chapter nine.     avoiding the truth

season one—————no episode correlation.

THE DOOR TO THE SOLACE HOME bounced against the wall with the force Elodie had thrown it open with. She still had tears falling down her face from everything that had happened, but she made sure to lock the door—each of the now four locks clicked into place before Elodie moved farther into the house.

"Mom! Dad! Dalton!" Elodie shouted, her tears mushing with her words as she screamed for her family. "Someone! Anyone, god please."

Elodie's voice cracked as she yelled, her desperation echoing through the empty house. A window next to her flew open, a crow sitting on the windowsill. It cawed at Elodie as she screamed for her mother and father. Begging for one of them to come and comfort her. The crow cawed again, its sharp cry slicing through the silence that was her response. It tilted its head at her, its black eyes glinting with something almost unnatural.

"Get out!" Elodie screamed, her frustration bubbling over as she grabbed the nearest book from the coffee table and hurled it toward the bird.

The crow took off in a flurry of wings, the sound of its feathers cutting through the air sharp in the quiet room. It disappeared into the night, leaving only the faint rustle of curtains in its wake. Elodie turned away, her chest heaving, her hands trembling as she clutched at the edge of the couch for balance.

      And then she heard it—a soft sound, barely audible, like a footstep brushing against the floor. Her head whipped around, her heart lurching into her throat. Leaning casually against the doorframe of the living room, was Damon Salvatore. His dark shirt clung to him like a shadow, and his piercing eyes were locked onto hers with a mix of amusement and something sharper. The faint sheen of blood glistened on his mouth, stark against his pale skin.

      "Well, that was dramatic," he said, a smirk curling at the edges of his lips. His dark eyes glittered with amusement, though something darker lingered beneath the surface. "I think you hurt my friend's feelings."

      Elodie's breath caught, her stomach plummeting. "How did you—what are you doing here?" She stammered, her voice barely above a whisper. Her grip tightened on the couch, as though it might anchor her against the wave of panic rising in her chest.

      Damon pushed off the doorway, his movements slow and deliberate as he stepped further into the room. "What am I doing here?" He repeated, his tone mockingly thoughtful. "That's a good question, isn't it?" He stopped a few feet away from her, his head tilting as he studied her with unsettling intensity.

      Damon wiped his mouth lazily with the back of his hand, as though the blood there was nothing more than an inconvenience. "Relax, I'm not here to hurt you. Yet."

      Elodie's gaze flickered to his mouth, then back to his eyes. "Whose blood is that?" She asked, her voice trembling. "What did you do?"

      Damon smirked, his fangs peeking out briefly. "Oh, just a little late-night snack," he said nonchalantly, as though they were discussing the weather. "Logan Fell sends his regards, by the way. Or he would, if he weren't so... drained."

      Elodie took a step back, her hands clenched at her sides. "You're disgusting," she spat. "Get out of my house."

      Damon's smirk widened. "See, that's the thing. I didn't come here to be polite." He stepped closer, his gaze darkening as it raked over her. "I came here because you and I have unfinished business."

      Her heart raced as she stood her ground, refusing to back away any further. "I don't know what you're talking about."

      "Oh, I think you do," Damon said, his tone mockingly sweet. He circled her slowly, like a predator toying with its prey. "Last night, you did something. Something interesting. One minute, you're screaming about Vicky Donavan and her dead friends, the next, I'm burning alive in some kind of celestial barbecue. What was that, Elodie?"

      "I don't know," she snapped, though her voice betrayed her uncertainty. "Whatever it was, you deserved it."

      Damon stopped in his tracks, his smirk dropping for the first time. "Careful," he warned, his voice low and dangerous. "You don't know who you're talking to."

      Elodie's anger flared, overriding her fear. "And you don't know who you're messing with," she shot back. Her chest felt tight, like something was stirring deep inside her, the same spark she'd felt the night before. She didn't understand it, but she knew she couldn't let Damon see her fear.

      Damon tilted his head, studying her with a curious expression. "There it is again," he murmured, more to himself than to her. "That spark. That power. It's practically humming in the air around you."

      Elodie's hands curled into fists. "Stay away from me."

      He took another step closer, ignoring her warning. "You're not ordinary, are you?" His voice was soft now, almost coaxing. "That light, those wings—it wasn't a fluke. You have something inside you, something ancient. And I want to know what it is."

      "You're not going to get anything from me," Elodie said, her voice steady despite the fear clawing at her insides.

      Damon chuckled, his smirk returning. "Oh, I think I will. Maybe not tonight, but soon enough." He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Because power like yours? It doesn't stay hidden for long. And when the right people—or creatures—find out about you, you'll wish you'd been more cooperative."

      Elodie glared at him, her chest rising and falling rapidly. "Get out of my house," she said again, her voice firm this time.

Elodie's breath caught in her throat as Damon's taunting smirk widened, his presence suffocating in the small living room. The faint metallic scent of blood lingered in the air, making her stomach churn. She opened her mouth to demand he leave again when a sudden, deafening crack shattered the tension.

Damon jerked, his smirk replaced by a snarl of pain as he staggered back. His hand flew to his shoulder, where blood now seeped through his shirt around the jagged entry point of a bullet. His eyes darted to the doorway, his expression darkening.

"Elodie, get behind me," came her mother's sharp, authoritative voice.

Elodie turned to see her mother standing in the doorway, her hands steady as she aimed a revolver at Damon. The barrel gleamed faintly in the dim light, and Elodie's heart twisted at the sight of the wooden bullets lined up on the belt slung around her mother's waist.

"Wooden bullets," Damon hissed, his voice laced with pain and irritation. "How quaint."

"Get away from my daughter," her mother commanded, her voice firm and unyielding. "Now."

Damon straightened, his dark eyes narrowing as he assessed the situation. "Well, this is unexpected," he said, his usual smirk faltering. He winced as his hand pressed against the wound, blood staining his fingers. "You Solaces always did know how to ruin a party. I never did enjoy you in any century."

"Keep talking, and the next one goes through your heart," Lily spoke, cocking the gun with a click that sent a shiver down Elodie's spine.

Damon's gaze flicked between Elodie and her mother, his expression calculating. "You know, I was starting to like her," he said, motioning toward Elodie with his uninjured hand. "But I think I'll take my leave before things get...messy." His laugh was sharp, and echoed through the house, "well, messier."

Her mother fired again, but Damon moved faster than Elodie could process, the bullet narrowly missing him as he blurred toward the window. Glass shattered as he leapt through it, disappearing into the night with a gust of cold air.

The silence that followed was deafening, broken only by Elodie's ragged breathing. Her mother lowered the gun, her shoulders tense as she scanned the room for any remaining threats.

"Are you okay?" Lily asked, turning to Elodie with a mixture of worry and urgency.

Elodie nodded, though her legs felt like they might give out at any moment. "What—what just happened?" she stammered. "How do you even know about him? About vampires?"

Her mother exhaled sharply, closing the distance between them and placing a steady hand on Elodie's shoulder. "We don't have time for questions right now," she said. "We need to secure the house and make sure he doesn't come back."

Elodie's mind spun, her fear mingling with confusion. "Mom, I need answers," she said, her voice rising. "That was Damon Salvatore! He—he knew—" Elodie almost confessed everything to her mother, but something forced her to stop, "—you know? About them?"

Her mother's expression darkened, but she didn't respond immediately. Instead, she walked to the window, her eyes scanning the darkness outside. "We'll talk," she said finally, her tone brooking no argument. "But first, we make sure you're safe."

Elodie nodded reluctantly, her gaze drifting to the broken window and the shattered glass glittering on the floor. Damon's parting words echoed in her mind, a reminder that this was far from over.

☾☾☾ ☼ ☽☽☽

      LILY SOLACE KNEW ABOUT VAMPIRES. SHE was the founder of a council created in the case of Vampires returning to Mystic Falls. Her manager—Ryan—was apart of this council. The sheriff and the Mayor were as well. Logan Fell had been—before Damon murdered him. Though, Elodie didn't know that Logan had shot Stefan before his death.

Lily confessed as much as she could, before she began questioning Elodie on how she knew so much. On how Elodie even knew about vampires in the first place.

The blondes hands were shaking, but she had enough on her mind to conclude that her mother assumed Damon was the only one. Not Stefan. For some reason her shoulders felt lighter at that revelation.

Lily's piercing gaze bore into Elodie as they sat at the kitchen table. The faint smell of gunpowder still lingered in the air, mingling with the metallic tang of blood. The shattered window in the living room let in the cold night air, and the silence felt deafening after the chaos Damon Salvatore had caused.

      "Elodie," Lily said firmly, her voice low but trembling. "I need you to tell me everything. How do you know about vampires? Do you know what would cause Damon to target you?"

      Elodie sat hunched over, her arms wrapped around herself as if trying to hold herself together. Her entire body was trembling, her thoughts scrambled and jagged like broken glass. But she wasn't thinking of Damon—instead, Stefans face filled her thoughts. The awkward angle that Ben's neck had been set at, and how Stefan's was ready to kill anyone else for her. The thought both terrified her and made her want to kick her face in excitement.

      "I don't..." Elodie's voice wavered, and she shook her head. "I don't even know where to start." Her breathing hitched as she pressed a hand to her forehead, fighting the wave of nausea rising in her chest.

      "Start with how you knew what he was," Lily pressed, her voice softening just slightly. "How long have you known, Elodie? And why didn't you tell me?"

      "I didn't think it mattered," Elodie admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "Not until now." Her eyes welled with tears, and her hands shook as she gripped the edge of the table. "But after what happened the night of the comet—after I saw—"

      She broke off, unable to say it. Unable to put into words reoccurring dream that didn't seem as much of a dream to her. Where Vicky Donavon lay at Damon's feet bleeding from the neck as Damon poised himself to bite Elodie as well. The way Stefan's eyes changed and that's when she realized things were forever changed.

Lily's expression shifted, her concern deepening. "The comet?" She echoed. "Elodie, what happened?"

Before Elodie could respond, the sound of the front door unlocking made both of them freeze. Heavy footsteps echoed in the hallway, followed by the familiar voices of Dalton and their father. She watched as Lily tucked the gun filled with wooden bullets back into the waistband of her pants with a tight look.

"Mom? El?" Dalton called, stepping into the kitchen. He stopped in his tracks as his eyes fell on the shattered window and the tension in the room. "What the hell happened in here?"

Lily stood abruptly, masking her panic with a forced calm. "It's nothing," she said, glancing toward her husband as he stepped into the kitchen behind Dalton. "We had a...situation, but it's under control now."

Dalton's gaze flickered between Lily and Elodie, his sharp eyes narrowing. "A situation? You're kidding, right? There's glass everywhere, and El looks like she's about to pass out."

"I'm fine," Elodie muttered, though her voice was shaky and unconvincing.

Her father frowned, stepping closer to her. "El, you don't look fine. What's going on?"

Lily cut in quickly. "I'll explain everything later. Right now, I just need everyone to calm down." She shot a pointed look at Dalton, her tone leaving no room for argument.

Dalton didn't move, his jaw tightening as he stared at Elodie. "Are you sure?" He asked her quietly, his voice softer now.

Elodie nodded, though her stomach churned. She wasn't ready to explain—not to him, not to her father. Not when she could barely make sense of it herself.

Dalton exchanged a look with their father, but neither of them pushed further. As they moved toward the living room, Lily sat back down beside Elodie, her expression unreadable.

"This isn't over," Lily murmured, low enough that only Elodie could hear. "We'll finish this conversation later."

Elodie swallowed hard, nodding. But deep down, she knew that later wouldn't make the truth any easier to face. She managed ten minutes of worrying glances and half truths to her brother and father before she managed to escape to her room. Dalton had wanted to follow her but questions about girlfriends had him being stuck in his seat.

      Elodie would've cried in relief when she locked her door and placed a chair under the handle just in case. She knew it wouldn't hold up under a vampires force but it gave her some sense of relief. Spinning to look around her room, Elodie screamed at the figure sitting just outside her window.

      Footsteps were thundering up the stairs a moment later, her doorknob rattling intensely. "Elodie! Elodie are you alright?" Her father was shouting on the other side and she could make out her mother and Daltons panic as well.

      She swallowed down the panic attack that was slowly climbing up her throat, croaking out a simple, "yeah," before her family calmed. "I just saw a spider, no worries."

      "Are you sure, sweetie?" Her mother coaxed from the other side of the door.

      Elodie nodded before realizing she wouldn't be able to see her response, "I'm sure. I'll see you guys in the morning, good night."

      A sigh sounded before her parents forced out a "goodnight" before she was alone again. Or—almost alone. Stefan sat outside her window, watching her fearfully.

      Elodie carefully stepped closer, before thinking better and turning to her school bag. Stefan desperately wished he was inside her room at that moment, watching as her blonde hair fell across her shoulders. From where he sat the faint strawberry pound cake scent Elodie always used filled his nose. He wanted to claw his way in to figure out what she was searching for. At least she hadn't told her family he was there, so he couldn't that small action as a win in his book.

      He must have zoned out because in the next moment Elodie was hoisting open her window, a number 2 pencil gripped so tightly in her hand it was turning white. Stefan held his hands up cautiously, but could help the amusement that filled his gaze.

      "I don't care if this will do you no harm," Elodie spoke, "but I have no fears of using it against you."

      "I'll give you no reason to, Elodie." Stefan spoke and a smile began to creep into his features at the anger that covered her expression.

      Elodie began to climb onto the roof with Stefan stopped her, "I wanted to make sure you were alright."

      Elodie laughed softly, "well I'm standing, so you can go."

     "Elodie please, just let me explain everything," Stefan pleaded. "It was to protect you, that's all I wanted to do."

      Something about Elodie changed entirely, "no. I understand why you hid what you were—are from me, but I don't trust you anymore. I don't care what your intentions were or even are anymore, it doesn't excuse your actions. You killed someone." She didn't give him enough time to respond as another thought hit her, "oh my gods does Elena know?"

      He stiffly nodded after a second, "she found out yesterday. Me and her are no longer together, if that makes you feel better. And Benjamin deserved to die."

      She pinned him a sharp glare, golden replacing the blue of her eyes that had Stefan stumbling backwards, it was the first time he had ever seen the change. "That's what's wrong. No one deserves to die, and you don't see the harm in doing exactly what you had done tonight. And you and Elena no longer matter to me, I only care because Elena is my best friend."

      Stefan wanted to reach forward, to brush the tears forming in her eyes away and kiss her until her head spun and her thoughts fell to mush. But he couldn't, because he wasn't invited in and he didn't want to screw up more than he already had. "He was trying to harm you. I won't excuse my actions because they were well mannered but I shouldn't have don't it in front of you. I'm sorry."

      She was crying now and it made Stefan's heart break even more. The featherlight words she spoke next felt as if she had crushed his stone heart into pebbles. "You need to go."

      "Elodie please," Stefan begged. "Just let me explain everything."

      "I want you to go, Stefan." Elodie's voice broke as she stepped closer to the window, the pencil long abandoned to the floor found its way back into her hand. "I don't want to see you anymore, I don't want to speak to you. I don't care what happened between you and Elena, but I swear to all deities, if your brother gets near any of my family or friends again. I will kill him, and any one who gets in my way."

The golden wings uncurled from their hidden place on Elodie's back, so large they canvased her entire room. The golden glow almost blinding Stefan as he watched her in awe. A glowing crown found its way to the top of her head, as her hair began to be caressed by the power she admitted. Stefan had never seen anything like it before.

"When you want answers," Stefan spoke, stepping away from the window, "I'll be ready for everything, Ellie."

      The golden glow disappeared as Stefan flashed from her vision, and she stared at the empty space he had left behind. Some part of her longed to go after him, to find him and beg him to explain everything because she didn't know what was happening to her and she just needed to know. The other part of her wanted to hunt him down and kill him for all the life's he had harmed—Elodie didn't know where the thought had come from and it almost made her sick once more.

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KENNEDY SPEAKS :

so whenever i get really into reading like
physical books i CANNOT write like anything
so I've had this chapter pre-written for a while,
but I always wanted to expand it so that it was a little
longer, and I literally cannot. i'm in such a rut right
with writing and reading anything on wattpad...
so i think i might take a small haitius from posting?
just for a little while i gather my thoughts and books and
everything.

this doesn't mean I'm going to stop, but most likely there
won't be any updates for a while ( but if i'm feeling super
inspired that i might ) i'm so sorry for this! i love you all
so much<3!!!