Potential (Book Four, The Vampire Diaries)

Chapter 18__American Gothic

Stefan and I had joined Damon outside of Mystic Falls, getting out of the car, walkiing toward Damon's car. 

Damon was carrying two large containers of gas. "If they so much as even scratched the paint on my car . . . ." 

"Well, just be grateful Sheriff Forbes was able to track down the car after you let them, ah, you know, steal it from you," I told him.

"Remind me to send her some mini-muffins," Damon told me. "Do we really need 10 gallons of gas, or are you making me just lug this around as punishment?" 

"Well, they ditched your car after it ran out of fuel," Stefan told him. "You gotta fill it up. Got a hundred miles before we get to Willoughby." 

"Yeah, well, I don't remember that name from the list of places I got from New York," Damon told us. 

"Oh, the list?" I asked in amusement. "The list they stole from right under your nose, after you let your guard down?"

"They'll be there," Stefan told us. "Sheriff Forbes tracked down the car they stole after yours." 

Damon filled his tank with the gas. "Screw the muffins. I'll get her champagne. If Elena is wherever it may be." 

Stefan smiled. "Willoughby. Creamed corn capital of Pennsylvania. They'll be there. Let's just hope we get to them before they get to the Cure." 

"Ooh, silver lining," Damon told us. "If Rebekah takes the Cure, then she's mortal and we can just kill her right then and there." 

"Ooh, dark dark," Stefan told him. "Elena stays a vamire forever. Look, why don't you just table the revenge fantasies for now, and just keep your eye on the prize. Find Katherine, get the Cure, get out before you get your neck snapped. Again." 

"Believe me, I learned my lesson," Daon told us. "Elena without humanity is a stone-cold bitch, and I won't trust her until we get the old Elena back." 

"Look at that," I told them. "We're finally on the same page about something." 

Damon tilted his head in acknowledgement. "Look at that." 

~~~~

In Willoughby, Damon's car started to chug, smoke blowing from the hood. 

"Oh, what the hell's wrong now?" Damon asked, pulling over to the side of the road, all of us getting out.

I walked around the car, opening the hood, smoke blowing up, making me cough.

Stefan walked toward me. "What do you know about cars? Oh, wait, let me guess. Something your mom taught you."

"Dad," I corrected.

"Your a jack of all trades, aren't you?" Damon asked.

"Just give me some time and we'll be ready to go," I told them.

"I could just fix it," Stefan told me.

"No, you guys need to find the girls," I told them. 

Damon looked around. "Something's not right. Katherine Pierce does not hole up in Hickstown, P.A." 

I walked around the car to the trunk. 

Stefan looked at the car in front of us. "Well, this is definitely the car they stole. We're in the right place." 

Pulling the trunk lid open, I pulled out the tool box. 

"Points to them for their choice of vehicles," Damon told us.