The Supernatural Diaries {Book One}

Family Ties: A Series of Unfortunate Events Pt. 2

THE SALVATORES

Zach was walking past the living room to get to the kitchen when he suddenly came to a stop and turned around to see Damon lounging on the couch, his eyes narrowed and his brow furrowed in concentration as he flipped through pages of a school binder. "I didn't know you were here," Zach said, trying to keep his voice steady. "Just going through Stefan's homework. Boy, this country sure has dumbed down in the last hundred years," Damon sighed. "Why he wants to go to high school is beyond me. I mean, in the 70's he went Ivy League-- Harvard-- that I understood. Actually, I didn't get that either."

The youngest Salvatore stood there eyeing his uncle warily while Damon continued to flip through the pages of Stefan's homework. "Go ahead, purge," Damon said knowingly. "Get it out. What's on your mind?" Zach hesitated. This could be a trap, and knowing how conniving Damon was, Zach wouldn't put it past his uncle. But on the other hand, some things needed to be said. "Why are you here, Damon?" he asked brazenly. Damon paused and slowly looked up from the binder with a steely expression. However, his neutrality did nothing to dim the wild look in his piercing blue eyes. "To spend time with you, Zach. Family is important," Damon remarked.

Zach remained unconvinced and folded his arms tightly across his chest. "I know you. You always have a motive, so what is it? Is it Dean?" At the mention of his ex-lover, Damon snarled and jumped off the couch, and lunged at his nephew. In a flash, Damon had his fist clasped around his nephew's throat and lifted him a foot off the ground. "You are in no position to question me. Especially, when it's about my love life," he growled. "I didn't mean to upset you," Zach choked out. Damon scoffed, "Trust me, nephew. This is not me when I'm upset."

"HEY!" came the voice of Stefan as he entered the foyer. "What's going on?" Damon scoffed and lowered at his brother with a condescending smirk. "Having a family moment, Stefan," he said as he let go of his nephew's neck. "Spending some quality time." Then, he laughed cruelly, stepped over his nephew's body, and walked out of the living room.

Once he was out of sight and earshot, Stefan knelt to help Zach to his feet, and said, "Are you okay?" "No, I'm not," Zach snapped. "And neither are you. How many more people have to die before you see that?" "I see it, alright, Zach, I see--" Before Stefan could finish his thought, he was cut off by his nephew. "Then why aren't you doing anything about it? Why isn't the Winchester boy doing anything about it?" the youngest Salvatore ranted. "I can't, Zach. Neither of us can, not without human blood or risking Dean's mortality," Stefan spat.

Zach looked around to see if Damon was still around, before saying, "Vervain could weaken him if he ingested it. It could help the two of you gain the upper hand." "Vervain hasn't grown here since 1865," Stefan countered. "Damon saw to that. The little I had, I gave to Elena. Dean is the only one who still has Vervain left, and even then I doubt that it's enough to subdue him."

Zach let out a deep exhale before giving his uncle a suspicious glance. Stefan narrowed his eyes inquisitively, "What is it?" "I think you better come with me," Zach muttered. Then he led him out of the living room and down the hall towards the basement. They traveled down a flight of stairs that went deep beneath the house until Zach stopped in front of a metal door and unlocked it, revealing an indoor terrarium filled to the brim with blooming Vervain plants. "You've been growing it?" Stefan gasped.

"It's just something that was passed down through the generations," Zach, much the concern of Stefan. "Blood only runs so deep when you're related to vampires. Damon would kill me if he knew I had it." "Does Dean know about this?" Stefan questioned. "Know about it?" Zach scoffed. "He's my main customer." "And now you're telling me?" Stefan persisted. "Why?"