(1) Just Magic (D. Salvatore)

Chapter Ten

A/N – MORE I THINK ABOUT IT, THE MORE I SEE KAI BEING TO CAS AS AGNES WAS TO WANDA. JUST WITH AN ALTERNATIVE ENDING TO FIT TVD.

- I know that Cas will have her faux!world a lot longer than Wanda did. And it will start off being the perfect little alternative reality thing for Cas and faux!Damon (and maybe their children; haven't decided yet). It's when Kai arrives that it starts to go wrong. As the Hex is magical in nature, he can syphon magic from the boundary of the Hex and within it. Him syphoning her magic away is what makes it all go wrong. Removing the effects of the Hex on vampires first ((possibly as a way to screw with her by bringing Real!Damon into the Hex) When Real!Damon is in the Hex, he doesn't look like Damon, Kai alters him to not look like himself so Cassandra can't 'see' him, she sees someone else.))

.......

Cassandra hands out pamphlets about the comet in the town square, along with a lot of other teens that have been roped in by the school to help, including Elena and Bonnie who stand a little ways away from Cassandra. She wanted some space. She's spent the whole day around other people. And considering she is used to her solitude. Damon appears behind her, moves closer to her, eyes on her face as she acts politely to the people around her. She's not happy though. Clearly doesn't want to be here.

"Did you get your jeep sorted?" He asks, she glances over her shoulder at him and then hums.

"Not yet" She answers and hands out a pamphlet to a passerby. "Mechanic is coming tomorrow afternoon"

"Sounds like you are going to need a ride again" He points out.

"Are you offering?" She asks him, he shrugs a little and then nods.

"Yeah, I am," He tells her, she frowns and then turns to him. Something about this bothers her. It's too easy. He's too...present. Too friendly.

"What game are you playing?" She asks, he gives her his best innocent face. "Come on" She adds. "Why?" He shrugs again.

"Does it matter?"

"Yeah" She answers. "If Elena is going to get hurt, I'd rather know upfront so I can kick your ass now" He smirks amused at her, but she's not kidding. She's serious. "She's my sister and I'd do anything for her" Cassandra warns him.

"No game" He tries to assure her. She doesn't appear convinced but she is at least placated, for now. She's watching him. "So...I'll see you in the morning," He tells her, watching as Stefan watches him over Cassandra's shoulder.

"Yeah, whatever..." She counters. "Maybe" He hums a little and then walks away. Cassandra's eyes shift to watch him go. She shakes her head. He's harder to read than most people, but easier at the same time. It's almost as if he is wearing a mask he wants the world to see, but hides behind it. She goes back to the task at hand, she holds out a pamphlet. "Tonight, the night of the comet! Would you like a program?" Cassandra offers as Stefan moves towards her, she hands out a pamphlet to a passerby.

"What did he want?" Stefan asks her, she frowns and looks at him.

"What?" She counters.

"That man you were talking to...." Stefan starts.

"You mean your brother?" She asks, raising an eyebrow at him, he looks down.

"Yeah, what did Damon want?"

"He was just talking to me about my jeep" She answers and hands out another pamphlet. "Why?"

"It's best if you stay away from him" Stefan warns her. "He's dangerous...." She snorts a little and shakes her head.

"Don't tell me what to do, Stefan" She warns him.

"I'm trying to help" He defends. "To protect you from him...he's bad news, Cassandra."

"We have no relationship, so your word means literally nothing to me..." She argues, shrugs a little and then walks away from him. She can't believe the nerve on him. He's a stranger to her. He doesn't get to tell her what to do.

..........

When Vicki goes missing, Cassandra has had enough. She wants to go home. She doesn't want to be around for the Vicki drama. Elena gives her a look of understanding when she sees it in her sister's eyes. Cassandra just wants to get away from the drama.

"You're not staying?" Elena asks her.

"I'm really tired" Cassandra answers with a small shrug. "So yeah, I'm just going to go home....plus..." Elena nods, understands. Vicki has somehow become the centre of attention yet again and Cassandra does not want to be around for that.

"Do you want me to get Bonnie? So she can drive you back...." Elena offers.

"I'm going to walk" Cassandra argues. "It's fine, it's not that far...."

"Are you sure?" Elena counters, Cassandra nods and pulls her jacket closer. It's not that cold. It's really not that far. She can make it just fine. Something she used to do all the time coming back from Tyler's. It will only take her twenty....thirty minutes top.

.........

Cassandra should have taken the offer of a ride home from Bonnie. She knows she should have. Because not ten minutes in, it starts raining. Heavily. She shivers a little and pulls her coat closer to her body, sidestepping a puddle. A car comes screeching towards her, it's dark, and visibility is knocked down a couple more levels because of the rain, so whoever it is likely doesn't see her. Cassandra stumbles back, tripping on the curve and falling backwards, her hand ricocheting off of the pavement with some force. She cries out and curls up a little, turtling until she is sure the danger has passed before she uncurls and reaches around for the back of her head.

"Easy" She looks up at Damon as he crouches next to her. "You went down pretty hard" She glares at him and then cringes when she touches the back of her head.

"What are you doing here?" She asks and tests her neck movement out, it's fine, but her head is now killing her.

"Here" He ignores her question and instead takes her elbow in one hand and her hand in the other as he helps her to her feet.

"Thanks" She offers under her breath. She's not sure why he is here, or what he wants from her. And she is starting to feel like she shouldn't trust him. Realising he has a mask in place, means she knows this isn't the real him. And because he feels the need to hide himself, means that there is something worth hiding. Something bad maybe. She doesn't really get the same feeling from him as she does Stefan, she does still get a bad feeling it's just not as intense.

"Let me walk you home...." He tells her. "You clearly can't be trusted to get there in one piece" He teases, she shoots him a look, he just smirks back at her. "And with that bump on your head...you should be careful" She touches the back of her head and cringes again. It stings and she is pretty sure she's bleeding. She pulls her hand back and rubs her fingers together. Sticky. So yeah, she's bleeding. Damon then touches the back of her head and she jerks away from his touch.

"Hey" She scolds and pulls away from him. He looks at his fingers, staring at the blood there before letting out a breath. "What are you doing?" He shrugs a little and then walks away, towards the Gilbert house.

"Come on" He offers over his shoulder. Cassandra lets out a breath and then follows him. It is better to be walking with someone. Even him it seems.