The Birthday

I was awoken on my birthday by my annoying twin sister, Elena Gilbert.

I rubbed my eyes and groaned. Even on our birthday, she couldn't be relaxed or laid-back.

Sleep was like my saviour these days. Yet another one of my relatives had died, my aunt Jenna. She was killed so the Original Hybrid - a werewolf/vampire in one - could be released of a curse that made his werewolf side dormant.

Jenna had taken us in after my adoptive parents died. She was usually the 'fun aunt,' the one you could talk to about boy-problems. She had been there for me so many times in the past. When I developed an addiction to pot and alcohol months before my parents died, she was the one to pull me back. When I got dumped by Jason Wyatt, she was the one who watched movies with me and gave me ice-cream. She was one of the few people I trusted, and the hybrid took her from me.

My town, Mystic Falls, was crawling with supernatural creatures and I was one of them. I was a witch, not a very good one. I knew a few spells, but I wasn't devouted to becoming an all-powerful witch, I never saw the need. Bonnie could be the witch in our group of supernatural friends, I liked my position on the sidelines as the witch-sub.

"Elena!" I groaned. "Its too early for this."

"It's our birthday," she said, pulling over the curtains. "You can't stay up here all day today, Louise."

"I can try," I said, covering my ear with my pillow.

Elena pulled the duvet off me and threw it to the ground. "Get up," she ordered.

I sat up. "Fine," I grumbled.

"I miss her too, Louise, but we have to move on. It's what Jenna would have wanted."

I felt my eyes well up with tears. I blinked, trying to get them to go away. I wasn't weak. I was a lot of things, surely, but weak wasn't one of them. After our parents' death, I was the strong one. I was the oldest by fifteen minutes, and I took my role very seriously. I got my crap together after their deaths, my family had needed me. Jeremy spiraled and began taking drugs. He shut everyone out, including me. We had been close before he became a drugee and then when he gave them up, we got back to that.

"I'm fine, Elena," I said, getting out of bed. "Don't worry about me."

Elena sighed. "That's exactly what I'm worried about," she said. "You're pretending like you're okay. It's how you deal with this. You pretend like the grief isn't there, but it is. You may think that this mask of yours is fooling everyone, but it's not fooling me. I know you're hurting."

"Like I said, 'don't worry about me'," I assured her. I smiled at her and grabbed some clothes, going towards the bathroom, but before I entered, I turned around. "I'm used to this by now. We all are."

I shut the bathroom door and sighed. I brushed my teeth, tied my long, brown hair up in a high-ponytail and put on shorts, a blue tank top and sneakers. Today, I was going to leave the house and quit my hermit behaviour. It wasn't helping me and it wasn't helping anyone around me.

I had lost so many people in the space of a couple months. I had lost John, Jenna and even Stefan.

Stefan and I became friends after he started dating my sister and after my discovery of the supernatural and my witchy abilities, we became close. He was my confidant and I was his. He could talk to me about things that he couldn't talk to Elena or Damon about, and he was there for me when things were tough. I needed him now more than ever.

John Gilbert was my biological father and adoptive uncle. We weren't exactly 'super-close' like him and Jeremy were (before he killed Jer's girlfriend, Anna), but I didn't hate him like Elena did. I tolerated him and I was heartbroken when he died. He was my dad, after all, not a very good one, but he was still my dad.

I walked slowly down the stairs and went into the kitchen. Ric was at the table, drinking coffee.

Ric was kind of our guardian now. He was Jenna's boyfriend and our history teacher, but he cared about us. He was a vampire hunter and a vampire's best friend. He cared about us and protected us.

He smiled at me. "Hey," he said as walked through the door. "Your sister's just gone out. She's got some Stefan news."

My head piped up. "Oh?"

"Klaus ' victims," he answered. "She's certain that he's with him."

"Klaus wouldn't just kill him," I said. "Katherine said that Klaus wanted Stefan to come with him for some reason, whatever it may be. He wouldn't just kill him."

"Yeah," Ric replied thoughtfully. "But Klaus does seem like a-"

"Psychopath?" I suggested, smirking. "Sociopath?"

Alaric laughed. "A bit of both, I think," he answered. "You seem chirpy today."

I sighed. "I'm done being a hermit," I said, straightening up. "I'm going to go out there and socialise. Locking myself up in my room all day isn't doing me any good." He nodded. I observed him for a moment. He looked tired and worn out. "Are you okay, Ric? Jenna's death affected you as much as it did me. You loved her." He didn't answer, but looked saddened. "You don't have to sleep on the couch, by the way. We wouldn't mind if you slept in her room or our parents'."

He shook his head. "No, too weird. I'd feel bad sleeping in your parents' and my dead girlfriends' bedrooms."

I nodded. "Just know that you can."

"Hey, Elena, where are you? You haven't been picking up."

"I'm at the Salvatore Boarding House. Caroline's mom said there was an 'animal attack' in Memphis. Its the third one this week in Tennessee. This could be them."

I sighed. "Just don't get too excited. If this isn't him, I don't want you to get bummed out over it."

"But three animals attacks in the one state, Louise, that has to be vampires."

"And how many vampires are in existance? Probably thousands, maybe millions. Elena, it's probably not them."

"But there's hope and that's all I need. Oh, and Caroline's throwing us a birthday party tonight."

I groaned. "Hopefully not a large one."

"Sounds like it is."

I pulled up outside of the boarding house. "I'm here now."

"Okay, see you in a few."

I got out of my car and went into the house. Elena was in the sitting room.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. "Hoping that Stefan will just miraculously show up in his house?"

"This isn't a joke, Louise," she replied. "I've come to talk to Damon."

"Elena, he went with Klaus to get the cure for Damon's bite. He won't come home even if you find him. He's in debt to Klaus," I told her.

"He might," Elena argued.

"Good morning."

"Hey, I was gonna..." Elena started.

We turned around to see a smirking, naked Damon, looking delighted at putting us in a position where we are forced to look at his naked body.

"Oh my God!" I exclaimed, covering my eyes and whipping back around.

Elena had turned around too. "You heard us! You knew that we were here."

"Yeah, you two should learn to knock. What if I was...indecent?"

Well, you can't get more indecent than in his baby-suit.

Elena put her hand over her eyes and threw him a towel.

"Is he covered?" I asked Elena.

"Yeah."

"Sheriff Forbes gave us another location to check," Elena said, pulling out a note. "Memphis."

"Another dead end you mean," Damon said. He looked to me. "And you're letting your sister get hyped up on a dead end? Louise Gilbert, I thought you were better than that." He tutted.

I smiled sardonically at him. "I am. Hey, I never said I supported this."

Elena looked between us. "We don't know that this is a dead end."

Damon approached her. "You're right, Elena. This could be the one. After almost two months this could be the one clue that tells that Stefan is alive and well and living in Graceland."

"Fine," she said. "I'll go by myself."

Elena started to walk away, but Damon vampire-speeded in front of her, blocking her way and taking the note with the address on it. "Right, and let Klaus know you're tracking him. He thinks you're dead; let's keep it that way."

"It's a new lead, Damon; we haven't had one in a while."

"Okay, I'll check it out," Damon said. "If I find anything I'll call you."

"But..." Elena tried as Damon walked away.

I gave Elena a small smile before following the stubborn vampire up to his room. I was surprised he didn't hear me, him being a vampire and all. I supposed he was too focused on doing whatever he was doing.

Up in his room, he opened the closet door and pinned the note onto it.

"They moved on to Tennessee," he said.

"Huh, that fluttered victim you had me looking in to had family in Tennessee," said the familiar voice of Andie Starr, Damon's human blood-bag.

"Which one? Pensacola?"

"Aha," she replied.

"Up for a road trip?" Damon asked the reporter.

"Ha, no can do, I've got to work. But I can see if I can get you an address." I heard the sound of smooching lips and tried my best to suppress a barf. "See you at the party."

"Get me that address."

She left Damon's room, noticing me as she left. "Oh, hi, Louise."

I opened the door. Damon groaned. "What do you want?"

I laughed. "So you haven't given up," I said. I walked into his room and checked out the map. "You know, I would be up for a road trip."

"No can do, Gilbert," he replied. "I don't take defenseless humans on road trips."

"Andie Starr?" I huffed. "And, in case you forget, I am a witch."

"Not a very good one," he commented.

"Hey!" I punched his shoulder playfully. "I can give killer migraines."

"I know," he said. "I've recieved one."

"So, it's decided. I'm coming."

"Fine," he relented. "If you insist on being as stubborn as your sister."

I smiled in triumph. "It's a family trait."

"So, this is where the attack was?" I asked as we pulled up.

"Mhmm," Damon answered.

Damon's phone rang. He checked the phone but then ignored the call. Elena, I thought immediately. I wanted to tell her where we were, but Damon wouldn't let me.

"Elena?" Ric presumed. Damon made a face. "I don't know why you just don't come clean and tell her where we are. I mean you let Louise come."

"The only reason I let Louise come was because she saw the closet, you know how stubborn Gilbert's can be," Damon told him.

I smiled proudly. "Damn-right we are."

"And Andie said this was a half lead and I don't want to get Elena's hopes up."

"Yeah, well they're all half leads," Ric said. "And Louise and I are your accomplices. What do you want us to say to her? Louise sleeps in the room next to her and I practically live there now."

"Still sleeping on the couch?" Damon said, him and Ric were looking around.

"He's more than welcome to sleep in one of the bedrooms," I said, looking at Ric.

"Thanks, Louise," he replied. "You know, I keep waiting for you to kick me out, but you don't. I don't know why, it's not like I'm helping or anything."

"Yes, you are, Ric," I told him. "You're helping us by just being there."

Ric smiled. "Mmhm," Damon mumbled.

"It's quiet," Alaric commented.

"Yeah. Too quiet."

We got out of the car and went inside. Damon put his foot past the threshold. So, no one lived there anymore.

"Oh yeah," Damon said.

Which meant someone had killed them. That, or they turned them into vampires.

Ric closed the door behind us. I followed Damon into the living room. Two women sat on the couch. They were dead.

"It was a vampire," I said. "For sure."

"Stefan, for sure," Damon countered.

"How do you know?" Ric asked.

"It's his signature; there's a reason they call him the ripper," Damon explained. "Feeds so hard he blacks out and rips them apart, but then when he's done, he feels remorse. It's the damnedest thing." He placed his foot on the woman's leg. "He puts the bodies back together."

He pushed on her leg and her head fell to the floor. I gasped.

"Back together?" he questioned.

"Definitely Stefan."

Damon poured gasoline over the living room.

It shocked me that Stefan could be so ruthless. Stefan was kind, he wasn't some monster who ripped people's heads off. Maybe Klaus had compelled him so he could have some amusement on his travels.

"What are you doing?" Alaric asked.

"Covering their tracks," Damon said. "Clearly they have no interest staying in the dark, but I do."

Ric moved back on a loose floorboard. It creaked.

"Hang on," Damon said.

He put down the tank of gas and flipped over the carpet. It was a hidden door. He opened it and it was full of chains.

"Werewolves," I whispered.

"Well, what do you know."

Ric closed the door behind him. Damon lit and match and threw it on the floor. The living room went on fire.

"I didn't think you'd prefer tracking Stefan over celebrating your birthday," Damon said.

I kept on forgetting that it was my birthday. I just didn't get that... feeling. Even after my parents died, I enjoyed my birthday, maybe not as much, but I still enjoyed it. Now Jenna was dead, so was John and the only person I could talk to about it all had turned into a ripper.

He parked in the drive-way. "I didn't feel up to it," I replied. "One too many dead parental figures."

"At least you've got outta that hermit phase," he joked. "I was gonna start calling you 'hermit-Louise'."

I laughed. Not because it was funny, but because he was trying. "You know, you're not the worst guy, Damon."

"Guess I better try harder then," he said, getting out of the car.

I shut the car door and followed him. "You don't have to pretend to be the bad guy all the time."

"Being the bad guy means I can get things done," he said. "If I was the good guy I'd have to have morals. And, as you can see, being moral doesn't exactly get you in the best places."

We went inside the house. Damon went off in a rush.

I went over to the party after getting dressed. Usually, I didn't wear dresses, but tonight was a special occasion. Maybe I could change up my style? Mom always wanted me to wear more dresses and skirts, but Dad had laughed at my boyish-nature and style. I was the sportier-one out of the two of us. Swimming was my life.

The Salvatore Boarding house was much larger than our house, so Caroline held the party there. There were more people than I expected, and it looked like Caroline had spent days organising it.

"Louise!" Caroline called as I entered the house. "Happy birthday!" she looked at my attire, eyes wide. "You're wearing a... dress?"

I laughed. "Yes, I am wearing a dress, Caroline."

"You look so pretty," she said. She handed me a drink. I eyed it. I didn't have the greatest history with alcohol. Caroline noticed this and added, "Oh come on, Louise! It's your eighteenth birthday for God's sake!"

I smiled and took a sip of the alcoholic beverage. We went into the other room. My brother was there, with Matt. Getting stoned.

"Oh...the Stoner den. Buzz kill," Caroline said.

Matt approached us. "Hey guys."

"Matt, hey!" Elena said and he kissed her on the cheek.

"Oh."

He went over to me and did the same thing. "Happy Birthday you two."

"Thanks," I said, watching him carefully.

He smiled and left.

"He hates me. His hatred of me, has driven him to drugs!" Caroline exclaimed dramatically.

"He doesn't hate you," Elena said. "He hates that he's not with you." She looked over to the couch. I followed her gaze. "Is that our brother?"

She handed Caroline her drink. "Sure is," I said.

"Thank you," she said to Caroline.

Elena walked off. "I'm gonna talk to him," I told Caroline, who sipped her drink.

I took the pot off of Jeremy. "Seriously, Jer? I thought we were over this by now?" I asked furiously.

"Chill, Louise," he slurred. "You used to be cool."

I scoffed. "Yeah, when I was getting stoned in my room and drinking gallons of alcohol in a day, 'cause that's so cool."

He laughed. "You know you're not my mom, right? You and Elena have been acting like the fun police since our parents' died."

"It's because you keep on breaking the rules," I said, sighing. "Come on, Jer, you're better than this. What's driven you to drugs?"

His stoner-smile faltered. "That's none of your business," he snapped.

"Actually, it kinda is," I said. "You're my brother and I don't like seeing you like this."

"Yeah, well, you better learn to deal with it," he growled before storming off.

"He killed Andie."

"Damon, he's confused, we can help him."

"You sound like Elena."

"Well we are twins," I said, pulling into the driveway.

"Yeah, but you're more different than alike."

"Tell me about it," I sighed. "You sound sad, Damon. Are you okay?"

I heard him laugh. "Of course I'm okay. I'm always okay. I'm the bad brother, I don't get hurt. I don't feel grief after the death of a useless human."

"Sure," I said, deciding not to press him. I put the keys into the door and held the phone between my shoulder and my ear. "Since when did we start talking on the phone to each other?"

"Since you became the only sane person I know."

I laughed. "Why thank you," I opened the door. "Well, I gotta go and deal with my stoned brother. I'll talk to you later."

"See ya, Gilbert."

I smiled, hung up and went into the kitchen. Jeremy sat at the table, looking both thoughtful and stoned.

I left the party after the cake. I would help clean up tomorrow, but for now, I was wrecked.

I filled the sink with water and squirted some washing up liquid into the basin.

"Are you gonna talk or are we gonna have a long, awkward silence?" Jeremy asked.

I chuckled. "What do you want to talk about?"

I put on a pair of gloves and scrubbed the plates, bowls and cutlery that couldn't go into the dishwasher.

"Why are you pretending like it didn't happen?" he questioned. "Like you didn't catch me?"

"I wasn't pretending," I smirked. "I just didn't happen to mention it."

"More like you wanted me to mention it," he huffed.

I sighed and continued doing the dishes. I couldn't cook to save my life, but since no one here bothered to do the dishes, I figured I'd take up that responsibility.

When I was finished, I unplugged the sink and let the water go down the drain.

I sat down beside Jeremy. "You know you can talk to me."

He sighed. "It's nothing," he said. "I'm-"

"Fine?" I finished. "No, you're actually not. You wouldn't be smoking if you were 'fine'."

"You'd think I was crazy if I told you."

"So what?" I said.

"Promise me you won't tell Elena," he said. I didn't respond. "Louise?" he pressed.

"Fine," I relented. "I promise."

"I've been seeing Vicki," he told me. My eyes widened. "I know she's dead... but I can see her."

I nodded. "I believe you."

He looked at me in shock. "You're not freaked out about this?"

I shrugged. "Stranger things have happened."

A/N: Damon and Louise sort of get together-ish in the next chapter. I don't plan on making their relationship all sunshine and rainbows.

Review and tell me what you think!