You Are My Life

Let's Not Kill Anyone Tonight

"So where is it?" Mallorie asked when Damon opened the door.

"Do girls not know how to say 'hello' anymore?" Damon asked.

"Not when you tick them off, Damon," Mallorie said.

"That seems awfully rude. You are a guest in my house." Damon crossed his arms.

Mallorie rolled her eyes. "Fine. Hi, Damon. I hope you're having a wonderful day. Now, where is it?"

"The device is on the sofa. I've been looking at it--"

"Not your stupid device! My sketchbook!" Mallorie marched into the parlor and began looking through books on the tables.

"You're not going to find it. It's in a secret, but safe, place until we figure this thing out." Damon sat on the couch.

Mallorie sat across from him. "So what does it do?"

"I don't know. Whatever it is, it doesn't work." Damon handed it to her.

"And Pearl didn't say anything else?" Mallorie turned it over in her hands.

"She thought she was stealing the vampire compass, but that was the pocket watch." Damon lay across the couch. "That Johnathon Gilbert was a crazy scientist. Do you know if Elena has spoken with her uncle lately?"

"No." Elena appeared behind him. "I've been avoiding him, actually. That, and I've been here most nights."

"So, you'll be here again tonight?" Damon held out his hand. Mallorie placed the device in it.

Elena crossed her arms. "Is that a problem?"

"Yes. You're a complete nuisance." Damon didn't look up from the metal in his hands.

Elena chuckled nervously. "See you later."

Damon met Mallorie's eyes. "Don't you have school, too?"

"I don't need to go." Mallorie leaned back.

"No. You're going." Damon rose. "Besides, you don't want to be here all day. I'll be trying to feed broody Stefan. Nothing fun about that."

Mallorie rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll go to school if you give me a ride. It's too late to catch a ride from anyone else."

"Can't you call Elena? She just left." Damon frowned.

"I'll call her, but you owe me." Mallorie sighed as she dialed Elena's number.

Elena picked up on the first ring and turned around to grab Mallorie. Even with the delay, they arrived at school early. Mallorie was out the door and up to the building shortly after Elena put the car in park. She bypassed her locker and walked straight to first period.

*****

After school, Mallorie wandered the halls. She had texted Damon during lunch to pick her up. Of course, he was late.

"...number that Elena dialed to get Isobel." Mr. Saltzman talked on the phone in his room. "And then the number was disconnected."

"Isobel knows John. Whatever. We knew that." Damon's voice echoed in the empty room.

Mr. Saltzman sighed. "Right. Well, after that, he started getting calls from a new number. And I had my friend run a geotrack. Got the address. It's...It's an apartment in Grove Hill."

"Isobel's in Grove Hill?" Damon asked.

"I don't know. I thought we could take a look and see what we find." Mr. Saltzman looked at some papers on his desk.