Gabriella Gilbert Three || Vampire Diaries

Chapter Fifteen

    "...and Caroline's got her mom on the lookout for any leads on his whereabouts," I summarize.

    I'm lying on my favorite couch with my phone on my chest. It's on speaker so I won't have to exert too much effort.

    "I still don't see how you couldn't answer my calls," Klaus responds a little too sassily for my liking. I didn't tell him about everything Damon said and did to me. I managed to skirt around, thank goodness. Klaus doesn't need another reason to hate Damon.

    "I'm emotionally drained, cut me some slack," I sigh. It's been three days since Damon's homicidal cry for attention. Everyone's been surprisingly normal while they wait for a lead. Hell, Stefan and Elena are studying in the study. "Besides, it's not like you've had an uneventful few weeks."

    "Still managed to give you a ring." I roll my eyes but I can't fight the fond smile. I've missed talking to him. "Setting your neglect aside, I'm relieved you're okay. When are you coming home?"

    Home. The word makes my heart drop. As much as I love New Orleans...I don't know if I'm ready to call it my home.

    "I don't know," I admit. I hear him take a breath, likely to complain, but I continue with, "I'm sorry, I know. I want to be with you, I do. It's just...something's wrong here. I'm not sure what, but I have to see it through."

"Actually," he starts, "I was going to advise you to stay." I raise my brows in surprise. "It's utter chaos over here, love. I'd rather you remain safe."

    "That's...big of you, Klaus." I can't stop my small smile from forming. "Just know if there wasn't anything keeping me here, I'd be offended."

    "I'm aware you can take care of yourself, to an extent," he says and I can practically hear him roll his eyes. "Gabriella, I—" he pauses for a moment. I can hear someone's voice in the background, but I don't know whose. "I have to leave. I'll talk to you later, alright?"

"Yeah," I say, moving to sit up. "I love—"

The call ends, effectively cutting me off. I frown at my screen but try not to take too much offense to it. Things are "utter chaos" over there.

Before I can start this difficult level of Candy Crush, I hear someone knocking on the door. I sigh and make my way to the door.

"You were right," Caroline announces, not looking up from her opened files as she walks past me. "He's off the rails."

She finally glances up once I close the door, mouth opened to presumably keep talking, but she stops herself at the sight of me.

"Oh!" She's quick to close the files. "Hey, Gabby! How...how are you...?"

"Caroline, you can talk about Damon," I reassure, earning a relieved sigh from her.

    "Are you going with them?"

    "Ew, no." I frown. "It's just Stefan and Elena."

    "You found something?" I hear Stefan ask. I look behind Caroline, just now noticing Stefan and my sister. Caroline looks back and faces him fully once she sees it's him.

    "This is from my mom," she says, passing him the file.

    "Let me guess—missing persons and animal attacks?" Stefan wonders.

    "Check and check," she sighs. "There's something else; all the victims were found inside their homes, without their heads, and their skin? Desiccated."