Potential (Book Four, The Vampire Diaries)

Chapter 2__Memorial

At home, in Stefan's room, he was packing up stuff for a camping trip in the woods. He was taking Elena to learn how to feed on animals.

Damon and I were in the room with him.

"You're making a big mistake," Damon told him. 

"No, I'm not," Stefan told him. "If I can get Elena used to animal blood right out the gate." 

"You're reaching," Damon told him.

"Maybe she'll be able to bypass all the things that you guys went through," I told him.

"Delusional!" Damon told me.

"Maybe she actually has a shot at this," I told him.

"Wrong," Damon told me. "You're just wrong, Nikki. Both of you are."

"She won't be able to handle it if she hurts someone," Stefan told us. "Her compassion is her Achilles heel and everything is magnified right now."

Damon tilted his head. "Then you better hope she's not a fan of Bambi."

~~~~

Damon stabbed a knife into the desk. "She needs human blood, Stefan, from the vein."

"Oh, come on, you know what happens," I told him, complaining. "You name me a vampire who didn't kill at least one person when they were new." 

Damon stood. "You name me one who went on a bunny diet and didn't kill dozens." 

~~~~

"If she kills someone, she will crumble," Stefan told us. "How much pain do you think she could take before she shuts off her humanity switch?" 

"It happens to the best of us at least once," Damon told him. "We get over it, Stefan. In a hundred years or so." 

~~~~

"No, I think I'd like her to skip past that part," Stefan told us.

Damon started unpacking the bags that Stefan was packing for the trip. "She can't learn to control the bloodlust if she's never actually experienced the bloodlust."

"What are you doing?" I asked. "Knock it off." 

Damon continued to unpack the bag. "It's a cheat. It's like giving a kid a calculator before they know math."

"Stop it," Stefan told him, grabbing Damon's arm.

Damon pushed Stefan's arm away.

Stefan and Damon stared each other down.

I looked between them warily.

~~~~

Stefan and Damon were still staring each other down.

I sighed, bored and annoyed, pulling them apart, standing between them. "That's enough." 

Elena walked in. "Whoa, what's going on?" 

"We're just having a little disagreement about process," I answered.

Elena looked at Damon. "You're still not on board with the animal plan."

Stefan started packing things in his bag.