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ANNABEL LEE
004. MISS MYSTIC FALLS
season one, episodes eighteen and nineteen
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FEBRUARY 2010
STEFAN HIGH ON HUMAN BLOOD WAS WORSE THAN ANNABEL HAD IMAGINED. When Stefan had first proposed the quarantine period, forbidding Annabel to come to the house, she had been angry and frustrated—but now, watching him do what must have been the thousandth push-up of the day, she realized things were really taking a turn for the worse. Bon Jovi was blasting so loudly that Annabel didn't even realize Damon was behind her until he spoke. "Could you turn it up a little bit? It's not annoying yet."
Stefan, finally noticing their presence, said. "Sorry."
Annabel switched off the music. "When are you going back to school?" she asked.
"Soon," Stefan replied, still not stopping the push-ups.
"Oh, come on," Damon groaned. "Just drink already. Come on, this self-detox is not natural."
He offered his younger brother a glass filled with blood, and Stefan looked pained when he asked. "Can you get that away from me please?"
"Stefan," Annabel spoke softly. "How long did it take you to wean yourself off it the last time you, uh, indulged?"
Stefan didn't reply, continuing with his exercise as if he hadn't heard her.
"That's not good," Damon said pointedly.
"Are you sure you don't want to text Lexie?" Annabel asked desperately, aware that she was the only one who would be able to give the help Stefan needed.
"No," Stefan answered, hesitantly. "I... I'll be fine. It's just gonna take some time."
"I don't get it," Damon grumbled. "You know, you don't have to kill to survive. Blood banks are there for a reason. I haven't hunted a human in God knows how long."
"Oh, I'm impressed," Annabel said with a bit of sarcasm before she could stop herself.
"It's completely self-serving," Damon continued, ignoring her. "I'm trying to get the town off the trail of vampires which is not very easy since there's an entire crypt of them running around here."
"What do we plan on doing about that?" Stefan asked, and it was unsettling how he didn't even seem tired from the push-ups he was still doing.
"We aren't going to do much if you don't manage to regain your strength," Damon replied. "There's nothing wrong with getting healthy human blood from the blood bank. You're not actually killing anyone."
