Reverse Psychology (Book Three Zach's Daughter Series, TVD)

Chapter 18__The Murder of One

Elena was at the door to Alaric's loft, Damon answering. "Morning, sunshine."

"Hey, how's Alaric?" Elena asked.

Damon didn't let her in. "Indecent. But fine."

"So, then, does that mean there were no issues last night?" Elena asked.

"Nope," Damon answered. "Slept like a baby, woke up Alaric. No headlines about dead Council members."

"Then why do I feel like you're hiding something from me?"

"Well, maybe because you're being all paranoid and control freaky. What'd you bring me? Ooh, chocolate muffins. You know what they say: a way to a psycho killer's heart is through his stomach."

"They're not for you."

"Fine. Keep convincing yourself you're still mad at me. But sadly, Ric's gonna have to miss Elena time today. You know, lockdown and all."

"Just take it and give it to him and tell him that I miss him, okay?"

"With pleasure."

"Please."

With a bag of muffins in hand, Damon started to close the door on Elena. "Have a great day, thanks for coming by."

"Dam--" Elena started when he shut the door.

Damon walked closer to Stefan, Ric and me, standing by a saw with the Wickery Bridge sign. He was listening to Elena leaving. "Walking down the stairs, opening the front door, and she's gone."

Ric started the saw, starting to saw the sign.

~

Creating stakes out of the wood from the sign, Stefan looked at one of Damon's stakes. "This needs to have a sharper point."

Damon took the stake. "I got it."

"We finally have our own stakes to kill an Original," Stefan said. "I'm not gonna miss because you can't whittle."

"I said I got it," Damon said. "Stop micromanaging."

I exhaled, holding up one of mine, the point sharp enough to draw blood at the slightest touch. I blew the remaining dust away from the point.

"Nice," Ric told me, putting his jacket on. "Looks like you guys have got this under control. I'm gonna call the sheriff." Stefan, Damon and I looked at him. "I want to turn myself in."

"No, you don't," I said, looking back down at the stakes.

"I have a homicidal alter ego," Ric said. He looked at Stefan and Damon. "Unlike some people in this room, I would like to take responsibility for the people I've killed."

"If you wanted to turn yourself in, you wouldn't be saying it out loud," Damon said. "Just saying."

"Hey, listen, out of all the people, you cannot psychoanalyze me," Ric said. "I killed Caroline's father. I nearly killed Meredith. Everything's changed."

"Look, you're not turning yourself in," Stefan told him. "Bonnie's herbs are working and we have Originals to kill."

"His morals get very questionable when he has revenge on the brain," Damon said.

"Yeah, I've noticed that too," I said.

"Klaus needs to die," Stefan told us. He looked at Ric. "We finally have the chance to kill him, so you are not turning yourself in."

I stood up, turning to Ric and holding out his ring. "Here's your ring, Ric. Put it on."

"That ring is the reason I've killed people," Ric said.