ᴡᴀʏᴡᴀʀᴅ ⤕ ᴛᴠᴅ ³

three

He spoke without looking up. "You two should really learn to lock your front door, anyone could just waltz right in."

Stefan shared a look with his brother, deciding to take the lead on this one. "Mind telling us who you are." Damon interjected with a scowl. "And more importantly, what the hell you're doing in our house."

A smirk tore through his features. "Now is that any way to treat a guest."

Almost instantly, Damon flashed forward, wrapping his hand around the stranger's throat and pinning him to the wall. "I'm not in the mood for games, Prada. I've had a rough week."

He smiled humbly, not at all phased by the show of force, reaching a hand up and easily detaching the vampire's fingers from his throat. "Actually, dear, it's Armani."

Damon was effortlessly flipped to the floor before he could even blink, a polished black boot constraining him to the floor.

Stefan quickly jumped in, not fond of his brother's brash actions but defending him nonetheless. Only, as soon as he got anywhere near the intruder, his movements seemed sluggish compared to the speed of his opponent and he was lofted into the air by the throat.

He tutted softly, looking between the two. "I would have preferred a more civil encounter, but, you never know with the young ones."

The two were flung across the room. "Let's be clear here, as much as I enjoy a little tangle from time to time, I'm not here for either of you. I'm looking for Willa Harper. From what I understand, she held close relations with the pair of you."

The menacing posture melted from the brothers slightly as they shared a look, Stefan having been told Billie's real name when she was hammered one night last summer. "Who's asking?"

He feigned shock, putting a hand over his heart dramatically. "Oh how rude of me. My name is Ricky DeMartin, pleasure... I'm sure." He grinned dazzlingly at them, dropping the gesture in a single half second to get back on topic, sauntering back towards the drinks and picking up his glass again.

He continued after a sip of the bourbon, flicking his gaze between them and smiling cordially, the older vampire straightened the hem of his suit slightly. "Willa was under my employment... I work with her parents."

Stefan scrunched his brows together, stepping forward carefully. What were Billie's parents doing with a vampire? And since when did she have a job? A low snarl erupted from the dark haired Salvatore's throat at the mention of them, having known how they treated Billie.

"If you're here looking for her, you're too late." Stefan revealed.

"I beg your pardon?" 

The brothers shared another look, explaining to Ricky shortly what had happened to his most valuable employee. 

By the end, Stefan thought he saw what looked to be regret behind the businessman's eyes. "Then Noah was right..." He muttered quietly. He'd asked the clairvoyant's father for help finding Billie without the knowledge of his wife when she didn't answer the phone, but he hadn't been able to locate her no matter how many spells he attempted.

He straightened his suit once again. "Will you excuse me just a moment."

Ricky held out a hand, signalling for them to wait, pulling out his phone to call in a favour. "Polly, yes, it's been a while. I need you to activate Chip 238 for me. Make it snappy."

Damon scoffed quietly. "You put a tracker on her?"

Ricky hung up the phone, looking at the vampire like he was an idiot. "I wasn't about to let her leave Brooklyn on her own without at least a little precaution. And look how that turned out." He glared pointedly at the two of them, pocketing his phone in the folds of his jacket and heading for the door.

On a second thought, he turned, looking hesitant before he spoke. "I'll... be sure to let you know if we find her." He pursed his lips slightly. "I'm sorry for your loss."

There was a short silence after he left until Damon, threw his hands out at his sides, bewildered by the strange encounter. "What the hell just happened?"

⤕

They were contacted by an unknown number all of two hours after the odd meeting, given coordinates that led to the middle of nowhere. Stefan had brought Elena, seeing as she was with him when he'd received the message, explaining quickly what had happened earlier.

At the end of the dirt road, Ricky stood tall, leaning against his shiny, black car waiting for them. "Took you long enough. Who's the lovely lady?"

Elena looked to Stefan carefully but Damon answered instead. "Quit the act and let's move."

Ricky put his hands up in surrender, pushing off the car and gesturing animatedly. "Follow me then, boys... and girl."

They walked silently for a time and while the Salvatores seemed comfortable with the lack of conversation, Elena was practically bursting with questions. "So... Billie was working for you?"

Ricky turned his head to the side, smiling small and humming in reply. 

Damon sent her a warning look, but she ignored it and kept prodding. "For how long?"

"It would be about five or six months by now." He said, periodically glancing down at his phone to see where they were going.

"What did she do for you?" 

Ricky waved his hand flippantly. "Oh, just a little advice from time to time. Kept the business running smoothly. I suppose we'll have to make do on our own from now on."

The doppelganger pursed her lips, unhappy with how nonchalant he was being about her death. "How did you meet her?"

Ricky didn't answer right away, turning to walk backwards so he could meet her eyes, glancing carefully at the brothers that practically flanked her like bodyguards before turning around again. "Like I told the pair o' brooding Twilights behind you, I worked with her parents."

His answer was short, but the silence that followed told him that she wasn't happy with it, so he reluctantly elaborated. "Of course, I had no idea she even existed until she ran away to Brooklyn one sunny morning to resolve her mommy and daddy issues. Didn't work out so well, if you were wondering. And hitherto, began our little friendship." His dramatic way of speaking infuriated the brunette, but at least he gave answers.

Very suddenly and before Elena could get out another question, Ricky stopped dead in his tracks, holding up a hand instructing the trio behind him to do the same. They stood in dead silence for a long moment before Ricky smiled wide, straightening his suit.

"Should have known I'd see you lurking around this century's clairvoyant."

He flashed off to the right, pinning Klaus to the bark of a tree with a forearm across his shoulders, hard enough that the trees rattled above them.

The original smirked subtly, slipping out of his hold by swiping his feet out from under him, pouncing before he could get back up.

"Touchè, Rick."

yalllll, i thought it was gonna be a surprise to everyone that ricky came to mystic falls at the end of the last chapter but i'm pretty sure like half of ye knew it was him lmaoooooo, i thought i was all slick n unpredictable n shiii 😂😂

look at meeee, spoilin yall with three memes in a row, i'm gettin sowftt