CHAPTER TWO;
good vampire

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THE DAYS AFTER NATHAN'S DEATH had blended together, nothing had surprised her enough, nothing had made her feel anything at all. Nothing except her dreams, dreams she was starting to rely on to make herself whole again.

Damon had killed Jeremy and Elena hated him for it. Camila had blinked as her sister told her this, a buzzing in her ears, and any tears building up went away the moment Elena told her Jeremy was wearing one of the Gilbert rings. He was alive. Who the fuck cared about anything else?

If he'd been dead perhaps Camila would've been mad, but Jeremy survived. And that was all that mattered.

She didn't care about Damon or any vampire. She could barely manage to leave her room, her bed, or her dreams. She'd go to sleep whenever she could, ignoring the outside world, and hoping that in her dreams she would see him. It was absolutely insane, a little delusional, and very concerning, but Camila didn't care. Because she could see Kol, love him while she slept and hate him when she woke up, cold and alone, and with guilt running through her veins.

She'd ruined Nathan's life. It was her fault he'd died, just like it had been her fault her parents were on the bridge that day. She kept dragging people to ruination, and Nathan was her last victim. She wished she had been able to love him. She wished she could've broken things off with him sooner, respected him, made sure he knew she wasn't using him to hurt him and that she truly cared about him.

But she hadn't. And he was dead.

Tyler managed to get her out of the house a day or so after Nate died, so the two of them could go over to his house and meet his aunt, Marylin. His mother's sister lived close by in Virginia, and his parents had asked her to come to town and oversee the move. Nathan's parents refused to come back to Mystic Falls.

Marylin looked grief-stricken, and seeing her made Camila's stomach churn. Another reminder that no matter how much she tried to ignore it, it was real. She would never see him again. His aunt had hugged Camila and Tyler tightly before leading them to Nathan's room, where his stuff was still unpacked.

Immediately, Tyler went to Nathan's computer and erased the whole thing, chuckling to hide that he was almost crying. "We made a pact," he told Camila, "If one of us died, the search history went with them."

They left most of his things untouched, it felt wrong to take his things as if they were rifling through goodwill, but his parents were planning on throwing his things away or stashing them in some storage unit. At least that's what Marilyn said, urging them to take what Nathan would've liked to remain with the people he loved.

Camila just took his favorite hoodie with her, and the pictures he had of them. Tyler took a few games, and they made sure Marylin knew to take to his parents some things that were important to keep. They also tried to decide what to make of Nathan's books and his record collection, not wanting it to go somewhere where they would collect dust or go to waste. In the end, they decided that Nathan would probably send the books to a library and the records they split, they'd give a few to each of his closest friends.

Both Tyler and Camila then helped Nathan's aunt with everything else. They knew more of the house than she did, after all.

Camila spent the rest of the day with Tyler and then went off on her own when he decided to go to the carnival. The last thing she wanted to do was socialise and act like everything was fucking normal.

So, Camila went home to dream. She got to her room and dozed off, begging her mind to just take her to him. It was deranged, she felt like a mental person giving in to illusions, but it had been real. Her dreams were memories. She just needed to be reminded of that.

Still, the only dream she got was of a space, just her mind and a void of nothingness. It was weird. She felt the seconds pass, time going by, but she wasn't anywhere exactly. Her eyes were closed. And she was just there. It felt like a limbo between life and death.

The strange dream, however, was interrupted by her sister calling her.

Groggily, she answered the phone. Elena was calling to ask if she wanted to pass by the carnival that was happening.

"I'm just going to stay home tonight," Camila told her sister, yawning. "Have fun."

"Oh, okay." Pity laced Elena's tone. "Well, everyone's here—"

"Elena!" Someone hissed through the phone, Damon's urgent voice calling her sister and Elena hurried to hang up, apologising to Camila, and telling her she'd call later.

"Sure."

Hanging up, Camila sat up in her bed. And nearly fell off it with a startle, when she saw Katherine sitting on her desk, smiling.

Blinking, to see if she was really there, Camila groaned in exhaustion and fell back onto the bed. "Are you aware trespassing is a felony?"

"I'm pretty sure it's also against the rules of nature to come back from the dead, yet..." Katherine finished with a smirk, waving her hand at herself.

Camila rolled her eyes at her. Standing up from her bed, she threw Nathan's hoodie over her tank top, leaving her basically in sweats and ignored Katherine. Going to the bathroom she started brushing her teeth, ignoring the vampire following along, looking highly amused.

"You still haven't told anyone you've met me," Katherine mused, "I thought you were part of their little Scoobie gang."

Glaring at Katherine, Camila spit in the sink and set her toothbrush down. "It's none of their business whether I've met you."

"Translation: you haven't told anyone about your memory dreams," Katherine said, smirking, still following as Camila went downstairs, sure the house was empty if Katherine had no problem strutting about it. "Or who you are."

"I don't even know who I am, Katerina." She reached the kitchen and started going through the cupboards for something to eat. She looked back at Katherine, with a dry smile. "Care to enlighten me? Or am I supposed to just pretend your visits are just the usual vampire check-up on a random stranger with the curious absence of bloodsucking incidents?"

Katherine rolled her eyes. "Vampires don't have to eat every human they interact with. Not that you're exactly human, Mila."

Harshly, Camila closed a cupboard and went instead to get herself an apple and a knife, wanting to chop something up and get some food in her along with it. "So, what am I? Do you know or do you just love messing with me?"

"I'm not messing with you. You said you remembered who I am."

"They're dreams." Camila shrugged, plopping a piece of apple in her mouth.

"You said..." Katherine narrowed her eyes at her. "I can't give you answers. But I can tell you what you know already. You're my sister, Mila—"

"I guess I am your sister. That means I know more about you than the Salvatores do. All these dreams and memories keep popping up."Camila launched the knife at Katherine with such speed it stabbed her in the shoulder. With a groan, Katherine ripped it out of her, chuckling in amusement. Camila wasn't laughing. "All your little human secrets you spent your life burying as Katherine Pierce. So, I dunno what you're trying to accomplish, but cross me, I dare you."

Her amusement vanished. "What did you remember?"

"Tell me why you're here?" Camila countered. "Is this one of your games, Katherine?"

Katherine glared at her, launching the knife right back. Camila dodged it just in time and the bloodied thing lodged itself in a cupboard. Then, in a tone that sounded vindictive, as if to rub it in Camila's face after she provoked her, Katherine said, "I turned Caroline into a vampire."

Camila froze. "What?"

"Caroline. She's probably freaking out right about now. Well, if she hasn't killed herself by stepping into the sun." Katherine rounded the kitchen island, walking closer to her as Camila glared. "Dare completed. I crossed you, Mila. What are you going to do?"

She didn't flinch, she didn't wince. Camila just stared back at Katherine, the same stubborn look on her face, her rage flaring. "You did that before I dared you."

Katherine shrugged, a smirk tugging at her lips. "I told you. Not even you can stop me."

"You changed. I heard," Camila nearly snarled. "You're not the naive girl I remember. You've had centuries of caring only about yourself to create whatever you are now. But, honey, I changed too. I might not know who the fuck I am, or what exactly I am, but I do know dying a few times did something to me. And I will have no problem tearing your head off your body if you hurt the people I care about."

Katherine's jaw clenched. She didn't look scared (which was understandable, Camila was aware she was just as defenceless as any human, that her threats might not be so quickly accomplished), but she did look hurt.  The pain in her eyes, even her smirky face couldn't hide.

"I'm stronger than you are, Mila." Her voice was cold as she sneered at Camila. "Don't make threats you can't handle."

"Let me worry about what I can handle." Camila shoved her shoulder with her own as she passed by her, grabbing the knife stuck to the cupboard and quickly washing it off any blood, ignoring Katherine.

Then she headed to her bedroom where she left her phone. She needed to call Caroline.

She didn't hear Katherine follow her, still she held any emotion in until she was sure her, well, other sister, was out of the house. Caroline was her priority. She was probably not taking it so well. Camila cursed not letting her know what was happening. Especially after everything with that asshole, Damon.

The moment she walked back into her room, Katherine was there again. Leaning against her open window, looking at the floor with her brows knitted together. She didn't speak, and Camila stayed rooted in the doorway waiting for her to say something.

"You know, I used to be one of the people you cared about," Katherine told her quietly.

For the first time since Nathan... Camila felt something other than anger or pain. Her heart broke, and in that moment any memory she had of Katerina from the dreams, rushed to the surface. The dreams she was having were becoming more and more memories, her memories to be exact, and her emotions were starting to bleed past her subconscious.

Camila let out a shaky laugh, shrugging helplessly. "It's been five hundred years. What do you want me to say? I don't have all my memories, I'm at a loss with most of them. The person you are in these little visits... Well, I can see Katerina still. I can see the sister I remember."

Katherine raised an eyebrow. "But?"

"But outside this room, you just murdered my best friend! You're right. You're a different person. And I'm sorry if right now I don't give a fuck about you, Katherine. I don't give a fuck about anything. What's the point? I gave a shit about you and I died! Shit! I fell in love a thousand years ago and for what? Some dreams and a hollow heart?! I don't know who I am or what I am, and I just wish it could all just fucking stop. I'm—" Camila's voice broke. "Fuck. I'm a pathetic mess."

Katherine walked closer to her and hesitantly, wrapped her arms around her. Camila took a second, and then she slumped against the girl, taking a shaky breath to steady herself as Katherine hugged her. Neither of them was a hundred per cent comfortable with the hug, they might have been sisters once, and technically now too, but there were five centuries still separating them.

But still, the hug gave Camila more strength than anything else in the past few days. It was like one of her dreams but brought back to reality. She felt like she was back in her life, five hundred years ago, and her sister was holding her together before she could break down and prove what a mess she was.

Katherine pulled away, grabbed Camila's shoulders firmly, and met her eyes. When she spoke, for the first time, her voice was void of any snark or ulterior motives. So much so, that she sounded like Katerina. "You're a Petrova, Mila, whether you like it or not. That means if you fall, you stand up and keep moving. Don't let them see you bleed."

Camila nodded and Katherine smiled tightly, letting her hands fall.

And as she saw the wall being built again, and Katerina disappearing behind a look of perpetual mild amusement and badassery, Camila took a step back.

Because no matter how much Katherine could act like her sister, could bring those emotions back, and memories to the surface, she was playing a game with all of them outside of this room. And Katherine having killed Caroline to turn her into a vampire still made her blood boil.

Breaking the silence and bringing them back to a reality where their pasts weren't involved, Camila stated, "You killed my best friend."

"She's technically alive."

Clenching her jaw, Camila shook her head. "You know, I do care about you, Katerina. But I hate Katherine Pierce right now."

Katherine's lips tugged up and she granted it to her. "Well, if it helps get you out of sweatpants, Mila, hate me all you'd like."

And then she vanished.

She tried, for a second, to understand why, in her twisted mind, Katherine believed provoking her would get her mind off of grief. But to be fairly honest, during their whole conversation she didn't think about Nathan dying once.

"Bitch," Camila muttered into her room, a smile tugging at her lips, before going over to her closet to change and leave the house.

Camila greeted Liz when she got to Caroline's and immediately rushed to her friend's room. Caroline was standing by the window, her face sullen.

"Does being a vampire automatically turn you into a melodramatic Victorian lady?" Camila asked quietly as she closed the door behind her.

Caroline didn't turn back, but a quiet laugh escaped her, even if it sounded like a sob. In a small voice, she said, "Matt was here. He sneaked in. He told me he loved me."

"That's a good thing, Care."

Caroline shook her head and he walked away from the window, her eyes bloodshot. "He hugged me and I had to focus so hard... Not to..." She shook her head, wiping her tears away.

Camila sighed, rushing over to hug her but Caroline shook her head and moved to her bed. With a sad smile, Camila sat on the other end of the bed, crossing her legs. "I'm so sorry, Care."

"I'm a monster," Caroline whispered and when Camila was about to refute it, Caroline blurted out, "I killed someone, Cami,"

"Oh, honey." Camila's heart broke for her. "It'll be okay."

"It won't." Caroline pulled her knees to her chest, hugging them to her. "Bonnie hates me. I can't go in the sun. I keep wanting... Blood. And I'm dead."

"Care, I know this sounds like your world has gone to shit, but I just know, you'll be the best vampire out there. You made a mistake, and I know it can't feel good, especially right now, but you're still Caroline Forbes. You're the strongest girl I've ever met. Vampire or not." Camila smiled, trying to ease her friend's mind. "Bonnie'll get over it. We'll find a solution for the sun part. And you can get blood from something other than human bodies."

Caroline let out a laugh, wiping away her tears. "Oh yeah? Like what?"

"I'm not the best at this, but I think Stefan is like a vampire on a diet. He only drinks from animals. And I think blood banks could work. Worst case scenario, just drink my blood. It's fine if you kill me. I'll come back."

Caroline froze, her brows furrowing. Then her jaw dropped. "I'm sorry, what?"

Camila grimaced. "Well, honey, it's a long story."

"I have forever now Camila James. Literally."

"But you're... Care, this is about you. I want to make sure you're ok, I didn't come here to—"

"Be a bad friend and make this about you?" Caroline rolled her eyes. "I'm always doing that to you. Now spill."

Camila let out a laugh. "Ok. Remember when I told you I couldn't tell you everything? That you'd think I was crazy?"

Caroline nodded.

"Well, since you're in the loop of vampire stuff now..."

And so Camila told her everything. She told her about the night on the bridge, about Stefan getting to town. She told her about the dreams and coming back to life when Damon killed her. Camila told Caroline about Isobel, about John being her father. She told Caroline about Nathan's death, and how they broke up. And she told Caroline what she hadn't told anyone yet, about the dreams and her past lives, about Tessa and Katherine. She told her everything. Because Caroline was her best friend, and if she was going to trust anyone, she would trust Care.

"Katherine's your sister?" Caroline asked, shocked and Camila nodded.

"I'm pretty sure she is."

"And she still killed your best friend?!"

"She's a bitch," Camila said for an explanation. "But... She's nice to me, Care. I think she genuinely cares for me, she even tried to save Nathan... she was just too late."

Caroline nodded. "Why haven't you told anyone about this?"

Camila shrugged helplessly. "Because she's still Katherine. Outside of her little visits, she's a five-hundred-year-old vampire with her mind games and selfish tendencies. But she's my sister, I—"

"You care about her."

"Well, I do. And I haven't felt like I need to tell anyone about her visits. She's been civil with me, and I haven't had any issues that make me want to tell them." Camila shrugged. "But I know what she did to you, Care. I hate her for it. I swear I do. You're my best friend."

"I know, honey." Caroline gave her a sad smile. "Honestly, I hate her too."

"You should. You didn't deserve this, Care. Katherine dragged you into this because of whatever she has planned, I'm sure. It can't be random. She needs something, and I'm going to make sure you're not in the crossfire—"

"We can figure that out later, Cami. For now, I'm fine. But I meant, why haven't you told anyone about your dreams? You have Elena too, honey. She's your sister."

Camila pursed her lips, nodding. She knew this of course. Finding Katerina didn't change the fact that Elena was her sister and Jeremy her brother. They were her family, and she trusted them with her life, she loved them more than anything. But...

"Elena would try to fix me, Care. They'd all think I'm crazy and need help. That Katherine brainwashed me or something. I love Elena, I do, but she doesn't understand."

"Ok. Good thing I'm a fantastic secret keeper."

Caroline grinned and patted the spot next to her on the bed making Camila smile widely as she crawled there. Everything was starting to feel normal. As normal as it could be at least.

"You know what we should do?"

"What?"

Caroline reached for a random notebook on her nightstand and clicked her multicoloured pen. "A timeline."

"What?"

Caroline rolled her eyes and wrote something before showing it to Camila. On a random page, at the top in pink ink, Caroline had written, The Multiple Lives of Camila James.

"You obviously can't keep track of everything, your dreams have to be flitting. So, a timeline would put everything in order. We can find out more about Katherine. Or, you know, Kol."

"Kol's dead." Camila bit her lip. "I remember him dying. An older man stabbed him through the heart with a long sword, Care. Besides, he lived like a thousand years ago."

"Well, don't you want to know why he died?" Caroline looked at her as if she was ridiculous.

Camila shrugged. "I guess."

She smiled when Care drew a line across the pages, before putting four notches on it, titling them with the vague descriptions of time Camila had told her about. And as she saw the timeline take shape, Camila tilted her head. Perhaps this wasn't such a bad idea.

And then a creepy smile tugged at Caroline's lips. "Wait, a second. Does this mean you're like two thousand years old?"

Camila scowled at her and pinched her arm, making Caroline yelp. Camila waved her off. "You're a vampire suck it up. Now, write right there on the first part that an Elena look-alike killed me."

Camila slept over at Caroline's, staying with her friend as the sun rose and she had to go in the shadows. She was also there when Matt stopped by. Caroline had looked heartbroken, helpless as she had no choice but to ignore him knocking on the door, calling for her.

Elena called in the morning, asking if Camila was ok and if she was with Caroline, before announcing she going with Alaric and Damon on a road trip to find out more about Katherine, and the Lockwoods.

"The Lockwoods?"

Elena sighed. "We think Mason might be a werewolf. And Tyler could be one too."

"Of course, werewolves are real," Camila said with a resigned huff, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I swear Lena, if you tell me Santa Klaus is real, I'll have to believe you."

Elena let out a laugh. "If I find proof I'll let you know, Cami. Love ya."

"Love you too, Lena."

Later, Camila left Caroline alone for about half an hour and ventured into town at Stefan's request. She was to find the perfect ring, with the right stone, for Caroline to wear forever. Because, charmer that he was, Stefan had managed to convince Bonnie to do the daylight ring spell—well, just barely, Bonnie was very reluctant.

She was at the jewellery store when she got a call from Tyler. Her brows rising in question, Camila picked up. Tyler usually didn't call her. They were the sort of friends that hung out if they saw each other, and got along well, but other than that they didn't have much contact.

"Hey, Ty. What's up?"

"Cami. Just wanted to let you know I'm having a party at the swimming hole on my family's property," he said through the phone."I figured we should get drunk, and drown our sorrows. It's sort of something for Nate. The whole team will be there, and other people too. We'll pay our respects by getting shit-faced. You know, since there's not going to be a funeral..."

Camila let out a shaky laugh. "I think he'd like that."

"Yeah. I thought so too."

"Anything else, Ty?"

"Uh, yeah. I just... Mason's acting strange and...You know what, forget it." Tyler sighed heavily, making Camila frown. She was nearly certain Tyler was on the verge of finding out whatever family secret the Lockwoods had. "I'll see you at the swimming hole?"

"Yeah, of course."

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