The Mystic Grill was pact to the brim with people who stood around in idol chatter with drinks in hand. Nearly half the wemon in the town were there waiting with poorly hidden excitement for the night's event's to unfold.

"I can't believe how many people showd up."

Elena said suprised at how full The Grill was.

"You should see how many wemon had hit on Matt. He's total cougar bait." Caroline said smirking as she sat behind a table where she gave out ticket.

"Mabey I should get up on the stage for the bachelor raffle." Matt joked. Hands cupped around a tray filled with dirty plates and glasses.

"I just hope I don't get bachelor number three." A woman remarked as she walked over. Heels clacking with heavy and lazy footsteps.

"Kelly!" Elena said excitedly.

"Hi Miss Donovan." Caroline said giving her a bright smile.

Matt's mum ignoring her as she hugged Elena. "How are you going?"

"Good." Elena said.

"Oh." Kelly exclaimed with a pouty face. "Matty tells me you broke his heart."

"Mom." Matt chastised.

"Just kidding calm down." Kelly said dismissively. "He found his rebound girl." She said giving Caroline a side eyed glance.

Caroline's shoulders sagged as Elena and Matt stood there akwardly.

"Well you'd know all about behing a rebound wouldn't you Kelly." Someone said in a snark tone behind her.

Caroline went wide eyed as Kelly turned around angrily.

"An who the hell do you think you are." Kelly hissed at the teenage boy standing behind her.

"I'm suprised you don't rember. Than again you're never in town long enough to see, let alone have a conversation with." The boy said.

Kelly's eyes seemed to widen slightly before they rested back into there usual snide glair. "Little Linkin Lockwood. You've sure grown up." She said with a slight growl in her tone.

"And you sure havn't." He said plainly.

Elena and Matt were both visibly taken aback by his tone.

"Dude." Matt chastised.

Linkin just rolled his eyes not bothering to respond.

Kelly turned back around and pulled out a five dollar note, holding it out to Caroline. "Her you go, however many that'll buy."

Caroline took the note and gave her a row of tickets.

"I hope I don't get bachelor number three. Dated him in high school, not impressive." She said trying to change the conversation.

"I bet the feeling was mutual." Linkin snarked.

"Linkin!" "Dude not cool." Elena and Matt scolded.

Kelly Donovan took the tickets from Caroline. "Exciting." She said mockingly before walking off to the bar.

Elena turned away and looked over to Professor Saltzman. Linkin noticed the bachelor card on his tux and rolled his eyes. "Of course Carol had him sign up." He figured she'd probably flirt with every bachelor they have lined up.

"Link that wasn't cool." Matt told him.

"Neithers letting your mom talk crap about your girlfriend. But hey, I guess we're all a bit oblivious some times." He sassed.

Matt shook his head sighing before walking off to do his job collecting dishes.

"I'm gonna go look for Stefan." Elena said before walking off.

Linkin was looking around the room for anything to do.

"Thanks."

He looked to Caroline who looked upset. "You don't need to thank me Care. You always deserve to be treated better, you're worth more than that."

Caroline's frown tunred upside-down as a warm smile spread across her face. "How are since the funeral? I havn't really heard much from Bonnie aside from a few messages here and there."

"I'm okay. It's still fresh but Bonnie and I helped eachother. She still needs more time to process so she's staying with her dad and out of town for a while." He said.

"Well if you ever need someone to talk to or even just be there, give me a call."

He smiled at that. "Thanks."

"You don't need to thank me Link." She said in a playfully mock of his words and he laughed. "Oh take this." She said holding out a ticket for him.

Linkin arched a brow. "Ah no offence Caroline but I'm pretty sure all these guys are a little old and guys." He said.

"Oh please. I know what you're type is." She said giving him a knowing look.

Linkins eyes went wide.

"No, no it's fine. I'm not gonna tell anyone I promise. Besides, what are the chances you'll actually get one of them anyway. Like one in the hundred wemon who are here tonight." She dismissed.

"I can't say no can I." Linkin sighed.

"Nope." Caroline immediately replied.

"I hate you." He huffed grabbing the ticket from her hand.

"No you don't." Caroline said, her smile growing wider.

"No I don't." He sighed.

Carol had gathered everyone infront of the stage that live bands normally occupy but tonight five men stood on that stage. Three of which Linkin knew.

"Now bachelor number three. What is it you do?" Carol asked into the microphone before waving it in the face of the tall blonde man.

"Ah I'm a plumber." The tall blond man said.

"Well, we can always use more plumbers." Carol said as more of a joke than a compliment earning some giggles from the tipsy wemon in the crowd. "Moving on to bachelor number 4." She said gracefully, taking a step infront of the next man. "Now what's you're name?" Carol asked. There was a ever so sudden hint if distaste in her voice.

Linkin heard and seemed to be the only one to notice the sudden change in her tone and turned away from Caroline and went wide eyed. "Oh god." He gaped immediatly bringing his face to the table using his arms to hide away from the world around him.

"What's wrong?" Caroline asked worried.

"Oh nothing. Everything's fine." Linkins muffled voice reverberated through the table.

"Clearly it's something." Caroline said. Her eye's moved around the room and landed on the Bachelors standing on the stage.

Linkin brought his head up in time to meet a pair of hazel eyes.

Caroline saw one of the men smile at her followed by a banging of forehead meeting table. She quickly realised he wasn't looking at her and followed his eyes to beside her. "Oh my god." She gawked as a wicked smile grew on her face.

"My names Ryan Romero. I'm one of the local fireman." Ryan introduced.

"Did you boink bachelor four?!" She squealed in a wisper.

"What?!" Linkin yelpel looking around wildly incase anyone heard her. "No." He hissed.

"Then what? There's clearly something there." She said.

"There is nothing there." He glared.

"Sure." Caroline teased.

"A fireman." Carol drawled. "In a small town like this you mustn't get very busy." She said behind a faux smile.

Ryan could see the clear attempt at insult. "Well we don't just deal with fires ma'am." He said.

"Oh I'm sure we're all interested in what else you do." Carol said in a condescending tone.

"We happen to be trained in basic and major emergency medical treatment. I was trained as a field medic for the marines before I left and joined the local fire service team. We go where ambulances can't and help with house fire safety checks." He said.

Many of the wemon in the crowed awed and whistled.

"Why move to Mystic Falls?" Carol asked.

"Well after all the excitement in the city and after serving overseas, I wanted to do more reginol work and start fresh."

"Wow. What a dream boat." Caroline said nudging Linkins shoulder.

"Please shut up Caroline." He begged.

"You better shoot your shot quick. Otherwise you might loose him to someone more fortunate." She joked.

"You mean a woman who is more age appropriate." He snarked.

"Please, he bairly looks over twenty seven."

"An I'm bairly sixteen." He snarked.

"With consent that's legal." She replied.

"For behing the daughter of the Sheriff, you really don't know many law's do you Caroline."

"Oh just shut up and accept the fact that he's at least cute." She said rolling her eyes.

"W.ll... y..'r. not... w..ng." He mumbled

"What?" She asked.

"I said you're not wrong." He hissed.

Caroline grew the biggest smile she had ever wore in her gossip loving life. "I knew your where gay." She said proudly.

"Wanna say it louder." He hissed at her.

Caroline went wide eyed. "Sorry."

Linkin just rolled his eyes.

"Well Mr Saltzman, give us a fun fact about Mystic Falls." Carol said holding the microphone up to Alaric.

"Ah.. well.." Alaric faulted over his words.

"He must be saving all his beat notes for his date." Carol joked earning some laughs from the crowd. "Now Mr Salvatore."

Damon gave her a flirtatious smile.

"Ew. I think in gonna go vomit." Linkin said.

"Tell me about it." Caroline agreed.

"We couldn't find very much about." Carol said.

"Well I've moved around alot. I've been to Texas, Milwaukee. Even visited Duke, spent some time on campus." A look a realisation came across his face. "Actually Mr Saltzman, I think you're wife went to Duke. What was her name? Oh Isobel. Yeah she was just... delicious." He said.

"An here comes the drama." Caroline sighed.

Linkin didn't have to think hard to know what Damon meant. "Great, another body." He mumbled.

"What?" Caroline asked.

"Oh, ah nothing." Linkin said giving her a smile.

After more flirting with bachelors and a brief intermission. Carol Lockwood finally began reading out the raffle.

Batchelor number one went to a woman Linkin had never met, same for number two. Number three however went to a very tipsy Kelly Donovan. Her and Carol had an exchange that left the Lockwood woman with a soured look on her face that she just shook off.

"Now, on to bachelor number four."

Ryan looked around nervously at the room of ladies basically drooling over him. He did his best to keep his composure as the Mayors wife reached for a ticket.

"One, B, two hundred and three." Carol called out.

Linkin was absent-mindedly picking at his nails as wemon all around around sighed. Caroline watched humorously as one lady ran tot he bathroom crying it wasn't her.

"Again." Carol said fighting back her impatients.

Caroline nudged Linkins shoulder.

"What's?" He asked.

"Where's you're ticket?"

"In my poket. Why?"

"Check it." She said.

"Wh-"

"Just do it." Caroline said with impatient excitement.

"Oh my god Care." He groaned pulling out the red square paper.

"What's the number?" She asked.

"One, b, two, zero, three. Why do yo-."

"Once more just incase someone's come out of a bathroom."Carol said with a fake smile hiding her irritation. "One, B, two hundred and three

Caroline beamed.

Linkins whole body surged with fear as Caroline raised her hand. "Don't you dar-"

"Over here!" She squealed excitedly.

Ryan seemed to be standing there akwardly looking at the young girl he knew was the Sheriff's daughter.

Carol arched a brow. "Oh sweet heart." She said as though talking to a baby. "I believe I told you to sell the ticket's. Not steal them for yourself." She said with a laugh with some of the herd of wemon laughing with her. "Clearly you rigged it so we'll just have to do a redraw." She said. Relishing in embarrassing the Forbes girl.

The wemon around smiled at the opportunity to win what they saw as the token male of the night.

"Actually mother." Linkin said in a mocking tone just as Carol reached into the fish bowl of tickets.

Carols eye visbily twitched as she fought back the urge to scold the boy before she smoothed out her features, plastering on a smile. "Ah Linkin, you're finally home. You're father an I where worried." She said feigning concern.

"Keep the fake sentiment for someone who cares." He said walking up with his ticket in hand.

All the wemon and remaining bachelors watch gobsmacked or bewildered as he handed her his small red paper. "Now I believe I have a date with a bachelor." He said befor walking over to Ryan.

Carol didn't hide her glare as the boy walked off the stage arm intertwined with the fireman infront of everyone.

"I can't believe he just did that." Elena said shocked.

"I think Links just finally sticking up for himself." Jenna responded watching with a proud smile.

As Linkin walked past his table he looked to a smiling Caroline who mouthd a you're welcome before he was outside. He took in a deep breath of the cool night air.

"Wow." Ryan said.

"I can't believe I just did that." He said.

"It was pretty awesome."

Linkin looked up to the man seeing his wide smile. "I didn't even think. What are people gonna say?" He said worriedly.

"I'm sure you'll be fine."

"I mean about you." Linkin said.

Ryan looked confused.

"A sixteen year old just walked you out of a bar arm in arm from a date raffle." He said.

"It'll be fine. Ryan assured him with a kind smile.

They two fell into a silence.

"So what do you want to do?" Ryan asked.

Linkin now looked to him confused. "You don't have to stay with me you know. You could always go back in there and get a redraw. Probably make Carol's night." He remarked dryly.

"Well. Like you said, it was a raffle for date. You won that date fare and square." Ryan pointed out.

"Well that's true." Link agreed.

"Wanna order some burgers and go for a drive and eat somewhere?" Ryan suggested.

"I drove here and I'm guessing you did to." Link said.

"I did." Ryan admitted.

Suddenly Linkins phone buzzed and he couldn't help but scoff.

"What's funny?" Ryan asked.

"Caroline just told me to leave my keys on the tyre of my car." He said.

"What about her car?" Ryan wondered.

"She got a ride with Matt. She said she'll take car home and drop it off tomorrow."

Ryan chuckled. "She sounds like a good friend."

"Better than most." He admitted, his though drifting to his fights with Elena and how Jeremy keeps avoiding him.

"I'll go in and get the burgers, meet me at my truck and we'll go find a spot to eat." Ryan told him.

"Yes boss." Linkin mocked sending the ex-marine a salute.

Ryan chuckled as he walked off back into he grill.

○-------------------------------------------------------------○

• Hello 👋 and Happy New Year to all you wonderful readers!

• I know I've been away for a while and this isn't exactly a thrilling chapter. But this is juts to set the ground work for the rest of the season one ark.

• I hope you all liked it and enjoyed the Ryan cameo and have an amazing new year.

• More chapters coming soon.