all too well. tvd

haunted.

Cami pulled up to the Salvatore mansion, her grip tightening on the steering wheel as she parked outside the imposing building. She had spent the entire drive trying to calm her nerves, but seeing Damon was sure to make that impossible. Taking a deep breath, she stepped out of the car and headed toward the front door.

The doorbell echoed through the house, and, sure enough, Damon answered it, flashing his signature smirk. His eyes glinted with amusement, like he was expecting her.

"Is Stefan here?" Cami asked, her voice firm but carrying an undercurrent of urgency.

"Yep!" Damon replied, leaning lazily against the doorframe, clearly in no rush to be helpful.

Cami narrowed her eyes. "Where is he?"

Damon raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms. "And good morning to you, little miss 'I'm on a mission,'" he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

Cami's frustration bubbled to the surface. "How can you be so arrogant and glib after everything that you've done?" she shot back, her anger making her voice shake slightly.

Damon's smirk only widened. "And how can you be so brave and stupid to call a vampire arrogant and glib?" His voice lowered dangerously, and for a brief moment, his eyes darkened, but it was more of a game to him than an actual threat.

Cami didn't flinch. She stood her ground, meeting his gaze head-on. "If you wanted me dead, I'd be dead. And we both know you had your chance with that. You let me live. Now, where is Stefan?"

Damon held her stare for a beat, then shrugged, seemingly amused by her boldness. "He's upstairs singing 'The rain in Spain.' Knock yourself out." With that, Damon stepped aside, sauntering off down the hall as if this was just another day of toying with the humans in his life.

Cami glared at his retreating form before stepping inside and closing the door behind her. The mansion was eerily quiet, except for the faint creak of floorboards as she walked down the hall.

"Stefan?" she called out, her voice echoing slightly in the large space. She heard movement from upstairs, followed by a quiet response.

"Yes?" Stefan's voice drifted down from the second floor.

Cami climbed the stairs quickly, tension rolling off her in waves. When she reached the landing, she found Stefan standing in the doorway of one of the rooms, looking as tired as she felt.

"Where is Vicki?" Cami asked, her voice hushed but urgent.

"She's upstairs," Stefan replied, glancing toward another closed door down the hall.

Elena appeared behind him, her expression mirroring Cami's worry. "What happens now?" Elena asked, her voice low. "Jeremy is out there searching for her with the rest of the town. What do I tell him?"

Stefan sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, clearly burdened by the weight of the situation. "I'm working with her, but it's gonna take time. She's... volatile. Impulsive. She's a drug user. All of that's going to play a part in how she responds to this... change."

Cami folded her arms, frustration simmering beneath the surface. "So, she's a vampire with issues? What am I supposed to do, Stefan? I'm lying to everyone I care about. What's going to happen to her?"