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CHAPTER 07: CHRISTMAS EVE DINNER FROM HELL

❝ damon is alive, bonnie and enzo are late, and stefan is dead! merry christmas. i've got gifts. ❞

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IT WILL BE THE NEW YEAR SOON. Enola is tired most days. Her limbs ache and she puts on her earrings the way people put baubles on Christmas trees. It will be the new year soon and she will find herself alone in a quiet motel room more often then she would like. She will watch someone draw back the curtains when they wake up. She will want to ask if they would tear open her chest the same way and let the sunlight in. She hoped it would feel like being held from the inside out. She hoped that they would find something behind her ribs that she has not felt for a very long time. She hoped to find that same thing in those stained glass cathedral windows.

It will be New Years soon and Enola had planned to be long gone by then, but had yet to get Lizzie and Josie to siphon the curse out of Rebekah. It was Christmas Eve now and it would be the last time in a while that they would all be in the same place. Alaric would be taking Lizzie and Josie away from until this siren business was over, Stefan would be serving the literal devil alongside Damon for all of eternity as so to avoid going to hell, and Caroline was determined to make today memorable with a Christmas party. Which was the last place anyone wanted to be with everything going on. But they needed tonight to unwind before everything inevitably went straight to hell. Metaphorically and literally.

"Hi, girls!"

Caroline engulfed Lizzie and Josie in a tight hug the second the door was open which earned a soft smile from Alaric. Enola entered the room from the kitchen with Hope and Finn wearing matching dresses. The moment they entered the foyer, the twins pulled away from their mother and rushed over with matching smiles adorning their faces before wrapping their little arms around their Aunt in an excited hug.

"Merry Christmas, Aunt Nola!" Lizzie and Josie chorused.

"Merry Christmas!" Enola grinned. "Let me help take your jackets off."

Alaric and Caroline watched Enola help Lizzie and Josie with soft looks. She had been very disconcerting since she arrived in town. They assumed that was just who she had to be now. But she was always so soft and kind with the children. Her anger was never shown when they were near. Perhaps they could trust her with them after all.

"I am afraid we are not going to be able to stay long," Alaric informed solemnly.

"What? Why? This is my last day with them for a while." Caroline frowned.

"I take it you haven't spoken to Matt?" Alaric hummed, cringing to himself.

"No," Caroline frowned, eyeing Alaric in a suspicious manner.

"Is Seline coming to dinner?" Josie suddenly questioned excitedly.

"Hey!" Stefan intervened from the top of the steps. "Come on! I have your Christmas presents upstairs!"

Stefan was quick to usher Hope and Finn upstairs with Lizzie and Josie. Enola skipped into the living room with Caroline and Alaric following close behind. Their conversation was far from forgotten as she collapsed onto the couch and watched them discuss the issue at hand. Seline. They obviously hadn't seen her since she had kidnapped their kids which is why the question had left them so unsettled.

"They're asking for Seline?" Caroline scoffed in absolute disbelief. "She kidnapped them!"

"They probably didn't register the danger," Alaric said earnestly.

"I do not want them thinking that she is safe. Who knows when she is just gonna show up." Caroline pointed out. "I will talk to them."

"No. I will talk to them." Alaric corrected. "Once we leave."

"Speaking of," Enola leaned forward. "Since it is Christmas—"

"Ho, ho, ho!" An annoyingly familiar voice cheered, prompting them to turn their attention to the doorway where Damon stood with Sybil and a wide smile. "Merry Christmas, Ric!"

"I—" Alaric stuttered with horrified eyes. "I killed you."

"You what?" Enola and Caroline blinked.

"He deserved it," Alaric reasoned.

"Alaric and Matt took a whack at me. Even buried me. I cannot tell you how hard it was to get all that dirt out." Damon chucked in amusement, earning nothing but looks of disdain. "I know, I know—Christmas just got merry."

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It was silent as Enola sat on the couch across from Damon and Sybil. No one trusted them enough to leave them alone. Especially with the children just upstairs. They were just far too unpredictable and untrustworthy. But they couldn't just force them to leave considering this new deal with the devil made them indestructible. As Alaric and Matt learned the hard way.

"Eggnog?" Caroline smiled warmly, handing both Damon and Sybil a glass. "I didn't have time to poison it."

"Well, you already poisoned the bourbon with milk and cinnamon." Damon muttered, smelling the beverage with a deep frown.

"Ric is going to stay with the girls for a while," Stefan informed, stepping into the room.

"You don't have to hide them. I'm honoring the deal." Damon huffed in obvious annoyance. "We work for Cade. Munchkins go unharmed."

"Well, Ric is not exactly in a trusting mood right now and neither am I." Stefan scoffed.

"My sister kidnapped them. I saved them from a lifetime of serving Cade when I cosigned Damon's plan." Sybil defended. "So put away your umbrella, Stefan. I don't need your shade. A simple thank you will suffice."

"Thank you," Caroline forced out, earning an odd look from Enola. "She is right. You can't fault one sibling for the sins of the other."

"I appreciate that," Sybil nodded thankfully.

"I hope you are not expecting any gratitude from me," Enola muttered.

"I wouldn't dream of it," Sybil smiled sweetly.

"Stefan, why don't you come with me and we will go get some of the old family tree ornaments?" Damon suggested. Stefan frowned. "Oh, come on, Stef. I will tell you why I'm here."

That was a deal Stefan just couldn't pass up on. So he hesitantly followed his brother out of the room so they could speak in private. But he was no fool. He knew the chances of Damon actually telling him why he was here was pretty slim. They would probably just talk circles around one another.

"Enola!" Caroline suddenly chirped. "Would you like to help me finish dinner?"

"Not really," Enola answered, earning a sharp glare from Caroline. "It would be an honor."

Enola was dragged into the kitchen by Caroline who shot Sybil a tight lipped smile that dropped the moment the doors were closed. She whirled around to face her best friend with an unreadable expression. She rolled her eyes once realizing her best friend had already dug into the bowl of chips. She immediately pulled them away and set the bowl back onto the counter.

"We need to get the tuning fork away from Sybil," Caroline whispered.

"Didn't she steal it when she escaped the armory?" Enola inquired, earning a nod in return. "Then how do you expect to get it back? She won't just tell us."

"She might. It is up to us to get the location." Caroline said. "Bonnie and Enzo will do the rest."

"This is gonna be a killer dinner," Sybil announced, strutting into the kitchen with an excited grin that made Caroline and Enola jump a part in an attempt to look as if they weren't just plotting horrible things. "Are the other guests on the way?"

"I hope so," Enola smiled tightly. "The more the merrier."

"Goody. I can't wait. I haven't had a Christmas Eve dinner in . . . ever." Sybil informed. Caroline proceeded to take the ham out of the oven and cut into it. "Here, here, here—let me help. You wouldn't want to get ham juice on that gigantic rock on your finger." Sybil began to cut into the ham herself, leaving Caroline to lean against the counter with Enola. "So . . . when is the wedding?"

"It was supposed to be in June," Caroline informed. "But—"

"Right. Cade." Sybil nodded. "Don't worry. A vampire like Stefan will be really good. He can probably kill twelve people in two seconds and still be home in time to draw you a bath."

"Thrilling," Caroline smiled sarcastically.

"So," Enola spoke up, taking another sip of her wine. "What's your favorite part of Mystic Falls so far?"

"Huge houses with big pools," Sybil answered. "You know I love the water, and it's not like I have to pay the mortgage or anything."

"It's hard to find those around here." Caroline furrowed her brows.

"Actually, there is a little neighborhood outside of Grove Hill called the Pond Estates. Weirdly enough, there is no pond." Sybil informed, earning an overly obnoxious laugh from Caroline and a raised brow from Enola. "I know, right?" She made a face of disgust before continuing. "Anyways it is filled with rich, sleazy men that will give up their whole house for a song. Get it?"

"That is hilarious," Caroline laughed. "I will be right back."

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After checking on the children, Enola found Sybil decorating the Christmas tree. Her eyes flicker around for the others. It had been an hour since everyone had disappeared. She knew her daughters were safely tucked away upstairs. But everyone else was left unaccounted for. She figured it was due to the fact that two of their guests were unwelcomed. Still, she would rather be doing anything besides entertaining the she-devil.

"Have you seen Caroline?" Enola questioned.

"Behind you," Caroline grumbled, snatching the bottle of tequila off the coffee table with ease.

"Do you like these ornaments?" Sybil inquired.

"Nope. Not even a little bit." Caroline answered, taking a large sip out of the tequila bottle.

"Surprise, surprise!" Matt cheered, walking into the living room with Peter following close behind. It was his estranged father. Since he has left Mystic Falls, he has taken the liberty to track the man down. They have spent these last couple years getting to know one another. Though it all might have been for nothing if they ended up dead by the end of the night.

"I thought you said you weren't coming," Enola frowned, plopping down on the couch and kicking her feet up on the coffee table.

"Apparently the Mystic Grill wasn't good enough for this guy," Matt chuckled, motioning to Peter with a grin.

"Holidays are special," Peter reasoned. "I convinced him that he should stick around for the people he loves."

"Which is a hell of a lot more than he can say for you, Peter Maxwell." Damon hummed strutting into the room soon after.

"We have been waiting for you," Sybil grinned.

"Damon is alive, Bonnie and Enzo are late, and Stefan is dead! Merry Christmas. I've got gifts." Caroline took yet another swig from the bottle before grabbing a bag that sat at the foot of the tree. She reached inside before she began to hand her presents out before anyone could question her previous statements. "Let us make sure we all get back to the spirit of Christmas—and at the heart of it is forgiveness."

"Anyways," Damon cleared his throat. He tossed the gift handed to him over his shoulder without even opening it. "I'm sure you are all asking yourselves why I barged in tonight." Skeptical looks were shared. "Relax. I come bearing gifts. Now, unfortunately, I'm only gonna be able to give it to the most despicable person in the room, and that is gonna be a tough decision." His eyes flickered from face to face. "But tonight, one lucky little elf is gonna get an all expense paid, one way trip, straight to hell. Meaning, I'm gonna kill one of you. Let's eat."

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As Caroline previously stated, Stefan was dead. For now. Damon claimed it was temporary. And so Enola took a seat around the dinner table. She knew her daughters were safe as long as the unwanted guests were within her line of sight. Though the same couldn't be said for others that sat around the table. They weren't stupid. They knew how this night was going to end.

"It is really quite simple," Damon shrugged, taking a bite out of the mashed potatoes. "I assess the evil in people—so if they are wicked, immoral, corrupt, foul, nefarious, et cetera—I kill them."

"These are the au gratin potatoes," Caroline informed, slamming the dish onto the table.

"Did Stefan make these?" Enola inquired, taking a portion of the dish for herself.

"He certainly did," Caroline grinned, eyes flickering over to Damon. "An old Salvatore recipe."

"Where the hell is Ric?" Damon wondered suddenly. "Is he reading the dictionary to those girls?"

"As long as it keeps them preoccupied, then I don't care what he is reading to them." Enola said.

"Your daughters are completely safe with me," Damon hummed. "Ric on the other hand—"

"You are not going to kill Ric or anybody else," Caroline decided, finally taking a seat at the table. "We are just going to sit here and enjoy this nice dinner just like Stefan wanted."

Damon suddenly slammed a hand down on the table. Almost everyone jumped out of their skin at the action. Almost. Enola had spent the past three years with the worst of the worst. Damon didn't really hand the cut. Maybe to humans like Matt and Peter. But why should she be concerned? Her bite could kill him. Though that might be a problem now that he has gone and made a deal with the devil. It didn't matter. There were other ways she could make him hurt.

"What? I was just breaking some bread." Damon chuckled in amusement.

"Why are you doing this?" Matt frowned.

"It is kinda his job," Sybil shrugged as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"To murder innocent people?" Peter scoffed in disbelief.

"Look who is talking about murder," Damon teased, eyes flickering to Matt.

"I never killed—" Matt tried.

"Your old flame Penny is pretty dead as a door," Damon smirked.

"I never murdered anyone," Matt spat angrily, slamming his hand onto the table top.

"Matt, please." Caroline pleaded, making Matt relax ever so slightly.

"At least Ric looked a little torn up when that stake went in my heart. You looked pretty psyched. But I forgive you, Matty. You have got a lot of tragedy in your life." Damon continued on. "Here is the deal; Ric was just doing the parental thing, much like what he is doing upstairs right now. Do I want to kill him? Yes, but that is personal. This should be principle."

"It is all personal, Damon." Enola rolled her eyes.

"What about this Peter fellow?" Sybil questioned. "I have heard so much about you."

"Back off," Matt growled.

"Or what?" Damon challenged, earning nothing but silence.

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And so the dinner from hell continued. Enola, Caroline, Matt, and Peter occupied one side of the table with the other two on the opposite side. They didn't want to be anywhere near the unwanted guests. But like previously stated, it was not like they could just kick them out. Once was unkillable and the other was a maneater—which might have been hot if she weren't so annoying.

"I told you," Peter sighed in frustration. "I gambled away lots of money. I cheated on my taxes for sure." He ran his hands through his hair. "I don't know what else you want to know."

It was then that the floorboards just outside the dining room groaned under weight. Alaric sauntered into the room with a deep scowl. He had obviously been trying to hold off on coming down for as long as possible. But he wasn't the only one who would rather be anywhere else.

"Well, look who decided to join us." Damon grinned in obvious excitement. "I was just asking Peter what is the worst thing he has ever done."

"Oh, well, mine was not making sure that you were permanently dead." Alaric chirped with a smile. "I see you are wreaking havoc as usual."

"How are the girls?" Enola inquired.

"They should sleep right through this," Alaric informed, taking a seat at the dinner table.

"Perfect," Enola smiled happily.

"Damon, drop this stupid game." Caroline huffed.

"Oh, but humiliating public confessions is so fun." Sybil smirked.

"You left your son. You abandoned your family. And your answer to the question what is the worst thing you have ever done," Damon turned to Peter with a mocking tone. "Uh, I guess I gambled and cheated on account of my dishonesty."

"I was a kid," Peter argued.

"Unless your last name is Pan, you haven't been a kid for a long time." Damon shot back with an eye roll of disbelief. "So explain to me the last twenty-plus years."

"None of your business, Damon." Matt growled in annoyance.

Matt slammed a hand down on the dinner table, earning a raised brow from Damon. He was unprepared for the sharp knife that was being buried in the table just between his fingers, but he obviously couldn't be surprised. He might have been superhuman at this point, however, that could be put to an end right here right now if he wasn't careful.

"Enough! Enough." Caroline said sternly. "This has gone way too far. You do not need to answer him."

Damon was silent for a long moment before finally using enhanced speed to capture Peter in a headlock. He grabbed another knife off the table with his fast reflexes and pointed it directly at his jugular. Now everyone was standing with sharp glares, ready to take him down a notch.

"You do need to answer me. And quick." Damon demanded, nicking Peter's jaw with the sharp blade. "Next cut goes a couple inches lower." Damon glanced to Matt who was just about ready to jump across the table. "What are you gonna do Donovan? Kill me again? Let's hear Papa's story while he still has some vocal cords." Damon turned back to Peter with a deadly look. "Last chance. What kept you away for more than twenty years?"

"It was shame, okay? I was ashamed." Peter snapped reluctantly. "Kelly was pregnant again and I—I couldn't come back and be another toilet scrubber in this town. I had to get out.

"Wow. It's worse than I thought. He didn't have a reason at all." Damon teased as Matt plopped back down, unable to make eye contact with a guilty Peter. "Ladies and gentleman, we have a winner."

"Before you kill him," Sybil stood up and began making her way over. "I have some questions of my own to ask—where is it?"

"Whatever you want, I don't have it!" Peter swore.

"Lies," Sybil growled, taking another step closer.

"Lady, I have no idea what you are talking about." Peter said.

"All you need to know is that you have something I need and you will give it to me," Sybil demanded.

"He said he doesn't have it," Matt defended.

Sybil reached for Peter but was unable to actually get close seeing as Bonnie and Enzo arrived with a familiar pitchfork and slammed it against the dinner table. Sybil cried out in pain, prompting Damon to act. He caught her before she collapsed to the ground and used enhanced speed to get her out of there before anything else went down. Thankfully no one ended up dead.

"So," Enola hummed, taking a sip of wine. "This dinner was certainly eventful."

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AUTHORS NOTE.
would you guys believe me if i said that i forgot to update yesterday? i hope this chapter was good enough for you. though there was not much hope and finn. but don't worry. their time is coming up. in act three of this book. until next time, my loves!!!