He was the monster they warned her about.
And she loved him anyway.
Daniella Lockwood was never supposed to fall for Klaus Mikaelson. But somehow, between stolen glances, late-night painting sessions, and the gentle way he said her name, she did. Co...
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Eventually, Daniella had fallen asleep on the Salvatore's couch. They all knew better than to let her go home alone, not after everything that had happened.
By morning, Caroline had taken it upon herself to check in on Tyler — to make sure he was stable enough to pick up Daniella and have the conversation they knew needed to happen.
Elena sat quietly with Stefan while Damon nursed a drink, his gaze never straying far from the sleeping girl. They watched over her in silence, all too aware of how much she was carrying. It was part of the reason they'd kept her out of all of this for as long as they could.
But things were different now. Tyler had triggered his curse — and with that came the knowledge that Daniella could too. She needed to know. Hiding it would only make it worse, and Elena, of all people, understood that. She'd gone through the same thing with Jeremy, and the guilt still lingered.
Caroline hadn't stopped reminding them how badly Daniella had been struggling with how distant everyone had become. Dylan was no help — and they all knew it. Which left her utterly alone.
The one girl who had always cared about them, about all of them — even Damon, at times — and they'd left her in the dark.
They hadn't realized just how much it was affecting her until now. Which was why they'd come together, albeit too late, to fix it. No one expected her to find out this way, and whether they admitted it aloud or not, they all felt guilty. It should've gone differently. It should've gone better.
"You think she's gonna wake up freaking out?" Stefan asked, breaking the quiet. "I don't think she fully took it in last night."
Elena sighed, resting her head against the back of the couch. "She was still in shock. Barely conscious when we explained any of it."
"Hoping the blood and tea would settle her nerves. And... I might've added a little bourbon," Damon admitted, raising his glass when both Elena and Stefan turned to glare at him.
"What? She was spiraling. And trust me — she would've lost it when she saw that cut on her face."
Elena shook her head, but part of her wasn't surprised. "We just need to keep an eye on her. Someone should stay with her until everything leaves her system," she suggested.
Stefan nodded. "I'll take the next shift."
Just then, a phone buzzed on the table. Everyone glanced toward it, and Damon grabbed it first, checking the caller ID.
"Ugh, this guy. Why do you all let him date her again?" he muttered, rolling his eyes as Dylan's name flashed on the screen.
