Plotting
Fühlt sich an wie Ewigkeiten, seit ich das letzte Mal ein Kapitel hochgeladen. 1 1/2 Monate. Ich schäm mich richtig dafür.
Beim Schreiben des Kapitels hab ich gemerkt, dass ich ziemlich raus bin - aus meiner eigenen FF, ist das überhaupt möglich? Ich find das sehr traurig, da ich doch sehr an dieser FF hänge. Ab und zu denk ich es wäre vllt besser nach Katherines Tod das Ganze zu beenden. Ich möchte nicht, dass die Story übermäßig in die Länge gezogen wird, obwohl nichts dabei rumkommt.
Auch krieg ich in letzter Zeit größtenteils negative Kommentare, die mir auch zu denken geben...
Dieses Kapitel, obwohl ich so lange dafür gebraucht habe, ist auch nicht viel. Es passiert nicht wirklich was. Seht es einfach als einen Filler an. Das nächste ist schon in Arbeit. Hab angefangen unterwegs auf meinem Handy weiterzuschreiben, damit ich schneller vorankomme und die Updates nicht so lange auf sich warten lassen. Wann ich das nächste Kapitel aber hochlade steht noch in den Sternen, denn ich muss mich jetzt erstmal aufs Abi konzentrieren und auf meine Arbeitsproben, die ich für den Studiengang, für den ich mich bewerben möchte, vorzeigen muss.
Wünsche euch trotzdem viel Spaß beim Lesen!
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The next morning Elena met Bonnie in the school hallway by the lockers.
"Good morning."
"Morning," Bonnie replied while she collected her books. "I made a ring for Caroline last night. She'll be able to walk in the sun now. She's gonna stay with Stefan until she knows how to control her instincts."
"Thank you, Bon. I know it wasn't an easy thing for you to do," Elena said.
"No, it wasn't. And I still don't trust her. The terms haven't changed."
"What terms?" Elena asked confused.
"After I helped Stefan save Damon I told him I'd take Damon out the second he spills innocent blood," Bonnie told her. "Same goes for Caroline now."
"But, Bonnie, she's our friend! You're not really going to kill, are you?"
"If necessary, I will," the witch answered when the bell rang. "Come on, we're gonna be late."
She walked ahead, leaving Elena by the lockers. Elena stared after her, shocked by her attitude.
When school was over Elena was picked up by Damon like the day before.
"Hi, how was school?" he asked her, grinning.
"Hmm," she mused aloud. "Boring?"
"That's my girl."
They kissed until Elena pulled away with a frown on her forehead.
"I'm worrying about Bonnie," she told him.
"Why?"
"She said she'd take Caroline out if she couldn't control herself."
"Let's hope she's patient because recently-turned vampires tend cause a lot of trouble. Even though Caroline already did that and feels regret there will always be times when she'll be on the edge of control."
"Way to encourage me, Damon."
"Sorry. I'm only telling the truth. But I'm sure Stefan will take good care of her. And I keep an eye on her, too, if you want me to," he offered.
"I'd like that," she agreed smiling.
"Okay then. Let's go."
They got into the car and Damon started the engine but didn't pull out of the parking lot yet.
"What's stopping you?" Elena asked.
"There's something I need you to do for me," he explained.
"And that is...?"
"Talk to Liz. You ruined our friendship. Now you have to fix it again," he answered.
"No problem."
"We're meeting Stefan and Barbie there," he informed as he started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot. "Barbie wants to at least try to tell Liz the news. If she freaks out we can still compel her to forget. But she has to know that her daughter's alive and healthy before she reports her missing."
"She has a name, you know," Elena reminded him sourly.
"Huh?"
"Liz' daughter. She has a name and it's not Barbie. Or Blondie 'cause I know you were going to say that next," she added quickly.
He grinned. "You know me all to well. So, I hope that Caroline is able to handle it because I'm not in the mood to compel Liz."
"She'll be devastated."
"Definitely," Damon agreed.
When they arrived at the station house Stefan and Caroline were already waiting for them. Caroline was beaming much to their surprise.
"I can finally be in the sun again," she told them happily and showed her new jewelry, a golden ring, to them. "It was grandma's," she added grinning. "All Gone With The Wind-like."
"Well, let's get it over with," Damon said, took Elena's hand and led them inside.
Caroline and Stefan would wait outside Liz' office until Damon would give them their cue to come in. Damon knocked at the door and waited for an invitation. Then him and Elena entered.
The sheriff had been staring at some papers on her desk but when they came in she looked up. Catching sight of Damon her eyes narrowed.
"You."
"Me," Damon confirmed, smirking.
"Good afternoon, sheriff," Elena greeted her politely. "Do you have a minute for us?"
"Sure," Forbes agreed and her features softened a little. "Have a seat, please."
"Thanks."
Damon closed the door and him and Elena sat down opposite the sheriff.
"What can I do for you?"
"We're here to repair Damon's reputation so-to-speak. I am," Elena corrected herself.
Liz frowned. "I remember you telling me he can't be trusted the last time you were here. So I take it you're going to tell me that he is trustworthy again?"
"Exactly," Damon and Elena answered in chorus.
They shared a grin before Elena began to elaborate.
"Yes, Damon regained everyone's trust last Friday when he killed Katherine," she told her.
Damon shot her a glance at the lie but managed to hide his surprise well.
"He did? What happened?" Forbes demanded.
"Katherine kidnapped me and Damon saved me," Elena shared the abridged version with her. "And the only way to do that was to drive a stake through her heart."
"The bitch deserved nothing else," Damon added darkly.
"Why the sudden change of heart?" Liz questioned him.
"I realized who I really care about," Damon replied, took Elena's hand and squeezed it gently.
She gave him a small smile.
"So the two of you are together now?"
"Yup," Elena confirmed and they both had a goofy grin on their face.
"How do I know that you didn't compel her?" Liz asked Damon suspiciously.
"I'm wearing vervain," Elena told her before Damon could even open his mouth, and pointed at the necklace she was wearing. It was Damon's. She had been wearing it since Friday night after getting rid of Katherine's, and bathed it in liquid vervain. However, she never opened the locket, remembering that Damon had once told her not to do so in order to keep the charm intact. Every now and then she got curious and tried to figure out what kind of charm he could have placed on it...
The sheriff sighed and a small smile grazed her lips. "Well, I'm happy you came to reason, Damon. I'm glad to have you back."
"I'm at your service, Liz," he said, smirking.
"Good because I've got some really disturbing news."
"Um, so do we," Elena informed her nervously.
"What is it?"
"Now." That was the cue for Stefan and Caroline.
There was a knock on the door before it opened and the two vampires came inside. At the sight of her daughter Liz' features relaxed in relief.
"Sweetheart, where have you been? I've been so worried about you!"
She got up to throw her arms around her and Caroline approached her, too, momentarily forgetting that she shouldn't get too close to humans at the moment. Fortunately, Damon had not and quickly sped between them, stretching out his arm to Caroline to keep her away.
"I don't think that's a good idea, Caroline," he warned her.
"Damon, what's the meaning of this?" Liz demanded.
"Um, Mom, something happened..." Caroline began timidly.
Stefan advised the sheriff to take a seat which she did after they told her what had happened. She was pale.
"How's this possible?" she asked weakly.
"Katherine was bored," Damon muttered. "And when a vampire gets bored it never turns out well. She probably thought your daughter could be her new bff and assist her by causing some additional havoc.
"So..." Forbes turned to her daughter with tears in her eyes. "So you're dead?"
"Technically, yes," the new vampire affirmed. "But, mom, please don't cry. I'm still here!" she added dismayed when her mother burst into tears. "Can I hug her, please? Just once?"
Damon hesitated. Caroline wasn't stable yet. Andy close contact to humans could turn out ugly. But she had been able to control herself with Elena before. One had to take that into consideration. However in the end it was Liz who decided about that.
"No, it's okay. I'm fine," she contradicted, wiping her eyes with a tissue.
Caroline looked at her, heartbroken but she avoided it.
"I think it's time for a long due conversation," Damon emphasized. He took a seat, leant back in his chair and watched the sheriff closely. "You still haven't told us how you're feeling about us being vampires."
Liz' gaze dropped to her hands with which she was fidgeting nervously. She seemed to contemplate her words carefully before she answered.
"I'm not happy of course," she began. "All this time I've been hunting down vampires. I've seen what they can do to humans. I've been taught to be afraid of them and kill them if I have a chance to. I'm a little confused right now." Damon nodded, silently encouraging her to go on. Against John they had been allies but now Liz had to make a decision. So much was at stake. If she chose to be their enemy and hunt them she would not only end their alliance but also abandon her daughter.
"I have a question, Damon," she said.
"Go on."
"All this time when you were working with me and for the council, was it all just an act to gain my trust?"
That was the big question, the elephant in the room. Damon had anticipated it all the way but never actually thought he would have to deal with it. Yet here he was, facing the truth.
"At first, yes," he admitted. "I had to anything so that you wouldn't suspect and come after us. So I joined the council, supplied the town with vervain and got rid of other vampires for you." He paused, letting her take that in. "But the motives for my actions have changed, Liz. I no longer have any secret agenda. I just want to lead a peaceful life with no trouble in my hometown. I promise my brother and I mean neither you nor any other human in this town any harm. And I would like to continue working for you and at the service of the council if you let me."
Liz pursed her lips and folded her hands, thinking about it. Everyone could see the battle that was going on inside of her. Would she hold on to general beliefs or would she make her own choice and believe him? Damon gave her a look of full understanding and sincerity. He had never betrayed her once. He had even killed his own species. And he had already made his choice. He was on her side. At least he claimed so.
And then there was Caroline. Her becoming a vampire had been Liz' worst nightmare and now it had become real. But she couldn't just abandon her daughter because of it, could she? She knew that if she was to accept Caroline as a vampire she would have accept the Salvatores, too.
Finally she told them their decision.
"I believe you," she let him know. "And... I trust you. I'll accept you for who and what you are, as vampires, but I know that you aren't anything like monsters we killed together."
A wave of relief went through the group. Damon gave Liz a grateful smile and a nod which she returned.
Now Stefan spoke. "We're going to help Caroline adjust to her new life," he announced. "Help her control her instincts so that she can be among humans again without posing a threat to them."
Thank you. I really appreciate that."
"I was thinking about keeping her out of school till Friday to make sure she is ready," he added. "She can stay at our house so long."
"It's fine with me," the sheriff agreed. She exchanged a glance with Caroline who flashed a smile into her direction. "Well, there's actually something I wanted to talk to you, too."
"Please go ahead."
"Remember when I told you about the sightings that were reported months ago?"
"Yeah."
"It's getting worse. A few people now claim it wasn't grizzlies but wolves. Large wolves, at least 10 feet in length. When I heard it I remembered you telling me that they're werewolves."
"Exactly," Damon affirmed. "Any injured or casualties even?"
"A dozen casualties, unfortunately. No one who got injured seems to survive it," Liz told them. "The victims were physically torn apart. It's a nasty sight." She paused for a moment. "Look," she continued then. "I'm worried about Mason Lockwood. We're working together in the council as you know but every time we meet up I feel like he knows that I know."
"Yeah, they're sneaky like that."
"Damon!" Stefan scolded him. "Don't pick a fight with them."
"I wasn't going to," Damon defended himself.
"You'd lose. Don't forget that the bite is fatal," his brother persisted.
"According to some legend Isobel picked up yada yada yada." Damon waved it off.
"Damon!" Now it was Elena scolding him like Stefan before.
He looked at her and their gazes locked. Her eyes were conveying a message. Don't take any chances.
"Jeez, relax, I was just going to have a civil conversation with him, that's all."
"There's no need to," Stefan objected. "I'll only lead to trouble and we've had enough of that already. I say we leave them alone and mind our own business."
"But all the people who are in danger because of them," Elena reminded him.
"Exactly," Damon supported her argument, glad that they were on the same page here. "Besides, we don't know what Mason's up to. I don't trust him. We're enemies by nature. It's kill or be killed. At some point we have to take them out 'cause I don't want to die yet."
"Why don't we wait till they approach the matter? If they attack us I'm all with Damon on this," Caroline declared. "I'm glad I can still be a part of this world. But if they want a peaceful life just like us we'll leave them alone."
"And the human victims?" This from Damon.
"I could talk to him," Liz suggested. "Attract his attention to the attacks as a council business."
"Didn't you say he suspects you already?"
"I'm not one hundred per cent sure," she evaded.
"I think it's a good idea," Stefan said. "If he under whatever circumstances reveals his secret to you, you can ask him nicely to mind the humans during his transformations."
"Their transformation. Plural."
"We don't know that," Caroline contradicted Damon. "Maybe it's only Mason. Doesn't have to be all of them."
"That's right," Liz picked it up. "We still don't know how they trigger the curse."
"So you really think it's only Mason who triggered the curse already?"
"The attacks started with Mason's arrival after all. If the mayor was a werewolf, too, then why weren't their any attacks before?"
"Maybe he had himself more under control," Damon opined drily.
"Or maybe Liz is right," Stefan replied. "Liz, reviewing the attacks, would you say that they were committed by only one or more wolves?"
Liz thought about it. "No, I think it was only one."
"That makes the rest of the Lockwood family human," Elena concluded.
"I can watch Tyler at school and report back to you if I notice something strange about him," Caroline offered.
"If he turned he should be obviously stronger than the others," Stefan told her.
"I can watch him during football practice. And if he throws the ball harder than usual we'll know."
"I think the plan sucks," Damon complained.
"Too bad, Damon, 'cause we're doing this," Elena declared firmly. "We won't take easy way out this time."
Damon shot her an irritated glance but she was unperturbed.
"Okay. Let's do it this way," Stefan agreed, closing the discussion.
