Key
Advanced Hearing
Flashback
Narration/Journal Entry
Time Skip **~~**

I woke up in Caroline's bed next to Damon. His arms were wrapped around me, holding me close, and my head was rested on his bare chest. Caroline was slowly making her way towards the door, attempting to escape from us. I silently shook Damon awake, and he awoke with a start. He sat up, and together we approached her in silence.

Damon greeted her with, "Good morning."

She turned to face us and gasped in fear. "Please," she begged, backing away from us. "Don't." She bumped into her beside lamp, and quickly picked it up, ready to use it as a weapon.

"Don't do that," I warned her.

With a grunt, she smacked Damon straight across the face with the lamp. Hard. When he didn't even flinch, she threw it onto the floor, causing the lightbulb inside of it to shatter. She crawled backwards onto her bed, trying to get as far away from us as she could.

"Ah, ah, ah, ah!" Damon waggled his finger at her and she chucked her alarm clock straight at his head.

"No!" She ran towards us, hoping to push past us and escape out the bedroom door, but Damon shoved her onto her bed. "No! Get away from me!" She tossed a pillow at his face, and I chuckled at the fact that she'd thrown nothing at me. "No!"

"This could have gone a completely different way," Damon told her. He held her pillow to his face, breathing in the scent of her blood. His veins darkened, and he handed me the pillow so I could also inhale her scent.

**~~**

"Roe versus Wade," spoke Mr. Tanner as I leaned on the doorframe. Nobody had noticed me yet, but I had quickly realized he was quizzing Stefan on dates.

"1973." Everyone stared at me. "Our dad was a history professor before his passing. It was the only thing we ever bonded over. Although, we couldn't bond of any political history without fights. A strong Roe supporter versus her Wade supporter father doesn't exactly turn out well. He was a fucking piss bitch."

Mr. Tanner pretended as though I hadn't said anything after the year. "Brown versus Board."

Stefan opened his mouth to speak but then closed it, allowing me to answer instead. "1954."

"The Battle of Gettysburg."

"1863. Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Bloodiest battle in all the Civil War."

"Korean War."

"1950 to 1953."

"Ha! It ended in '52." He chuckled.

"Actually, I'm right. You're wrong. It ended in '53. Do you need directions to find and remove the stick inside of you? I've got 'em. Up your ass and around the corner, bitchface."

"Uh, actually, sir, it was '53," Stefan defended me, shooting me a smile.

Mr. Tanner did not look amused. "Look it up, somebody. Quickly. It was 19..."

"53," a kid told him.

Everyone started laughing. They hooted and hollered, and Stefan shot me a wink. I grinned at him, forgetting about his previous outburst.

The bell rang, and we piled out of the classroom. Elena asked, "How did you know all of that?"

"Years and years of crossword puzzles, on top of the fact that our father was a history professor, like Rome previously mentioned. The puzzles are a loner thing."

She gave him a look and he chuckled. I rolled my eyes at their flirting, and attempted to ignore them.

**~~**

I pulled my helmet off, and flipped my hair dramatically for extra effect. The entire football team stared at me. I looked at Mr. Tanner - or more like Coach Tanner - who appeared pissed, and shrugged. "What? I played lacrosse at my old school."

"You didn't ask permission to play."

"It's just practice," I reminded him. "Besides, the best way to get something you want is to take it. If you ask, you won't get it."

"Yeah, well, Stefan asked, and he's on."

"Mhm, and Stefan is a white male living in the early twenty-first century. He belongs to the most privileged group, as do you. No hate and disrespect towards you, but you are obviously not someone I like as a person, and would most definitely not let me on the team if I asked. You know, on second thought, I mean total hate and disrespect. Right now and always."

"I don't like you," Coach Tanner told me.

"I know. However, I also know that you are going to let me on the team, because I'm truthfully so good at football that you will forever blame yourself for not letting me on."

He glared at me, seemingly deciding on something. Reluctantly, he opened his mouth and spoke, "Be ready for our first game. If you do bad, you're getting kicked off."

I nodded in agreement. "Yes Coach. I'll be ready."

**~~**

Stefan and I walked into his bedroom to find Damon reading his diary.

"How were tryouts?" Damon asked us. "Did you make the team?" He lifted the book for us to see. "Very Emerson, the way you reveal your soul with so many..." Stefan snatched the book from Damon's hands. "Adjectives." He looked at me. "Doll, do you have a diary?"

I scoffed. "Memories, Damon. Thanks to Stefan, I have some good ones. It's not a diary, anyways. I prefer the term "autobiography," you know?"

"What are you doing here?" Stefan asked him.

"I've come to apologize. I've been doing some thinking, some soul searching, and... I want us to start over. We need to put the past behind us." He stood up. "You're my little brother, Stefan, and if you want to live a normal, happy, human life, then I want that for you. Maybe I can do if, too. I can learn to be a non-living, living person. Maybe there's hope for all of us. Rome and I can finally get married, and you can graduate high school and marry Elena and we'll all live happily ever after, together forever and ever and ever, amen. Hallelujah!" The two stared at each other and Damon began to laugh.

"You know, it doesn't have to be this way, Damon," Stefan told him.

"Of course it doesn't. However, unlike you pretend, I actually like it this way, and I'm quite sure that Rome does too." They both looked at me, waiting for an answer.

"Sorry, Stef, but I have to admit that this is a hell of a lot more fun then our not-so-life usually is."

"I saw Elena today, B.T.W. That means "by the way." She was at cheerleading practice," Damon told Stefan. "She looked so perky in her little short shorts. Just..." he noticed the look of anger on Stefan's face. "Simmer down, I didn't even go near her. I've got my own cheerleader now. Well, I think I'll have to share with Rome..." he shot me a wink, and I rolled my eyes. "Oh, that reminds me - I gotta run. I have a date. Sweaty palms." He rubbed his hands together and blew on them. "Wish me luck. Rome, you coming?"

"I wasn't last night, and I doubt I will be tonight. Do me a favor, though, and save some blood for me. Cheerleader isn't usually my type, but it'll do." Damon nodded and left the room.

Stefan looked pissed. "You fed on Caroline?"

I laughed at his expression. "Of course I did, Stefan! Remember, that downward spiral?" He stared at me, a stony expression upon his face. "Come on, Mr. Buzzkill, we've got a double date to attend."

"You do realize that Caroline is technically related to you?"

"And you do realize that she's 17 and I'm 171, right? Besides, I didn't even undress. Damon did the sexual things, and I just fed on her blood. Feeding can't be considered incest."

"Whatever. I hope you realize that if you go, you have to behave yourself."

I smirked at him. "No promises."

**~~**

We sat in silence at Elena's dinner table. Stefan, Bonnie, and Elena ate, while I downed glass upon glass of wine.

"Did Tanner give you a hard time today?" Elena asked Stefan.

"Well, he let me on the team, so I must have done something right."

Elena chuckled. "Bonnie, you should have seen Stefan today. Tyler threw a ball right at him, and - "

" - Yeah, I heard."

"I'm also on the team," I told them, attempting to bring the topic away from Stefan in the hopes of breaking the tension that surrounded us. "In my many years on this planet, I have learned that if you want something, you take it. If you ask, you won't get it."

"That's a good statement," Bonnie told me. "I like that."

I grinned at the girl. "Thank you, Bon Bon."

"Why don't you tell Stefan and Rome about your family?" Elena asked Bonnie.

"Um, divorced. No mom. Live with my dad."

"No, about the witches."

I smirked at Stefan from across the table, gauging his reaction. I discreetly mouthed to him, "Emily Bennett." He nodded in understanding.

Elena spoke, "Bonnie's family has a lineage of witches. It's really cool."

"Cool isn't the word I'd use," Bonnie cut in.

"Really?" I asked, and Stefan gave me a warning look. I ignored him. "So does mine. My mom used to tell me all about them before she passed away. I find it very interesting. I'm sure it's mostly a load of bullshit, but it's still cool nonetheless."

"I'm not too versed, but I do know that there's a history of Celtic druids that migrated here in the 1800s," Stefan told Bonnie.

"Come on, Stef, I was trying to avoid the history lesson for now."

"My family came by way of Salem," Bonnie told us.

"Really?" Stefan asked, and Bonnie nodded. "Salem witches?"

"Yeah."

"I would say that's pretty cool."

"Really? Why?" Bonnie asked him.

"Salem witches are heroic examples of individualism and non-conformity."

Bonnie smiled, and nodded in agreement. "Yeah, they are."

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. "I wonder who that could be?" Elena walked over and opened the door.

"Surprise!" Caroline and Damon stood outside the door. "Bonnie said you were doing dinner, so we brought dessert."

"Oh."

"Hope you don't mine," spoke Damon. Caroline walked into the house and Stefan and I stood, approaching Damon.

"What are you doing here?" Stefan asked him.

"Waiting for Elena to invite me in."

"Oh, yeah, you can just - "

" - No, no, no," Stefan interrupted. "He can't, uh... he can't stay. Can you, Damon?"

I leaned towards Stefan's ear and whispered, "Come on, Stef. It's not like she's safe, anyway. She's already let me in."

"Get in here," Caroline told Damon.

"We're just... finishing up."

"It's fine," Elena said, not caring about Stefan's obvious concern. "Just come on in." Damon smirked at Stefan and stepped over the threshold.

"You have a beautiful home, Elena."

She took in a deep breath. "Thank you."

**~~**

"I cannot believe that Mr. Tanner let you on the team. Oh, Tyler must be seething. But good for you. Go for it."

"That's what I always tell him," Damon spoke. "You have to engage. You can't just sit there and wait for life to come to you. You have to go get it."

"Oh, it's funny," Bonnie stated. "Rome was actually just telling us something very similar to that earlier. Did she learn that from you?"

"Well, I don't mean to brag, but Rome is mostly who she is because of me."

"Especially my love of bourbon. Say, Elena, do you have any?"

"There might be some in the kitchen somewhere," she suggested.

"Oh, thank you. Would anyone like some?"

"I'll take a glass," Damon told me.

"Alright, anyone else?" Everyone was silent. "Great, two glasses of bourbon, coming right up."

I walked into the kitchen, and started searching everywhere for a bottle of bourbon.

"Yeah, Elena wasn't so lucky today," Caroline pointed out. "It's only because you missed summer camp. God, I don't know how you're ver going to learn the routines."

Finally, I found a bottle of bourbon. "Bullseye," I muttered.

"I'll work with her," defended Bonnie. "She'll get it."

I grabbed two glasses from a cabinet, and sat them on the counter.

"I guess we can put her in the back," Caroline thought out loud.

I popped the top off of the bourbon bottle, and poured bourbon into each of the two glasses.

"You don't seem like the cheerleader type, Elena," Damon told her.

I removed two small purple flowers from my pocket and smirked at my own cleverness. I placed the flowers into my mouth and began to chew them up.

"Oh," spoke Caroline, "it's just 'cause her parents died. Yeah, I mean, she's just totally going through a blah phase. She used to be way more fun." I giggled at Caroline's insensitivity. "And I say that with complete sensitivity."

I spit into the glasses of bourbon, making sure I got a majority of my flower-filled saliva out of my mouth. I then spit on my finger, and rubbed the saliva on the inside of the sink faucet. I rubbed the extra saliva on my pants, took a deep breath and walked back to the living room. Damon took a glass from my hand, and I sat on the floor with the other one.

"I know what it's like to lose both your parents," Damon told Elena. "In fact, Rome, Stefan, and I have watched almost every single person we've ever cared about die."

"We don't need to get into that right now, Damon," Stefan warned him.

"Ah, you know what, you're right, Stef. I'm sorry. The last thing I wanted to do was bring her up." Damon faked an apologetic smile. "You know what?" Damon spoke, changing the subject. "I'd like to give a toast. To family, to friends, and to the future." He held his glass out to me, and shot me a wink. I connected out glasses. "Cheers."

I grinned at him. "Cheers."

Together, Damon and I each took a swig of our bourbon, while everyone else took a sip of their own drink. Damon swallowed his bourbon. Immediately, his face twisted, and he began to choke and splutter. Caroline stood up, allowing him some room.

"Been a while since you've drank?" I taunted him, a smirk upon my face. Stefan shot me a look, realizing what was happening, and I showed him my most innocent face. "Maybe you should take another sip," I suggested. "It might help it go down better."

"Water," Damon managed. He stood and made his way to the kitchen.

"I'll go with, y'all stay here." I ate my bourbon glass down and followed him to the kitchen.

Damon grabbed a glass from the cabinet and filled it with tap water. He began to quickly chug the water, eventually spitting the last bit onto the floor when he realized it wasn't safe for him to drink. He dramatically fell to his knees on the floor, his face turning red. I grabbed yet another glass from the cabinet, and this time filled it with milk from the fridge. I handed him the glass, and he gulped it down. Eventually, he looked up at me from his spot on the floor, his eyebrows furrowed in anger.

I chuckled at the sight. "Well, you're already down on your knees. You might as well worship me."

He rolled his eyes at me. "You tried to poison me," he spit.

"Oh, you Salvatore brothers are so dramatic," I drawled. "It was just a bit of vervain. I drank it too, you know? I only chewed two flowers." I reached down, grabbing his hand and helping him to his feet. "I owed it to Stefan. After all, I'm spiraling downwards back into my true self, once again."

Just then, Elena walked in. "Hey... you guys alright in here?"

Damon smirked at her, and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "Better than ever, Elena. Better than ever."

"Great," she answered, and we all walked back into the living room.

**~~**

I watched as Damon walked into Elena's kitchen, an empty glass in his hand. "One more."

"Oh, thank you." The glass fell, and Elena gasped, but Damon caught it. Elena laughed. "Nice save."

"I like you," Damon told her. "You know how to laugh. And you make Stefan smile, which is something I haven't seen in a very long time."

"Earlier, did you mean... Katherine?"

"Mhm." He took a plate from her and placed it into the dishwasher.

"How did she die?"

"In a fire. Tragic fire."

"Recently?"

"Well, it seems like it was yesterday."

"What was she like?"

I stood up, and made my way towards the kitchen, leaning on the doorframe.

"She was beautiful. A lot like you in that department. She was just very complicated and selfish, and at times not very kind. But very sexy and seductive."

"So which one of you dated her first?" She handed him a plate.

"Nicely deduced."

"I did," I cut in, and they both looked at me. "Where I go, Stefan and Damon follow. Although, they'll both say otherwise." Damon closed the dishwasher.

"Is that why there's so much tension between all of you?"

Damon chuckled. "Well, that, and more. Before we were step-siblings, Rome and I had a bit of a thing."

"It was mainly sexual," I told Elena. "Damon is... a bit hung up on me still. Also... I'm the only one not still hung up on Kitty."

She nodded slowly, and Damon shot me a wink. Elena turned around and began folding placemats.

"I'd quit cheerleading if I were you," Damon told her.

"Why do you say that?"

"Oh, I saw you at practice. You looked miserable. Isn't that right, Rome?"

"I was too busy playing football to pay any attention to cheerleaders."

"You saw that?"

"Am I wrong?" Damon asked her.

She sighed. "I used to love it. It was fun. Things are different this year. Everything that used to matter doesn't anymore."

"So don't let it," Damon told her. "Quit, move on. Problem solved. Ta-da!"

She laughed. "Some things could matter again."

"Maybe," I agreed. "But... seems a little unrealistic, don't you think?" She nodded, and we fell silent.

"I'm sorry," she finally spoke. "About Katherine. You guys lost her, too." I felt a hand on mine, and glanced down to see Damon's hand on top of my own.

"Hey," spoke Bonnie, appearing in the doorway. "Need some help?"

Damon answered, "Sure, why not?"

"Yeah, I don't do dishes, so you guys have fun." I picked up a magazine and sat down on top of the kitchen island. I pretended to read it, but instead I listened to Stefan and Caroline's conversation.

"Matt tries, but he's just having a really hard time," Caroline told Stefan. "And you have to understand that they were each other's first. You know, like, from the sandbox."

"Hm." Stefan changed the subject. "That's a really nice scarf."

I perked my ears up, listening closely.

"Thank you, it's new."

I shot Damon a look, signaling that we needed to take action.

"Can I see it? I mean, would you mind taking it off?"

I mouthed to Damon, "Scarf."

"Oh, I can't."

Damon nodded and we both stood up.

"Why not? You okay?"

We walked towards the living room.

"Um... all I know is that I can't take it off."

We walked into the living room.

"What are you two kids talking about?" Damon asked them.

"I was just commenting on her scarf."

"Mm. Hey, you know, um, Elena and Bonnie are finishing up the dishes," Damon told Caroline.

"Damon," I warned.

"Why don't you go see if you can help?" He continued, ignoring me.

"Does it look like I do dishes?"

"For me?"

Caroline shot the suggestion down. "Hm. I don't think so."

Damon looked into her eyes, compelling her. "Go see if Elena needs help in the kitchen."

"You know what?" Caroline spoke. "I'm gonna go see if Elena needs some help in the kitchen."

"Great," spoke Damon. Caroline walked to the kitchen and I rolled my eyes in disgust.

"Really, Damon? The kitchen?"

"Doll, it has nothing to do with the kitchen. It's about living versus not-so-living."

"Yeah, and that's the only reason you're not completely dead... yet."

"They are people, Damon," Stefan spoke, beginning his humanity lecture. "She's not a puppet. She doesn't exist for your amusement; for you to feed on whenever you want to."

"Sure she does. They all do. They're whatever I want them to be. They're mine for the taking. Aren't they, Rome?"

Reluctantly, I nodded in agreement. "Humans are easy to use for our own personal advantage. Besides, they're easily disposable as well."

"Alright, you've had your fun, Damon. You used Caroline, you got to me and Elena, you fucked with Rome's head, good for you. Now it's time for you to go."

"And you're back at it again, Stefan!" I told him. "I make these choices for myself. I have fun when I'm with Damon. I feel alive."

Damon spoke, "That's not a problem. Because... I've been invited in, and I'll come back tomorrow night and the following night and I'll do, with your little cheerleader, whatever I want to do. Because that is what is normal to me." He glanced at me. "And Rome will be with me if she so pleases, because you don't control her."

Damon and I sat in the window of Elena's bedroom in our crow forms. Damon forced his way into Elena's mind while she slept, giving her dreams that she would likely consider nightmares. After a few minutes, she awoke with a start. She rubbed her eyes and climbed out of bed, grabbing a glass and walking out of the room.

Damon flew off, and I followed after him. We went back to the Salvatore house, and shifted back into our usual forms. We walked into his bedroom, and closed the door quietly, hoping to not wake Stefan.

"So... what'd you put into her head?" I asked him, throwing myself down onto his bed and leaning against the headboard.

He sat down on the edge of his bed and looked at me. "She was in her bedroom, talking to Stefan. They kissed, it escalated. She climbed on top of him and removed her shirt. Stefan went to remove his own, and while he pulled it over his head, he suddenly turned into me. She looked shocked."

"Yeah, well, Elena is definitely not Katherine," I stated. "She's a complete and total bottom. She's the kind to fall apart in your hands with nothing more than a peck on the cheek, and she obviously loud and proud about it."

"And what are you?" Damon asked me, raising an eyebrow.

"I don't know..." I smirked at him. "It's been awhile since somebody has focused on me. I haven't even had romantic feelings for well over a decade... every time that I come even close to having sex it's only to feed. Why don't we test it... see if I've changed."

"Oh, god, Romania," he groaned. "You definitely haven't changed your seduction ways. You've always been so nasty and naughty. Let's see if you still act as big as you talk."

**~~**

I often wonder if there is even the slightest shred of humanity left inside either myself or Damon. Anywhere. I keep hoping. But why do I even hope when it seems so unreal? And how do I assure that Stefan keeps his hope for me? It's no secret that he's the only one keeping me sane - the only reason I haven't completely lost all sense of human life and permanently spiraled into a creature that spends all of her life feeding. It scares me to wonder what would happen if Stefan spiraled. That's the thing with Damon, he has this insane ability to drive anybody over the edge and beyond repair.

**~~**

Stefan and I approached Elena in our football jerseys, completely prepared for the game. I gagged as she didn't even try to hide the fact that she was checking Stefan out.

"Oh. Look at you. You look hot in your jersey."

"What happened? No more cheerleader?"

"I quit," she stated. "I'm a quitter."

"No, hey, you're not a quitter. You suffered a great loss. You're not the same person. You should be looking ahead. You should be starting over. Okay?"

Elena nodded at Stefan, and I chuckled at his stupidity. "Stefan, she's a quitter. Dead parents or not."

Stefan shot me a look, but quickly changed the conversation. "I hope you don't think this is too soon or too weird, but... I, uh, I wanted you to have this." He pulled out a small wooden box, and opened it to reveal a necklace. A necklace laced with vervain.

Elena giggled, and grabbed the necklace out of the box. "Oh, my god, it's beautiful."

"It's something that I've had forever, and, uh, I've never wanted to give it to anyone until now. I'd very much like it if you'd wear it for me, for good luck," he told her.

"Ew, gag, don't forget about Kitty," I reminded Stefan, and he glared at me.

Elena lifted it to her nose and smelled it. "Is that rose that I smell?"

"No, it's, uh - it's an herb."

"And what a special herb it is," I muttered.

"It's nice, huh?" He asked her.

"I love it." She turned around, allowing him to clip it around her neck.

"And, uh, I wanted to thank you for pushing me to try out for the team," he told her. "It feels really good."

"We're a pair. I quit, you start."

"Actually," I cut in. "Stefan and I are a pair. Best friends since - " Stefan cut me off by placing a hand over my mouth so that I couldn't speak. "Yum, football jersey," I mumbled against his hand.

"Right," Stefan agreed with Elena, ignoring me. "We're a work on progress. We'll figure it out."

"Yeah, and I'll never figure it out, but I'm still perfect," I mumbled. "You know what, if you don't move your hand, I'm going to make out with it." Stefan didn't move his hand, so I began to place sloppy open-mouthed kisses upon his palm, making great use of my tongue. Elena stared at me in disgust, and I just held eye contact with her.

Finally, Stefan removed his hand, allowing me to speak. Wanting to piss Elena off even more, I quickly turned around, and placed a quick yet rough kiss on Stefan's lips. Before he could even react, I pulled away and turned around to face Elena, a grin upon my face.

Caroline approached us and asked Elena, "And you're not in uniform because?"

**~~**

"Hey, Jer," I greeted the boy. He was sat upon the bed of a truck, openly drinking from an alcohol bottle. "Can I have one?"

"Hi, Rome." He handed me a drink. I opened it up and took a big swig, watching what was happening in front of us. "Aren't you supposed to be playing soon? I mean, you're wearing a jersey."

"Ah, screw that. I don't feel like it tonight." I sipped from my bottle and watched as Tyler approached Vicki.

"Hey, you," Vicki greeted Tyler. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Just then, Tyler looked over and noticed us watching them. "Is that Jeremy?"

Vicki looked at us. "Wait, no! Ty! No. Leave him alone." She tried to stop him from getting to Jeremy, but he didn't care.

"Oh, what do you care?" Tyler asked her. "Don't look so down. You can have her when I'm done." Those few words were enough to send Jeremy off, and understandably so. Without hesitation, he punched Tyler directly in the face. Tyler became furious, and the two began to fight - throwing hard punches and attempting to wrestle each other to the ground.

"Tyler, stop it!" Vicki yelled. "Tyler!" I grinned as she continued to shout, her pleads for them to stop doing nothing. "Stop, you're hurting him! Tyler! Tyler, stop! Tyler! Stop it! Tyler, stop!"

Suddenly, being the hero he usually was, Stefan appeared from the crowd. "Hey, he's down! Enough!" He pulled Tyler off of Jeremy. Tyler threw a punch at Stefan, and Stefan didn't do so much as flinch.

"Jeremy, no!" Shouted Elena. Jeremy picked up a large piece of broken glass and swung it at Tyler, but Tyler dodged it, and Jeremy instead cut Stefan.

Matt appeared and tackled Tyler to the ground. "Tyler! Knock it off! Stop!"

"What the hell, Jeremy?" Elena screamed at her brother.

Stefan and I made eye contact. His hand was covered in blood, and his face held a look of panic. It was his blood. I chuckled at him, and took a swig of the cheap beer I was drinking. I mouthed to him, "I'm out." I turned into my crow form and took off back home.

When I got home, I transformed on the front porch and stepped inside. "Damon," I singsonged. "It's time!" In seemingly no time at all, Damon appeared beside me, a look of determination present on his face. "There was a fight. Stefan is bleeding. Stay away from Tyler Lockwood. Werewolf is in his genes, so if he's killed anyone, he's transformed, and he's a definitive threat to you."

**~~**

Elena closed her trunk, turned around, and immediately gasped. "You two scared me. What are you doing here? Rome, aren't you supposed to be playing?"

"You see, Elena, the thing is, just because I'm supposed to be doing something does not mean that I'll actually do it. There's a big difference. In this case, there's always next time."

"And I'm hiding from Caroline."

"And why is that?" Elena questioned.

"I needed a break. She talks more than I can listen."

"That could be a sign," spoke Elena.

"Well, she's awfully young."

"Not much younger than you are," Elena pointed out like it was obvious.

"I think you underestimate Damon's age by a lot," I told the girl.

Damon chuckled. "I don't see it going anywhere in the bigger picture. I think she'd drive me crazy."

"Caroline does have some really annoying traits, but we've been friends since the first grade and that means something to me."

"Duly noted. I'm sorry if I make you uncomfortable. That's not my intention."

"Yes, it is," Elena decided, and I snorted. "Otherwise you wouldn't put an alternate meaning behind everything you say."

"You're right," Damon agreed with her. "I do have other intentions, but so do you."

"Really?"

"Mhm. I see 'em. You want me."

"Excuse me?"

"I get to you. You find yourself drawn to me. You think about me even when you don't want to think about me. I bet you even dreamed about me." Damon shot me a wink, and I smirked back at him.

"I bet it was a wet dream, too," I added in, and Elena gave me a look of disgust. I shrugged. "Everyone is guilty of it."

"And right now..." he spoke, compelling her. "You want to kiss me." Elena stared at him in shock as she slowly leaned in.

Suddenly, she slapped him straight across the face. "What the hell? I don't know what game you're trying to play with Stefan here, but I don't want to be part of it. And I don't know what happened in the past, but let's get one thing straight... I am not Katherine." Without another word, she walked away.

"Well, of course you aren't," I called after her. "You're a whiny bitch and she's a sexy badass - " Damon pressed his lips to mine, cutting me off. I nearly gave in, but I instead pulled away. "No, Damon. We have a mission to complete. Besides, you almost just kissed Elena, and I don't think Stefan would be very happy if I told him that I kissed you right after you tried to kiss his girlfriend."

**~~**

I didn't bother listening to Stefan and Matt's conversation from my place on the rooftop looking down upon them. I only cared once Damon appeared. As Matt walked away, Damon began clapping, and Stefan turned to face him. Damon was leaned up against the wall. Our plan was in action. "Isn't that nice? Stefan joins a team, makes a friend. It's all so, "rah, rah, go team, yeah!"

"Not tonight," spoke Stefan. "I'm done with you." And that was my cue. As Stefan turned around, I appeared behind him.

I cocked my head at him. "Hey, Stef. How are ya?"

Damon appeared on the other side of Stefan. "Nice trick with Elena. Let me guess - vervain in the necklace?"

"Well, Damon, I could've told you that," I told the man.

"I admit, I was a bit surprised. It's been a while since anyone could resist my compulsion. Obviously, Rome and yourself both have access to it. I won't get any answers from her, so I hope to get them from you. Where'd you get it?"

"Up your ass and around the corner."

"Real mature, Rome."

"Please, Stefan, if you know how an 171 year old is supposed to act, enlighten me."

Stefan ignored me. "Does it matter?" He asked Damon.

"Guess I could just seduce her the old-fashioned way. Or I could just... eat her."

"Oh, I'll even join in on that last one," I told Damon excitedly.

"No," Stefan told us. "You guys are not going to hurt her."

"No?" Damon questioned him.

"Because deep down inside the both of you, there is a part of you that feels for her. I was worried that neither of you had any humanity left inside of you; that you may have actually become the monsters that you pretend to be."

"Who's pretending?" Damon asked him.

"Then kill me," Stefan said, and I stared at him in utter shock.

"Well, I'm - I'm tempted."

"No, you're not. You've had lifetimes to do it, and yet, here I am. I'm still alive. And there you are. You're still haunting me. After 145 years. Katherine is dead. And you hate me because you lover her, and you torture me because you still do. And that, my brother, is your humanity." Stefan turned to me. "And then there's you. Romania Forbes, the girl who couldn't kill me even if she tried. You are my best friend, and every time that something with Damon changes, you spiral out of control, because you have zero idea how to confess your feelings about my brother to me. And you need to get over your ego for like ten minutes just so you can open up to me so that I can help you handle Damon!"

"Salvatores!" Shouted Coach Tanner as he appeared. "What the hell? We've got a game to play! Rome, I haven't seen you all night!"

I looked Stefan in the eyes. "If that's my humanity... then what's this?" I lunged at Coach Tanner, sinking my deadly fangs into his neck. I quickly drained him of his blood, and allowed his body to crumple to the ground. He was dead. I looked up at Damon and Stefan. Damon looked shocked, yet proud, and Stefan looked shocked and pissed. I laughed coldly at their expressions. "Anyone, anytime, any place. Isn't that right, Damon?" The man nodded in agreement, his eyes dancing with excitement.

"I want you guys home," Stefan told us.

"Sweet," I answered. "I'm going to The Grill. I'm still thirsty." I looked at Damon. "You coming?"

He nodded.

**~~**

I thought there was hope. That somewhere deep inside, something in both Damon and I was still human; normal. And I was right. There not much human left in us, but there's a sliver. There's good, there's kindness. There's love. There's more to us than two monsters who must be stopped. Stefan has been right for the past 145 years... there's hope. I killed a man. He was a shit person, I'm convinced. But that doesn't matter. It's over. What I didn't tell Stefan is that the reason I needed a drink was so that I could wash Tanner's taste out of my mouth. It was bitter, because I'm still human. Stefan is right about why I spiral. How can I possibly tell him I love Damon? Oh my god... I love Damon. I'm not a monster. I'm a 171 year old 17 year old who is absolutely terrified. I need my best friend.

**~~**

I woke up in the middle of the night to Damon sitting on my bed, calmly watching me. I shot him a weak smile. "Hey Edward."

He laughed and rolled his eyes. "Hey Bella."

"Ew," I groaned. We were silent for a few moments - just staring at each other - as I thought. Surprising myself, I moved over, allowing room for him. He stared at me in shock for a moment, but soon climbed under the covers beside me. He reached out, and placed a hand on my cheek. He raised his eyebrows at me in concern.

"Are you alright?"

"Sh," I placed my index finger over his lips, and moved closer towards him. He pulled me into his chest, and began running his fingers through my hair. "I don't want to talk about it," I mumbled.

"It's okay," he assured me. "I won't make you."

As I fell into the deepest sleep that I'd had in 15 years, I could've sworn that I heard Damon whisper, "I'm in love with you, Romania Forbes." I blamed it on the alcohol and blood.