Find Me

Chapter Six

Persia walked quickly down the hall toward her locker the next morning not long before the final bell was set to ring, hoping to avoid whatever it was Elena was so set on talking to her about yesterday. All she could think of right now was getting through the day unscathed so she could get home, see Damon, and figure out this stupid ring mystery. As if the universe was conspiring against her, she turned the corner to find Elena and Bonnie leaning against her locker, just waiting for her.

"Hi girls," she said flatly as she stopped in front of them, waiting for them to move and allow her access to her locker.

"Persia, you and I need to have a little conversation." Persia looked into her eyes and knew that Elena knew what she'd been doing after school, and with whom.

"Elena, now is not the time to talk about this," she said, eyeing Bonnie and making no effort to explain what she had been doing. Bonnie looked between the two of them, wondering if she should be offended by that or not.

"I'm sorry, did I miss something?"

"Persia's been spending time with Damon. Alone. In her house." Bonnie's eyes grew wide and her head snapped around to look at her, mouth gaping open.

"Are you crazy? You invited him in?! You can't trust him; he's dangerous! Elena, tell her!" Persia smiled to herself.

"Of course, he is; I'm not stupid! But he's already saved my life three times. He's been looking out for me since the day I got here! And you know what? Under the right circumstances, Elena or Stefan or Caroline or Tyler could be dangerous, too." Elena shifted uncomfortably.

"That's not the same-" Bonnie started, but stopped when Persia raised her eyebrows. Bonnie knew all too well how true that actually was.

"Yes, okay, you're right, we are all dangerous," Elena responded, "but we don't act on our impulses the way Damon does. That is what makes him so dangerous."

"You think he's acting on impulse when he comes over for coffee," she asked cynically. "Really?"

"Yeah, while we're on the subject, why are you having tea parties with that psycho, Persia? Haven't you been through enough since you moved here? Why do you have to push your luck," Bonnie asked in a rush. Persia sighed deeply.

"I don't think he's a psycho, Bonnie. I think he was hurt. And, yeah, he does have impulse issues, but coming to my house isn't one of them." Elena didn't look convinced.

"How do you know?"

"Because I do, okay? He hasn't hurt a single person since I moved to town. He just needed something to do to distract him from having lost Elena. What if... what if he just needs someone to believe in the good part of him," Persia asked quietly. Bonnie snorted.

"He had someone to believe in him; he had Elena." Bonnie gestured to Elena. Persia bit her lip, her eyebrows pulling down as she thought.

"What? I know you're thinking something. Just say it," Elena said. Persia looked up and looked right in Elena's eyes apologetically, then back to Bonnie.

"It was different with Elena. Elena never stopped loving Stefan, so it colored every decision she made, and eventually she left him because of that. Elena, I'm not trying to be cruel, I just want to be honest." Elena nodded, a tight smile on her lips. Judging by the conversation she'd heard and the way they interacted with each other, Persia and Damon had obviously been spending time together for a while without anyone knowing and he hadn't hurt her yet...

"No, it's okay; I get it. You're right. But are you at least taking the vervaine still?" Persia nodded absently.

"Yes, and Damon reminds me to take it when I make his coffee every day after school. He's just as adamant that he or anyone else can't control me as you are." Elena felt her eyebrows lift in her surprise at that. Damon makes sure she adds vervaine to her coffee? He really was trying to take care of her... but why? What was he getting out of it?