The Cousin

I woke up the next morning, laying next to Damon. I smiled sitting up and stretched. I slowly climbed out of the bed and over to my dresser. I opened it up and pulled out a pair of yoga pants and a tank top. The alarm clock said five in the morning.

Smiling I grabbed the dog leashes and skipped down to the bathroom. I changed and then took my dirty cloths down to my room. Damon was still asleep. I tossed my clothes on the floor and grabbed my phone. I jogged down the steps after pulling on my shoes.

I leashed up the dogs and took them out for a jog. I smiled as the wind blew past my face and filled up my lungs with the smells of the morning. I jogged for about a mile before I turned around and headed home. The was brightening the sky as I ran. I looked down at my phone and saw it was almost six. I heaved out breaths as I opened the front door. Jenna was in the kitchen making her self a pot of coffee and I could hear Elena walking around upstairs. I unleashed the dogs and walked up the steps and down to my room.

I opened my bedroom door and saw Damon was gone. I frowned and closed the door. I looked up and jumped when I came face to face with Damon. He looked livid.

"Where were you?" he hissed.

"I went for a jog, jeez. Kill me why don't ya?" I said pushing passed him and over to my closet.

"Right now, I probably could," he growled.

"Damon," I snapped turning to him. "I'm fine. I'm safe. No evil vampire tried to kill me while I was gone. The sun was out. I was safe."

Damon pinched the bridge of his nose, "Do you not understand the seriousness of this? I thought someone took you."

I sigh and walk up to him, "I'm very sorry, okay? I didn't know you'd get so freaked out about it. I promise I will let you know where I am from now on. Even though that's just completely stalkerish." His expression didn't change. I huffed and went back to my closet.

I heard Damon sigh behind me. "I have to go home for a bit. I'll come see you at lunch, okay?"

"Yeah, sure," I waved him off pulling out my outfit.

"Don't get killed, Princess. I don't think I could last eternity with a nerd," Damon smirked.

I gasped grabbing a pillow from my bed and chucking it at him. "Get out, evil vamp." He wiggled his fingers and then disappeared, leaving my window open behind me. I closed the window and then quickly got dressed and skipped down to the bathroom to brush my teeth. "Jeremy!" I smiled as he came out of the bathroom, hugging him.

"You're voice..." He said, his eyes wide.

"Uh, yeah! Isn't it amazing," I say nervously. "I just woke up a few days ago and I had it back!"

Jeremy smiled, "Cool! You weren't very fun when you couldn't talk. No offense."

"None take. Come on! I'm ready for school!"

Jeremy picked up his book bag and we met Elena outside. We all got into Jenna's car, Jenna let Elena barrow it, and drove off to school.

******

At lunch I walked out into the over cast sky day and sat down at the picnic table. I pulled out my homework that I hadn't finished for my afternoon classes.

"It's lunch, shouldn't you be eating," Damon asked sitting down across from me.

"Forgot my lunch," I shrugged.

"Figured you would. That's why I brought this," Damon said dropping a bag in front of me. "It's just a burger and fries fro the Grill."

Smiling I pulled the food out of the bag, "Thanks, Damon. That was really sweet of you."

"Ugh. I should take it back just because you said that," Damon groaned. I giggled. "Caroline thinks we're dating," Damon smirked.

"And how do you know that?"

"Vampire hearing," Damon chuckles. "She's interrogating Elena about us."

I roll my eyes, "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"Very much," he smiled grabbing my hand.

"What are you doing?"

"Having fun," he said getting up and sitting down next to me.

"Damon," I groan as he wrapped an arm around my waist.

"Just go with it," he hissed in my ear.

I glare at him but continue eating my food. "You're horrible," I tell him.

"I know," he chuckles.

"So," I said wiping the crumbs off my hands, "You ready for our little road trip?"

"No," he said shaking his head.

I pout, "Why not?"

"Trapped in a confined space for a few hours with a nerd. Need I say more?"

I shoved him, "Don't start on my nerdy-ness."

"Sure, Princess, whatever you want," Damon said rolling his eyes.

"Why do you call me princess?" I asked putting my things away.

"Do you not like it?" Damon asked.

"I don't mind it, I just want to know why."

"Long story," Damon said eyeing me. "I gotta go." He stood up and kissed my forehead, "See you after school, Princess."

"Bye, Damon," I smile as he walked off. I stood up and threw away my empty food bag and headed back towards the school.

"Selene!" I turned to see Elena jogging to catch up with me.

"Yeah?"

"Not to sound rude, but what's going on between you and Damon?"

I shake my head, "We're not dating. I know Caroline thinks that from Damon eavesdropping on your conversation, but we're not."

"Okay," Elena sighed, "Because he seemed to be getting really close to you."

I roll my eyes, "That's Damon being Damon and leading Caroline to truly believe we're dating."

"Yep, that's Damon," She sighs, "Well, I'll see you after school, Selene."

"See ya," I said giving her a small wave and heading off to class.

******

After school Elena drove Jeremy and I home, where Damon awaited us.

"What's he doing here," asked Jeremy.

"Him and I are going to pick up the horses and take them to his house," I said as we pulled in the drive way.

"Chop-chop," Damon said clapping his hands, "I've got things to do, places to be."

"Well, you're gonna have to wait a few more minutes." He gave me a quizzical look. "I'm not going to get my horses dressed like this." His eyes narrowed. "Five minutes," I say running to the house.

"A second more and you're on your own!" Damon shouts after me.

"Selene, do you really think it's safe to go with him?" Elena asks me as she follows me to my room.

I toss my book bag on the floor and start shredding clothes and jewelry. "He wont hurt me, Elena. He knows better."

"But--"

"Because I know how to defend myself," I say pulling on my jeans. I grab a sharpened stake and toss it to her, "Put that in my bag."

Elena shakes her head, "You've never staked a vampire before, Selene." I tug on my shirt.

"It's always a good time to learn," I smile pulling on my boots. I grab my bag from her and throw my phone into it, and grab my truck keys. "I'll call if something goes wrong. And if you eel the need, you can call me, 'kay?"

"Okay. Be careful, Selene!" Elena calls after me as I jog back down the steps and outside.

"And a second to spare," Damon smirks looking away from his watch to me.

"Oh, shut up. You were not keeping track," I said going over to the driver's side of my truck.

"Oh, but I was."

I roll my eyes, "Get in, smart ass."

"As you wish, Princess," he says bowing.

We climb into my truck and I back out of the driveway and start heading for my old home.

******

"This is where lived?" Damon asked eyeing the house.

"Ummm, yeah," I frown seeing all the plants that had died outside the house. "It use to be prettier," I whisper. Tears came to my eyes thinking about how much my mother loved her garden.

"Selene?"

I blinked the tears away and climbed out of the truck, "Come on."

I knocked on the door but there was no answer. I walk over to the garage and peak inside the window, her car was gone.

"No one home?" Damon asks as I roll my eyes.

"Nope." I wave him to the shed. "Come on, and take off your jacket."

"Excuse me?"

I turn and look at him, "You want to sweat like a pig?"

"Vampire," he smirks.

"Okay, do you want to get dirt all over your jacket?"

He frowns, "No. Not really."

"Well," I say nodding. He pulls his jacket off and tosses it back in the truck. "Okay," I sigh throwing open the shed doors. "You can start by carrying the hay bails to the the truck...'

"What are you gonna do?" Damon asks.

"I've gotta hook the trailer up and load all the horses care thing onto it. So stop complaining."

"I wasn't complaining," Damon grumbles.

"Get to work," I said walking off. I got into the truck and started to back it up to the trailer. When I was close enough, I got out and quickly hooked it up. I then opened the doors to the trailer and walked back to the shed, passing Damon. I smile at him as hes stares grumpily back. I roll my eyes and start to grab the horse-brushes and stable rakes. I shoved the the brushes and other horse-cleaning supplies into a bag and then lifted the rakes over my shoulders.

"How many bails do you want?" Damon questions.

"Um, just fill the back of the truck. I can always get more later if need be," I say as I continued to walk.

Damon finished loading the hay bails quickly, cheating by using his vampire speed. He was helping me load the feed into the back of the truck cab when Liz came home.

"Incoming," Damon said clapping the dust off his hands.

I looked up to see Liz's blue Porsche come taring down the road towards us. "That would be her," I grumble as she just about took out the garage.

"Not very bright," Damon chuckles as Liz steps out of the car, "Oh a blonde. That explains it."

"Selene!" She squeals running towards us. She just about tackled me to the ground, wrapping me up into a hug. "How've you been?"

"Better," I smile.

"Your voice! It's back!"

"It's a miracle," I say shrugging, still smiling. All fake of course.

Liz giggles and then looks over to Damon as he hops down off the truck bed and next to me. "Oh, and who's this handsome young man?"

"Damon," he smiled holding out his hand, "Damon Salvatore."

"Liz Taylor," Liz giggled as Damon kissed her hand. I frowned slightly. "Are you Selene's boyfriend?"

"N-" I began.

"Yes," Damon said grabbing me around the waist. "Isn't she amazing?" Damon asked smiling.

Liz was slightly taken back. "She is, isn't she." I bit my lip, blushing. "Well, I'll be inside if you need anything," she winked at Damon and then walked off, clearly swaying her hips purposely.

I smack Damon's chest, "What was that about?"

Damon shrugs, "Easier to explain than, 'I'm a vampire and I'm trying to get my vampire girlfriend out of a spell-bound tomb'."

I nod, frowning, "True. Come on, time to get the horses." I saw waving him over to the stable. I push open the doors and was greeted by the familiar neighs and whinnies of my horses. I look up at and Damon's shocked face, "What?"

"How many horses do you have?"

"Only eight," I shrug, walking to the ropes.

"I should make you pay rent," he grumbles.

"Like you don't have enough money already," I say rolling my eyes. "I'll introduce you," I smile taking his hand and pulling him to the first stall. "This is Zues. He's a Friesian and he's my brothers and my horse. Even though my brother would say differently." I walk to the next stall. "This is Ebony. She's a Arabian and she's my horse. Next is Gabriel. He's a Clydesdale and he was my Dad's horse." I frown, quickly moving on. "This is Star, she is an Andalusian and she was my mothers horse.This is King. he's a Vladimir Heavy Draft, and he's my brother's horse. This is Lady. She's a Shire and shes mine and my mother's horse. This is Spirit, he's a Mustang. And he's my horse. And finally, this is Princess. She's a Thoroughbred and she was my sisters' horse." I turn to Damon. "Aren't they beautiful?" I shook my head, "Never mind. You're a guy. Here," I say handing him some harnesses. "You get the boys and I'll get the girls."

Damon nods and goes over to Zeus. I turn to Princess and gently place the harness around her snout and head. She whinnied softly and nipped at my hair. My lip began to quiver as I remembered Eos and Arethusa....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Come on, Sissy!" Cried Eos as she and Ari ran to the truck.

I smiled knowing what their little surprise was. Dad climbed out of the truck with Mom and they walked around the trailer and the girls ran after them.

"Close your eyes," Dad smiled.

The girls closed their eyes and placed their hands over them. Mom and I laughed. Dad pulled out the small white filly out of the trailer.

"Do you think they'll like her," Mom whisperedto me.

"Definitely," I smile.

"Okay," Dad said in a sing-songy voice. "Open your eyes!"

The girls screamed with delight when the laid their eyes on the filly. They hugged the filly, then our father, and then our mother. They ran back to the filly and started giving her all sorts of attention.

"What's her name?" I called.

The girls looked at each other, "Princess!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I jumped when someone touched my arm. I turned slowly to look at Damon.

"Selene?" He whispered kneeling down next to me.

"I'm fine," I whispered wiping away the tears. "I'm fine," I said again, standing up.

"Are you okay?" he asked. "Do you want to sit down?"

I shook my head, "I'm fine, Damon. Really."

He nodded as I walked off to Lady's stall. I could feel Damon watching me as I harnessed this other three mares. I started to walk out with Damon following me. Or trying to at least.

"Selene...they wont movie," Damon said tugging on the ropes.

I let go of the mares outside and held my hand up, palm facing the mares, as stop. I walked inside and took the stallion's from Damon and took them outside. I grabbed the mares's ropes and pulled them all to the trailer. I gave Damon the ropes outside of the trailer except for King. I took him in first and backed him into the first stall. I then took Lady next and put her in the stall next to King. I then took Gabriel and placed in across from Lady and Ebony across from King. I put Star behind Gabriel and Spirit behind Ebony. I brought in Princess and Zeus. Zeus nipped at my hair and I smiled rubbing my forehead against his.

"Cute," Damon smirked.

I glared at him, "Don't start, Damon."

"Don't what?"

"Start being a flirt. It's annoying," I say rolling my eyes and closing the trailer.

"Annoying? I heard I was quite dashing," he said coyly.

I rolled my eyes again, "Yeah. But you're taken, Damon. Don't you have any respect at all?" He gave me a quizzical look. "How do you think Katherine would feel, knowing how much you've gotten around in her absence? I know how I would feel."

"Someone is going through a mood swing," Damon narrowed his eyes.

"You're such an idiot sometimes, Damon," I hiss stalking off to the house. I knock on the door. Liz answers the door in a completely new, sluttier, outfit than before.

"Oh, hey, Selene," she smiles looking over my shoulder for Damon. "Where's your boyfriend?"

"Not my boyfriend," I said quickly. "More like a guy head over heels with a woman that he's trying to get back and I'm just a little helper." She looked at me, confused. "Never mind. We're leaving."

"So soon?" she pouts.

"Yeah, sorry. I'll talk to you later, Liz," I said waving to her and I walked off the porch. I climbed into the truck where Damon waited int he passenger seat.

It was silent for the longest time before Damon finally spoke, "Are you mad at me?"

I glare at him, "No shit."

"Why?"

"Because you're so clueless sometimes, Damon! That's why!"

Damon's lip twitched. he was anger now. Out of the corner of my eyes I could see him looking at me, inspecting me. Probably trying to find the quickest way to kill me. My phone went off in my bag. I went to get it but Damon got to it before me.

"Selene's phone, how may I help you," Damon said in a sing-songy voice. "Elena, how nice of you to call... Selene? She's just dandy...She's driving right now, wouldn't want to get into an accident. But I could take a message...Meet you at the Grill? Five o'clock. Okay, bye now." Damon hung up the phone and put it back in my bag. "Elena want's you to meet her and Bonnie at the Grill at five."

"So I've heard," I growl.

"Aww," Damon pouts. "Poor little Selene. Feels so bad for Kathrine."

"Just shut up, Damon," I whisper turning up the volume on the radio.

The rest of the ride home, Damon didn't say a word. I sighed when we finally made it back to the Salvatore house.

"Take that dirt road over there," Damon said nodding to the road a few yards away from the house.

The road wined-ed ways away from the house and ended at an old barn. I shut the truck off and climbed out. I grab a hay bail and take it into the barn. I was surprised when I didn't find the floors with a layer of dust and dirt.

"I cleaned it up some while you were in school," Damon said from behind me.

"Thanks," I mumble taking the hay into the first stall and start to spread it out. I was slightly surprised when to see Damon in the next stall throwing the hay around.

We finished the stalls quickly and I went to go get the horses.

"What do you want me to do with the extras?" Damon asked standing on the truck bed.

"Just set them inside." I say opening the doors to the trailer. One at a time I lead the horses into the barn and put them in their new home. After they were all put away I filled their water dishes and put feed in their food dishes. I looked at my phone and saw it was already four thirty.

"Shit," I mutter jogging out to the trailer and unhooking it from the truck.

"Selene?" Damon asked.

"I'm gonna be be late," I growl.

"Selene," Damon whispered from behind me. I spun around to find Damon inches from my face.

"What?" I hiss.

"Please stop being mad at me. I don't understand why you're so upset over this..." he says placing his hand on my cheek.

"Damon," I snap smacking his hand away, "Leave me alone. I don't want to talk to you ever again. You don't understand because I don't want you to understand, okay. Just leave me alone." I turn and get into the truck and sped off down the dirt road.

******

After a shower and a change of clothes I finally made it to the Grill. I quickly found Elena and Bonnie seated together.

"Hey guys, I'm so sorry I"m late," I huffed sitting down next to them.

"It's okay. I was just telling Bonnie that I was adopted," Elena smiled.

"Yeah, I can't believe you're adopted. I never saw that coming," Bonnie frowned.

"And it gets weirder. I looked at my birth certificate and it lists Miranda and Grayson Gilbert as my birth parents. None of it makes any sense."

"Which is why you should ask Jenna," I say taking one of Elena's fries. She groans.

"First of all, the Elena I know would always want the real truth, good or bad," said Bonnie.

"And second of all?"

"You just found out your boyfriend is a vampire. So unless your birth parents are aliens, how bad could it be?" Bonnie smiled.

Elena and I smiled back at her. "Uh, okay, look, I have to go to the store. My outfit for the dance is severely lacking accessories," Elena said standing up.

I stood up as well, "I"ll go with you."

"Okay, I'll pay the bill," smiled Bonnie.

"Okay, bye," said Elena.

"Bye, Bonnie," I smiled waving to her.

"Bye," she said waving back.

"So how was your day with Damon?" Elena asked as we made our way out of the packed Grill.

I frown looking down, "I told him to leave me alone and that I never wanna see him again."

"Really?" she asked looking at me. "Why did you do that? I mean, what happened?"

"I told him off for flirting and messing around with other girls, when he's in love with Katherine still..."

"You mean, you didn't like him flirting with you and messing around with you when you know he's in love with Katherine and not you?" Elena asked eyeing me.

I sigh, "Yeah."

"I'm sorry, Selene," she frowns.

I shrug, "What do I care? If he acts like that with Kathrine, why should I think he would act different with me?"

Elena's phone rang and she pulled it out of her bag. "Hello?...Hey, who is this?...Um, okay," she put the phone on speaker.

"Hello, Selene," the man on the other end spoke.

"Um...hi, who is this?"

"You hit me with your car, Elena." Elena and I looked at each other, shocked. "Is that a new one? You two got away from me." Elena and I turned around and saw a man come out an alleyway on his phone. "You won't next time."

"Get in the car. Go!" Elena said shoving me to the other side of Jenna's car. I quickly got in and we drove off. Elena drove us home and we quickly ran inside. Both of us were gasping for air, from fright. "We'll go see Stefan tomorrow...okay? First thing in the morning."

"Right. Daylight equals no vampires except Dumbass,which still sucks, and Stefan."

Elena smiled, "I'll see you in the morning, Selene. Night," she waved as we went to our separate ways to our rooms.

I closed my door and let out a long breath. I turned around and just about ran into Damon's chest. I chewed on the inside of my cheek to stop myself from yelling at him. Ignoring him, I walked around him and over to my dresser where I pulled out my Hello Kitty pajamas. I walked over to my closet and closed the doors. I quickly changed in the small space and when I opened the doors back up, Damon was lounging on my bed with my stuffed animals. Biting my tongue, I walked down to the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth. Before opening my door again, I closed my eyes, hoping he was gone. But he hadn't moved. I huffed.

I clenched my jaw as I climbed into bed. Damon shifted so he was right behind me. He wrapped an arm around my waist and put his lips in my ear. "Stop trying to ignore me, Selene," he whispered. "It's not going to work. It already isn't."

I shot up from the bed and grabbed the stake out of my purse. I spun and sunk it into his shoulder. He groaned in pain.

"Get the hell out of my room," I hiss.

His lip and nose twitched as he stood up. He pulls the stake out of his shoulder and drops it on the floor between us. "What have I done to you," he hissed.

"Showed me how much you really care for anyone, Damon. You only 'care' when it's of benefit to you. SO in all reality, you could care less wither I die or not. All you care about is getting your precious Kathrine back. So just leave me alone. I don't want you here, Damon. I hate you."

Damon blinked a few times, "I'm sorry you feel that way, Princess," he whispered. He kissed my forehead and then disappeared leaving my curtains blowing in the wind.