chapter eleven — star-crossed lovers

      "Damon," Alaric said, "Thanks for coming." Gwyn hurriedly centralized her concentration on the impeding shadow appearing from the doorway. She was across the classroom, admiring the serenity of the sunlight that streamed inside from the smudged glass window. She supposed she was also relishing the minute of distraction. The moment he stepped inside the classroom, he was overwhelmed with the severity suffusing the room, but there was Gwyn, basking in the golden sunbeams with burning concern and hatred etched on her expression. It was an odd sight to see her with anything other than placid disinterest.

      Then her eyes connected with his, an electric coldness exchanged between them. Her eyes were warm and her gaze was knife-like. His gaze softened upon landing on her and she noticed, so she promptly looked away. "Sorry, I'm late. The dog ate my..." Damon trailed off after he sensed everyone's unamused energies. Elena's blank stare burned into the painted brick wall, troubled and thick with undeniable dread. "What's with all the furrowed brows?"

      Alaric stood beside him, expression mirroring Elena's. "I saw Isobel last night." Damon's eyes widened as he processed the inclemency of his words. They had spent so much time searching for her and she decided to appear from the shadows?

      "Isobel's here in town?" Alaric wordlessly nodded and Damon immediately glanced down where Elena was. He was concerned for his friend, who didn't seem to be anywhere close to remaining calm. "Did you ask her about Uncle John? Are they working together?"

      Alaric's eyes were glossy, haunted. "No."

      "No, they're not?"

      "No, I didn't ask."

      Damon inched forward and Gwyn could see the tension rolling off of him in maroon waves. "What about the invention?" Alaric shook his head. "Does she know about the tomb vampires?" And when Alaric shook his head once again, Damon was across from him with an angered look. "Did words completely escape you?"

       Alaric threateningly brought himself closer. "I was a little too distracted by my dead vampire wife to ask any questions."

      Although disappointed, Damon understood. "What did she want?" He asked with a sigh.

      Elena shifted uncomfortably. "She wants to see me, Damon." He wasn't expecting that answer and he couldn't rack his thoughts on any possibility on why she decided now was the time to properly meet her daughter. There had to be an ulterior motive.

      Gwyn's attention remained focused on the chirping of a bird outside the classroom. "Van Helsing here is supposed to arrange a meeting," She spoke, her voice filling the room like a wind chime. "We don't know why or what she wants." Damon could hear the frustration clear in her voice.

      "You don't have to see her if you don't want to," Damon said caringly to Elena and this made Stefan uneased. He knew they had become friends despite all he had done to her, and what she had done to him, but he wasn't sure if he trusted Damon enough to believe he could actually care about Elena.

      Elena resembled shattered glass. "I don't really have a choice."

      "She's threatening to go on a killing spree." Alaric clarified. Gwyn recoiled at the words. She wasn't familiar with this feeling of helplessness. She had always been the one to remain headstrong and powerful, but here she was, relying on angsty teenagers to save her father's life.

      Damon clicked his tongue. "Oh, I take it that's not okay with you guys."

      "Not when it involves my dad," Gwyn finally linked their gaze and her eyes were glossy with an unfamiliar detachedness he wasn't acquainted with witnessing in her. "She threatened my dad. I'm not supposed to interfere and if I do, someone's waiting at his house for the go-ahead to kill him." Her voice wavered and everyone avoided a visible reaction to seeing such a vulnerable side of her. They weren't used to seeing this side of her either. "My dad doesn't have any magic anymore. He can't protect himself. So I need Elena to go." The desperation was evident and Gwyn despised it.

      Elena inhaled deeply. "I want to do it," She interrupted, "I want to meet her. If I don't, I know I'll regret it."

<<>>

      Damon often wondered about how he managed to set himself in these kinds of situations. Here he was inside Isobel's house patiently waiting for the woman to return. Her temporary residence was lavish, ornate with authentic gold and crystals. When the door clicked open, Isobel strutted through the doorway with an unsurprised and flashy smile. "How'd you find me?" She asked. She was across the room, appearing slightly peeved with the unwelcomed company.

      Within a second, Damon appeared inches across from her face but she didn't flinch or cower away. Isobel was beautiful, in the way you see the ocean's darkness; terrifying but mesmerizing in every fearful way. "I searched all the neighborhood bank-owned foreclosures and found the most expensive one."

      She blinked, "Oh, I should've known. You were the one who taught me that." She said and he simply hummed in agreement. "What are you really doing here?"

      His arm was pressed against the wall and she didn't mind the warmth coming from his chest. "Well, you caused quite a stir when you blew into town," His thumb caressed her chin. "So, everyone except for me would have you hurt."

      She pouted, wrapping her arms around him. "I'm so sorry," Her nimble hands clutched a chunk of his hair, painfully tugging his head down to a lower level. "Did you bring the device?" After a moment, she released him and sped further away, chuckling at the obvious discomfort she caused him.

      He soothingly rubbed his scalp. "What are you doing with John Gilbert?"

      She pushed a strand of hair away from her face. "We dated a few times when we were young. He was a little bit in love with me."

      Damon stepped forward. "I'm sure one of many," He said, disregarding her playful look. "You know, this little invention, what do you want with it?"

       "Oh, me personally?" She poured a drink and gave him the glass. "I don't want anything with it. I'm just doing what I'm told. You know, Damon, we're on the same side."

      Damon lifted her chin high as he scoffed. "Oh, yeah? Which side is that?"

      Isobel smirked cunningly. "Katherine's," And this caught him off guard and his arm fell to his sides. She grabbed his face. "She wants John Gilbert to have the device and I think that you know that she's not happy when she doesn't get what she wants."

      He pushed her arms away. "Why are you doing her dirty work?"

      "Don't kill the messenger. We both know that you can't control Katherine. She does what she wants." He knew that and that was definitely a terrifying thought.

      "So do I."

      She raised her eyebrows in disbelief. "Oh, really, Damon? Is that before or after you get Gwyn's permission?" His heart fluttered at the mention of her name and he knew she noticed. In a futile attempt, she almost collided her balled fist to his face, but he quickly intercepted. She gasped lowly, glossed lips closing in on him. "What should we do now?" They were breathing heavily, before chuckling. Damon teasingly licked her lower lip and she moaned as she wrapped her arms around him, deepening the kiss. She pushed them onto the couch, placing her legs on both sides of his body, her lacy underwear rubbing against his jeans from beneath her skirt. Her hands were tangled in his hair and Damon took this moment of weakness and flipped her onto the floor, her head brutally smashed against the carpeted floor.

      She winced as the pain blossomed and hopelessly clawed at his hand that was firmly wrapped around her throat. "Now that I have your attention, listen up," His eyes were cold yet burning with a fiery hatred. "You do not come into my town, threaten people I care about. Going after Gwyn—bad move. You leave her and her father alone, or I will rip you to bits because I do believe in killing the messenger. You know why? Because it sends a message." He lifted her head by the neck and slammed it back down, smirking as the faint crack echoed. "Katherine wants something from me, you tell that little bitch to come get it herself."

      He released his grasp on her and she gasped, coughing as she clutched her head. He gave her one final glare before leaving.

<<>>

       Gwyn disregarded the lingering stares as she strolled through the corridors of Mystic Falls high school. Everyone was contributing to the construction of the floats and design of the parade, but she was here for one particular reason; Bonnie. She opened the door and was welcomed with a gloomy teenager. Bonnie smiled as she stepped inside the empty classroom. "Thanks for meeting me," Bonnie stood from her chair and Gwyn immediately recognized the tattered book on the desk as Emily's grimoire. Gwyn had given it to Bonnie after they closed the tomb. She didn't feel right keeping the book to herself. "I wanted you to see this."

      Gwyn's fingertips stroke the pages. "Emily's spellbook." She mused, and she could smell the earth from the paper.

      Bonnie nodded somewhat bashfully. "I've been going through it since Grams died," Gwyn didn't respond, she only provided a sympathetic glance, which Bonnie appreciated. She wasn't ready to have that conversation yet. "Check this out."

      She obliged and examined the open book, recognizing the passages and intricate drawings. "It's the vampire compass. Jonathan Gilbert didn't actually invent anything, I know. She charmed the compass and daylight rings."

      Bonnie flipped to a different page. "And the mystery device Elena told me about." Gwyn's eyes sharpened as she scrutinized the illustration of the device she and Damon have been attempting to figure out for days.

       But, upon further inspection, she noticed there was another piece of the device. Gwyn leaned closer. "Damon only has this one piece," Her eyes scanned the passage before they narrowed with confusion. "Why would Isobel want this?" She mumbled to herself. She met eyes with Bonnie. "This is a weapon against vampires. Call Elena and Stefan, I'll try and call Damon."

     Some time had passed before they met with Stefan and Elena. He was consoling her, quickly explaining Isobel had taken Jeremy and they were running out of time. This worried Gwyn. If Isobel was growing impatient, there wasn't anything preventing her from doing any harm to her father. It was a bold move to take Jeremy in broad daylight, which displayed just how much Isobel didn't care about consequences. Bonnie contemplated with furrowed brows. "Where is the device?"

      Gwyn glanced at her phone, wondering why Damon wasn't answering his phone. "Damon has it, and considering how much he hates John and Isobel, he's going to be difficult to reason with."

      Elena turned on her heel, eyes watery and desperate. "Gwyn, you have to talk with him."

      "I will, but he's not just gonna hand it over especially when he learns it's harmful to vampires."

      Elena paused, stopping in place, her expression suddenly bright. "What if it's not?" And Bonnie and Gwyn glimpsed at each other, understanding what they would have to do.

<<>>

      "Absolutely not," Gwyn rolled her eyes at Damon's theatrics. "I'm not gonna give the device to Isobel so she can give it to John who's gonna turn around and kill me. I like being a living dead person."

      Elena stepped forward from Stefan's comforting grasp. "But it'll be useless," She attempted to explain, "Bonnie can take its power away."

      "I don't trust her," Damon spat, "Why can't Gwyn remove the spell?"

      Bonnie interrupted, "Emily's my ancestor, it'll be easier to remove the spell with my connection with her and I've studied the spell longer than Gwyn has," Bonnie was nervous, she wondered if Gwyn had noticed she was lying straight through her teeth. "After Grams died and we failed the spell, I just need to do something right. Gwyn's respecting that."

      Gwyn avoided the heavy gazes who seemed surprised Gwyn was capable of expressing kindness. "Those bitches won't even know." She said with a nonchalant shrug.

      Damon shook his head. "No," He said simply. "I'll get Jeremy my own way."

      Gwyn quirked a brow as she pushed herself off the armrest of the chair. "Is that so," She rhetorically asked, looming closer to where he stood. "Because Isobel's a vampire and she'll hear your stupid ass miles away and that poor, pathetic teenage boy will be dead before you even step foot inside." Damon watched Gwyn's ruby-red lips move with an allure.

      Damon tore his gaze away from her, peering over at where Bonnie was. "Are you even up for this? You're no Emily Bennett and you're definitely nowhere near Gwyn. Emily knew what she was doing."

      "I've been practicing."

       "It's not piano lessons, honey."

      "Fucking hell, Damon. We're doing this. We're wasting time," Gwyn was in front of him, much shorter but as she peered upward at him through the thick brim of her lashes with a sweetness coated in poison, he couldn't deny her. "You may not trust her, but you can trust me." He contemplated, wordless, but her delicate face never wavered. After a moment, he sighed inwardly and reluctantly fished inside his pocket, placing the device on her open palm, leaving his hand on hers for a second too long.

      She smiled gratefully. "Thank you." Stefan watched the encounter with careful eyes. For decades, he hoped for a sign that Damon was getting better and slowly becoming a different person, but at that moment, the tenderness that was in Damon's eyes proved Gwyn was the reason Stefan was regaining hope in him. Gwyn proceeded to hand Bonnie the device.

      Bonnie placed the item on a wooden desk, igniting the candles and placed her open hands above the device, inhaling deeply. There was a surge of energy as Bonnie closed her eyes and levitated the device, the lights flickering erratically. The fireplace glowed as the flames became enlarged, nearly spilling onto the carpet. Then, the spiral device dropped onto Bonnie's hands and her eyes simply opened, everything returning to normal. "Done."

      Gwyn narrowed her eyes, brows furrowing as she watched Elena pluck the piece from her palm. Something was off, but she couldn't quite pinpoint what. It was an odd feeling. "Great," Damon mused sarcastically. "Now what?"

       Elena stared at the piece like it was going to explode right in her hand. "Now we give it to Isobel."

<<>>

       Although she was given specific instructions not to intervene, Gwyn wasn't going to allow Isobel to have the upper hand, so she was there spiritually. Quite literally. If she couldn't be there physically, Astral Projection would suffice. As she walked beside Damon, she could see Elena in the distance speaking with the woman Gwyn guessed was her mother. As Isobel demanded Elena call home to prove her brother was safe, Elena hurried as she dialed the number on her keypad. It hadn't been a minute before she ended the call and turned to Isobel with a relieved expression. "You were never gonna hurt him."

      Isobel shifted on her feet, craning her head. "No, I was going to kill him," Elena's expression converted into obvious horror. "Don't look for any redeeming qualities in me. I don't have any." Isobel's voice was cold and impassive, it was enough to have Elena's hands tremble with a mixture of wrath and disgust.

       "But you took a risk with Damon," Elena said, "How did you know he was going to give it to me?"

       Isobel appeared bored. "Because of Gwyn." At the mention of her name, Gwyn's attention was perked. She wasn't sure if she had heard correctly, but as Damon stiffened beside her, she knew she had. Elena didn't seem confused, it was as if she understood. "He's in love with her, Elena. All it took was to threaten her dad and he was set on doing anything to make her happy." Isobel pulled her hand from her jacket's pocket and opened her palm.

       Elena hesitated, but reluctantly retrieved the device from her pocket and slammed the item onto her palm. "Thank you," Elena was shattered, but remained fortified as the tears brimmed in her eyes. "For being such a monumental disappointment. It keeps the memory of my real mother perfectly intact."

      Isobel remained stoic and unmoved by the candor. "Goodbye, Elena," She said, "As long as you have a Salvatore on each arm, you're doomed. Katherine was smart. She got out. But we all know that you're not Katherine." There was a hint of disgust, then she finally walked away. Stefan waited until she disappeared from sight and then quickly enwrapped her inside his arms, soothing the crying teenager.

       Gwyn didn't speak as she watched the spectacle of two people in love embrace each other, both completely enamored and lovestruck. The scene was heart wrenching but tender. She could see Damon contemplating if he should speak but she disappeared in swirling smoke. Damon didn't know what he was going to do now. Had he loved her?

      Maybe he did.

<<>>

      Founder's Day had arrived, completely forgotten and unwanted by Gwyn. The events that had taken place the night before had overrun her thoughts and as result, she had neglected to remember the yearly celebration. She had missed the marching band and the decorative floats of the recreation of the Battle of Willow Creek and Miss Mystic Falls. The afternoon sunlight dissipated as Gwyn finally united with the town's activities. Town Square was brimming with glowing lights, dozens of booths where the townspeople played unwinnable games and consumed pounds of disgustingly flavorful food.

      She walked through the bustling crowds with an attentive expression. She didn't want to accidentally strike an encounter with Damon. She didn't know what to say to him. Sure, she could remain impassive and stoic, even pretend she didn't hear those words from Isobel, but what would happen then? The tension would always be there and she would always be left wondering what could have been—

       "Gwyn," A feminine voice called. As she halted, Anna appeared with a troubling look. With a cautious glance around, Anna pulled her away by the hand to a secluded area that wasn't crowded with bystanders. "There's something you need to know. The vampires from the tomb are planning an attack tonight." Her voice was hurried and hushed as she spoke.

      Gwyn stiffened as her focus sharpened. "Can't these fuckers just stay dead," She muttered to herself as she raked her fingers through her hair. "How do you know this?"

       Anna's eyes scanned the herds of people. "I went to them," She explained, "They think I'm with them, but I'm not. They want the founding families dead."

       Unsurprised, but still inevitably disappointed she was. "Fucking hell, and when is this supposed to happen?" She glanced around at the dozens of children giggling and families surrounding the area with dread.

      Anna blinked, shifting on her feet. "When the fireworks start."

       Appreciating the candor, Gwyn hesitated but ultimately decided to reveal the device's existence to her. "John Gilbert wants to use the invention on them," Noticing the panic in her eyes, she reassured her. "It doesn't work. Bonnie deactivated it."

      "Well, then a lot of people are going to die."

      Gwyn rolled her eyes. "I know that, Anna," She sighed, "Where are they right now?"

      Anna glimpsed to the side, her expression falling. "They're already here." She stepped away, undoubtedly going to search for Jeremy, and Gwyn was overwhelmed with the realization that all these people were going to die within the hour if she didn't move.

      It didn't take much time to discover Damon and Alaric's location. They were both conversing near the alcoholic beverages being served. As Gwyn loomed closer to the both of them, Damon choked on his drink as he noticed she was walking towards him. Alaric gave him an odd look. "Boys," She declared, "Looks like our day off is over. The town square is filled with bloodthirsty tomb vampires. Get your shit, Ric." She continued walking with Damon beside her, following her wordlessly. Upon noticing Stefan and Elena appearing from the crowd hand-in-hand, she rushed ahead. "We don't have much time and I'm not gonna repeat myself, so tomb vampires are here and founding families are gonna die. Elena needs to go." Stefan opened his mouth to question her but she raised a finger and stopped him. "Go."

      The mayor had already begun his speech and the crowds encircled the stage as his words echoed throughout the square. "We need to find John," Damon said as they observed the crowd. Damon hurriedly looked around, searching for anything that could provide them a clue as to where he could be. The building where Elena's father used to work had three deputies discreetly leave the building, stakes in hand. "My bet is he's in there. Come on." He grabbed her hand and they rushed across the street and inside the building.

      John was inside, the device with both parts was neatly laid out on the receptionist counter. "Do you have any idea what you've done?" Damon asked.

       John turned to face them, unsurprised of their unwanted presence. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I do." Damon lurched forward and John clicked the device on. Within seconds, Damon collapsed onto the marble floor with a pained scream. Gwyn followed after him, kneeling beside him as she attempted to ease whatever it was happening to him. She looked up at the device that she now realized hadn't ever been deactivated. John pulled a syringe with vervain, quickly injecting Damon. His movements and voice slowly stopped.

      She stood on her feet, eyes narrowed with a burning hatred. "If anything happens to him, John, I will make sure I kill everything you care about and I'll save you for last." Her voice was low, thick with pure ire. "Don't underestimate me."

      John cocked his head, then smirked. In a flash, he smashed a blunt object against her temple and she was consumed by the darkness.

<<>>

      As Gwyn opened her eyes, she could feel the overwhelming heat surrounding her. Then the unbearable pounding in her head thumped like a low drum. Her eyes fluttered open and Damon's blue eyes were the first thing she witnessed. He sighed in relief as she inhaled deeply, coughing from the black smoke that was slowly filling the room. Her head was laid on his lap and he brought her closer to him, pressing a quick kiss on her forehead. "I thought you weren't going to wake up," He admitted and she could only smile. She didn't recognize her surroundings as she tried to see through the flames.

      But the wood from the ceiling collapsed onto the floor a couple of feet away and she realized what was happening. The council had placed them in a basement and engulfed the building in flames. She couldn't move, but she could see the entire staircase was barely standing and the remainder of the ceiling was slowly crumbling into ash. The flames were closing in on them, the heat was becoming intense and she could barely breathe from the smoke filling the room. As she moved her head to face him again, he knew. They both knew. They weren't going to survive.

      A tear cascaded down her flushed cheeks. "I don't want to die," She mumbled, her voice wavering. "We didn't get this far just to die." She thought of everything she had done for him—with him and it ached. It all had led to this—their downfall.

      He looked devastated at her words. His hand caressed her hair softly. "Could be worse," He said, "Dying will suck a lot less with you here." The fear in her eyes was enough to have him regret every decision he had ever made that brought her here. She was only here because of him and now, she was going to die because of him. There wasn't anything he could do besides make their last moments as painless as possible.

       She chuckled despite the circumstances. "I guess it would." She grabbed his hand. "Just hold me." As she closed her eyes, barely having enough energy to concentrate on his voice, she felt it—the magic in the atmosphere. Her eyes opened again. "Something's happening." It wasn't her magic she was feeling, it was Bonnie's. And unexpectedly, the fire on the staircase diminished and lowered, Stefan speedily descending down it as his eyes scanned the room. Damon called out to him and he sped over. Damon carefully raised Gwyn's limp body up for Stefan to carry.

      As they struggled to climb the staircase, she squeezed Stefan's hand. "Thank you." Was all she mumbled before falling unconscious again.

<<>>

      Gwyn stared at the moonlight from the porch of the Salvatore House, clutching the thin blanket over her shoulders tightly. The coolness of the night was a contrast from the experience an hour prior and it brought her comfort as the chilly wind made her shiver. The stillness was like static, white noise as she recalled the fear that coursed through her as she accepted death as a warm blanket.

      Damon appearing from the driveway captured her attention and she smiled wistfully. He had disappeared for some time after Stefan had saved them, claiming he had to make something right, but he didn't divulge any further. He replicated her smile, but the tenderness was there in his eyes. "You know, I came into this town wanting to destroy it. Tonight, I found myself wanting to protect it. How does that happen?" He fumbled and nervously twisted his ring. "I'm not a hero, Gwyn. I don't do good. It's not in me."

       He brought himself beside her, sitting inches away but he could still feel her sweet warmth. "It is, Damon. I've seen it." She had witnessed it firsthand when he saved her that night she crashed and especially when she thought she was going to die.

      "It's reserved for my brother and you." His voice became quiet and he resembled a nervous and lovestruck teenager. "Bonnie decided to save you. She said I needed you and you needed me. Which means somewhere along the way you decided I was worth saving. I need to tell you thank you." He leaned closer, pressing his lips against her cheek and she couldn't refrain from smiling softly.

      But as he pulled away, his face was still dangerously close. "Thank you for saving me, too." She whispered, then pressed her lips with his. The kiss was slow, unsure, and sweet. It made her heart pound furiously as the warmth from his bright pink aura merged with hers. And as she released him from her touch, her eyes remained closed as she cherished the softness of his lips.

      They were a pair of star-crossed lovers that never stood a chance and that night was going to be their downfall.