SEASON ONE — EPISODE SEVENTEEN
"𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞 𝙘𝙖𝙣'𝙩 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙚"

‧˚꒰🍷꒱༘‧—

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'✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹ THE STORM RAGED OUTSIDE, it was loud but soothing to Brooke's ears as she read one of Stefan's diaries from the 1800s, sat on the couch with her legs pulled up to her chest. Damon was stood in front of the broken window, hammering yet another nail into the piece of wood he'd used to cover up the hole. Elena was stood by the couch, her arms crossed over her chest and Stefan was stood across the room, watching Damon.

"I say we go to Pearl's, bust down the door and annihilate the idiot that attacked us last night." Damon suggested, a hammer held tightly in his grip and Brooke rolled her eyes, flipping through another page in the withering journal. Elena glanced over at the book in Brooke's hands, still slightly confused as to why Stefan had let her read his diary.

"Yeah? And then what, turn to the rest of their house of vampires and say 'oops, sorry'?" Stefan asked with a raised brow and Brooke snorted, glancing over at the two brothers momentarily.

"I wouldn't be surprised if that was Damon's plan."

"Shut up, pipsqueak." Damon snapped in Brooke's direction, walking away from the window and past Stefan.

"I can't believe you made a deal with her." Elena leaned against the back of the couch with one of her hands on Brooke's shoulder, her eyes narrowed on Damon's frame.

"Oh, it's more like a helpful exchange of information. It's not like I got a choice. She's... scary." Damon chewed on the inside of his cheek, something had clearly happened between Damon and Pearl, but nobody questioned it, "Besides, she's gonna help me get Katherine back."

"Of course she is." Elena scoffed.

"You're still hung up on her? Didn't you get the hint? She doesn't want you." Brooke rolled her eyes, deadpanning towards Damon, who squinted his eyes with frustration at the girl who looked back at the diary in her hands, "But, you're delusional. So, in the end, per usual, Damon will get what he wants and hurt anyone who'll try to get in his way. Of course, except for Katherine."

Now, Damon had to fight the urge to rush over to the Elliot girl and snap her neck. But, with one warning look from his younger brother, he instead took a step back.

"You don't have to be so mean." Damon tried to smirk, though deep down her words had caused a pang in his cold heart.

"We woke up this morning to learn that all of the vampires have been released from the tomb. So, she has the right to be mean." Elena snapped, a hand now placed on her hip as Damon sat down on the opposite couch, letting out a sigh.

"How long are you gonna blame me for turning your birth mother into a vampire?" Damon played with the hammer in his hand, his eyes Elena as she took a step towards him, her arms crossed over her chest. Stefan walked up behind Brooke as she continued to flip through the pages of his first ever diary, smiling when she read about his school days.

Suddenly, the book was taken out of her hands and she scoffed, looking up over her shoulder at Stefan, who was closing the book, "Hey." She frowned, watching as he placed the book back on the bookshelf.

"I'm not blaming you, Damon. I've accepted the fact you're a psychopath with no redeeming qualities." Elena smiled towards Damon and Brooke let out a laugh, completely distracted from the whole book ordeal with Stefan.

"I'm glad you've finally seen the light, Elena." Brooke stood up from the couch, wiping down her jeans which Elena had brought over for her.

"Why am I being hated on in my own house?" Damon frowned, looking towards the two cousins as Stefan walked over, standing in between the girls and placing an arm around Elena.

"This isn't being productive. We're gonna figure out a way to deal with Pearl and the vampires, yeah?" Stefan looked down at his older brother with a stern expression and Damon stood up, twisting the hammer in his hand. Without a word, the darker—haired Salvatore walked past the group of three and headed straight out of the room, leaving them alone.

As soon as he was gone, Brooke turned to her cousin and best—friend, only for them to be hugging, "I'm sorry, he just makes me so cranky." Elena muttered as he placed a hand on the back of her head, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"That makes two of us." Brooke stood there, feeling like a third—wheel and she swung her hands a little before scratching her cheek awkwardly, "Ugh, that's my cue." Brooke faked vomiting, causing the two to laugh as they pulled away and she swiftly made her way out of the room, looking for her phone and her bag — which Elena had brought over for her — to tell Nate she'd been at Caroline's and that she'd be home soon.

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BROOKE SANG ALONG TO NIRVANA playing in her earphones as she cleaned her bedroom, sometimes belting her heart out and other times just humming quietly, bending down to pick up DVDs and pieces of clothing.

She was so engrossed in the cleaning process that when she stepped backwards, when her back hit a hard chest, she let out a loud scream, loud enough to alert the entire trailer park. Brooke quickly span around and pulled her earphones from her ears as she looked up at Damon, the sound of Kurt Cobain's voice playing faintly in the background.

"Demon!" She screeched, grabbing one of her candles from her desk and chucked it in his direction, but with his quick speed and agility, he caught the rather large candle with his large hand, his bushy eyebrows scrunched together.

"Demon? That's a first." He let out a scoff and placed the candle down on one of her dressers as she glared at him, her chest rising and falling quickly.

"What do you want?" She tilted her head, her eyes squinted in his direction, "I want you out. Now."

"I think Stefan's in danger." Those words were enough for Brooke's expression to soften, for her beautiful green eyes to turn from angry to gentle towards one of the men she hated the most in her life.

"Elaborate." She demanded, quickly grabbing her cell from her bed and pressing pause on the current song playing through her earphones.

"The tomb vampires took him." He explained, watching as she typed something into her phone and then proceeded to press the device to her ear, only to pull it back again.

"His phone went straight to voicemail."

"Yeah, that's because he's currently being tortured by Pearl's little minions." Damon rolled his eyes, taking a step forwards and snatching her phone from her hands.

"Oh, fuck no. This isn't happening again." Brooke grabbed another candle from her desk once again and lifted it in the air, threatening to chuck it right at the Salvatore's face.

"Calm down, pipsqueak. I'm just calling Elena, she isn't answering me." Damon pressed his lips together, one hand held up towards Brooke as he lifted the cell to his ear, waiting for Elena's voice to come down the line, only for it to go to voicemail as well, "What's wrong with this girl?"

"She probably knows it's you. Now, give me my phone back." Brooke snapped, taking a step forwards and snatching her phone back from his hand.

"Stop being so insufferable."

"Shut up, let's go." Brooke grabbed her leather jacket from the hook in her bedroom and left her bedroom, Damon hot on her trail, "Wow, I think this is the first time you've actually been through my front door." She teased, opening the door and she held it open for him, sending him a smirk.

Damon rolled his eyes and exited the trailer, more focused on saving his little brother as rain poured down onto their heads, "Yeah, yeah. Get in." He pointed towards his blue Chevy Camaro convertible and Brooke hesitated momentarily as her hair became soaked before she quickly yet reluctantly climbed into the passenger seat. Being in that car with Damon gave her a sense of trauma, she felt all of the pain and discomfort rushing back to her and while she hardly remembered most of it, she knew that it was a traumatic experience.

The drive was quick, quicker than she'd expected, which only worried her all the more — she hadn't realised how close the group of vicious vampires were to the Mystic Falls trailer park.

Once Damon stopped the car, hidden from the bungalow, Brooke placed her hand on the handle of the passenger door, only for Damon's fingers to curl around her wrist tightly, "Ow! Get off!" She yelled, tugging her wrist from his strong grip and Damon hushed her, rolling his eyes.

"Will you shut up? All you do is whine all the time." Damon scoffed, grabbing a random stake from his centre console and placing it on the inside of his leather jacket. Brooke squinted her eyes in his direction, clearly unamused.

"Why did you ask me to come, anyways?" Brooke asked, causing Damon's eyes to roll for the second time.

"Because Elena's somehow more annoying. Just stay here." And with that, without another bleep from Brooke, Damon sped off towards the house through the raging storm. The wind was so powerful, Brooke felt Damon's car tipping from side to side continuously, but she stayed still, hoping it would eventually stop.

The entire time, the entire ten minutes, Brooke had her eyes on her trembling fingers and her bouncing knee, her bottom lip tucked between her teeth. Her mind was spiralling with theories about what was happening, about how the vampires would torture the life out of Stefan, and it only made her grit her teeth, feeling angrier than ever.

Suddenly, the driver door opened and a drenched Damon climbed in, burying his face in his hands, "I can't get in." He muttered, clearly disappointed in himself and surprisingly, on the verge of tears. Brooke stayed in her spot, her eyes trailing over to his saddened face and her brows knitted together.

"He's there?" She leaned forwards slightly, her eyes glued onto his eyes and he looked up from his hands, making eye contact with the Elliot girl. He nodded, but as soon as her hand clutched around the door handle just like earlier, his eyes widened and he quickly clasped his hand around her wrist.

"You can't go in there, it's too dangerous."

"Since when have you cared? We have to do something." She tugged her hand from his grip, a pleading look in her eyes, but he seemed just as clueless and unsure as she did. Until suddenly, it was like a lightbulb switched on in her mind and her eyes lit up with realisation, "Wait, I have an idea."

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BROOKE LED THE WAY THROUGH MYSTIC FALLS HIGH, it was pretty deserted considering it was the weekend but she knew she'd find her History teacher there. She made her way down a long hallway, Damon trailing behind her like a lost puppy and she peaked her head into the cafeteria in hopes she'd find him there, but unfortunately, he wasn't.

Damon passed her, turning the corner and she heard him beginning to speak to someone, so she quickly made her way over to the Salvatore, her eyes landing on Alaric Saltzman. The man stood in his dark grey flannel, his angered expression softening as soon as he laid eyes on the girl, "Brooke?"

"Ricky." She smiled softly towards him, taking a few steps in front of Damon and she held her hand up in the vampire's face, facing away from him, "Ignore him. We just need your help, I need your help." Damon scowled at the girl's jewellery—covered hand in his face but he rolled his eyes, trying his best to ignore her antics.

"With what?" Alaric's eyes flickered over to Damon momentarily, his expression screwing up just a tad before it softened again, his eyes back on Brooke.

They found themselves in the History classroom, Brooke paced in front of Alaric's desk, which the aforementioned man was sat at whilst Damon leaned against a table at the side of the room by the windows, "Stefan's in the house. And because Damon's a vampire, he can't get in. I need your help, I can't go in alone." She continued off of the conversation they had already started when they entered the classroom.

"You can't go in at all, Brooke. It's vampires we're talking about." Alaric explained, sitting up in his chair with his fingers interlocked in his lap. Brooke couldn't resist rolling her eyes at his statement, brushing a strand of her straight, dark hair behind her pierced ear, "I have the Gilbert ring, I'll be fine."

"And I will, too — with your help." Brooke placed her hands on her hips, glancing in Damon's direction momentarily. Alaric suddenly stood from his chair, glaring towards Damon before he looked back over at Brooke, letting out a deep sigh.

"Look, I'm sorry, Brooke. But it isn't my problem." He looked physically pained to look into her eyes and tell her he couldn't help her, she looked helpless and desperate. He didn't want to let her down, but there was nothing he could exactly do.

"Please—"

"Brooke, it's fine. I suppose he'll only be missing out." Damon shrugged with a small smirk, standing up straight and wiping down his black jeans. Brooke's eyebrows scrunched together in confusion and she looked over at him, her arms now crossed over her chest.

"How?"

"Because the woman in charge of the crowd can help him find his wife." Damon turned his back to the pair and looked out of the windows, rain pouring down onto the glass and trees swaying just outside.

"You're lying." Alaric claimed, an expressionless look on his face.

"Am I?" Damon strolled back over, though he kept his distance, knowing not to stand too close to the fiery girl who hated his guts, "Why don't you ask her for yourself? Coward." Damon teased, leaning forward as he insulted the man and Brooke side—eyed him, unsure the tactic would work.

Damon began to make his way out of the room, though Brooke stayed, her eyes wide as she watched Alaric, conflicted. He was confused, unsure and definitely reluctant, but as he twisted the ring on. his finger and looked back at the teenage girl who sent him a look of desperation, he let out a sigh, "All right. Fine. I'll go." And with those words, not only did Damon spin around with a heart filled with success, but a wide grin spread across Brooke's lips and she resisted from jumping into his arms to show him how grateful she was for his support.

It was a little while later — only half an hour — and Brooke, Damon and Alaric were stood around the desk in the now dark classroom, looking down at Alaric's set of vampire hunting weapons under the small lamp light, "Teacher by day, vampire hunter by night." Damon smirked.

"I have you to thank for that." Alaric stated, narrowing his eyes in Damon's direction but the vampire only smirked wider with amusement.

"What are these?" Brooke spoke up, pulling both of their attention away from each other and back to the situation at hand.

"Those are tranquilliser darts filled with vervain." Alaric explained and Brooke nodded, her finger tracing over the fabric of the weapons case.

"Just get me in and I'll get Stefan out." Damon shrugged as if it was the most simplest plan ever.

"Shut up, Damon. You can't take them all on yourself." She scoffed.

"Says who? You haven't seen me in action." Damon smirked in her line of sight, but she was far from amused.

"You're right, I haven't. But, let me help you make it easier. He'd be held in the basement, correct?" Her eyes flickered between the two and Damon nodded whilst Alaric shrugged, both slightly unsure but it sounded pretty reasonable, "Okay, so... You two could put up a fight, enough so to draw them all out, leaving Stefan on his own. There should be a backdoor, I could get inside and get him out of there." She explained with a small smile, her fingers gripping the edge of the desk.

"That's the stupidest plan I've ever heard." Damon scoffed now, rolling his eyes in disbelief but Alaric shook his head, leaning forwards slightly.

"Actually, I think it would make it easier. I could give her a weapon to defend herself if anything happens, but they'd never expect for her to go around the back door, if the house has one." Alaric added, and the two humans looked towards Damon, awaiting his approval.

He looked back at them, unsure and conflicted, but Brooke had that look on her face, a look that could make anyone fold at any request she makes, "What if there isn't a back door?"

"Then, plan B — meaning, your reckless plan." She told him, letting out a heavy sigh and Damon nodded, agreeing.

"I suppose if you die, nobody will really care. So, let's go." Damon turned and walked towards the doorway, feeling the intense glare of Brooke Elliot burning into the back of his head. She wasn't going to let his words affect her the way they used to, so she locked eyes with Alaric — who sent her a sympathetic smile — momentarily before following behind Damon.

Alaric rounded the desk and as soon as he met up with her, her placed a hand on her shoulder, giving the thin material of her red leather jacket a squeeze as they made their way through the school.

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