Zach's Daughter (The Vampire Diaries fan fic!!!!!!)

Chapter 19__Miss Mystic Falls

Finally back in school and feeling ten times better, I sat in history as Mr. Saltzman, A.K.A Alaric the vampire hunter, told the class, "Okay, this week we're gonna set aside our regular curriculum for a lesson in local history as we approach Founder's Day. Apparently, the community leaders feel it's more important than World War ||, but, hey, what do I know?"

He was interrupted when a certain witch opened the door, the first time I'd seen her since the day her and her Grams Sheila had opened the tomb and Sheila had died.

"Sorry I'm late," Bonnie said.

"Well, it looks like we will be at full occupancy today," Alaric said as she went to take a seat. "Welcome home, Bonnie."

She nodded to me as she passed by, and I gave her a small, sad smile as she sat next to Elena, smiling a little, and then she looked at Stefan, her smile fading as she looked away.

What was that about?

~

Surprisingly, I got home before Stefan did, walking in and putting my bag next to the stairs as Damon asked, "Where's Stefan?"

"Right behind me," I told him as Stefan came in.

"How was school?"

"Fine," Stefan answered.

"Yeah? Same old, same old? Nothing new? No stories to bring home?"

I gave him a suspicious look. "You're making small talk, why?"

"Well, you seem a little less bitter about everything," Damon said while looking at me, then looked at Stefan. "And you seem awfully chipper lately, less doom and gloom, a little more pep in your step."

"And you think it's because I drank human blood again," Stefan stated.

"I don't want to brag, but I would definitely take responsibility for this new and improved you."

"If he turns out anything like you, it's actually a downgrade, not an improvement," I said.

Damon turned his head to look at me with a narrowed eyed 'look', which I just smiled a little smirk back at. "And here I thought we were making progress."

I shrugged.

"And I hated to burst your bubble, but I'm clean," Stefan said, getting his attention back.

"Yeah, not possible," Damon sang.

"Not only is it possible, but it is quite true."

"Stefan, just be serious for a second. You spent the last century and a half being a poster child for Prozac, and now you expect me to believe that this new you had me nothing to do with human blood. Nothing."

Stefan shrugged as he backed away. "I'm clean."

"You're lying!" Damon complained.

"Believe what you want."

Stefan left, and Damon asked me, "You believe him?"

"Nope," I said, turning around for the stairs and going up.

~

The next day, the door bell rang, and I went to open the door for a guy I didn't know, and he asked, "Where's Damon?"

I looked behind me with confusion as Damon walked into the room.

"Hey, partner!" the guy said, walking in, past me.

"Please, come right on in without anyone telling you to," I said with bitter sarcasm as I pushed the door closed.

"What do you want?" Damon asked. He obviously didn't like him.

"You haven't returned any of my calls," the guy answered.

"Most people take that as a hint."

"Where do we start looking for vampires?"

I blinked. I hadn't known this guy had known about vampires.

"How do you act, John?" Damon asked. "You obviously don't care about catching vampires, you're here talking to me."

"This is John?" I asked dubiously. "The one you're worried about exposing you to the Council when obviously, he doesn't care?"

I crossed my arms across my chest as John looked back at me. "Actually, Nicola, I care very much."

I gave him a suspicious look. "How do you know me?"

"I know a lot of things, more than you know, and your name is the least of my concern."

He looked back at Damon as I glared at him, saying, "I just met you and I don't like you."

"You might not like me, but we have a common thought."

"Really?" I asked. "Like what?"

"Killing vampires."

I didn't answer, and Damon asked, "What Isobel say about that? I mean, considering she is one."

"Isobel and I share a mutual interest," John said. "The original Johnathan Gilbert has an in invention that was stolen by a vampire. That vampire was then burned alive in Fell's Church, or so Johnathan thought and the invention was lost forever. But then the vampires weren't killed, were they? They were trapped and now they're free, thanks to you, which means the invention is retrievable."

"What is it?" Damon asked.

"The only thing that matters is that I want it back and you're going to help me if you want your secret safe." John looked back toward me. "Because it won't only be you and your brother that would get hurt. What do you think the Council would do to a vampire sympathizer?"

I scoffed. "Me? A vampire sympathizer? To Stefan, maybe. I tolerate Damon."

"Yes, that would be the proper explanation for the vampires you helped convince to leave the tomb," John said sarcastically, and I opened my mouth as he looked back at Damon, who looked as confused as to why or how he would know that much about me.

Damon looked at John. "Why bring me into it, John? Why threaten Nicola? I mean, I don't know what you are talking about much less who has it, and she doesn't have anything to do with it."

"Oh, come on, Damon!" John said. "I'm not threatening her, I'm merely stating fact. And you were around back then, you know who these people are, what they look like. He was friendly with a woman who turned out to be a vampire. Her name was Pearl. Does that ring a bell?"

Uh, yeah. Anna's mother. Neither of us answered, and Damon looked toward me. He looked back at John. "I'm not playing anymore. Nikki, get the door."

I backed up, grabbing the door knob and opening it, telling John, "Get out." He didn't move, and I nodded to the open door. "Get out."

"I beg your pardon?" John asked.

"You know, I only entertain this whole blackmail scheme thing of yours because I thought that you and Isobel could lead me to Katherine, but see, now I know you've no idea where Katherine is, because if you did, you would know that Katherine and Pearl were best friends," Damon told John in one big sentence. "See, you don't know everything, do you, John?"

"I'll tell the entire Council what you are, and that Nicola knew about it the entire time," John threatened. "That she gave you shelter and even helped you kill."

"Which would be a lie," I said.

"Not to their knowledge."

"Go for it!" Damon said. "I'll kill every last one of them. Then I'll sever your hand, pull your ring off, and I'll kill you too. Do you understand that?"

"Now--" I nodded to the open door. "Get the hell out."

John got the hell out.

But there was a pageant tonight.

If I wouldn't even go to a Founder's Party, I definitely wouldn't go to a Founder's pageant.