Chapter Eight

Future

"It's not working," Bonnie whispered out softly. She was confused and under pressure. She needed to find her friend. Where are you Care?

Damon's jaw flexed, his eyes piercing through the aged witch that looked down at the map before her. "What do you mean it's not working?" Damon asked, annoyed and concerned for his wife and kids, "How could it not be working?!"

Bonnie tried not to react to the growl that erupted out of the frustrated Salvatore beside her. Glaring at him, Bonnie tried the locator spell again—nothing.

"How is that possible?" a voice echoed from behind Bonnie.

Looking over her shoulder, Bonnie sighed at the sight of Stefan and his crinkled forehead that stared down at the map in worry. Bonnie glanced at Katherine who stood next to her. The brunette smiled gently in her direction and Bonnie breathed out again before trying again and again.

It didn't work.

"It's not going to—I can't," Bonnie exhaled tiredly, "Caroline and the kids aren't anywhere…"

Past

Bonnie's eyes widened when staring up at Stefan who stood before her. Slowly sitting onto the bed behind her, Bonnie glanced at the closed bedroom door before continuing to eye the younger Salvatore with shock.

"The Future?" she breathed out, awestruck.

Stefan nodded. His brows knitted tightly together, his forehead in worry when staring down at the young witch trying to process information. He understood the shock behind all of it…even he hadn't believed in any of it at first.

"They're stuck here and I was wondering if you could help—"

"Help?" Bonnie whispered out, her eyes simply widening further.

Stefan's lips pursed together.

"Stefan, I-I…this is time travel," Bonnie stated, yelling softly, "Time Travel! The one thing that I thought didn't exist—I mean I'm talking to a vampire for heaven's sake. The Supernatural I can deal with, but this, this I can't I—"

"Bonnie, they need our help," Stefan cut off softly.

Bonnie sighed, her eyes narrowing when trying to accept it all. "Do they look alike?" Bonnie asked curiously. She frowned when Stefan chuckled at that.

"You're curious…that's a great start," Stefan teased before sitting down next to her on the bed. "So you want to help a desperate family out?" Stefan asked, hopeful. He waited for the brunette to look over at him before smiling when she nodded tightly.

"I'll try," Bonnie sighed out. She couldn't imagine finding anything that would give her any clue on the tricks behind time travel. Could magic really help with it or was it all just bigger than the Supernatural world—something more and out of control?

"I'll help," Stefan offered, nudging a surprisingly quiet Bonnie in the shoulder.

She was still under shock and clearly overwhelmed so he let her sit for a while and struggle with her thoughts.

Future

"Here," Stefan started when packing up the supplies that surrounded the tops of the small table, "I'll help."

Bonnie smiled at the younger Salvatore before glancing over at Damon and Katherine that sat in the living room. Her eyes hovered over Damon the longest; his tortured form visible to everyone in the room. "Something's wrong Stefan," Bonnie stated sighing, "I couldn't find them. We tried everything and I couldn't find them."

Stefan nodded slowly, his teeth tightly pressed against each other when glancing over at Damon and Kathrine. Katherine was trying her best to reassure Damon but the Salvatore didn't seem like he was listening. Stefan couldn't blame his brother for being the way he was. Damon had found his wife's car in the woods, broken—crushed. He found the car but he didn't find his wife and kids. They were gone, missing, and no one had any leads.

-x-

Someone was following her.

Someone had been watching her the whole day. A dark figure in the shadows was spotting her every move, her every sentence and breath.

The dark figure in the shadows had been tormenting her for years now, but it got closer every day.

He was going to come out of the shadow's one day but Elena wished for it to not be soon. She couldn't see him yet. She couldn't face the dark figure that had seen her every move until today.

He knew why and how she had sent Caroline, Sam and Emma into the past. The one that loomed in the shadows knew exactly how she uncovered and overcame the impossible.

Elena picked up her pace. She didn't dare look back. She didn't dare look back at the foot steps that were so close behind her. Elena focused on the darkness before her and the music that blared from across the street. The thumping of the beats from the night club didn't compare to the sound of shoes that followed closely behind her.

She wasn't scared. She wasn't scared because she couldn't get hurt anymore. No one could hurt her any longer.

Elena Gilbert was a vampire. She was a vampire that could face the darkness that followed closely behind her.

No one knew her secret. She had been a vampire for years—right after she had isolated herself from the Salvatore brother's and her best friends. She had gone to New Orleans's for a year to seclude herself. Her life changed that year. It had changed for the better. However, this shadow, this man, this darkness, had started following her since then. For years this person stalked her.

Elena reached the side of the night club—an alley. She grinned when she heard the footsteps stop behind her. Looking to her side, she grinned further at the sight of three men staring at her. They were young, 17, 18 year olds maybe, but so was Elena now forever. Studying each of them, Elena eyed the one that wasn't drunk, his shy and soft exterior reminding her so much of her previous self. She used to be like that. So vulnerable and controlled by other's around her. She glanced at his friends that gawked at her.

She slowly walked over to them, her eyes never leaving the shy boy. His green innocent eyes staring back at her as she walked closer to the three that probably couldn't sneak into the club. She greeted them, smirked and then bit at her lip. Her hand travelling across the shy boy's chest, she pulled him aside from his friend's.

It was all a show. She made the shy boy stand in front of his rowdy friends before starting to dance to the music. The shy boy sweating with anticipation, Elena grinned at what her moves were doing to all of them.

One whistled and howled. The other's jaw dropped and the shy boy simply gulped.

Peeling out her leather jacket, Elena threw that aside before grinning at the boy before her.

"Jake got lucky," the friend whispered under his breath, howling again with a little clap of his hands.

Elena's brows rose at that before she eyed the shy, green-eyed boy. Jake.

She kissed him and laughed internally when he sloppily kissed her back. His lips started to move their way down her neck and she couldn't help but roll her eyes at how easily he had given her access to simply drain him dry.

Shrugging internally, Elena grinned before letting her fangs spring free. She hovered over at the croak of his neck. Goodbye Jake.

She hissed and heard a "what the fuck" from the drunk friend that gawked at the two. Arching her head back so that she could finally feed, Elena groaned when she didn't get anything in her mouth. No blood, no boys, nothing.

Moving awkwardly against the brick wall she was pressed against, Elena eyed the space around her and spotted the dumpster that blocked most of the view. Looking up at the person that was holding her down, Elena's teeth gritted at the fact that she couldn't see him in the darkness. Her fangs were gone and her thirst was overpowered by sudden hatred for the unknown man before her.

She was in the opposite alley and could hear the three confused boys from the other side of the club.

Eyes narrowing at the shadowed man before her, Elena pushed off the wall only to get pressed into it again when his hands gripped at her hips. Her black leather dress didn't cover much of her and Elena was just glad that she couldn't feel the coldness that surrounded her.

"It's been years and now you finally face me?" Elena asked annoyed when trying to read the man's facial features. She couldn't see him, but she could smell him. He was both—wolf and vampire. He was a hybrid and she couldn't help but shake off the feeling that her stalker was someone she knew for the longest time.

Elena tried to move away from him again or try to get a better look of him but all she got was another rough shove into the brick wall behind her. She pushed at his chest, trying to get him to the light and away from the dumpster but this only seemed to have her grunt in pain when the man took hold of her hands and twisted her before him. She struggled against him, her back against his chest, trying to free herself.

Years of torment and eyeing me lead to this? Was killing her, hurting her, all he needed?

"What do you want?" Elena asked annoyed, trying to pull away from the position that would have had her blushing if she wasn't angry at the moment. Thank God she was a vampire.

"I know what you did," the voice growled lowly from behind her.

Elena froze at the sound of the familiar voice. She knew him. She knew her stalker. She knew the darkness that had been following her every move for years now. She knew him. She grew up with him.

Unknowingly allowing her-self to limp against his form, Elena's eyes widened when fighting with her thoughts. She was trying her best to recall him. She knew that voice.

"Tyler?"

Past

Caroline smiled down at the twins that sat on either side of her on the queen sized bed. She looked between the two kids that seemed to argue before her. She couldn't help but look down at them in awe. They were her kids. She had children in the future?

"Mrs. Crawford only paid more attention to you because you were a nerd," Sam snapped back, sticking his tongue out at his sister when she seemed to gasp.

"At least I know how to read," Emma shot back, grinning in triumph when Sam seemed to roll his eyes in annoyance.

"I know how to read," Sam muttered before unknowingly slumping against Caroline's arm.

Caroline's eyes softened at that before looking back at Emma who giggled and jumped on the bed. The little blonde pointed down at her defeated brother and chanted "Sammy lost" over and over.

"Past-Mommy, tell her to stop," Sam muttered before snuggling further into Caroline, shielding himself from Emma's teasing finger that pointed in his direction.

Caroline's eyes widened slightly at the little boy that sat next to her. She wasn't used to this. She wasn't used to this at all and having a kid that was hers in the future call her "Past-Mommy" was just hard to wrap her head around.

Before Caroline could jump out of her daze, her head shot to the corner of the room where she overheard a low and irritated groan. She rolled her eyes at Damon who stood leaning against the wall. The man hadn't even neared the children as he simply stood a few feet away, in pure boredom. It was clear Damon didn't want to be here. He didn't want to be near her or the two kids that reminded him of the surprising future.

"Just fall asleep already," Damon muttered before annoyingly glancing down at the three on the bed. Damon looked over at the little boy and watched as he rolled his eyes. Damon's brow cocked high at that.

"Damon," Caroline warned when glancing at Emma's slouched form. She looked back at Sam and his sinking frame that simply hid a bit more behind her t-shirt. Damon was supposed to be their father—their father that always took care of them, spent time with them, loved them. They weren't used to the Damon that stood before them at that particular moment.

Damon's eyes found the blonde woman and something turned in his stomach. He had had enough of all of this "future" crap and none of this was helping him at the moment. "No," Damn started aggravated, "I've been standing here for the past two hours watching you try to put these two brats to sleep and it's getting annoying."

"All they've been doing is screaming at each other and jumping," Damon yelled, "Screaming. That's all they're doing and I'm getting sick of it."

Caroline sighed internally. Sam and Emma frowned.

Damon's eyes bounced off of Caroline before glancing over at the two kids that frowned in his direction. Lips pursing at the sight of the two kids, Damon watched the little girl for the longest time. Her deep frown was directed at him, his eyes getting caught on the tremble of her bottom lip and the water at her big eyes.

Shit.

"Emma," Caroline breathed from behind the little girl who still stood on the bed. Lightly taking hold of her small hand, Caroline tried to bring her down beside her again and sighed when the little girl sniffled. The little girl sat for a while next to Caroline, her tears running down her little cheeks, while Sam moved away from Caroline and towards his sister. He tried to sooth the little girl and Caroline couldn't help but do the same. The only person who did nothing was the one who stood motionless in the corner.

Damon watched the three before him. His eyes never left the little blonde that sat crying. She was crying because he had yelled. She was crying because of him. A burning feeling surfaced within him and Damon sighed out loud at the sudden guilt he felt. The guilt was present and it didn't help when Caroline constantly glared in his direction. She was only a child. Sam and Emma were only children and he had to suck it up if he was going to survive being around them for who knows how long. He felt guilty, confused and completely awkward standing in the corner of the tense room.

Caroline hugged the little girl in her arms before slowly getting off the bed. Glaring one last time in Damon's direction, the blonde took the miniature blonde out of the room, leaving a tense Damon alone with Sam. Sam watched the two leave before slumping onto the bed and looking over at his 'father'.

Damon glanced at the door which was now shut before looking back at the little boy who sat quietly on the bed. Sighing, Damon forced himself to walk closer to the bed so that he was now standing right in front of the raven haired boy. "Sam," Damon called out awkwardly, not really sure on how to console a child.

Sam looked up at him and Damon sighed again before hesitantly sitting in front of him. Damon patted the little boy's shoulder slowly before shifting awkwardly on the bed again. "Um, I didn't mean to yell," Damon blurted out.

Sam's eyes narrowed at the past version of his father. He had heard stories of his father in the past but it was weird finally getting to see all of it in person. Sam knew his past-father knew nothing about children. Just by the way Damon sat there awkward and tense was full proof of it.

"I know," Sam said softly causing Damon's eyes to shoot in his direction.

Damon's brows furrowed when the little boy stood on his knees before nearing him. His eyes almost popped out of his head when the kid slowly wrapped his arms around Damon's shoulders. He couldn't explain it, but a warm feeling grew at his stomach at the action. Hesitantly hugging the child back, Damon couldn't help but smile slightly at the croak of the boy's neck.

"I love you Dad," Sam sighed out, his eyes shut when simply focusing on the embrace. Sure he wasn't exactly his father yet, but Sam wanted this. He missed his Dad.

Damon sighed at that, the guilt was now tearing through his stomach. Right, he thought to himself, I'm their father…

Sam slowly pulled away from Damon before smiling hugely at him. Slowly getting under the covers, Sam studied Damon who was still wrestling with his thoughts.

The door opened and Caroline was back in the room with a quiet little girl. Damon's head whipped to the door and he watched the two blonde's walk over to the bed.

His eyes met Emma who still rubbed at her eyes and his expression softened all over again.

Looking over at Caroline who eyed him in confusion, he watched her glancing between him and Sam before putting her attention back on Emma as well. "Oh look, your brother's already in bed," Caroline chirped, sitting onto the bed with the little girl in her lap, "Why don't we get you to sleep too huh?"

Emma nodded at Caroline before wiping one last time at her eyes. Slowly getting into the bed, Caroline watched the little girl get under the covers next to Sam. Sighing, Caroline looked over at Damon who had his gaze clued on Emma.

"I've got to talk to Damon for a minute," Caroline started, a forced smile upon her lips, "We'll be back to tuck you two in alright?"

Caroline smiled when the two kids nodded tiredly at her. Getting up from the bed, Caroline shot Damon a look causing him to roll his eyes and get off the bed as well. Moving towards the bedroom door again, Caroline could hear Damon's soft foot steps behind her. She heard him close the door behind the both of them before entering the dark hallway.

"What the hell was that?" Caroline yelled softly, turning around to face Damon who stood a few feet in front of her.

She watched Damon exhale before running a hand through his hair, "I—"

"Damon their little kids! They barely know what's going on and they need their father. For right now, you're the best they've got so get over yourself and stop being such an ass," Caroline finished, chest heaving and eyes piercing.

Damon's brows furrowed at that.

It had been a rough couple of days. Damon had just come from the weekend getaway with Elena only to get blown off by the brunette when she had kissed him, then, Caroline from the future came surprising him with the news that in the years to come Damon was going to fall in love with her and have two children. So yeah…it had been a rough couple of days.

"Blondie, if you haven't noticed already, I've always been an ass," Damon muttered, stepping a bit close towards the blonde, "It's not like I wanted to tell off the kids."

Caroline rolled her eyes, "Please," she started, "You're just hurt over the fact that you're not bound to end up with Elena in the future. That's why you've been irritated and moody for the past week; don't blame it on your huge ego."

She was annoying him and Caroline could tell. Grinning at the sudden tense man before her, Caroline was just waiting for him to snap now.

"Yes," Damon shouted softly, "I'm upset because I end up with you out of all people."

Caroline's grin faltered.

"But, I'm more confused than upset," Damon explained, "I'm confused over how I settled down in a matter of years with the blonde that I thought hated me! I'm confused over how it's even possible for vampire's to have children! Maybe that's why I cracked today, huh, ever thought of that?!"

Caroline's eyes softened. "Damon—"

"If you're so okay with it all," Damon started, taking a step closer to Caroline, "why don't you help me out—clarify it."

Caroline's brows furrowed when he stepped another step closer to her; now fully invading her personal space. Awkwardly stepping back, Caroline watched as the man simply stepped another step towards her.

"Why don't you help me comprehend how this child thing works," Damon spit out, walking into the blonde when she walked back.

Caroline jumped at the feeling of Damon's hands take hold of her hips. Before she could struggle out of his grip, Caroline found herself to be pushed against the wall behind her. Eyes wide when looking up at Damon, Caroline's brows furrowed at his extremely tense form. Why was he so angry?

"Why don't we have sex right here, right now and see if it actually is possible," Damon suggested, his brows cocked high when looking down at the shocked blonde, "you know, since you're so okay with everything that's been said about the future and all…"

Caroline's eyes were wide, her lips parted when looking up at the man who was so close to her. His chest was heaving; his hands tight at her hips, and his eyes were ice cold when staring into hers. What's wrong with him?

"Damon you're hurting me," Caroline stated softly, her hands awkwardly pushing at his chest. His grip on her hips was getting tighter by the second and Caroline was getting uncomfortable with him so close to her.

Damon's eyes shut at that. It took a moment for him to collect all of his thoughts. Exhaling loudly, Damon's hands loosened on Caroline immediately before he pulled himself off of her.

Caroline crossed her arms hesitantly over her chest before leaning off the wall as well. Glancing over at the man that stood before her, Caroline wanted to question him. She wanted to ask him on what had gotten into him and why he was so angry. He was so upset with her and she wanted to know why. She could see it from the way he was around her lately. He hated her more than usual…

"We should get the kids to sleep," Damon muttered before walking away from the blonde without another glance.

Nodding, Caroline followed Damon back to the bedroom door. She just wanted to put Emma and Sam to sleep so that she could finally leave the boarding house. She was done with awkwardly being around Damon when they both weren't ready to face what reality had to offer.

After today she was going to have to distance herself from Damon.

Both needed the distance.

The least she wanted was for Damon to stupidly suggest having sex in a hallway again.

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