The New Original

C is for Cuddles, Camaros, and... Crucifixes?

The next morning I woke up to a weight around my waist and soft, warm breaths against my hair. Despite remembering the way I had to drag Damon's drunk ass into my spare room quite clearly, I opened my eyes to find his bare chest staring back at me. When I tried to leave, he only pulled me closer until I had to tilt my head down to avoiding smashing my nose into his sternum.

"Damon. Damon!" I whisper shouted, pushing against his chest. It was too early for real shouting.

" No." He whined, burying his face in my hair. "If I wake up then it becomes real. If I wake up, then she never loved me."

I closed my eyes again with a soft sigh. " Half an hour, then we have to be on the road."

" Thank you."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two hours later I found myself driving the camaro while Damon continued to drink.

"So, Whitmore..." He spoke up. " Please tell me your master plan to cure me from the heartbreak of the century isnt just a frat party."

" First of all," I lifted a finger from the steering wheel, " dont pretend you wouldnt be drowning yourself in sorority girls without me." I lowered the finger as he conceded. " Second of all, no. Unlike some people," I sent him a pointed look, " I have taste. We do have some business in one of the dormitory buildings though."

" Which one?"

" Whitmore House."

Damon tensed. "Why?"

I smirked. "To pick up a friend for our trip and end a game thats 50 years running."

" What game?" He tried to play it off.

" Whack-a-Whitmore. Theres only 3 left and one of them is carrying out the family legacy."

" And your friend?"

" Your friend."

" Not possible." He snapped. " It burned down. All of it, society and prisoner alike. I know, I was there." His voice took on a self-deprecating tone. " I let it happened."

I pulled one of his hands out of his lap to hold. " Except someone survived, and they made sure their research did too. Dr. Grayson Gilberts basement office proved that. Prisoner 12144, captive 66 years."

Damon stared out the window in silence. " Enzo." He whispered.

" Fair warning though," he looked up, " he is going to kick your ass. Especially when you tell him about Maggie."

" Maggie?"

" Maggie James, the Augustine observer he fell in love with. You killed her when your humanity switch was off."

" When?"

" November 8th 1960. The night JFK was elected. She asked about the fire, called you a monster, and tried to inject you with vervain in an Augustine marked syringe. In retaliation and self-defense, you choked her until her head popped off before posing her like your brother does." I explained.

" I remember." He answered solemnly, before his face twisted in confusion. " Grayson, Gilbert... as in Elena Gilbert?"

" His biological niece and adopted daughter. Unfortunately, shes off limits for now."

" Right. This new doctor got a name then?"

" Wes Maxfield, hes a professor. This may take a few days, they may have wisened up and started drinking vervain. Well have to drain him to get answers."

" Can't we just storm the place?" Damon huffed impatiently.

" You really think we wont need an invitation to enter a vampire experimentation facility?"

" Fine. So, about those sorority girls.." He was very good at hiding his emotions behind a wall of douchbaggery.

I took my hand back and put it on the steering wheel. " You may go to one party, no compulsion, and you have to be discreet. I dont need two of you to rescue."

" You say that like you're not joining me." He pouted.

" You say that like I am."

~~~~~~~~~

When we arrived at Whitmore, we waited outside Dr. Maxfields lecture hall until the last of his students had left.

" Wes Maxfield?" I asked, walking towards his desk alone.

He looked up. " Yes, can I help you?"

" No, I grinned, " but he can."

Damon blurred around him and injected a tranquilizer into his neck.

~~~~~~~~~~

After using a janitors cart to get Wes's Body to the car, I drove us to a house I had secured over the weekend. The previous owner was a piece of shit and the basement was sound proof, so I killed him and made sure no one would report him missing. The neighbors thought I was a court ordered therapist.

" Welcome to Casa del Dolore." I proclaimed once we reached the basement.

Damon stared. " Is that a crucifix?"

" He wants to engineer a plague that turns vampires into cannibalistic rippers, sounded biblical to me." I shrugged before bouncing on my toes excitedly. " Ooh, ooh. And get this, its set up on a pulley system so we can lower his head into a barrel of water," I motioned to the supply of them on the left, " or hover him over a fire," I gestured to an iron pit on the right.

He looked down at me. " I dont know whether to be turned on or run."

" Depends on if you plan to betray me. I wanted to strap a bucket of live rats to his stomach, but well probably need him to get in." I pouted. " Anyway, how would you like the honor of chaining him up?"

Shaking his head, he smirked. " It would be my pleasure." Wes woke up as Damon finished securing his head. " Well, hello there." Damon stepped back beside me.

Wes lifted his eyes to us.

I smiled wide. " Whats up, Doc?"