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[VD] Ch 11: Vervain
🕑 Added 2025-09-23 18:42:35 +0000 UTC— — — — — —
Jack grabbed Sarah and tried to drag Damon upstairs to deal with him, but Damon resisted. In fact, Damon was almost amused by how weak Jack's pull felt.
With so many people around, Jack couldn't risk using his rabbit talisman—and without it, he definitely didn't have the raw strength to overpower a vampire.
"Looks like my brother, Jack, and Sarah still have unfinished business." Damon ignored the tugging and turned to Elena with a grin. "Elena, how about a dance?"
"Not tonight. I don't feel like dancing." Elena shot Stefan a look before shutting Damon down.
"Elena, maybe you should talk with Damon for a bit. Jack and I need a word." Stefan seized the chance—this wasn't just about Sarah. He had something else to say.
---
Next, they led Sarah upstairs to a quiet room. Same routine as before: Stefan still couldn't erase Damon's compulsion without feeding on human blood, so Jack first stripped it away, then Stefan rewrote Sarah's memory.
"Head back downstairs," Stefan told her gently once he was done. Compelled, Sarah left.
"All right," Jack said flatly, watching her go. "What do you want? If this is about begging for your brother again, don't bother."
"No. I know you'll never forgive him. But I'm not going to let you kill him either." Stefan's voice was calm, deliberate. "I have another way—something that spares you the mess of trying to figure out how to kill him."
"Oh yeah? What, you're going to talk Damon into leaving? You know that's impossible. He doesn't listen to you, and I already told you: if I see him again, I'm not letting him walk away." Jack's brows knitted tight.
"You're right, Damon won't listen to me. And he knows you can't actually kill him right now. He also knows I'd step in if you two really fought—so he won't leave." Stefan sighed and pulled a syringe from his pocket. "This is vervain. A vampire's poison. It weakens us. Inject this into Damon, and he'll be helpless. We lock him up, starve him, and he dries out."
"Vervain?" Jack studied the vial. "Fine. I'll trust you one last time. When the moment comes, we take him down together and lock him up." He pocketed the syringe.
...
Back downstairs, they found Elena talking with Caroline. Damon was nowhere in sight.
"Elena, where's Damon?" Jack asked.
"He spoke to me for a while, then when he ran into Sarah, they talked, and he said he was heading upstairs to find you. You didn't see him?" Elena asked, frowning in confusion.
"..." x2
"Dammit. Son of a bitch."
"Split up. I'll search outside. You check the rooms upstairs." Jack said quickly.
"Got it." Stefan turned back toward the staircase.
"Caroline, something came up. I'll explain later," Jack told her, already heading for the garden.
"Wait—don't go yet." Caroline grabbed his arm. "I haven't danced tonight. I want my dance first."
"Sorry, Caroline. I don't know how to dance. But later—you can teach me. Right now, I need to find Damon." He hugged her quickly, then slipped out.
Jack combed the garden but found nothing. Finally, he called Stefan.
"Any sign of him?"
"Yeah. He's with me now. Sarah was here too." Stefan replied.
"I'm on my way." Jack frowned, hung up, and headed back into the house.
---
Inside, Damon was lounging with Stefan, Elena, and Caroline. But... Sarah was gone.
"Where's Sarah?" Jack asked sharply.
"She wasn't feeling well. Went home," Damon said casually.
"You're her date. Shouldn't you have walked her back?" Jack thought, 'Perfect—get him away from the crowd, then I'll see if vervain really works.'
"No rush. I wanted to dance first. So—ladies?" Damon grinned at Elena and Caroline.
"Sorry, I'll stick with Stefan." Elena took Stefan's hand and pulled him toward the dance floor.
"My bad, Damon. I have to teach Jack the dance instead," Caroline said, moving to Jack's side.
"Sounds good." Jack smiled, taking her hand. He'd wanted to keep eyes on Damon, but the party was almost over anyway. He had promised Caroline a dance. And Damon was still in plain sight—he wasn't going anywhere.
...
"Just let me take the lead," Caroline said after losing hope.
Jack wasn't exactly built for dancing. With Caroline's hand on his shoulder and his arm around her waist, he let her guide his stiff movements.
Still, he was in a good mood. At least Damon didn't make a run for it. Maybe he thought vervain didn't exist in Mystic Falls, or maybe he figured Stefan would protect him if things got violent.
Not long after, Elena and Stefan broke apart, clearly upset. Jack caught Stefan's eye, signaling him to stay close to Damon. Stefan nodded, understanding, and sat beside his brother.
"We'll stop here for tonight," Jack whispered to Caroline after a while. "I'll need more practice later."
If not for the reflexes his talisman granted him, he'd have crushed her toes ten times over.
"You're better than you think. First time dancing, and you didn't step on me once," Caroline teased with a smile.
Jack chuckled awkwardly. "Yeah... Let's head back."
"Wait... I should check on Elena." Caroline glanced toward her best friend, who looked upset. "And Mom's waiting too. I'll go home with her. You heading out?"
"Yeah, probably. We'll meet tomorrow." Jack kissed her forehead softly.
"Mm. Okay." She smiled sweetly and left.
As soon as she was gone, Jack's smile vanished. He turned to Damon. "What makes you think you can still show your face in front of me? You are such a dumbass."
Damon, still with a big smile, said. "Well, I guess Badass is the better word, like you said before.
"By the way, Jacky~ Do you even know where Sarah went?"
"Plus with all these people here, you wouldn't dare try anything. Not to mention—you really think you can take both of us?" Damon smirked, leaning back on the sofa.
"Stefan. When you found them, what exactly was Damon doing to Sarah?" Jack asked tightly.
"Nothing. They seemed normal. Damon compelled her to go home. Then you showed up." Stefan still sounded puzzled.
"Fine. Damon, state your terms. I guess I really can't fight you both after all." Jack circled behind him as he spoke.
"I need you—" Damon didn't finish. Jack jammed the vervain syringe into him.
"Don't just stand there. Help your brother. I'll get the car. Let's say he couldn't handle his liquor." Jack muttered, pulling the needle free and signaling Stefan.
"…Right." Stefan blinked, then moved to support Damon.
Damon let out a strangled noise, trembling—not sure if it was the vervain's burn or the realization that Stefan had sided with Jack, sneaking him the weapon.
Either way, vervain worked like a charm. By the time they got outside, before Jack had even pulled up the car, Damon collapsed unconscious.
"Take him to your place?" Jack asked as Stefan shoved Damon into the back seat.
"Yeah. I've got a… room for him there," Stefan said, shutting the door firmly.
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