Vicki was dead. I'd compelled Matt basically to forget his feelings for me. Because of well-deserved guilt.

Tonight, though, I heard a girl's laughter, and in confusion, I left my room as Stefan called from downstairs, "Damon? Kaylin?"

Then I heard a vampire's hiss, Stefan's voice asking, "Lexi?"

"Hi," I heard Lexi say.

"What are you doing here?"

"How could you even ask that?"

"I missed you." 

I sped downstairs, smiling at my blond vampire friend, and she smiled back and came to give me a hug. "Kaylin."

"Lexi." I smiled, pulling back and nodding to Stefan. "Don't you have something to say?"

"Oh, right," Lexi said slyly, with a smile, turning to Stefan. "Happy Birthday."

In Stefan's room, Lexi laughed as we sat on Stefan's bed, and she said, "I don't know, okay? If some freak shot at me with wooden bullets, I'd bail in under 60. And why is the news reporter hunting vampires?"

"No clue," I said.

"I don't know," Stefan agreed. "I don't know who knows about us. You know, that guy did, there could be others. Hey, do us a favor, while you're here, please be careful."

"Ugh!" Lexi complained. "Why stay?" She twirled off the bed. "I'm heading to New York for the weekend. Bon Jovi. In the garden." I smiled wildly, raising both arms in the air while Stefan only raised one. "Wanted, Dead or Alive. It's our theme song! It'll be a blast!"

"Hey, do you think he would actually remember us? That was a pretty crazy weekend."

"We can make him remember us. Come on!"

"I'll most definitely, absolutely go with," I said, standing and smiled. "I . . . need a break."

"Or a break from a break-up," Lexi sang, and even though it wasn't that long ago, I still smiled.

I looked at Stefan. "Let's go."

"I mean, what's keeping you here?" Lexi asked him.

"I told you, her name is Elena," Stefan said.

"Well, let's hope she's a better girl than the last one you got all sprung over," Lexi said, turning to face us with Katherine's picture.

Stefan stood, taking the picture from her. "You didn't even know Katherine."

"'Cause if she did, she'd kick her ass," I laughed. "The little bitch."

"Speaking of, where's Damon?" Lexi asked.

"Inflicting misery somewhere," Stefan said, walking past.

"Uh-huh."

"Hey, um, are you gonna be okay here alone?" Stefan asked. "We've got some things we've got to take care of."

"Well, it's not exactly like I can go anywhere," Lexi answered, pointing outside toward the sun. "And you Salvatores are the only ones with these nifty little daylight rings." Lexi gasped, looking up. "I have a mood ring from '75. Trade you?"

I smiled, shaking my head as Stefan said, "Doesn't work that way, and you know it."

"Good try, though," I said.

"Yeah," she said, looking away.

"Hey, Lex," Stefan said.

"Hmm?" Lexi asked, looking back.

"I'm really glad you came here."

"More like psyched," I sang.

Lexi nodded, pointing at me. The she looked at Stefan. "Okay, what are we doing for his birthday? It's not everyday a guy turns 162 years old."

"Oh," Stefan complained. "Really?"

Lexi and I shared devilish looks, smiling and nodding, saying together, "Oh, yeah."

"Where did Vicki say she was going?" Sheriff Forbes asked me.

I shook my head. "She never spoke to me directly. She told Elena's brother Jeremy to tell her brother Matt she was leaving town."

"Did she tell her brother where she was going?"

"I don't think so."

"Is there anyone I can talk to that may know what happened to her prior of her leaving town?"

"Not that I know of. Me and my brother were trying to help her because she was Matt's sister. That, and Jeremy's girlfriend. Elena asked Stefan to be involved because she thought it would help Jeremy. I was helping Vicki because Matt's a friend."

"What was her behavior like those last few days before she left?"

"Very . . . tempermental. Bag and good, sketchy."

"Any signs of agression or violence?"

"No."

"So you believe Vicki really has left town?"

"Yes."

I sighed, standing next to Stefan. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah, just waiting for Elena."

"Of course you are."

We turned toward the door as Matt walked out, closer to us. He gave me a nod but ignored Stefan.

"I was trying to help her, Matt," Stefan called. "That's all."

I left his side to follow after Matt. "Hey."

He turned back to me. "Yeah?"

"I'm sorry about Vicki, but this wasn't Stefan's fault," I told him.

It was my other brother's.

Matt sighed. "I know. I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't blame him. I know you both tried to help her."

"Yeah, we should've tried harder."

"Just like you're telling me not to blame Stefan, I'll tell you this. Don't blame yourself. A lot of people have tried to help Vic. She just doesn't want it. But thanks for trying. You're a good friend."

I looked down, smiling a little. "Right." He started to walk away, not hearing the next word I said. "Friend."

At least I knew the compulsion worked.

Just hadn't known how much it would hurt.

"So, this Elena girl and Matt fella, they'll come around," Lexi said. "I'm sure of it." She leaned closer. "Have you had sex yet?"

"No," Stefan answered.

I shook my head. "Nada. He doesn't even know about the world of the," my voice turned mocking, "supernatural."

"Sex always works," Lexi said. "I mean, you guys'll rock their world so much with your vamp sex, they'll be yours forever."

Lexi sat down as Stefan said, "No, you see, this isn't about sex or compulsion or any of our other tricks." Lexi sat a case on the table. "She has to want to be with me on her own terms." Lexi opened the case.

"Wow," I mocked. "That sounded all mature and grown up."

Lexi grabbed one of the blood bags as Stefan said, "Well, I'm not getting any older, and neither are you."

"Ha ha."

Lexi stabbed a straw into the blood bag, sipping it. "Ah." She held it out to me and Stefan. "Want some?"

Stefan instantly stood, walking away. "No. Thank you."

"Relax, I didn't kill anyone for it. This labotimist I went out with a few times, he's my supplier." She held out a blood bag to me. "I know you'll take some." I smiled, and she tossed it to me, and I caught it. "Knock yourself out."

I started to put the bag to my lips when Stefan folded his arms across his chest, looking all judy-eyed and I said, "Oh, don't judge, okay? I've trived the animal diet before, and it sucks."

"Mm, me too," Lexi said, putting the blood bag on the table. "Lasted three weeks."

"Doesn't matter," Stefan said. "If I started again, I just don't know--"

"If you could stop," Lexi and I finished together.

"Lexi, Kay, I would never judge either of you," Stefan told us.

"I'm just jealous of your restraint," I said. "I have none."

"I delighten humanism," Lexi agreed with a smile. "Speaking of which, what are we doing tonight?"

"Funny you should ask," Damon said as he walked into the room.

"Well, I wasn't asking you."

"There's a party, at the Grill, you'll love it. Banquets, wait staff, all of Stefan and Kaylin's friends."

"Yeah, I don't want a birthday party," Stefan said.

"Well, it's not for you," Damon said. "It's a party party, no one's gonna know it's your birthday. Caroline's throwing it."

"Damon, stay away from Caroline," I told him.

"We're friends, it's cool," Damon said. "It's important for the town to see us out and about like normal folk. We need to blend." He looked at the blood bags on the table and the one in my hand. "Ugh. I prefer mine at 98.6."

He turned, walking out as I looked at Stefan. "Let's go."

"Please," Lexi added when he didn't answer.

Apparently, whiile I had been in the shower in my bedroom, getting ready, Elena had come by looking for Stefan and found Lexi instead, who found out Elena looked exactly like Katherine.

I was meeting Lexi and Stefan at the Grill, wearing a low-cut dark navy blue shirt, a white leather jacket covering it as I walked into the Grill alone, and Caroline came toward me. "Kaylin!"

"Caroline," I said as she came closer.

"So glad you made it." I tilted my head, smiling a little, and she took my arm. "Come on. Let's have some fun."

"Some fun is what I could use."

"Fantastic."

We both smiled as we started to dance, and then she was saying, "Oh, I see Bonnie. I need to talk to her."

"Okay."

As she walked away, I continued dancing.

I was at the bar, compelling the not-handsome bartender for a drink, turning around when I saw Caroline with Matt, Caroline about to tip and fall over when Matt picked her up in his arms, starting to carry her toward the door.

Yes, I had compelled him to forget his feelings for me, but this still hurt, and the smile fell off my face as I watched them leave.

I knew Lexi was behind me shoulder before she asked, "Was that Matt?"

I sighed. "Yep."

"You know, you could always win him back."

"That requires for him to remember the feelings he had for me."

"You compelled him to forget?"

"Yep."

"What? Why?"

"Because he's the all-American, blue-eyed, blond-haired, all-human quarterback whose sister just got killed because Damon turned her, staked by Stefan, and has a human quality that does not need the all-confusing, all-life threatening, all-supernaturalness of my life."

"Why don't you tell me how you really feel about the subject?" Lexi asked sarcastically, her arm around my shoulder.

"If I did, we'd be standing here all night," I replied, turning to face her and drinking the two shots in my hand back-to-back, and she chuckled as she took the empty shot glasses. "I'm gonna go fine some horny guy to dance with."

"Good for you!" Lexi called after me as I walked away.

I had a guy's hand on my waist as I danced with him, with him standing behind me as we moved to the beat in a sexy way, only stopping when I saw the sheriff and two deputies pass by, heading toward Lexi and Damon at the bar, injecting Lexi with vervain.

As they drug her toward the front exit, I started to push my way through the crowd to follow, and the deputy there said, "Can't go out this way."

I turned around to face Stefan and Elena coming closer, and I grabbed each of their arms and pulling them with me as I headed to the back.

I could hear gunshots and Lexi hissing as I started to us vamp speed when Stefan blocked my way, saying, "No," as he pulled me back with Elena, a hand over her mouth.

And we saw Damon stick a stake through Lexi's heart, a sound of horror escaping my lips. "Oh, my God."

Lexi had been Stefan's and my best friend.

And Damon just killed her.

"Why?" Lexi asked.

"Part of the plan," Damon answered.

Lexi fell toward the ground, her skin already graying with veins as Damon turned to Sheriff Forbes with fake caring.

I was already gone. Not with Elena and Stefan.

Already at home.

Damon killed Tanner, four other people, turned Vicki . . .He killed Lexi. Zach.

I knew Stefan wanted him dead. So did I.

Damon was already hom, pouring himself a drink, whe I saw Stefan got there. He turned to face Stefan. "Told you I'd take care of it."

Stefan sped toward him, punching his head to the side, grabbing his arms and pushing him to the floor, straight into a bookcase.

Stefan walked toward him, taking his shirt and punching his face again. And again. And again.

Damon kicked him back.

I was in front of Stefan as he stood up, and as Damon came toward me, I took him by his shirt and pushed him into a wall.

"Come on, I did this for you both, to get them off our trail," Damon said.

"You never do anything for anyone but yourself," Stefan said from behind me.

I took a stake and drove it into Damon's stomach instead of his heart, and Damon groaned as he looked down. "You missed."

"No," I told him. "You save our lives, I'm sparing yours. We're even. Do it again, and it goes into your heart." I pushed the stake in harder, already turning around for the door and starting to walk toward it, letting Damon sink to the floor and leaving both of my brothers in there as I said, "And now we're done."

And so much for going to New York with Lexi.