"Stefan's still being a pain in the ass" Damon grumbles reentering his room where Viktoria is finishing getting ready for the day.

"When was the last time he had human blood?" Viktoria asks glancing at him through the mirror she's sitting in front of.

"A very long time" Damon says walking to his desk where he pulls out a bottle of bourbon.

"And he's a ripper?" Viktoria questions. Damon nods silently. "I'd keep a close eye on him" She warns. "Blood lust is something even the oldest vampires struggle with" She tells him.

"Do you?" Damon asks glancing at her.

"I don't normally fight it" She tells him with a shrug. "If I want to kill someone, I will" She grins maliciously through the mirror.

"Oh, I know" Damon smirks. "I wasn't expecting you to kill Pearl" He comments. "It's been a while since I've seen you that vicious"

"I gave Pearl and Anna a fair warning," Viktoria says defensively. "Anna should consider herself lucky she's alive"

"Do you think killing her was the right thing to do?" Damon asks. Viktoria turns to him and stands. Damon glances at her and continues. "All I'm saying is that Pearl would have better luck controlling the vampires than Anna, and the two of them together would have been better"

"Damon, I gave them a warning which is more than I give most people." Viktoria tells him. "They know who I am, they know better than to cross me. I killed Pearl because Anna is easier to control. If I killed Anna instead, Pearl would have fled and I would have been forced to kill the tomb vampires. I could kill them all without breaking a sweat but that's just a waste."

"So, they get to know who you are but I don't?" Damon asks. Viktoria sighs wishing he would just let this go but knowing him he wouldn't.

"They're expendable, love" Viktoria says walking up to him. "I have no problem killing them if I need or even want too." She shrugs stopping in front of him. She grabs his drink and sets it down before grabbing his hands. "Damon, my brother killed my last husband because I was giving Akiki more attention than him. If my own brother is willing to kill someone I love for his own selfish needs what do you think my enemies would do to you? If my family finds out, what would they do?"

"You being with me right now is putting me in danger, right?" Damon shrugs. "I'd rather know what I'm getting into than being ignorant"

"Trust me, ignorance is bliss" She whispers kissing his lips lightly.

"What's the worst thing you've ever done?" He asks quietly. Victoria holds his gaze for a few moments before stepping away. Memories swarm her mind of all the terrible acts and sins she's committed.

"There's so much" She whispers. "I've destroyed so many families out of mere jealousy. Took the lives of children, infants. I've torn loved ones apart. I'm no hero, Damon"

"You've never claimed to be" Damon tells her. "Are you happy here? In Mystic Falls?"

"I'm happy wherever you are" She smiles at him. "The worst thing I've ever done is let Katherine outsmart me which lead to me abandoning you for 145 years" She whispers walking back to him. "I'll never forgive myself for making you deal with your vampirism on your own."

"Stop carrying that guilt, it wasn't your fault" He says caressing her head. "You're here now, we're together now. We have eternity to be together. We don't have to stay here if you don't want too. We can go anywhere, do anything"

"We need to stay here, please just trust me on this" Viktoria whispers.

"Of course I trust you" He kisses her forehead. "Will you tell me why eventually?"

"I've told you before, you will know everything about me soon enough. Just give me time, I just need time" She says hugging him tightly. "It's not exactly easy adjusting to the times, so much has changed"

"Well, I'm not going anywhere" He says kissing her forehead. "But I am going to want to know more about you, eventually" Viktoria nods giving him a tight hug. "I have to go, there's a council meeting"

Viktoria laughs.

"How stupid are these humans you hang around?" She asks looking up at him. He smirks and gives her a wink.

"I'll find you afterwards" He says pecking her lips before leaving. Viktoria sighs turning towards the mirror.

"All dressed up and nowhere to go" She mutters. She spins around and heads out of the room. She walks into the parlor where Stefan is working out. "How're you doing?"

"I'm fine, Vik" Stefan says. Viktoria sits in one of the chairs, crossing her legs as she watches him do push ups.

"You can do all the workouts you want, it won't really help your blood lust" She warns him.

"I know what I need to do to keep control of myself" Stefan tells her pushing himself up to a stand. "You don't have to worry about me" He says walking out of the room.

"If you want help controlling yourself, come talk to me" She calls after him. He doesn't respond and simply continues going up to his room to take a shower. Viktoria sighs growing bored with herself.

Viktoria finds herself wishing she knew how to get into contact with her younger brother. He always knew how to keep her entertained and have a good time. However, with how long it's been and how much the world has changed she didn't know how she'd get in contact with him. Then there's always the possibility that he wouldn't be.... available to be contacted. The thought angers Viktoria and she forces herself to think of something different.

Huffing in boredom Viktoria pushes herself to a stand. She leaves the boarding house and explores the town on her own. She imagines how Mystic Falls was in the 1800s compared to now. There was a major difference, obviously, but she could still see how things were. 

"I was wondering if you had an extra heart, mine was just stolen" Viktoria turns around and smiles at Damon. She laughs at his cheesy pickup line. "Have I told you how beautiful you look today?" He asks pulling her into his arms.

"I never get tired of hearing it" She says kissing his lips lightly. "How was your meeting?" She asks.

"Interesting" He says nodding. Viktoria tilts her head noticing a distant look on his face as he thinks back to the council meeting.

"Anything to worry about?" She asks.

"I don't know yet" He tells her honestly.

"Someone that needs to disappear, you let me know" She says rubbing his chest. "I'll take care of it, get the heat off of your and Stefan's back" 

"I'll let you know if I can't handle it" He reassures her. She smiles nodding accepting his answer. "Elena texted me" Viktoria's face sours. "She invited me over, think it has something to do with Stefan"

"Well, then" Viktoria says dropping her arms. "Why don't we go check it out?" She suggests with a smirk.

"You read my mind" Damon grins. She winks at him. The two make their way towards Elena's house only to realize Viktoria hasn't been invited in yet.

"Oh, good, you're here" Elena says in relief as she opens the door. Her face falls slightly when she sees Viktoria with him.

"You ask, I come" Damon shrugs. "I'm easy like that" He smirks. Elena gives him a forced smiling while eyeing Viktoria.

"Mind inviting me in, sweetheart?" Viktoria asks tilting her head.

"Actually, I was hoping to just talk to Damon" Elena says not trusting Viktoria enough to willingly invite her in.

"Well, then whatever you have to talk to him about you can talk about right here" Viktoria says holding onto Damon's hand tightly. Viktoria didn't trust Elena with Damon alone, she's too similar to Katherine. Elena gives Damon a look and he simply shrugs.

"Elena, who's at the door?" Jenna asks from the kitchen reminding Elena about the fact that she doesn't want to have this conversation around her.

"No one" Elena says. "Come in" Elena invites reluctantly. Viktoria smirks smugly and slowly walks into the house. She looks around.

"Cute" Viktoria mutters with a slightly unimpressed look. Elena rolls her eyes and leads them up to her room. The action angers Viktoria. Did this teenage girl seriously believe she'd allow her husband to go into her room alone?

"Did you know that your uncle has been kicking it with the Founders' Council?" Damon asks Elena as Viktoria wanders around the room slowly. 

"What?" Elena asks and Damon nods. "Perfect, we'll just add it to the growing list of how everything is falling apart" Elena snips.

"What happened over here?" Viktoria asks noticing the broken lamp on the ground.

"Umm... nothing" She says unconvincingly. Viktoria raises an eyebrow but doesn't press simply because she wasn't really that interested. "Look Damon, I'm worried about Stefan" Damon and Viktoria glance at each other. "He says that everything's ok but he's clearly struggling. How long is it gonna take before he goes back to normal?"

"What exactly is normal for vampires?" Viktoria wonders out loud.

"A few days, give or take" Damon shrugs.

"It's been a few days" Elena points out.

"Give then" Damon snips stressfully. Viktoria walks over to him. She rubs his back knowing he was stressed and worried about Stefan. "What's the big deal?"

"He's not himself, Damon"

"Well, maybe his problem is that he has spent too long not being himself" Damon shrugs walking away from his wife.

"Please don't make me sorry for asking you" Elena snips. Viktoria rolls her eyes.

"It is what it is, Elena" Damon shrugs again. "The Stefan you know was 'good behavior Stefan', 'reign it in Stefan', 'fight against his nature into an annoying excessive level Stefan', but if you think there isn't another part to this then you have not been paying attention"

"He's not you, not even close" Elena shakes her head. Viktoria laughs.

"He's a vampire, love" Viktoria reminds her. "Do you think we're cuddly, sunshine and rainbows creatures?" She asks tilting her head.

"You are a good cuddler" Damon pipes up. Viktoria smirks and winks at him.

"Elena, darling," Viktoria says walking up to her. "Stefan's a good man, always has been" Elena slowly nods. "But that doesn't change his nature. He's a vampire. From the moment we wake up our desire, our instinct is to kill and drink blood. We may be good people but we're not the hero's" She says shrugging. "It's just in our nature, stop trying to change Stefan."

"I'm not changing him, this is who he is" Elena says. Viktoria laughs.

"You have no idea who he is" Viktoria whispers. "Damon, can I have a moment alone with Elena, please" Elena instantly looks at Damon and gives him a pleading look. He shrugs and walks out of the room.

"What?" Elena asks moving as far away from her as she can making Viktoria smirk.

"I don't like you, Elena. I haven't since I first met you. You're annoying, arrogant, selfish, stupid" Viktoria lists walking closer to her. "Let's be honest with each other, the only reason I'm allowing you to live is because you're useful to me. The moment you cease to be of use, you're dead" Viktoria smirks.

"What do you mean I'm useful to you?" Elena asks. Viktoria smirks deviously.

"You'll figure it out, sooner or later" Viktoria says stopping in front of her. "But if you continue to go after my husband, if you continue to give him lingering looks and inviting him over to your room alone, your usefulness will end much sooner and I will kill you"

"Damon won't let you" Viktoria laughs. She lifts her hand and grazes her hand along Elena's jaw.

"When I kill you, and I will, no one will be able to stop me" Viktoria whispers to her. "Not Damon, not Stefan, nobody" Viktoria growls gripping her chin painfully. "You will die by my hand but not for a little bit longer" Viktoria says giving her a wink. She lets Elena go and walks towards the door. "Do yourself a favor, love, stop antagonizing me and you're life will continue for a little bit longer"