. Shit.

Kat wished she stayed back up at the boarding house. Maybe Elena and Stefan were ready to face what happened the night of Halloween, but she was not. It was the night she killed one of her best friends, a sister and someone who was loved by her brother. Every time she thought of Vicki, a shiver shot up her spine, wracking her with guilt. She wanted to whoosh away to some forlorn place and relive that mistake over and over again just to trouble herself. It was a matter of someone's life. Kat did not feel like a high school girl anymore. Her conscience now felt weighed down by what blood she thought she had washed off days ago. 

"Are you coming or not?

Kat sighed.

She wanted permission to punch her sister to Alabama and back. And with her current emotional state, she might as well.

Kat sighed as she dragged her feet down the Mystic PD building after her statement. She had seen Matt, Stefan and Jeremy already there when she arrived with her aunt and twin. To her surprise, they were all talking like decent humans without Tyler to break into a fight. She did miss Tyler though. He was nowhere in sight, and was quickly informed by Matt that he was out looking for a distraction. That either meant he was drinking down his worries or was aggressively hitting pool racks. Either was not healthy.

They had all given their statements and Kat all but ran out of there the moment she could. The Sheriff, though she knew Kat since she was born, was not easy with the questions. Being closest to the person you killed always had its negatives.

Kat shook out of her dark sarcasm in front of Jenna's car when her phone dings. It was Stefan's number, the one she had practically burned into her brain to remember in case she needed help and didn't have her phone with her. She looked around to see him in an excuse of a conversation with a frowning Elena. Jeremy and Jenna were talking while walking down the steps. No one else appeared to be on the phone, let alone on Stefan's.

The ringing stopped before she could answer. Soon, her screen blinked with a message. 

Broody:
It's Lexi
Can you use your friend's party and plan something embarrassing plz?

Kat couldn't help but smile at the antics of the vampire. She pocketed the phone when Jenna approached, ready to go. A few feet away, Stefan gave Elena a quick hug that was surprise, surprise: one-sided. Elena stomped away from Stefan, her hair a flying mess in the wake.

Kat wanted to ask how Stefan was feeling but before she could take a step, her twin had yanked her into the car with her. Grumbling, Kat peeked out from the open window to wave a temporary goodbye to Stefan. Elena was busy ignoring everyone, staring at Jenna's head behind the wheel. Kat tried to probe her mood for details, only to get brushed off with more than a polite comment.

Jenna came home to an email from none other than Logan Fell, signing off rather abruptly about leaving town. Kat knew it was probably Damon's work, covering up his tracks. But the first good thing that Damon did, ended up with her aunt trying bury herself in the couch with a disappointed fear for future relationships.

Jenna and Elena sulked together on the couch while Kat, being the only woman of the house who was deprived of a romantic life, prepared to get sucked into the vortex of the post-breakup wallowing. Jeremy was sitting at the table as he scribbled something with his head bent low.

Handing Elena her ice cream tub and Jenna her glass of wine, Kat plopped down between both of them as they leaned on her shoulders, still robotically attending to what was in their hands. Kat ran a light hand through Jenna's golden-red waves.

"You're wallowing" Jenna stated, brandishing her already half empty glass at Elena like a pointer.

Elena sighed, "So are you"

"Her wallow is legit," Kat put in, "She was dumped."

Elena shot her a glare from under her lashes. It was not a secret between the sisters that Elena was the one who dumped Stefan. As far as Kat was concerned, Elena chose to dump Stefan high and dry in the middle of him starting to trust her.

"Yeah? Well..." Elena rooted for something to say, "Logan's a jerk."

Kat wanted to laugh and say 'you're not supposed to speak of the dead like that, Elena'.

Jenna rolled her eyes at her younger niece, "You didn't get a brush-off e-mail say: I'm leaving town. See ya!-"

"Wanna keep it down over there?"

The three women twisted around to cast a look at Jeremy. His brows were furrowed as he barely looked up from his work.

"Why?" Jenna frowned, "What are you doing?"

He was nonchalant as he said, "Homework"

For one whole minute, the entire house fell dead silent. The only sound that could be heard being that of a pen scribbling on paper. Now that Kat focused more on her brother, she could make out that the mound in front of Jeremy were, in fact, textbooks and not comics.

She shared a grave look with Jenna and Elena, both of them raising their heads from her shoulder to look at Jeremy in all seriousness.

"What do you think?" Elena whispered.

"Alien?"

Kat squinted at the image of her brother, "Some sort of replicant..."

Jeremy throws us a look "He can hear you"

Caroline knew how to be sulky, big time. She refused to speak to Kat for the first five minutes after she had entered the Grill. But not anything could keep her away from her best friend. And so everything was fine between them just like that; they worked on ordering the sides and getting a cake ready. She rarely spoke of Damon, mostly sticking to all the events they still had to plan for the school.

Caroline said that Damon had taken care of the payment of the party, but knowing the elder Salvatore and his vampiric ways - Kat was sure he had compelled them a grand party. All in all, Kat was teetering with the truth in her throat and Caroline was squealing at the prospect of having a band perform tonight on occasion of Stefan's birthday.

"You do know throwing a surprise party is a girlfriend's job right?"

Kat laughed at Caroline's look, "Shut up."

Caroline was not that amused. She might have been teasing, but Kat's blush and stuttering smile just irked her more. Catching the look on her blonde friend's face, Kat's smile fell off, replaced by a hysterical laugh.

"What? Oh please, I'm only doing this because Ele-Elena can't throw a party for the life of her. I mean, I-I am the planner. We are the planners. And Stefan he, um, deserves a good party."

"Hey." Caroline held her in place with a firm grip on her shoulders. She could practically see the shame and panic in Kat's green eyes. "I didn't mean it that way. What I'm saying is, there's nothing wrong with you feel."

Kat went limp with a burst of anxiety, "You think so? I mean, the last thing I want to do is be a substitute for Elena god no that's the last thing I wanna be. But..."

"But?"

What could she say? She didn't know what she had with Stefan. He met her, and then said he liked her twin; he was strung up over Elena but acted like he was closer to Kat than her. Whatever happened, Kat realized that she felt light and easy when she knew he was around, 

"The accident," Kat cleared her throat, "It took a lot from me."

Caroline listened deeply as Kat began. It was one of the first times that Kat broached the memory voluntarily. Therapy was just a fluke to satisfy Jenna, but there were some dark moments that Kat kept trapped in her.

"The coma was more painful than they make it seem in the books, you know? I couldn't move anything and I couldn't say anything. I felt so helpless and vulnerable. I thought I survived for a reason but I don't know what it is. Stefan..." a smile graced her lips, "He was like a breath of fresh air. He gives me this... this weird sense of safety, or warmth like I'm back to being the old me cuddling with you in a blanket fortress with hot cocoa waiting for us."

They broke into a soft giggle at that. Of course Kat would compare her feelings to that, she loved hot cocoa.

Caroline hugged with a soft smile, "Okay then. I get it now."

"Yeah, that was a bit too conversational,"

"But don't let Elena take that away from you, okay? Take a stand, even if it is selfish."

Kat observed her friend closely, and followed her gaze to that of a Matt leaning against the pool table across the room. People were already starting to fill up and the band would arrive any second.

She smiled, nudging Caroline lightly, "Same goes for you..."

"And she tells me that she's played a violin before, and that I was horrible at it. So, I'm just left standing there as the fool who totally nerded out in front of her."

Lexi raised her brows as Stefan smiled to himself. The boy hadn't stopped talking once she prompted a conversation and more than half of his words were about Kat Gilbert. Lexi was beginning to think that Kat was more of a partner to Stefan than Elena. He was smiling, laughing even, and more importantly... he was hugging again. Stefan never hugged anyone but Lexi and that too was an excuse for a man-hug. But imagine her surprise when her friend all but buried his head in Kat's shoulder before the girl left.

"She plays a good game of ball too. And oh, she likes to paint. Funny thing is, almost every painting of hers has snapdragons in the background. I will never understand her obsession with that. Whatever, it's-"

"Stefan?" Lexi interrupted him.

He stopped promptly, looking at her laying upside down at the edge of his bed with another tub of popcorn in her hands. "Too much?"

Lexi got up with a frown, "What? No. You know I love hearing about your life here, but..."

He plops down beside her, his frown etched back onto his face within a second, "Anything wrong?"

Lexi wanted to laugh. There were lots of things wrong; Stefan was back in Mystic Falls after decades all by himself and with Damon to stir up chaos, he said he's in love with a girl who was the mirror image of the Bitch Pierce. As if that wasn't enough, the said lookalike had a twin who seemed to be close to him. It sounded like the plot of a cheesy teen drama.  

"Do you love Elena?"

"Well, yeah.." Stefan smiled. Of course he loved Elena. She was the first one she loved after a very long time. "Even if she looks like Katherine, I swear she's nothing like her at all."

"How?' Lexi asked, "How can you see past the face of someone who toyed with you for so long and trust yourself with her again?"

He didn't know how to explain it. But he did try, "Katherine was cold, cruel, she took what she wanted and left people like me ruined. But Elena... Elena is warm. She's kind and she's caring and she's selfless... And it's real."

Lexi hadn't met Elena yet, but she could see the softness in Stefan's eyes when he spoke. Maybe Elena made him soft and kinder. But speaking about Kat undoubtedly lightened his eyes like fireworks on New Year's.

"Stefan..." Lexi smiled sadly. "I don't mean to put down what you have for Elena, but are you sure she's the one?"

Stefan didn't understand where she was getting at, nor where she was coming from. "What do you mean?"

"I'm talking about Kat, Stefan."

Stefan burst out into a laugh. Lexi thought he was in love with Vivi? "What? What in hell made you come to that conclusion?"

Lexi didn't find it amusing. "I'm not blind Stefan. Even if I was, I'd be able to tell that-"

"That I have a crush on my girlfriend's sister, who looks like the spitting image of my ex? Don't be absurd Lexi, you're thinking too much about it."

He pushed himself up to go to his bookshelf, running a finger up the spines of all the diaries he had collected since the house was built. Lexi was reaching, she didn't know much about his relationship with Vivi. Heck, he himself barely knew but that didn't mean he was going to assume every feeling he has, was a crush on her.

"Talk to me," Lexi asked softly.

"Vivi..." he shook his head, "She's all the things Elena is, but she's not Elena. She's... something. I don't know what. But I don't want to lose it by jumping to conclusions. I love Elena."

"And I'm happy for you Stefan. I really am..."

"But?" he prompted. There was always a but. But she felt safe and I didn't want to ruin that. But she was innocent and he could not ruin her. But she was meant for more than his kind of life. But, but, but...

"Why do you assume that there will be a but?" she frowned, "Do you have a but in mind?"

"Vivi is... Vivi. Nothing more and nothing less, okay?"

He observed Lexi's reaction as she shrugged, pulling herself up from the bed, "Fine, I'll stop asking."

She still didn't deny it.

"Chad, done with the set? Start when I tell you to okay? Thanks guys..." Kat nodded to the local band, shooting them a wink. Caroline thought the lead guitarist had a crush on Kat, but all that she could notice were his eyes readily shifting from her face to her boobs. Just this night and then maybe she could beat him up for being a perv.

Out behind the closed door, she heard Stefan sulking to Lexi about the party. Kat signaled for the band to get ready. As soon as the door to the Grill opened, Kat cheered and the room broke into a clamor of smiles and wishes. The band started playing You give Love a Bad Name.

Shot through the heart

And you're to blameDarlin', you give love a bad name

Kat's smile hurt her cheeks as she took in the shock on Stefan's face. She felt accomplished of doing the impossible as he froze in his tracks with an inexplicable look of bliss in his eyes.

Little did she understand that he was looking at her that way. She was dressed in a red lace bralette top with her curly hair flowing down her shoulders like a proud mane. Her presence was even more magnetic to him than usual, he couldn't tear his eyes off her. She swung her hips to the music, beckoning him towards the stage with a bright smile. 

An angel's smile is what you sell
You promise me heaven, then put me through hell
Chains of love got a hold on me
When passion's a prison, you can't break free

"Give a fantastic welcome to the birthday boy - Stefaaaaan Salva-toreee!" she cheered.

"I'm not thinking too much Stefan," Lexi nudged him gently, "You are." 

Stefan looked away from Lexi just in time to see Kat take a mike from the stand and jump down from the small stage. The crowd made way for her like the Red Sea parting; Stefan stood in awe of her command, how confident she seemed. She didn't falter, don't stop singing and absolutely did not break her gaze with Stefan's eyes.

Whoa, you're a loaded gun

Whoa, there's nowhere to run

She stopped in front of him, showing him her outreached hand that beckoned him to take it. He broke into a laugh. To hell with it, it was his birthday.

He grabs her fingers, dragging on Lexi from behind him with his other hand as they made it to the stage. place his hand on my shoulder as I turn and walk towards the stage. Shimmying up there when the music played, both onto the floor where Stefan hooted for himself with his feet tapping the wood with the beat he knew by heart.

Kat pushed him into a dance with a giggle, the crowd cheered as he pulled Lexi and Kat into his arms. He felt like God in here.

A school boy's dream, you act so shy

Your very first kiss was your first kiss goodbye

They dance to the rest of the song. At the end of the song, Stefan smirked, yanking both the girls into a twirl that pulled them flush against his chest.

You give love...

The girls are fawning all over and Elena was cheering and hooting for her guy. Kat let go from him with a small breathless smile. Stefan's smile knew no bound. 

Kat guides them both to a booth. She couldn't stop laughing, high and giddy on touch. laughing.

"Bon... Jovi...."

Stefan shook his head, "You both are such sneaky schemers."

Lexi motioned to the bag beside Kat in the booth, "You got anything worthy in there?"

Kat made a big show of putting the paper bag on the table, parting the cover to reveal.... A pair of black glasses. Stefan groaned as the girls laughed. After surprisingly little effort, Kat managed to get the glasses on Stefan, ruffling his hair with a laugh, "There. All set, say cheese" She clicked a picture before he could protest.

"I don't know how anyone could see through this monstrosity." he playfully grit out. Sliding over to her his side, they huddle together to click pictures. Stefan even graced them with a mad squint eye pose.

"Golden" Kat chuckled.

"Oh, I got you another gift." she spoke up excitedly.

Stefan groaned, expecting more of a goofy present like earlier but he smiled when he saw what she shyly presented.

A watch. It had a leather and silver mixed strap and the face of the clock had a picture over it. One wouldn't guess at first glance but it was a drawing. She drew him.

She drew him...

"Well... I wish you'd be like that." she pointed to the happy version of Stefan that was on the clock, "No matter what. It's good to see you happy..."

Lexi smiled kindly, patted him on the shoulder. She gave Stefan a look that Kat did not pay much attention to. Stefan did not speak for a few minutes.

She felt uneasy all of a sudden. What if he didn't like it? What if she crossed a step? What i-

She didn't get to think further as he wrapped his arms around her tightly.

"Thank you. So much..."

"Do you... like it?"

"Like it? I love it!" He smiled. He had never gotten any gift like hers, and it warmed him to no lengths as he strapped the meaningful accessory around his wrist.

Lexi gets up to get some more drinks and from where she was seated, Kat could see that she stopped to talk to Elena.

Finally, Elena comes their way, hugging Stefan on her tiptoes. They leave to sway to the slow song now playing while Kat paid a little too much attention to her burger. They looked happy once again. Kat wanted to feel bad about it, but that was surpassed by the couple coming together in front of her own eyes.

Feeling pathetic about being alone in a room full of people, she made her way to the table of the jocks, where she saw Tyler and Matt.

One of them whistle as Matt pulled her into the booth beside him.

"Damn looking hot Kat" Tyler smirked. She wanted to whack him upside down for all the silent treatment he had been giving her but let it slide for the night as she accepted the compliment with a wink.

Munching on a few fries she had stolen from Matt's basket, she sipped on Tyler's drink. But it almost spills all over her as a drunk Caroline stumbles over to the booth, whacking her on her shoulder with a laugh. 

"I slim-" she giggled "-I'm slipped... I slipped"

Her hair was unkempt and messy as she tried to pull it out of her face, her dress was crumpled and the bottle in her hand was alarmingly devoid of alcohol.

Kat, with Matt's help, held her onto the seat with concerned eyes.

"Hammered, huh?" Matt sighed.

"Well..." Caroline hiccupped, "-a very nice but not handsome bartender was very kind to me tonight. Unlike the rest of the global universe. Are those curly fries?" she smiled at the basket of fries as if they're her Prince Charming.

"What happened? Bad night?" Matt asked.

Kat was too busy trying to get her to drink some water.

"Baddest." she replied, "Am I shallow?"

Kat frowned.

"Is that a trick question?" Matt asked, receiving a warning glare from Kat. Tyler had abandoned ship as soon as he saw Caroline drunk hovering over the table and Kat wanted to curse him... again.

"I don't mean to be shallow. I wanna be deep. I wanna be, like...the abyss deep"

"No offense, Care, but deep's really not your scene" Matt stated bluntly.

"Matthew Donovan!" Kat hissed.

"No, that's true" their drunken friend interrupted, "I'm shallow, I am worst than shallow, I'm a kiddie pool!" She wobbled up onto her heels, swaying and almost falling if it wasn't for Matt catching her.

Caroline goes on and on about being a waste of space, thoughts she said she no longer had about herself after all the therapy. As if mocking her thoughts, Caroline bends to reach for Matt's beer.

"Oh no no no." Kat pulled her back. "You're done drinking missy. And who said that you're shallow? They'll get a very bad time from meee" the last word of my threat stretches out as she tried to balance both their weights, Caroline's being dead weight; the girl was already under.

Matt held onto her once again.

"Could you take her home? I'll meet her tonight at her home. I need to know who did this..." 

"Aren't I the guy here?" Matt asked incredulously.

"Who helped you beat up Tyler when you were 10?"

"I'll get going then" 

He doesn't even grunt as he picks up her best friend bridal style and took her home. A white knight. Care could use a knight. After a guy like Damon.

Speaking of, Kat looked around with narrowed eyes to zero in on the older Salvatore. He was talking to Lexi at the bar, a conversation that did not seem too pleasant on account of the frown on Lexi's face. Kat stomped towards them, only to stop in her tracks when she saw Lexi cave in and pass out on the bar platform against Damon. It was then that she noticed the deputies and the Sheriff.

And the syringe in Damon's hand.

☆ﾟ. ── 𝐈𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞'𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐫

Not Lexi and Caroline being the captains of the ship.

I feel Caroline on a spiritual level and I don't know if that should make me happy or sad.