Cosmic Love

“Ready…Go!” said Bree. We all picked up our shot glasses. I drank back the alcohol before putting my glass down first.

“That’s three,” I said turning to Damon with a gloating look on my face. I could see some alcohol running down his chin. “You need a bib?” I asked giving him a puppy dog face.

“Sorry, I can’t unhinge my jaw like a snake to consume alcohol,” he said wiping off the liquid with his sleeve.

“Whatever,” I said with a smile. “Alright, who’s next?” I asked. “Another round, Bree?”

“Honey, you should be on the floor,” said a drunken blonde in her 30s.

“I am not even drunk I argued. My tolerance is way up here.” I jumped up to show just how high.

“Alright here you go,” said Bree setting the glasses down.

“I’ll say it,” said Damon. “Ready…Go!” Once again we all downed our shots. And once again I won.

“Getting slow in your old age, Salvatore?” I asked him with a smirk.

“I’m only a couple years older than you are,” he argued.

“Then maybe you should keep up,” I said with the same satisfied smirk. My phone rang then. Looking at the caller ID it was Stefan again. Picking up the jacket I had I was putting it on as I answered the phone. “Hold on, Stefan,” I said. “I have to go outside.”

“Emma, where are you? Where’s Damon?”

“Stefan, it’s loud in here, just hold on.” I stepped outside and then stumbled causing me to drop my phone. “Damn it,” I said bending over to pick it up. As I was bending over I felt something go into my side. Quickly I was overcome with fatigue and left feeling weak.

“Come on,” said a masculine voice and began half dragging, half carrying me towards the back of the bar. He led me up some stairs and then let go of me. I dropped to the floor, the vervain still flowing through my system.

I was able to push myself up. Using the railing to stand I began to make my way down the stairs. But then Damon rounded the corner of the bar. “Damon, no,” I said weakly. Then the vampire guy came with a metal bat. He hit Damon right in the kneecap causing him to fall to the ground. He hit his legs over and over with the bat. There was enough force behind the bat that I was sure Damon’s bones were breaking.

I walked down the ladder more but I was still weak from the vervain and couldn’t help. “What the hell!?” yelled Damon clutching his leg. The vampire grabbed a can of gasoline and began to pour it over Damon. I managed to climb over the fence.

“No!” I cried out moving over towards them. They guy turned to look at me. His face was full of rage and anger. The veins beneath his eyes were filled with blood and his fangs extended. I stopped knowing he’d be able to take me in my weakened state. He turned back and poured some more gasoline on Damon.

“Who are you?” asked Damon.

“That’s perfect,” said the guy through his teeth. “You have no idea.”

“What are you talking about? What did he do?” If anything it was just to stall more time for Damon and for myself.

“He killed my girlfriend,” he said to me. He poured some more of the can on him. “What did she do to you, huh? What did she do to you?!” he yelled at Damon.

“Nothing,” said Damon weakly. The guy put the can on the ground and let it roll away.

“I don’t understand,” I said in desperation.

“My girlfriend went to visit Stefan and Damon killed her, got it?” he asked. You could almost feel the menace and pain in his voice. He kicked Damon’s face then and Damon’s head hit the ground.

“Lexi? Lexi was your girlfriend?” I asked putting two and two together. “She told Elena about you. She said that you were human.”

“I was,” agreed the guy. His eyes were filled with tears. He turned back to Damon and pulled a packet of matches from his pocket.

“Lexi turned you?” I asked just to stall more time for Damon.

“If you want to be with someone forever, you have to live forever.” Damon was moving again. But then the guy turned and kicked him straight in the face.

“She loved you,” I said getting desperate. “She said when it’s real you can’t walk away.”

“Well, that’s a choice you’re not going to have to make,” said the guy through his teeth.

“Don’t,” I begged. “Don’t. Please don’t hurt him.” The guy struck the match and held it over Damon. I could feel tears come to my eyes.

“I’m doing you a favor,” said the guy.

“Lexi loved you,” I said simply. “And she was good and that means you’re good too. Be better than him,” I said looking him in the eyes. “Don’t do this I’m begging you.” My throat choked up at the end. I don’t think I could stand to see Damon die. “Please,” I begged as a tear fell from my eyes.

The guy picked up Damon and then threw him against the metal door across the wide alley. Damon fell and lay on his stomach. “Thank you,” I said finally able to breathe again.

“It wasn’t for you,” said the guy, his voice full of tears. He then ran off into the night. As soon as he was gone I ran and knelt beside Damon.

“Are you okay?” I asked him as I gently turned him over. I placed his head in my lap and pushed the gasoline soaked hair out of his eyes.

“I’ll be fine in a minute,” groaned Damon. “What about you?”

“The vervain has pretty much worn off now. But can we definitely get something to eat before we leave?”

“Definitely,” said Damon with a slight smile. It died within a second though. “There’s one stop I want to make first.”

“Alright,” I said. I then placed his head gently on the concrete and moved to his legs. With quick and fluid motions I replaced each of the bones in their proper position. Damon would heal much quicker that way. And sure enough within a minute he was standing. “Where are we going?” I asked him.

“Bree did this,” was all he said. I felt anger flare up towards the witch. She got me injected with vervain. That is never a fun affair. We entered silently into the bar and got behind the counter within a second. Bree turned around, sensing us.

“We were just leaving. I wanted to say goodbye,” said Damon. The look on his face was anything but pleased though.

“Good to see you again, Damon,” said Bree shifting uncomfortably. “Nice meeting you, Emma.” I didn’t even bother to respond.

“No kiss?” asked Damon with a smirk.

“I’m full of vervain,” said Bree. Damn there’s go the thought of me ripping her throat out. “I put it in everything I drink.”

“And you’re telling me this why?” asked Damon. You could see the barely contained rage on his face though, see the undercurrent of anger on his features.

“Lexi was my friend!” cried Bree. “How could you?” She turned around but Damon was quicker and appeared in front of her. She gave a startled cry and backed up. She moved until her back was against the counter and she could go no further. Damon matched her step for step. “The tomb can be opened,” said Bree trying to save her neck.

“You’re lying,” accused Damon.

“Emily’s grimoire, her spell book,” said Bree quickly. “If you know how she closed the tomb the reversal process will be in her book. You can open that tomb.”

“And where is this book?” asked Damon getting in her face.

“I-I -I,” said Bree worriedly while leaning backwards away from Damon.

“You have no idea,” accused Damon.

“I am telling you the truth.” Her bottom lip began to tremble in fear. I could hear her heartbeat in my ears.

“And I believe you,” said Damon caressing her face, “my dear, sweet Bree. That’s why I’m almost sorry.” He then plunged his hand into the center of her chest. She gave a cry of surprise before Damon pulled it out and she slumped to the floor dead. Damon tossed the heart onto the ground and then washed his hands in the sink. “Let’s get something to eat,” he said. He grabbed his jacket off the chair as we left.

“Never trust a witch,” I said almost as a reminder to myself and Damon as we entered the night. “I saved your life,” I said when we were in the car and on our way back to Mystic Falls. The thought occurred to me and made me smile. He can’t do everything by himself.

“Yes you did,” agreed Damon.

“And don’t you forget it,” I said with a smirk before turning back to look out the window.