(1) The Phoenix (D. Salvatore)

Chapter Eighty-Five

Daphne doesn't go straight back to the Boarding House. There is a book she wants to pick up from the Gilbert house. A specific book. Damon was on about those murders in 1912, and she knows there is a Gilbert journal from around then knocking about. She's seen in. Not recently, but she knows there is one. Grayson showed her one summer. Told her that she could read them when she was older. Well, now she is older. Now she can read them. Now she can't find them. She closes the wardrobe door and purses her lips. There was a back compartment to the wardrobe but it is empty. That's where she was sure the books were. There are other places for her to try though. She kneels on the floor and then yanks back the rug to reveal two uneven floorboards below. She knocks on the floorboards before she pulls them up. She knows her parents' hiding spots. The wardrobe was the big one but she is sure there are many other places the book could be around the house. But before she can search the hole, her phone rings on the dresser. She sighs a little and pushes herself back to her feet to answer it. Bonnie's name flashes on the screen as she picks it up.

"Now's not really a great time" Daphne argues as she picks up the phone. She wants to talk to Bonnie in-person to admit what she did, and not over the phone and Bonnie asking her for help isn't great for her guilt.

"I just wanted to know if you could come by the witch house" Bonnie argues. Daphne lets out a breath and a moment of silence stretches on as she tries to think of a good enough excuse as to why she can't. "I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important, Daph" Bonnie adds. Daphne closes her eyes. Bonnie is her friend and she is asking for help, after what Daphne did, going and helping could be a means to make up for it. To apologise. Plus she does want to talk to her in person.

"Okay, give me an hour" Daphne offers and then hangs up. Find the journal then she can go and bare all to Bonnie. Likely cut that friendship short. There is no way Bonnie or Abby are going to forgive her for what she did. She kneels back on the floor and takes a deep breath as she stares into the hole before she then reaches into the floor and searches around by touch, hoping that if there is something in here, it isn't going to be hidden too deep, her arm is only so long. She supposes she could use magic. A summoning spell. That would be a hell of a lot easier. She leans back and holds out her hand. Her wand flies into her hand from her bed before she aims it down towards the hole. "Accio"

She sits on her backside and unwraps the book-shaped object. If this isn't a book, she's going to smack someone. But she's in luck. It is a leather-bound journal. She throws away the paper covering and opens up the journal.

......

At the Salvatore Boarding House, Stefan is sitting in front of the fireplace when Damon walks into the room, tucking his phone away. He was hoping Daphne would have made her way back by now, but she's responded that she's going to meet with Bonnie and Abby. He looks across at his brother.

"They let Ric go" He informs him. "Sheriff Forbes says she's out of suspects again, but Ric is in the clear. I know it may not seem like it, but you did really well tonight. And before you know it you're gonna be the king of moderation. Elena will understand" After leaving Daphne at the Grill, Damon pushed Stefan a little. Getting him to feed and control himself. He did. Just. He just managed it. it's a start. Whatever Daphne's spell did, it's working.

"Doesn't really matter what Elena thinks"

"Uh-uh, none of that. No more no-humanity Stefan. Daph's spell did its job...so I know you're not 100% dick anymore. There's a road called recovery and we are on it" Stefan gets up and walks over to Damon.

"Why do you even care, huh?" Stefan asks. Damon shrugs a little. "The whole brother bonding thing...Because you can stop, go back to hating me. It was a lot easier"

"Can you for one minute actually believe that I'm trying to help you?" Damon counters.

"I don't need your help" Stefan scolds.

"You don't need my...Are you kidding me? Do you remember what happened last time you said that?"

"What are you talking about?"

"1912, Stefan. The last time I convinced you to drink human blood" Damon reminds him. "The Founders' Council killer had nothing on you. By the decade's end, they were calling you the Ripper of Monterrey. I let you walk away. I watched you go over the edge, I didn't do anything to stop you.

"You couldn't have" Stefan assures him.

"Sure I could've. But I just didn't want to. But I want to now. And whenever you go too far, I will be there to pull you back. Every second, every day, till you don't need me"

"Why?" Stefan asks quietly. Damon lets out a breath.

"'Cause right now, you and Daphne.....you're all I got" Damon admits. "I'd do anything to keep it that way" Stefan raises an eyebrow at Damon. With his humanity back on, Stefan has noticed more or maybe cares to pay attention more is better. So he's noticed Damon and Daphne more. He's noticed his brother's feelings for Daphne.

"You really like her, don't you?" Stefan asks, Damon glances at him. "The witch" Stefan elaborates. Damon snorts and shrugs.

"Yeah" He admits and then lets out a breath. "Yeah, I do" He really does. It's different with Daphne. All that time he spent thinking he was in love with Katherine, it was nothing like this. Real emotion and affection. Real connection. Daphne's different for him. The first person since Katherine that he's felt this deeply for, only this time; it's real.