Fighting With My Demons

This is currently a one shot, but if you like it, LET ME KNOW! I may be persuaded to continue this once I've finished one of my other fics…just maybe…but only if I feel the love.

Genre – Adventure/Supernatural

Characters – Damon/OC

Rating – T for language, violence and snogging (giggle)

Summary: I'm a legendary vampire hunter – I'm feared by many, and the rest just want me dead. I want revenge on the oldest and most dangerous one of all…and now I have to ask a vampire for help. Go figure. SET AFTER SEASON TWO.

Read, review, alert and wait!

Saskia xx (Sassi_Bear)

I walked into the bar, oozing confidence. This was an easy routine to me, and my technique was well refined. I remembered with a wry smile the first time I'd done this…I was young, but it came naturally to me. Now? I saw my prey as soon as I walked in the room. I smirked and sashayed over to the bar, sitting on a free stool. Not too close, not too far. I could already feel his gaze on me. It wasn't surprising, the way I was dressed. Black miniskirt with fishnets, high heeled boots, skimpy vest top…I was dressed like a slut. I frowned slightly – that was one thing that I really didn't enjoy about my job. I was soo much more comfortable in jeans and a hoodie. Nevertheless, it always worked. I batted my eyelashes at the barman as I ordered. I was going to need some courage for this one.

You see, although on the outside, I was calm and confident, on the inside, I was…nervous. This was different to every other time…the routine was the same to start with, but then everything would change. I'd have to stop myself doing what my parents had drilled into me, and ally myself with him. Just thinking about it made me shiver. I accepted my drink with a smile – hopefully the double shot of vodka in the glass of coke would calm my nerves. There was no point in moving in yet – usually they came over within half an hour. They were all so predictable; they may think that they are unique and untraceable, but they all work in exactly the same way. It's kinda pathetic really.

I whipped around, glaring at the dirty old pervert who'd just grabbed my butt.

"What do you think you're doing?" I snapped.

"I didn't do nothing love, my hand must have slipped…" He leered at me, and I screwed my face up in disgust.

"My arse is not your property. Touch it again, and I will have your nuts in a jam jar." I spoke sharply.

"Oooh, I'd like to see you try." He grinned at me, exposing nicotine-stained teeth. I coughed, trying to cover up my discomfort. Really, I should be used to it, but it still got to me.

"Um, do you want to move on now? There's nothing for you here, so please piss off." I said sweetly.

"Oh, but you're cute and you look lonely…" He wheedled. I rolled my eyes.

"Really? Well, I can make my own friends who aren't just interested in getting in my pants if you scram." I hissed.

"Don't be like that darling, maybe we got off on the wrong foot. Why don't you come sit with me over there, and we can get to know each other…" His hand 'slipped' down onto my bum again and I snapped. I stood up and slapped him across the face, the crack my hand made against his face echoed around the bar. He howled, clutching his face (and wounded pride) as he hopped about. "She hit me! She hit me! That bitch hit me! I didn't do anything!" He cried. I snorted scornfully.

"Oh, please. Act your age, not your shoe size. Scram!" I raised an eyebrow.

"You hit me! I'll have you done for assault I will! I've got witnesses! You're going down, you little slut!" He was gesturing wildly now. I had to choke back a giggle.

"You're the one who grabbed my ass, moron. It doesn't have a sign saying 'Public Property' on it. I told you to clear off, you didn't, so man up and accept the consequences!" He was still jumping about, and I could see that several people were staring. Great. Loads of attention. This so was not going the way I planned.

"I think you've said and drank enough now. Time to leave?" I heard a man's voice from behind me, and turned around. Shit! It was him! I inwardly panicked – I'd probably lost my chance now! What do I do, what do I do…

The man was still standing there, staring at the jerk who'd grabbed me. He suddenly went quiet.

"What you gonna do, big man? Think you're being hard, do ya? I dare you to try something. Go on, I dare ya!" The perv was goading the man behind me, and I was close enough to him to feel him tense.

"You wouldn't like it if I did. Leave. Now." He was almost snarling, and the last two words were heavily laced with venom. I knew that if I looked at him, he'd be narrowing his eyes. The drunk guy's eyes slid out of focus, and he nodded meekly, and left. I exhaled, and turned around to thank the guy who had intervened. I suppose I didn't have any choice. I could still make this work.

"Thank you! I'm glad you stepped in when you did, he looked like he was about to get violent, and I don't know if I could handle him if he did…" I looked up at the ice blue eyes, and smiled brightly. "I'm Seph." His face turned up in a grin.

"I don't know, Seph, I think you could have taken him…you were coping pretty well. I just hate to see a dirty old man like that hitting on a lovely young girl like you. I'm Damon." I know you are.

"He wasn't that old…and I'm not that young. I just really don't go for pervs." I made myself blush slightly.

"I've yet to meet a girl who does. Why don't you come sit with me for a bit? I'll buy you a drink, and you can tell me a bit more about yourself." I won't tell you anything that is true.

"That sounds great. See, if he'd asked that nicely, he might've had a hope in hell." I picked my half-full glass up, and followed him to his corner of the bar.

"I some how doubt that. I haven't seen anyone fall for his…charms…yet." Damon smiled at me as we sat down. "So how old are you, sweetheart?" Old enough.

"I'm 19, turning 20 next month." I answered that question truthfully. I didn't have to lie about my age anymore.

"Really? And what brings you to Mystic Falls, Seph, where the highlight of the summer is the bring and buy sale in the Mayor's house?" He brought his glass to his lips, and I could smell the alcohol…bourbon. So predictable.

"Oh, I'm travelling. I have some family near here, and I'm on my way there." My family live 200 miles away.

"Really? Why choose to stop in Mystic Falls of all places?"

"My car ran out of gas, and it was getting too late to drive, so I decided I may as well stop and do some sight-seeing." I answered lightly. Lies came so easily to me now.

"Trust me, there's very little to see around here. What are you drinking?" He gestured to my empty glass.

"Oh, I'll have a double vodka and coke." Good job I can handle my drink. Damon clicked his fingers at the barman, who refilled my glass. I caught sight of him giving Damon a reproachful look. Hmm. It was well known within my circles that Mystic Falls had a lot of supernatural brings, and a lot of people who were in the know. Maybe this barman…Matt, his nametag said…knew. Then again, maybe Damon was just infamous for picking up girls, and Matt here has seen him at work before. I smiled at him as he pushed my glass towards me. I could take care of myself.

"Thank you." I took a sip.

"So are you travelling alone, Seph?" Damon raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, my brother went ahead of me last weekend, but I couldn't get time off work." I looked up at him through my eyelashes. I knew that my big brown eyes made me look very innocent, which always made sure that no one suspected me. I was average height, maybe a little shorter than other people, and I had pale skin, with a few cute freckles across my nose. Today, my hair was it's natural dark brown – if I was hanging round, there was no point in dyeing it.

"Is it a long way to be travelling on your own?" Damon sounded concerned.

"Well, it can be just a day's drive, but I hit traffic. I should be able to get there tomorrow in plenty of time." Start hinting now, Seph. "What about you? Do you live around here then?"

"I live a couple of miles out at the boarding house?" Perfect.

"Boarding house? Like a B and B?" I asked innocently.

"Well, we don't usually have many people staying now. It belonged to my uncle, and when he died last year, he left it to my brother and me. We aren't the most organised of people…" The hell you aren't "…so we just live there." He refilled his glass from the bottle Matt had left on the counter next to him.

"Oh." I let myself look downcast. "Do they do rooms here? Do you know anywhere where I could stay the night? I don't really want to sleep in my car." I bit my lip, looking worried.

"Oh, I'm sure we can make an exception…you can spend the night round my place." Predictable.

"Really? How much will I owe you?" I smiled widely.

"No charge. The pleasure of your company will be enough." He locked eyes with me, and I found myself unable to look away from his piercing blue eyes. I knew what he was trying to do, and that wasn't affecting me, but his eyes…I mentally shook myself. Don't be unprofessional, Persephone. Remember what you have to do. I looked away, and finished my drink.

"Thank you, Damon! You're so nice!" The bimbo act never fails, I thought dryly.

"Not at all. My pleasure." He put some money down on the bar. "We may as well leave now, we can have drinks at home…maybe I'll even cook for you." He flashed me another smile, and I found myself grinning back. He led me out of the bar, one hand lightly on the small of my back. He opened the door of his car for me and I climbed in with a smile. At least he's a gentleman. It's more than can be said for most of his kind. My breathing was speeding up – here is where the real act must begin. This was always the hardest part. Then again, he was making it easy. I was almost relaxing…no. I can't relax. I clenched my fists, digging my nails into my palms. Remember what he is. Remember what you've been taught. I heard the door open on the driver's side, and suddenly he was next to me, eye flirting. He leaned closer. My breathing sped up again. He grinned, a smile that seemed to light up his whole face.

"Buckle up." He said. I laughed and reached for the seat belt. I pulled it round me, and our fingers touched as he helped me slot it in place. I bit my lip, blushing.

Throughout the journey, he kept up a steady stream of small talk, seeming to pay more attention to me than to the road. I wasn't worried that we were going to crash – unless they were angry with you, his kind were some of the safest people to be driving with. Sure, they were reckless, and usually doubled the speed limits, but they were very aware of what was going on around them. I answered his questions as truthfully as I could, only lying when I had to. It's always best not to lie too much, in case you can't remember what you've said. I'd found that out the hard way.

We arrived at the huge house; one that I knew had stood there for over one hundred years. It was very impressive. Damon opened my door for me, and guided me to the house with an arm lightly around my waist. Naturally, I looked suitably surprised and flattered.

"Your house is amazing, Damon." I walked into the living room, looking around with awe. I'd been in some very grand buildings in my time, but this was far and away the biggest and grandest.

"Thank you. Most of the furnishings are original – it's so much easier to take care of the old things rather than find new ones. It's a difficult décor to match." He led me through to the kitchen, and I quickly surveyed it with a critical eye. This would be the best place. I really wouldn't want to make a mess of all the antiques in the rest of the house – I did have some respect. I walked over to a corner where two counters met, and stood there, leaning back. He followed me, smiling.

"Would you like anything to drink? To eat?" I know exactly what you want to eat.

"Do you have any wine?" I asked. I'd had enough strong alcohol; any more would cloud my head. He nodded, and opened a cupboard, drawing out two expensive bottles.

"White or red?"

"Is the white fizzy?" He nodded. "White please." I accepted the glass he offered me and took a drink. It tasted as expensive as it looked. God, I wish I could afford this sort of stuff. It was lovely. Damon poured himself a glass, and tapped it against mine.

"Cheers." He said it lightly, but I could see his lust behind his eyes. Lust for my blood and body. I raised it to my lips. They were small glasses, and I finished mine quickly. He looked at me over the top of his.

"Why are you shrinking away in that corner, sweetheart? I don't bite." Oh, yes you do.

"Oh, I'm sorry…I just get a bit nervous when I'm in unfamiliar houses, especially ones this big. How many bedrooms are there here?" I asked. He moved closer to me. Here we go.

"Too many. When we were still accepting guests, even then not all of them were used." He was standing less than a foot away now, staring at me intently.

"Where will I be staying?" I braced myself. I knew his sort. This was it.

"Well…you might get lonely in this big, old, unfamiliar house. You could always…" He brushed my hair back from my face, caressing my cheek. "…stay with me?" His eyes flashed, and I knew he was encouraging me in a way only his kind could. I looked down, then back up at him through my eyelashes.

"If you think that would be best?" I gave a coquettish smile.

"I would like that…very much." His hand slipped behind my neck, and his lips came down on mine.

I suppose I'd let myself get too relaxed…in any case, my guards were down. I responded to his kiss, and it wasn't put on. I wanted him to kiss me…I wanted to kiss him back. By the time I realised this, he'd lifted me up and sat me on the counter, and my legs had somehow ended up wrapped around him. I hurriedly searched for my barriers and put them up, stopping myself from reacting to him, stopping myself from letting go. I carried on kissing him, but I was in control again now. His lips moved against mine, and I'm not going to lie, it was the best kiss I'd had in…well, best kiss I'd had. I was holding onto his shirt, and I could feel strong muscles underneath. Usually I was prepared. There was no such thing as a bad looking vampire. And they were all very charming. But Damon Salvatore…he was getting to me. I reached into my pocket, still kissing him. I pulled out the small, sharp, vervain-soaked stake and hid it in my hand. It was small, but not so small that it couldn't reach the heart if I wanted it to. Damon was moving away from my mouth now, kissing down my neck, and I realised that he was going to bite me there and then. I quickly rethought. He pulled back, and looked into my eyes, his piercing blue eyes flashing.

"Relax." He said. I smiled dreamily, as I knew his victims would when they were compelled. He kissed his way back down to my neck, pushing my hair off my shoulder. I gripped the stake, knowing that I had seconds before he knew. He would bite into one of the big arteries in my neck, and drink about two mouthfuls before he tasted the vervain in my blood. Then he'd pull back, and then I'd have to act. Get ready, Seph. You need to incapacitate him, not kill him, remember. I cried out as his teeth sank into my neck. I'd only been bitten once before, and that was when I was just starting out. I bit my lip and pulled my arm back. He spluttered, and started choking. He moved back from my neck, and I saw the veins around his eyes were black, his fangs glistening with my blood. He coughed, clutching his throat, looking at me in shock and anger. I jumped off the counter, the stake in my hand. Before he could react, I pushed it into his neck, making sure the vervain could go straight into his blood and weaken him. He yelled, and fell to his knees, staring at me furiously. I pushed it into his exposed chest – a couple of the buttons had come undone when I was…when I'd taken leave of my senses.

"Any sudden moves, and it goes straight into your heart. Understand?" I hissed, the stake still firmly in his chest. He nodded, his face contorted in pain.

"Who are you?" He snarled, hatred in his eyes. I ignored the question.

"I don't want to kill you, and I mean that sincerely, but I can and I will if you give me reason to." He said nothing, but I could see his jaw muscles clenching as he fought not to cry out in pain. "I'm sorry, but I can't take the stake out. I know you will try to kill me if I do, so I'm leaving it in for now as a precaution. I'm sure you know all about looking out for number one." The veins around his eyes rippled.

"Who are you?" He asked furiously.

"Persephone Giordanni. I don't know if you've heard of me…apparently I'm something of a legend." I was – I'd made my first kill (with the help of my parents) at 13, and my first unassisted kill when I was 14, on a vampire who was over 200 years old. He growled. "I take it you have?"

"Who hasn't?" Damon looked bitter. If my research was correct, he was probably spitting mad at himself for not realising. "Get on with it then. You're not renowned for playing with your victims before killing them."

"I already told you. I don't want to kill you. If I did kill you, it would really screw up my plans. I hate to say it, Damon, but I need you. I need your help." I sighed.

"A vampire hunter who needs a vampire's help. How ironic." He snapped. I studied him.

"If I pull the stake out now, what will you do?" His eyes flashed. "You should know that if you get cute then I will kill you. I've killed vampires who are over 700 years old. You're practically a baby in comparison, and you're already weak from the vervain. I could take you, but the question is, are you going to give me reason to?" I locked gazes with him, showing no emotion in my eyes. He was still furious, but he shook his head. I waited a few more seconds before pulling the stake free, a little blood bubbling up around the wound. He gasped in pain and collapsed on the floor, no longer supported by my strength holding the stake in place. He glared hatefully up at me, but didn't attack.

"What do you want?" He groaned. I crouched down near him, ready to spring up if he lunged at me.

"I need to know what you know about Klaus. And I need to know what you are planning to do about him." Damon's eyes widened in shock.

"Klaus?" I raised my eyebrows. "Hate to bring you down, sweetheart, but he's just a teensy bit out of your league." He snapped scornfully. My temper flared.

"Don't patronise me, Salvatore, you're lucky to be alive. There are vampires who are three times as old, and ten times as perceptive as you that I've killed. I know exactly what Klaus is, and I know exactly what he's done, and how strong he is." I pointed the bloodied stake at Damon.

"Then you'll know that he's pretty much unstoppable." Damon pushed himself up, wincing. I almost felt pity for him. He had been very charming, even though I knew he was only trying to get in my pants.

"It's improbable, but not impossible." Damon's head snapped up. "I know how to kill him, but I can't do it alone. I know he has your brother, and I know that you've fought in the past. That's why I need you. Most people who have crossed him haven't lived. You, Elena and Alaric have. I need your help."

"Well, maybe you would've got it if you hadn't just led me on, and then staked me twice in my own kitchen." His eyes flashed again.

"Isn't that what you do to most girls? Lead them on and then spill their blood? At least I have some motive behind me, rather than attacking for a quick shag and a drink." I knew that I was letting too much emotion into my voice, but I couldn't control it.

"I think we should even the score first." Damon growled. In the split second before he sprung at me, I had to make a choice. I could hold the stake up, and then watch him mummify on his kitchen floor. Or I could move to the side slightly and fight him, then cross my fingers that we didn't kill each other before I persuaded him to help.

I leapt to my feet and jumped over the counter as Damon lunged at the space I had been a few seconds before.

"I warned you not to try anything, Salvatore." I said calmly. "What did you expect me to do? Walk up to you in the bar and say, 'Hi, Damon Salvatore, I'm a legendary vampire hunter who could kill you in two seconds flat, but I'm not going to, because I need your help in killing the original Original, who coincidentally is also part werewolf?' Yeah, I'm sure that would've gone down a treat." I watched him as he stalked closer to me. He was listening. If he wasn't, he'd already have got me.

"I'd certainly be more agreeable…it wouldn't have involved stakes, would it?" He hissed.

"But people would be listening. You can guarantee that Klaus has got people in Mystic Falls. They would spread it round, and then every damn vengeful vampire would come here looking for me. And then Klaus would know that I was after him, and that I knew how to kill him, and then he'd kill me. I'm not invincible, Damon. I have to be careful. When you've killed over 60 vampires in 5 years, you're pretty much a walking talking target." I said bitterly. I hadn't seen my family in five years. I'd left home when my parents were killed, and I didn't know if the rest of my relations were alive or dead. Damon was still advancing on me, snarling softly.

"You chose the wrong vampire to leave alive, Seph. Cos now, not only am I hungry, I'm pissed off." He was suddenly in front of me, and raised his hand. He slapped me across the face, much like the slap I'd given a couple of hours ago in the bar…only so much more powerful. My face snapped around, and I had to grab hold of the counter to stop myself falling to the ground. My head was reeling, and I could see stars. Ow. "And I like to play with my food before I eat it. Your research will have told you as much." He grabbed my shoulders and slammed me against the wall, winding me. I gasped and coughed…this was not going as planned. Stall him.

"You can't eat me, I've ingested vervain!" I cried desperately. I'd never been in this much danger before, and it frightened me. It also bloody hurt.

"I can be very patient." He punched me in the stomach, causing me to double over in pain. "I could always…wait for it to pass out of your system." He punched me again, and I felt the tears come to my eyes. "If I give it a few days…and I can have a lot of fun with you in a few days." Damon hit me again, before kicking my legs out from underneath me. I crumpled on the floor against the wall, sobbing. I hadn't cried since my parents were killed. I felt rather than saw Damon kneel in front of me. His hand lifted my chin up gently and I looked at him. I suppose I had it coming really. I'd killed so many vampires, and hurt so many more…I was lucky not to have had a beating before then. "You see, I'm really angry. You intrigued me, Seph. I had thought that maybe I would keep you for a while. But then you staked me, and that wasn't very nice. You tricked me. Fool me once…shame on you." He smiled as he pushed my hair back from my face again. My stomach was killing, my legs ached, and I was surprised I hadn't thrown up yet. I was really desperate now.

"Kill me, then. Have your fun. But when you kill me…that's your chance at killing Klaus gone. I'm the only one who knows how, and has the means of killing him. So kill me. But you'll be killing all hope of getting rid of him…and getting your brother back…too." I knew there were tears shining in my eyes as I surrendered. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry for hurting you. It's what I was taught. Honestly, as soon as you stepped in earlier at the bar, I knew you were different. I let my guards down. So I'm sorry I hurt you." Kill with kindness. I could see Damon thinking, and I looked away, curling up, protecting my stomach. All I wanted to do was close my eyes and sleep, but I knew I couldn't. I don't know how long I lay there, but after…a time…I felt Damon's hands wrapping round my elbows.

"Get up." He said softly. I let him help me up, and when I was standing, I had to lean against him. He put an arm around me and led me through to the sitting room. I could hardly stand, let alone walk, but he supported me. He sat me on the sofa and took a chair opposite. His wounds were already healed. He steepled his fingers and rested his chin on them, staring at me. I stared back. I couldn't work out if he was going to kill me or not.

"I'll help you. So will Elena and Alaric. But only because you're cute when you're angry." Damon smiled charmingly at me and I glared. I turned around and threw a vase at his hand, noting with satisfaction as it hit his head.

"Well, I just got fucking adorable." I snarled as I threw another priceless ornament at him. He grabbed my wrist, stopping me, his eyes glinting dangerously.

"As much as I would love to see you fucking adorable, you're not going to get any help if you keep getting violent." He threatened.

"And you're not going to find out what I know if you don't apologise right now for nearly killing me." I retorted. "You're a vampire. You heal quick. I'm a human. I don't." I winced as I sat up properly.

"I'm sorry for letting my temper run away. But you had me. I was enjoying kissing you, and I was going to really enjoy having my way with you in bed later. Then you staked me, and killed the moment." He walked away, leaving me on the sofa. He sat back on the chair. "Why do you do it? Hunt vampires. There's gotta be some reason behind your dangerous career choice."

"My parents taught me about vampires, and other supernatural beings. They were vampire hunters. Then a vampire killed them. It's revenge." I looked at him evenly. "You invited me here to stay the night. Where can I sleep?" I crossed my arms over my bruised stomach. Damon grabbed a cushion and a blanket.

"Right there. I want you where I can see you. Just because I've agreed to help you, doesn't mean I trust you. As I know you will object to sleeping with me…the sofa it is." He picked me up and lay me down on the couch, putting the cushion under my head, and throwing the blanket over me. He sat back down, and just watched me. I realised I was still holding the stake in my left had, clutching onto it. I opened my fingers and the thin piece of wood fell onto the floor. Damon looked at it, then back at me. I said nothing, and closed my eyes. I could still feel his eyes on me when I fell into an uneasy sleep. I was the legendary vampire hunter, who seemed to be unstoppable…and here I was, sleeping on a vampire's couch after getting thoroughly beaten up. God, I hope he doesn't gossip, or my rep will be ruined forever.

Woah, over 5000 words…that's a first for me. I was going to split this up, and then I thought – what's the point? You can all read this, and decide if you like it…well, leave me a review, tell me what you think…I will carry on with this in a couple of months if you want me to, but I've got two other stories on the go atm, so it will have to wait. If you want this to be a multi chapter story, it will be. Review!