Ok, this story has been rattling around in my head for a bit now. It is NOT a Delena story. Damon is in it, as are most of the others, but, in this story Elena is dead. Please don't hate me! This story just grabbed me and wouldn't let go, so read if you dare, review and be kind. It's a dark A/U TVD story and I hope you all like it.
Love, me
Chapter 1. Hell came to Town.
I closed my eyes as Connor's smooth baritone rumbled insistently in my ear. He sounded so angry, while I remained silent, not really knowing what to say in this type of situation.
" How long, Connor? How long?" I say very calmly. I don't feel calm at all as my pulse pounds behind my closed lids.
"Six months, six months and we can't find him. He's off the rails, for good this time." Connor spits out.
" God, do you need me then?" I question instantly, alert for Connor's usual denial of my assistance.
" You better, I need my back-up. Bring the stuff." he says and I hear the shifting of fabric through the line.
" Connor, have you ever known me to not have the stuff?" I chuckle darkly." And Connor?"
" Yeah?"
" Thanks for asking, I know it's bad when YOU need help." I admit softly.
" You are the only one I would ask, Raiph, you're the only one I can trust. How soon should I look for you?" he says in a fatherly way, concern no one but me would hear in his tone.
" Four hours, two if I eschew the posted speed restrictions," I chuckle.
" Don't speed, Raiph, we can't afford the delay. Stop in Fells Church, on your way in, there was an 'incident' on the south end of town, there might be a clue or sign to tell us which way he's going." Connor tells me.
" Ok, I'll be there in five hours, try to keep it locked and I'll call when I know something," I'm already moving toward the door as I speak.
" Raiph? Take care, girl, don't make my mistakes," he requests.
" You trained me, I have nothing to worry about, I will be careful, and I'll see you soon," I smirk, though he can't see and click off. I'm grabbing my already packed bag from near the door and the small duffle that contained my laptop and the book. I locked the door and sped to my blue '64 Mustang unlocking it and stowing my gear in the back. I swing in and start the car pulling out of the car park and hitting the highway to Fells Church.
I find the off ramp to the small town and follow the main road to the southernmost end of the town where I pull off onto a dirt drive in front of a large yellow house.
" Abandon hope, all ye who enter here, " I intone quietly.
I go around to my trunk and open it, outfitting myself for a little hunting B&E. I put my Smith & Wesson nine mil in the back of my pants and taking my sweater off. I grab a couple of stakes and tuck them into the side pockets of my pants. I turn and start up the wide stairs looking all around me at the semi-silent yard. I touch the door and it swings open and I duck under the police tape and enter the blood splattered foyer. I follow the trails and splotches into the family room which resembled a slaughter house. The gore is so all encompassing I can't take it all in in one glance. The blood reaches to the ceiling and there is so much that it looks like paint. My eyes stray to the mantle that is so crowded with photos, they are three and four deep. I stand up and walk to it, looking at all the smiling faces. I get about halfway along and I freeze. I see her, the girl who probably set it off; through no fault of her own she was the reason her entire family had been slaughtered. " He's going home." I say quietly. I turn to head out with the photo when I suddenly find myself pinned, hard, to the wall opposite, a set of veiny red eyes staring hatefully into mine. I go cold and try to get at my gun. It wouldn't kill him but it might slow him some so I can stake him. My thoughts still as I think of ways this could go.
" Stefan," I say in a would-be-casual voice, would be if I wasn't so horribly screwed.
The only answer I get is a low snarling growl as he leans his face closer to mine, smelling me. He is so fucking strong I can't wiggle my hand enough behind my back to get at my gun.
" You didn't have to do the whole family, Stefan, that was a bit of overkill, no pun intended, don't you think? " I'm trying to buy time and it works, sort of.
" She looks like her!" he screams at me." She fucking looks like her, I had to have her one more day! Just one more day!"
" You need help, Stefan, let me help you," I finally get my hand around the handle of the gun and I have it out and jammed under the curve of Stefan's jaw before he can tighten his hold again. He's back to snarling in my face as I say in the calmest voice" These are vervain soaked wooden bullets. It WILL fucking hurt if one gets lodged in your head, so back the fuck up!" I hiss into his snarling face. He feints like he's letting go and thens slams me harder into the wall, my head bouncing off the plaster and I sag a little. That is all he needs as he knocks my gun from my hand and bites into my neck tearing my shirt as he does.
If you've never been bitten by a rabid vampire before, let me tell you, it hurts like a bastard. My vision starts to grey out and I get my hand around one of the stakes, jabbing it into his stomach. Shit! I missed his heart. He's down but not for long, I look around for my gun and spot it to my right. I roll to it and bring it up to fire just as Stefan launches himself at me, The round takes him high on the chest and spins him to the floor before he's up and running at me again. I blink and fire again taking out his left knee. He's down so I get up and start walking toward him with the other stake, my intent to finish him derailed by the raven haired man who steps in front of him. "You can't kill him." he says pleadingly. He has a velvety voice that under other circumstances I could listen to for hours but right now, he's severely dancing on my last nerve.
" Damon, he needs to be put down, he's gone fucking rabid!" I say angrily.
" I know, he's in a lot of pain, I can help him, I can lock him up, please, please don't kill him. He's my brother, I can't lose him, I promised I'd watch out for him after," Damon looked down. " After she died. I tried, I did, but he went and shut off his humanity and started ripping again. I have vervain, I can keep him down, I swear." He's desperately trying to stop the inevitable end to this sad chapter and it isn't working on me; I have a job to do.
" Damon!" I shout as Stefan shoved him aside and lunged at me again. I manage to deflect his rush slightly as we grapple, I'm losing because I've lost a lot of blood. I use all the moves I know from my training but my efforts are almost in vain as he goes for my bleeding neck again. I yell out a string of curses and snap kick him into the other wall. Then Damon is there, jabbing a giant vervain filled needle into Stefan's neck while I sink to my knees and put my hand to my wound, hissing at the stinging pain. I see Damon's shoulders slump then he turns to me, he rushes over, bites his wrist and holds it out to me. I smack it away and stand slowly, grimacing. Damon watches me with those striking eyes of his, eyes that are the kind of blue you only see in the tropics, eyes surrounded by long black lashes and arching black brows. His full, lush mouth is thinned in worry, his square jaw taught with stress as he watches me. I look at him and then down at myself.
" Son of a bitch," I growl angrily.
" What is it, are you ok?" he says in a concerned way.
" My shirt is trashed and it was my favourite one!" I run my fingers through my hair. " I'm Raiph."
I say, holding out my hand.
" Damon, " He shakes my hand firmly with his large hand that swallows mine.
" Ok, well this," I indicate the three of us in the room." was not fun, so I'm going to go and put a band-aid on this bleeding neck wound and get the fuck out of here." I turn and walk rapidly to my car after I grab my gun. I open my trunk and pull off my shirt, snorting in angry derision at the loss. I unfold another and pull it on when I hear Damon load his brother into the blue Camaro across from me.
"Sweet ride, like the colour," I say as I reload and open the driver's door to mine, also a cerulean." It really brings out your pretty eyes."
I don't see his jaw drop open at my words.
"I'm out, I'll see you in Mystic Falls Damon!" I wave out the window as I peel out, sort of keeping to the limit while I drive. I get a gauze bandage over my neck while I'm driving, hissing a little because Stefan really went to town, poor dumb guy never learned how to feed nicely.
"Rippers," I mutter darkly.
I see the sign indicating the town limits and I smirk. " Hell sweet home," I laugh softly to myself. I pull into the parking lot of the Mystic Grille and pull out my phone to text Connor that I've arrived. My phone beeps the incoming and I look at the clipped response: "Inside the grille, come on in."
I smile a little in anticipation as I hadn't seen my mentor in over six months I was overdue for a pep talk and a sparring partner. I put my loose dark hair around the bandage and saunter into the grille, scanning the room for Connor. I spot him with his back to the far wall, watching the room. I stroll up and plop next to him.
" What happened to your neck?" he asked without looking.
" Shaving accident," I quip nastily, chuckling at his barely there smirk."Stefan."
" Didn't stray too far from the scene this time did he?" Connor finally met my eyes.
" No, he was still there, in all his ripper glory," I grimace as I wait for the impending lecture. It doesn't come.
"Are you ok?" Connor touches my head in a brotherly way.
" I'll heal, Damon has him locked up, drugged with vervain," I tell him.
"Where did he get that, I wonder?" Connor muses. "the rest blew up with the council."
" Must have a stash cause he's got Stefan trussed up like a christmas goose, probably in the old jail." I say quietly as Jeremy Gilbert comes over to take my order.
" I'll have a bourbon, neat and a cheeseburger, extra cheese." I say smiling politely. Jeremy looks at me startled, then at Connor, and he nods once and goes to put in my order.
" What have you done to the poor potential?" I ask sweetly.
" Gave him the 'company' line, told him the benefits suck though," Connor smirked again.
" Wow, two almost smiles in one night, be careful you might hurt yourself," I chuckle as Jeremy brings me my food."God, that looks good." I take a big bite and chew, closing my eyes in ecstasy.
" I don't know how you stay so small eating like that," Connor shakes his head as I clean my plate.
" Stamina, and a good workout partner who kicks my butt more times than I kick his," I toss back my drink.
" So, Stefan is still alive after that?" Connor indicates the gauze peeking through my hair.
" Damon rides to the rescue once again," I smirk as Jeremy brings me another drink and clears my plate, glancing sideways at me. " Jeremy, right?" I say to him. He jumps and then his eyes darken angrily.
" Look, I don't know what you think, I'm not going to do this, I'm not killing any more hybrids to grow this fucking curse of a tattoo! Forget it!" he turns to stalk off but I grab his arm and spin him around.
" I get it, I do, but you are a potential, it means something, they can be like your family. They are to me." I gentle my touch as I look into his sad brown eyes. Eyes that tell me he's lost too much over the last year.
" Are you one too? All indoctrinated into their little hunter club?" he spits.
" Kind of," I say as I begin to pull off my shirt.
" Look, Lady, we have a policy about public nudity," Jeremy goes scarlet as he looks away.
"Relax, Polly Prude, I've got a tank on," I pull off the outer shirt and turn so he can see my spine.
" Jesus! What the hell?" Jeremy forgets his earlier embarrassment and steps closer to me, looking at the stark black lines that run in twisting whorls up my back and over my shoulders.
" Girls aren't typically allowed in the club," I say lightly "but when we do join, it's like a glitch, we are hunters, but we get the shit jobs."I turn back and hold out my hand " I'm Raiph Masters."
" Nice to meet you, I guess," Jeremy shakes and a sad smile crosses his features.
" Anything you need, Jeremy, call me, I'm the lore expert, cataloguer; I can help you, ok?" I hand him my cell number.
" I'll think about it," he nods and goes back to the kitchen.
" You gonna tell him why else you are a part of the club?" Connor asks as I sit again.
" If he calls, yeah, I'll fill him in, call it a cautionary tale or an after school special," I down my drink.
" I know you will, I'll train him, when he's ready," Connor stood up" Looks like you've got an admirer."
I look and see Damon making his very purposeful way over to us. " Shit." I mutter.
" I'll leave you to it, be careful, he's not fixed," Connor pats my shoulder and heads out.
" Damon," I nod and toss back my second drink, feeling I'm going to need it. Suddenly, I'm being hauled out of my chair and roughly turned around, Damon's large hands pulling the back of my tank top up and tracing the marks on my skin.
" Hey, hey hands off the merchandise!" I exclaim, shoving him away from me hard.
" What are you?" Damon asks, staring at me. " Are you one of them?"
" If by 'one of them' you mean like Connor, then, not technically." I sit and Jeremy brings me another drink and hands Damon a bourbon.
" Sit, drink, and I'll tell you a story," I smirk and take a sip. Damon looks uncertain for a moment.
" Sit down, Damon, I only bite if you ask nice," I chuckle at his expression. He sits, though and looks everywhere but at me. Finally his eyes settle on me.
"Ok, tell me how you almost became a hunter," He takes a swallow of his drink and fixes his cerulean eyes on mine.
" It all started the night Hell came to Town." I begin my tale.