Dark Paradise

Eight

Third Person POV

Following the events of the Founder's Party, Jaxon and Caroline have spent the past 4 days watching movies and rekindling the bond that Damon had disrupted. Jaxon wanted Caroline to consent to Damon's murder, but she declined, stating that she couldn't allow him to risk imprisonment.

"I remember the party. Damon came up behind me, and he was kissing my neck, or biting my neck. I passed out. It's like there's holes in my memory lately. It's just weird. Maybe I let him bite me" Caroline was explaining the situation to Bonnie, who had just arrived at the Forbes house.

Jaxon clenched his jaw and said, "Seriously, you should let me murder the man. I'm the sheriff's son; I know how to hide a body."

Caroline shot him a look, prompting him to shrug in response. "Why would you let him bite you" Bonnie posed a question, and Caroline paused for a moment before responding. "Can we just not talk about it, ok? Don't want to talk about Damon. I don't want to talk about any of it. Just want to go back to normal."

She turned to Bonnie and inquired, "What are you doing with that candle?" It was at that moment Jaxon realized Bonnie was fiddling with and intently observing a candle. "Um... nothing. What's this?" Bonnie asked, clearing her throat before picking up a crystal from Caroline's bed.

Jaxon stared at it for a moment before reaching out to take it from Bonnie. He tilted his head, feeling almost drawn to it, then turned to Caroline, who said, "Damon gave it to me. Or he was going to give it to me. All I know is, it's mine now".

"It's ugly," Bonnie remarked as Jaxon kept staring at it. Caroline then approached, snatched it from him, and retorted, "Well, then keep your hands off it." Jaxon raised his hands in surrender, and then he exchanged an amused glance with Bonnie.

Time Skip

"Hey, Jaxon," Stefan greeted with a smile as he approached Jaxon at his locker. Jaxon's eyebrows knitted together in confusion before he scanned the surroundings and retorted, "You can't be talking to me; you've been too busy keeping your brother hidden from me."

Stefan exhaled deeply and admitted, "I'm sorry, I should have warned you about what my brother is like, and I should have ensured he stayed away from Caroline."

Jaxon nodded, "Yeah, you should have." He then slammed his locker shut and asked, "What do you want, Stefan?"

"I just wanted to let you know that my brother has been dealt with and he won't be a threat to your sister anymore," Stefan replied, to which Jaxon nodded in acknowledgment.

"I must admit, I'm a bit disappointed; I was looking forward to kicking his ass myself," Jaxon confessed, and Stefan chuckled before responding, "Don't worry, I took the liberty of giving him a little beating on your behalf."

Jaxon smirked and playfully punched Stefan's chest before they started walking to class. "How has everything been, you know, with your situation?" Stefan inquired after a moment.

Jaxon sighed before responding, "It's actually been okay. Whenever the woman shows up, she doesn't really say much, but when she does, it's usually the same thing—that I'm special and that I need to find her."

Stefan's eyebrows furrowed as he said in a questioning tone, "You're special, and you need to find her." The two walked into class, and Jaxon scoffed, "I know, right?"

As they sat down, Stefan asked, "What do you think she means by that?" Jaxon shrugged his shoulders and replied, "I have no idea. I think she's just trying to convince me that she's real. I mean, she even told me about her 'family.'"

"Her family?" Stefan inquired, to which Jaxon nodded and replied, "Yeah, she mentioned they were seven in total, and two had passed away. But honestly, I think it's just my imagination running wild."

Just at that moment, the bell rang, signaling the end of Stefan and Jaxon's conversation as the teacher entered the room.

Time Skip

"Why did I have to come to this event?" Jaxon whined to Caroline, sounding like a child as he approached her. Jaxon was in the middle of playing his guitar when Caroline texted him to go to the Sexy Studs event that she organized.

"Since you're going to bring in a lot of money, nearly every girl at this school has a crush on you. Now, take off your shirt and get to work on the car," Caroline declared before she began to usher him away.

"Aren't you supposed to be protective of me and my body, little sister?" Jaxon said, removing his shirt, prompting Caroline to roll her eyes. Approaching Bonnie, who smirked, she remarked, "Caroline finally got you to come." Jaxon nudged her slightly, asserting firmly, "Shut up."

Bonnie chuckled as Jaxon picked up a sponge and began assisting her with the car she was cleaning. A few minutes later, Elena approached them. "Hey, Jaxon, can I speak to you really quick?" she asked. After exchanging a puzzled glance with Bonnie, Jaxon nodded and walked over to the side with Elena.

"What's up, Elena?" Jaxon inquired, and without missing a beat, Elena retorted, "What do you think about Stefan?" Jaxon furrowed his eyebrows, shrugged, and quipped, "Well, he's quite handsome; if I were gay, I'd totally snatch him away from you—"

His words were truncated by Elena's chuckle. "No, you fool, his personality. What do you think about his personality?" she corrected, and Jaxon shrugged once more.

"I don't know; he's a good guy. In the few weeks I've known him, he's managed to break down my walls, getting me to open up, and he's a great listener," Jaxon said. Elena nodded, but when Jaxon caught the look of worry and confusion in her eyes, he spoke.

"Elena, are you okay? Is everything alright?" Jaxon inquired, to which Elena responded with a shrug, "I don't know." Jaxon's brows furrowed in concern as he asked, "Did Stefan do something to you?"

"No, he would never. He's a sweetheart. It's just that she's uncovering his secret," the woman explained as she stepped into Jaxon's view.

Jaxon squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed them before gazing back at Elena. He couldn't shake the feeling that there was a secret lurking. Giving Elena a pointed look, he prompted a sigh from her.

"No, he didn't harm me, but I had this strange conversation with an old man who claimed to know Stefan and Damon since 1953, and he insisted they haven't aged a day," Elena recounted, causing Jaxon to furrow his brows in confusion.

"That's weird, are you sure that the man wasn't on something?" Jaxon asked, prompting Elena to hit his arm as she retorted, "No, he was completely sober."

Jaxon shrugged, remarking, "Always have to ask and make sure." Elena shook her head, amused, before replying, "You know what? I'm just going to talk to Logan Fell. I'll let you know if it's anything."

Jaxon gave her a thumbs up before returning to Bonnie. "I hope you and Elena aren't revisiting your scandalous hook-ups like back when she was with Matt. Stefan is a really great guy for her," Bonnie commented.

Jaxon was about to respond when Matt, who had approached them and overheard the conversation, interrupted. "What?" Matt yelled, anger flashing in his eyes. "Dammit, Bonnie, you're always supposed to scan the area before speaking," Jaxon chided, turning back to Matt, only to receive a punch in the face.

"You bastard!" Matt lunged at him once more, but Bonnie intervened, stepping between them and leading Matt away. "I hope you all enjoyed the show," Jaxon yelled to the bystanders before he snatched up his shirt and strode off.