Touched by an Angel: Vampire Diaries BXB

Chapter 3.2: Great Smoky Mountains

I arrive in Damon's bedroom as he's looking into his closest at the articles, maps, and notes.

"Just can't stay away, can you?"

"You've been dodging my calls."

"Yeah, well, busy dating a dead fake girlfriend and all."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Happy Birthday, Ethan. Stefan killed Andie. Cake?" he asks, and looks at me, and walks past me.

"He called me Damon," I say and he stops.

"What?" he asks, and I look at him.

"Stefan called me last night."

"Well, what'd he say?"

"He said, 'give me a second, I have to get further away.' And then I heard a whoosh, and then he said, 'happy birthday, Ethan.' I asked Sheriff Forbes if she would trace the call's origin. It came from Tennessee."

"Where he's binge drinking on the country folk," he says and walks over to the fireplace.

"We went through this, Ethan. Stefan's gone," he says, and throws them into the unlit fire and grabs a box of matches, and looks at me. "I don't mean geographically," he says, smiling.

"If he was gone, he wouldn't have called. Hell, he even wished me happy birthday," I say, and he turns around, and I look to my right, and back to him, and turn around, and walk off.

. . .

I'm at Alaric's apartment, constantly knocking on his door.

"Go away, Damon!" he exclaims, and I knock harder, and the door opens, as I put my hand down, and see Alaric, shirtless, buttoning his pants.

"Hi."

"You're, uh. . not who I expected."

"I need you to tell me what you know about Stefan and Tennessee."

"Did you miss the part where I checked out of all this?" he asks and walks into his apartment.

I walk in, as he walks over to his shirt.

"Come on, Ric," I say, and look out the door, and shut it with both hands, and back to him.

"Whatever Damon knows, you know," I say, as he walks to his kitchen, and I follow him.

"Ask Damon," he says and opens the fridge.

"Yeah, but Damon's not exactly in the mood to help right now," I say and he shuts his fridge, and walks over to me, holding two beer bottles.

"For good reason. Because it's not safe for you. Stefan's off the rails," he says, and I take some dirty plates, and put them in the sink, looking at him.

"Yeah, but he's still holding on to his humanity, which means he can still be saved. He wished me happy birthday," I say, and take the two beer bottles, and set them down, away from him. "Because I'm not the kind of person who checks out. Look, he would never give up on me," I say, shaking my head. "I'm not gonna give up on him. Tell me what you know, Ric," I say, and he sighs, and looks down. "Please," I say, and he looks up at me.

"They've been tracking werewolves, he and Klaus, all over the eastern seaboard. I thought we had them just outside of Memphis. Do you think he's the terrible danger Elijah was talking about?"

"No. I don't. He would have mentioned Klaus."

. . .

I'm at the Grill, talking with Tyler.