(1) Just Magic (D. Salvatore)

Chapter Forty-Eight

Further down the road, Cassandra and Damon are silent as he drives. It's not entirely awkward just quiet. Cassandra stares down at the photo of Katherine and Ally on her phone. It's eerie. Creepy. Damon pulls up in front of a bar named 'Bree's Bar'. He cuts the engine and turns to Cassandra, watching as she stares down at her phone.

"You okay?" He asks her, she shrugs but doesn't look up from the photo. "Okay" He states and reaches over for her phone, taking it off of her. "You need to stop looking at that" She lifts her eyes to him. "Stop worrying about this" He waves the phone a little.

"Who is she?" She counters. "Ally?" He sighs and places her phone in his pocket. She then notices that he has stopped at a bar. "You brought me to a bar? Damon, I'm not old enough. They're not going to let me in"

"Sure they will." He counters, taking the distraction to steer her away from Ally. He doesn't really like talking about her and what happened. He climbs out of the car and Cassandra frowns before following him.

.........

This bar is different from the Grill. Has a different feel to it. Darker. Smaller. With a weird tension to the air. Cassandra's not sure she likes it. Damon sets his hand on the small of her back and leads her forward towards the bar. An older woman turns and catches sight of Damon in her bar. This is Bree.

"No. No, it can't be. Damon." She greets. "My honey pie" Bree leans over the bar when Damon reaches it, grabs him and plants a great big wet kiss on his lips. Cassandra raises an eyebrow at the scene and then wrinkles her nose. Bree pulls back from Damon who then motions to a stool for Cassandra as he takes the one next to it. Bree turns to the rest of the bar. "Listen up everybody! Here's to the man that broke my heart, crushed my soul, destroyed my life, and ruined any and all chances of happiness!" Bree pours shots for everyone. "Drink up!" Damon and Bree shoot their alcohol. "Ahh. Whoo!" Cassandra raises an eyebrow.

"That's a weird toast" She comments to herself. Bree turns to Cassandra, looks over her.

"So, how'd he rope you in?" Bree asks her as she pours Cassandra a shot.

"I'm not roped in" Cassandra argues, Damon just smirks a little at her side.

"Honey, if you're not roped, you're whipped. Either way, just enjoy the ride" Bree smiles and pours more alcohol. Cassandra smirks a little and shrugs, she can get behind that kind of thinking

"Okay," She whispers. "So, how did you two meet?" She asks them.

"College" Bree answers, Cassandra turns a surprised look at Damon who raises an eyebrow back at her.

"You went to college?" She asks him. Damon smiles at her and then snorts.

"I've been on a college campus, yes" He counters, she hums and shakes her head.

"About twenty years ago, when I was a sweet, young freshman" Bree explains. "I met this beautiful man, and I fell in love. And then he told me about his little secret, made me love him more. Because, you see, I had a little secret of my own that I was dying to share with somebody" Damon leans closer to Cassandra.

"She's a witch" He whispers to her.

"Changed my world, you know" Bree points out.

"I rocked your world" Damon counters with a smirk.

"He is good in the sack, isn't he?" Bree asks Cassandra who goes to argue before thinking better of it. Bree's on a role. "But mostly he's just a Walk-Away Joe" Bree adds and turns to Damon. Serious now. "So, what is it that you want?" She asks him.

................

Cassandra leans against Damon car as she calls Jenna, she figures she better check in, thinking that Elena hasn't told her anything, or given any kind of explanation as to why Cassandra didn't return home the night before.

"Hi, Jenna. I'm so sorry." Cassandra offers.

"Where are you? Why didn't you call?" Jenna scolds slightly.

"I was so tired last night. I fell asleep at Bonnie's. And then this morning, I just wanted to get to school" Cassandra lies and cringes a little. She hates lying to Jenna.

"Are you okay?"

"You know, just stuff" She answers and then cringes. Because she is aware of how stupid that sounds. It sounds really stupid.

..................

Inside the bar, Damon stands at the bar with Bree, his eyes on Cassandra through the window of the bar as she talks with Jenna.

"Come on, there's gotta be another way," Damon tells Bree.

"After all these years, it's still only Katherine. How do you even know she's still alive?" Bree asks him.

"Well, you help me get into that tomb, and we'll find out"

"I already did. Twenty years ago. Remember? Three easy steps: Comet. Crystal. Spell"

"There's a little problem with number two. I don't have the crystal" Damon admits.

"That's it, Damon. There is no other way. It's Emily's spell"

"What about a new spell with a new crystal that overrides Emily's spell?" Damon asks her.

"It doesn't work that way, baby. Emily's spell is absolute. You can't get into that tomb" Bree admits to him. Damon sighs and shakes his head, disappointed.

........

Cassandra texts Elena asking her about whether or not Stefan has any answers regarding that photo. One of them has to have an idea of the meaning behind why the two sisters look like those other sisters. It can't just be a coincidence. But Stefan seems to be holding back on any information until Cassandra gets back so he can talk to the two sisters at the same time. Which just makes Elena pushy for her to go home. She turns around; Damon is behind her, she shoots him an annoyed look.

"You okay?"

"Yeah" She answers and frowns. "Why wouldn't I be?" He gives her a look back. He knows he's on about the photo but she's not really in the mood to talk about it. Not with him. "I'm hungry" She counters. "Buy me food" She nudges him with a smirk and he snorts and walks with her back to the bar.