Eat Your Heart Out

My knuckles were white on the steering wheel; I couldn’t help it, I was worried.

Elena touched my arm gently, quietly asking me what was wrong.

I glanced at her, brown hair in lovely ringlets around her face, slightly loose after the few dances we partook in at the Lockwood party, before focusing back on the road.

Damon didn’t show up. That was what was wrong. He didn’t show, and there was no sign of Jeremiah.

Every possibility was going through my head – each getting worse by the second. Did he go after him? Or maybe Jeremiah had found him and-

“Stefan,” her tone was gentle, but there was a wave of worry in it. “What’s wrong?”

I took a breath before answering. “Damon was supposed to come, he didn’t. It has been a week since we’ve heard a peep from Jeremiah, and I was hoping that maybe he would show his face tonight. I mean, maybe he has Kris, we have no idea.”

“He doesn’t, Damon said that he saw her get into a car-“

“But what if she was compelled? What if it was Jeremiah behind the wheel?”

“And what if it wasn’t?”

“Then…why would she leave?”

I heard a sigh escape her lips as she shifted herself in the seat, turning more towards me. “Look, I swore to her that I wouldn’t say anything, but I can tell you that she’s got a fucked up past. Enough of one that maybe she needed an escape from all the drama adding to it here.”

Silence filled the car.

“Why…do you care so much anyway?”

I looked at her again as we pulled up to the Boarding House. “She is one of the few people that Damon has shown any feeling towards. She’s good for him, and I don’t want to see him relapse into what he used to be.”

She gave a small nod, and reached down to gather her things when I realized something incredibly important.

“Elena,”

“Hmm?”

“Elena, look.”

“What is it?”

She looked up, following my gaze to the driveway.

Damon’s car was gone.

~~

“…medium built, covered in black, heavy drinker?...Yeah, I see him.”

“Good,” the voice on the other end responds. “Bring him to her, stake him, then bring me her.”

“But what about Tra-“
“Hope you brought enough stakes.” And the line was dead.

I watched the male vampire a bit longer before deciding to approach him. I don’t normally take these types of jobs, but the reward in the end was going to completely be worth it.

Taking a breath to calm the nerves that set it, I headed inside the pub.

~~

It had been an extremely tiring night, and he had exhausted every possible lead that he had within this region, which was a small number in all actuality. This was crazy. How could she be everywhere, but nowhere at the same time? He poured the remainder of his glass of bourbon into his mouth, and then tapped it twice on the counter. The bartender came over and filled it with ease, before walking away to continue cleaning the stack of glasses on the other side.

"A bit early to be drinking, don't you think?" A British accent said, as a blonde muscular frame took the seat next to him.

"It is five o' clock somewhere," Damon muttered, glaring at his drink before turning his attention to the man beside him. "What do you care?"

"Well, there's this rumor going around that you're trying to find a girl - and most women prefer their knights in shining armor not to show up wasted." He tapped twice on the table and the bartender instantly gave him a scotch on the rocks, before returning to his work. The blonde stranger took a sip, a smirk on his lips. "I'm a bit of a regular. Helps with the cravings, you know?"

Damon stared in shock at what this guy had just told him. "How the hell-"

"News of a new vamp travels fast in these parts. Not to mention one trying to find a very specific woman."

"If you're here to mock me-"

"Oh no, I'm here to offer help. But you have to do something for me." He took another sip, a smirk dancing on his face.

~

"Sean's been gone a while," I said, taking the wet dishes from Travis and drying them with the blue and yellow towel I held in my hands.

"He gets a drink down at the same tavern every morning. I really wouldn't worry about it."

"But he's so young -"

"Not as young as you, Human!" Travis chuckled, bumping me with his hip.

"Not what I meant."

"He'll be fine," he said, setting down the plate he was washing. He turned and pulled my face toward his, forcing me to look at him. "You are not his caretaker, I am. Stop worrying."

"Alright, Grandpa." I replied with a sigh. Travis splashed water at me, starting a full on war.

"I am not that old!"

"Oh right, being 430 puts you WAY over that-"

He grabbed me and lifted me high over his head, carrying me to the living room. I was giggling and trying to get back down, but to no avail. He threw me down on the black leather couch and climbed on top of me to hold me down. "I'm not old."

I nodded, unable to do much else other than laugh. "Get off," I managed to squeeze out, but he just shook his head.

"Not until you apologize."

"Alright, alight, I'm sorry, old man."

He started to tickle my sides, causing me to roar in laughter. "That's not an apology."
I could barely breath I was laughing so hard. I tried grabbing his hands, but he easily broke through my grip. "Okay, Okay, I give! I'm sorry for calling you old!"

He stopped tickling me and stood up. "See?" he said, smiling at me, "Not that hard." However, his smile quickly furrowed into a frown. "Go in the kitchen."

"What?"

"Go in the kitchen," he said again, pulling me off the couch and pushing me in that direction.

"Why what's wrong?" I protested.

"Sean brought home a friend."

I froze for a second, before nodding and going back to the sink. Quietly as I could, I grabbed the stake that was hidden in the knife drawer, preparing myself, just in case. Travis opened the front door, then closed it. My guess was that he walked outside.

~~

Travis looked at the 5' 10" man that got out of the car behind Sean's with deep suspicion. "Who's this?"

Sean jutted a thumb back to the man and replied with ease, "Name's Damon. Found him in a pub."

"And you brought him here because?"

"Felt he could use our help. Said he was looking for someone."

"Who exactly?"

Sean just smiled, causing Travis to convert into his true hunter nature.

"Who, Sean?"

At that moment the front door opened, and Travis stepped back, trying to push Kris back into the house, but she was faster. She was already in front of him before he could shut the door. But he was fast enough to grab her arm before she could go any farther.

"Damon?" she said, almost painfully. "What are you doing here?"