Unstoppable | The Vampire Diaries

36. Ghosts of Birthdays Past

It had been almost two months since Stefan had left with Klaus and, although things were beginning to get back to normal, his absence was extremely present.

Riley wore a white tank top and denim shorts, allowing the summer sun to soak into her skin as she let herself into the Salvatore house.

"Hey," she called, waiting for a response. In the living room, she spotted Damon facing away from her, dressed in just a towel. She rolled her eyes. "You knew I was coming, you couldn't put on a shirt and some underwear?"

"Is it my fault you don't knock?" he retorted.

She rolled her eyes again and pulled a note out of her pocket. "There's another location. Memphis."

"They moved on to Tennessee?" he asked.

"Looks like it," Riley responded, shrugging. "According to my dad it's the third attack there this week, worth checking out."

Damon took the note from her outstretched hand, then smirked. "Is he still shacking up with Sheriff Forbes?"

Riley smiled. "They're not 'shacking up', they're dating. Leave them alone, it's cute."

When her father first brought up the subject of asking Liz Forbes on a date, both Riley and Caroline had been incredibly wary. Neither of them wanted their parents to get hurt. However, after the initial awkwardness, the Sheriff and the cop had started officially dating, and Riley and Caroline couldn't have been happier for them.

"So what do you say? Up for a road trip?" Damon asked hopefully.

Riley shrugged. "Why not? If we find them I can put my new skills into action!"

Damon raised an eyebrow. "You won't win."

She held up her fists. "Hey, Ric's been training me for two months. The next time a vampire bites me, they're getting staked in the heart. Even if it is your brother."

Damon looked at her with pity, wanting to give her some reassurance. "I won't let him bite you."

"He's done it twice," Riley reminded him. The second time was easier to deal with than the first; she knew that Klaus had practically forced him. But still, she had to be prepared. "I'm not taking any chances."

Damon thought for a moment. "In that case... maybe Ric should come too?"

"The more the merrier."

***

"I don't understand why we can't just tell Elena," Riley said when they pulled up outside a house in Tennessee.

"What's the point in getting her hopes up?" Damon asked. "This is just a half-lead."

"They're all half-leads," Ric dismissed. "What do you want me to say to her? I'm practically living there. I keep waiting for her and Jeremy to kick me out."

"Why would they?" Riley asked as they looked around the area with an air of suspicion. "You're the only 'parent' they have."

They walked up to the quiet house in silence. Damon opened the door and tested it, putting his foot over the threshold. Luckily (or unluckily, depending on who you were) he was free to enter. Riley and Ric followed him tentatively.

There were bloody handprints on the walls and the house felt eerie, like they could almost sense what had happened there.

As if confirming their suspicions, they turned the corner to the living room and saw two women sitting upright on the couch, motionless. Dead. Someone with a sick sense of humor had posed them to look like they were watching TV.