𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐲 | 𝐭𝐯𝐝

-17-

We found various items, including one of my old journals. I sat on it until Stefan left and quickly hid it somewhere safe. I slipped on socks and walked downstairs. Stefan was holding Rebekah's dead body and Klaus stood in front of her. Stefan rested her on the sofa and covered her with a blanket. "What the fuck did I miss?"
-
"I have a plane waiting. I'll get the sword. My hybrids will keep an eye on Connor. You put Rebekah somewhere where no one will find her and make sure Jeremy forgets everything he heard today." Klaus handed Jeremy's ring to the Salvatore. "I'll take care of it." He promised. "No one must know about the cure, do you understand? Not Damon. Not Elena. Nobody. If this gets out, it could mean all our deaths. So, if you tell anyone, I'll erase each and every memory from the lot of you... It's just us in this." Klaus looked at me. "Some secrets are stronger than family."

-

Well, Stefan went to see his girlfriend. I had the joy of indulging in blood bags and booze from the basement until Damon showed up. He threw his leather jacket on a seat and took one of the three bags from the counter. "You look depressed. Thought you'd be happy after spending all day with Elena." I said, slurring the last bit. "Well now that Stefan has her, what is there to be happy about?" He muttered. I shrugged. "I spent the day going over pictures and items that Stefan and I buried a hundred and something years ago that symbolized our love, and now he is shacking it up with Katherine Gilbert's doppelgänger." I uncapped a bag. "You win. Can I see the pictures?" He asked. "Why-"

"Just show me."
-

"And this..." I pulled out the picture he took. He chuckled and took it in between his fingers. "I was so jealous." He mumbled while admiring it. His fingers traced my figure and he looked up at me. Blue met brown. He began leaning in and his hand wrapped around the back of my neck. I guess we both needed an outlet.

I straddled his lap, his head now tilting up at me while I cupped my hands on each side of his head. He grabbed the skin under my thighs and sped upstairs. My back was pressed against the wall, but I quickly changed that without breaking the kiss. I was now on top of him, helping him take off the black shirt that he had many copies of.
-

I woke up the next morning tangled in sheets. I plucked my arms from the cover and stretched, then turned my head and saw Damon. My heart stopped and my veins went cold. He was still asleep. Oh god, what did I do last night? I mean, I know what we...did. I just never thought that'd happen. I got up and looked down at Damon. "You're staring." He mumbled. "Yeah, maybe it's because I just had sex with my ex's brother and my best friend." I gulped. "Just come back to bed. It's not awkward if you don't make it awkward." He yawned.

After seeing how hesitant I was, he sped up and grabbed my waist gently to pull me down on the bed. I huffed and looked over at him. "I don't want you to leave." He said simply. I turned my body towards him. "I can't believe we- I-" I covered my face. Shit.

"Don't hurt my ego, Ambrose." He warned. "No it's not that, it's just..."

He bursted out in laughter. "Shh." He pulled me closer, his eyes still shut, and held me. played with his hair until I heard his breathing steady and slow while he slept. I quietly got up and used his shower, then wrapped a towel around myself. I grabbed my clothes and slowly stepped into the hallway. "Well well well."

I turned to face Stefan. "It's not what it looks like." I stammered. He crossed his arms. "Oh really?"

"Well-"

"Because it looks like you just hooked up with my brother."

"Okay so maybe it's what it looks like," I mumbled. He stared at me. "Stefan-" I began. He licked his lips and sighed. "Go get dressed, River. Now." He walked up to his room.

-

Stefan's POV

I don't know why I was jealous. I have no reason to be. I have my own girlfriend, who I've been with for around a year or two now. Sure I had a great time with River, but it's time for something new. If we even have anything anymore. Elena has been slipping away from me since her transition into a vampire and right into Damon's arms. It's Damon.

I put my head in my hand and threw my diary across the room. My phone rang beside me. It was Klaus. I grunted and answered. "We have a problem."

I was told to be near River for this one, so I opened her room door. It's been an hour since I ran into her in the hallway, so I expected her to be pacing or freaking out. Yet, she was curled on her bed, hugging a pillow with her eyes shut. The pillow was wet, maybe from her damp hair, or that's what I believed until I could see tear marks trailing from her eyes. She was clinging onto the material and almost trembling. Her nightmares. I bent down in front of her, smelling the mint toothpaste coming from her lips. "Stefan, this is no time to be on mute." Klaus snapped. "No, it's just-- River's asleep." I sighed. "So wake her up."

"It isn't that easy, Klaus. She- She has these nightmares. Well, not really nightmares I mean- Well yeah, nightmares. They're mostly about her past self or things she's seen or thought of before. Sometimes she doesn't want to be taken out of them." I looked over her facial expression. "Why doesn't she want to be taken away from that?" Klaus frowned. "She never told me," I replied. My hand was placed on her cheek, moving back and forth to soothe her. She didn't move.

"Well, you're going to want to want to let her know this: Connor escaped." He told me. "How the hell did Connor escape?!" I stood up. "I'd blame my numbing incompetence, but pointing fingers isn't going to help me, you're going to help me." He demanded. "Well, he could be anywhere now," I commented. "Think, Stefan. He took the hybrid's head which means he wants werewolf toxin."

I bit my cheek. "Which means he plans to stay in Mystic Falls to kill vampires," I said to myself. "Which is a pity, as I'm half the world away digging up a dead hunter, you'll have no access to my blood and therefore, the antidote."

River flinched. "Hold that thought," I told Klaus. I had a war with what to do. I finally decided to wake her up. I caressed her cheek. "Riv..." I cooed.

"Rivvy..."

No response.

"River."

I shook her lightly. She twitched but didn't wake. "River," I repeated, shaking her harder. She gasped and looked around frantically. I wrapped my arm around her body and cradled her in my lap, relieved she was okay. I felt her body trembling. I muttered calming little things to her until she finally had enough in her and crawled to sit next to me.

"Hurry up, Stefan!" Klaus yelled. She gasped again, her went eyes wide. "W-was he listening?"

"No." I clicked the unmute button. "We're here," I said. "His tattoo is our only map to the cure, so your task is quite simple; find him, catch him, and above all, keep him alive. He's no good to us dead." Klaus assigned. "Huh? I thought we had Connor-"

"He escaped," I said in unison with the hybrid. "Damon's been looking everywhere for him, if they cross paths, it won't end well for either one of them," I said. "You'll need to keep Damon in check."

"That's like keeping a newborn on a rollercoaster. He'll fly off and it'll only end badly. It'd be a lot easier if we could just tell him the truth." River said next to me. "You trust Damon with the cure? I imagine he prefers Elena the way she is." Klaus remarked, trying to get under my skin. "Nice try, Klaus. But we trust Damon a hell of a lot more than we trust you." River replied for me. "And I trust no one. Which is why my sister is lying daggered in a box. The more who find out about the cure, the more who will go after it. Nations have gone to war over less. You mark my words, tell one soul and I will throw the hunter's sword in the Mediterranean and we can end this quest right now. Am I understood?"

I hung up and sighed, then looked at River. She was already staring at me. "Stefan-" I cut her off there. "Breakfast?"