TRUST, the vampire diaries

s i x

It was the night of the football game and for some reason Avery was stood in the crowd of people surrounding Mr Tanner who was about to start his speech. She wasn't sure why she was suddenly attending so many events, perhaps it was the fact she didn't feel safe alone in the Boarding House like she used to. It aggravated Avery that these vampires had so much control over what she did and said, but, as Damon liked to remind her, she was only a useless human so she would have to get used to it.

"Wait! Let's be honest here," Avery turned her attention to Mr Tanner as his speech began. "In the past, we used to let other teams into our town and roll right over us!" The crowd booed.

"But that is about to change," Mr Tanner continued and the crowd cheered. "We've got some great new talent tonight starting on the offence, and I'm gonna tell you right now, it has been a long time since I have seen a kid like this with hands like these. Let's give it up for Stefan Salvatore!"

Avery cheered loudly along with the crowd, proud that he'd actually joined something that he wanted to do. She noticed Tyler looking pissed not too far away from her, muttering about it being unfair.

"-That have been waiting for us to put a check in the win column, I have only one thing to say to you... Your Timberwolves are hungry!"

The crowd erupted into cheers again and Avery suddenly regretted coming. Her headaches had been getting worse and worse and she didn't really feel like getting another one anytime soon. Avery stepped out of the crowd and walked towards the car park to get some fresh air.

She was leant up against a car, nursing her sore head when she felt the air shift around her. She turned to face Damon.

"Hey, Brown Eyes."

***

Avery could feel the nervous drum of her own heart pounding in her ears and the loud hum of the familiar dulling pain in her head. She reached up and rubbed her temple in an attempt to sooth the painful ache.

Avery looked up when Damon started clapping. She met the eyes of Stefan and gave him a weak smile.

"Isn't that nice? Stefan joins a team, makes a friend. It's all so, 'rah, rah, go team, yeah!'" Damon mocked.

Avery wasn't sure what her role in all of this was but she knew that she'd rather be anywhere but here. She kept quiet and focused on keeping her breathing level. Her heart was hammering in her chest and her temple was throbbing deeply. She just wanted to go home.

"Not tonight. I'm done with you." Stefan stated.

"Nice trick with Elena. Let me guess... vervain in the necklace? I admit, I was a bit surprised. It's been a while since anyone could resist my compulsion. Where'd you get it?" Damon questioned.

"Does it matter?" Stefan retorted.

"Guess I could just seduce her the old-fashioned way. Or I could just... eat her." Damon threatened with a smirk.

Avery stilled completely as a dizzy spell overcame her. She squeezed her eyes shut as she waited for it to pass. She felt sick, this was her life. Why did her homicidal vampire relative have to show up and start hurting the people she cared about?

"No. You're not gonna hurt her, Damon." Stefan said.

"No?"

"Because deep down inside, there is a part of you that feels for her. I was worried that you had no humanity left inside of you, that you may have actually become the monster that you pretend to be." Stefan began.

"Who's pretending?" Damon questioned.

"Then kill me." Stefan stated. Avery stared at him with wide eyes. What was he doing? Trying to get himself killed?

"Well, I'm... I'm tempted." Damon muttered as if in deep thought.

"No, you're not. You've had lifetimes to do it, and yet, here I am. I'm still alive. And there you are. You're still haunting me. After 145 years. Katherine is dead. And you hate me because you loved her, and you torture me because you still do. And that, my brother, is your humanity." Stefan announced.

"Salvatore! What the hell? We've got a game to play!" Avery froze at the sound of Mr Tanner's voice. Alarm bells were going off in her head and her fight or flight instinct began to kick in.

"If that's my humanity... then what's this?" Damon growled, roughly shoving Avery out of the way.

The image of Damon standing over Mr Tanner blurred and his screams sounded like she was underwater.

She heard Stefan shouting in protest as a searing pain shot through her small body, her knees buckling at the impact.

The last thing she heard before her vision blurred completely was Damon saying, "Anyone, anytime, any place."

Avery's vision went out completely at the same time her knees did, and the next thing she felt was her head connecting with the concrete and then she felt nothing at all as she faded into darkness.