(1) The Phoenix (D. Salvatore)

Chapter Eighteen

Daphne flicks through her book as she makes her way through the Lockwood Mansion, Elena's necklace hanging from her fingers. She needs somewhere quiet to work. There has to be an empty room around her somewhere. She opens a door and stands in the doorway, her eyes searching the room where they find Jeremy. But he's not alone. He's looking at the girl at his side and Daphne can practically see the hearts flashing in them. This is a romantic thing. She narrows her eyes slightly knowing that he and Bonnie are a thing, and this girl is not Bonnie. This is Anna. And Daphne can tell she's a ghost. A sheen around Anna's body that marks her as such. She glares at Anna before shutting the door behind her quietly. She can't believe what she's seeing here. She pulls her wand out of the holster in her sleeve. Not on her watch. No ghost is going to get involved with Jeremy. He has enough going on in his life without adding that drama into it. She clears her throat and Jeremy turns first, followed by Anna. Daphne's eyes are on Anna.

"Leave us" Daphne growls at Anna who stares at her in shock. "Did I fucking mumble?" Daphne asks her, a snap to her tone, clutching her wand in her hand, Anna then disappears.

"You can see her?" Jeremy asks.

"What are you playing at?" Daphne counters. "I might not approve of you and Bonnie together, but I do not tolerate cheating....even ghost cheating...Does Bonnie know?" Daphne asks and then scoffs. "Of course she doesn't" She answers herself. "She would never accept this...."

"Daph" Jeremy starts. He's been alone so long with this ability but now Daphne is here, she can see them too. He doesn't have to be alone.

"You are going to tell Bonnie the truth....or I swear on every bit of magic inside of me....that I will" She warns him. "I mean it, Jeremy...." He nods and looks down before he realises that she must have come in here for something.

"What did you come in here for, Daph?" Jeremy asks her.

"I was looking for somewhere quiet to work on something....." She answers and gives him a look. "I'll try somewhere else unless you've got more ghost girlfriends stashed away....." She shakes her head and lets out a breath before she walks away, leaving the room and slamming the door shut behind her. She's so annoyed. There were certain lessons that Grayson and Miranda taught them. Morals that they instilled. Loyalty and faithfulness. Jeremy is now proving that he took nothing away from them.

.........

Daphne shakes her head as she moves through the building, there are no more empty rooms, she's going to have to deal with the necklace later, once she gets home. This whole day has turned into a nightmare. Jeremy and his ghost kink. What the hell is that?

"Daph" Elena moves to her sister and touches her arm. "Have you seen Damon?" Elena asks her, Daphne cocks her head.

"Not since we got here, why?"

"He killed Ric" Elena answers.

"Oh....right" Daphne offers and then shrugs.

"What happened with you?" Elena notes Daphne's expression.

"Just our little brother being a grade a fucking idiot" Elena frowns at her. "Where's Bonnie?"

"She wanted to go home, look through her books, see if she can't help...what's he done?" Elena counters. Daphne lets out a breath and moves to her.

"He wrote to me, a while back now, about a girl he liked, he sent a picture of the two of them together, thought they were cute, but then he told me she got sick and died, I assume that's not what actually happened but she definitely died, only I just saw them upstairs, being all gushy with one another"

"Anna?" Elena asks her. "She is dead..."

"I know" Daphne agrees. "Jeremy's seeing the dead" She draws out slowly. "He's straight up Ghosting it up there"

"What?" Elena whispers, Daphne nods a little giving Elena a look.

"At least I wasn't the only one that didn't know that" Daphne adds and flicks her hair back over her shoulder. "Urgh, this family and its secrets" Elena shoots her a look.

"Says the witch that kept it secret for seven years" Elena teases, Daphne snorts a little and smiles at her. The two of them sharing a look. Daphne swings her arms a little and sucks on her teeth to make a noise.

"So Alaric's dead?" Daphne asks. Elena hums and nods.

"But he has a..."

"Magical ring, yeah, I noticed it" Daphne stops her, they share a look. "Witch" Daphne reminds her. "I can feel the magical energy coming off of it...."

"You don't seem upset that Damon did this" Elena points out.

"He's a vampire" Daphne points out. "He's going to kill people...to expect him not to would be expecting him to go against the very nature of himself. It would be like a witch not practising magic or a werewolf not turning on a full moon....it's just their deal..."

"I know but.." Elena goes to argue. Daphne touches her arms and gives her a look.

"If you're going to be with Stefan, you need to understand that, Elena. He's a vampire, he's always going to be a vampire....that's just who they are and what they do....would you ask me to give up my magic, or Bonnie? Would you ask Alaric to give up his weapons?"

"No" Elena answers and looks at her. "But Stefan doesn't like doing that...."

"But he is capable of it" Daphne reminds her. "They all are. Expecting him to never kill again, even if it came down to protecting the people he loves, you...Damon.....he'll do it...I mean, fuck, I'd do it...without hesitation if it means saving you or Jeremy.....Look, killing, whether to eat or to defend...it's going to happen. People are going to die as long as there is a supernatural presence in this town....." She shrugs and then walks away. Elena looks down as she thinks about that. For all her potty mouth and crazy personality, Daphne does talk sense when she means to.