Title Credit: Tonight Alive

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters from The Vampire Diaries. All I own is the story line and the other characters.

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Climbing out of her car, Bennett jogged up the steps of the police station of Mystic Falls and pulled the glass door open and walked inside. It was just like it had been when she had last been there five years ago, before she had moved away for a job opportunity. But now that opportunity relocated her back to her hometown and there was mixed feelings about it bubbling inside of her as she rounded the corner towards the door with the title Sheriff Forbes printed on the front where she needed to be briefed about her new assignment. Finding the all too familiar door, she took a deep breath as she raised her hand up and knocked twice on the frosted window and waited for the Sheriff to allow her inside. When she heard the answer, she slowly twisted the knob open, preparing herself for the reaction that was bound to come once she realized who exactly it was knocking on her door. When she walked inside, she caught the look of shock and confusion cross Sheriff Forbes face also with a little disappointment and disapproval. But once Bennett turned back to face her after shutting the door, she saw that she had contained her reaction and a forced smile resting on her lips instead of the slightly annoyed look she had given before. But it wasn't that odd that such a look had crossed her face, they did after all leave on bad terms the last time they had seen each other five years ago. Bennett was used to it by now, getting those looks from the people who lived in Mystic Falls, her reputation had made sure of that. But after she left she had made sure that the next time she returned would be different, and hopefully that would still be true. Though only time would tell.

"Bennett, what are you doing here?" She asked as she stood from her desk-piled high with paperwork and sticky notes littering the computer screen- and gestured to the old chair in front of the desk.

Bennett took the seat offered as the older woman also took hers once again and folded her hands together on the only area not covered in papers. "Well, if I'm not mistaken you did ask for a hunter."

"You're a vampire hunter?"

Bennett simply nodded and grabbed her bag that she had put at her feet to grab her reassignment papers and handed them to the Sheriff. "Yep. Here, take a look for yourself."

The Sheriff took a few moments to look through the papers and then once she was satisfied with what they said she folded them up and handed them back to Bennett. She took them back and put them in her messenger bag once again before turning back to the Sheriff to find her watching her, almost as if she didn't believe her even after the solid proof the younger girl had just given her.

"Well ok then," Forbes finally said, standing from her desk and walking over to the safe tucked in the corner of the room on top of one of the filing cabinets. She twisted in the combination and after three turns, it clicked open surprisingly easily even though the safe looked ancient. She pushed a few things to the side and rummaged through it until she found what she had been looking for and pulled it out and the closed and locked the safe once again and turned back to Bennett and showed her what she had taken out. "I assume you know what this is then."

Bennett simply nodded, easily recognizing the standard police issued handgun, only the chamber that had bullets wasn't loaded in the gun but resting next to the gun in the Sheriffs hand. It wasn't full of normal bullets either like anyone would expect. Instead, it was loaded with wooden bullets, the only real thing that could do the most damage to vampires besides stakes that is. Bennett reached behind to grab her own gun tucked in the waistband of her jeans under her shirt. She showed the gun to the older woman and slid the chamber out to show she even had the same bullets also.

"Ah so the Association already provided you with the necessary tools. Good, then you're all set to go. You have a place to stay right? If not there are some hotels just outside of town. I don't recommend anything inside of town though since no one has room."

"I already found an apartment a few days before I got here. Found it on the internet and talked to the land lord on the phone and he said no problem. Going to head over there to sign the papers as soon as we're done here."

The Sheriff nodded, "good, then if you don't mind I'd like your address to contact you if needed."

"Fine, I don't know it yet, but I can call you with it once I do. Has your number changed again? The last time I tried it you either changed your number or simply blocked mine. But if we're going to be working together I'm going to need it."

"I understand, my number is-" she started but the door to the office was suddenly knocked on and she sighed slightly before inviting the person in.

Both women watched as the door opened and a tall, dark, and handsome guy walked in with longish hair and leather jacket. He made eye contact with Bennett first and a charming smirk graced his lips making her roll her eyes at him. His smirk just widened as he turned to Sheriff Forbes and then it turned into the charming smile from before. Apparently the Sheriff knew who he was because she instantly gave a friendly smile back and her whole attitude changed to what it had before when she had been short and snappy. Now she was all kind and sweet to whoever this guy was which made Bennett want to roll her eyes at but she stopped herself. She was trying to change things even though after only ten minutes with the Sheriff it looked like that was going to be harder that it seemed.

"Bennett," Sheriff Forbes snapped, pulling Bennett from her thoughts and making her look up to see the Sheriffs and the guys eyes on her. "As I was saying, I would like to introduce you to Damon Salvatore, one of the members of our council. He's helped us quite a lot with hunting the vampires. Without his help we wouldn't be where we are at this moment."

"Clearly, because you're jail cells are overflowing with vampires waiting to be executed. Why exactly did you need me here? To be another pretty face for your highly educated search team." Bennett snapped back, irritated about the tone Forbes had used to get her attention. Sure it wasn't the best way to start over but Bennett wasn't just going to sit there and allow the older woman to talk to her as if she was a child. She wasn't the same unruly 16 year old she had been seven years ago. The same girl who booked a one way ticket out of town as soon as she was 18 and didn't even think of coming back until five years later. Sure her past was rocky and full of petty crimes, but she was a changed person, even if being back in her hometown made her worst come out. She was going to show this town that she changed and that they had no right comparing her to when she was younger.

The guy smirked as Sheriff Forbes looked like she was about to pop a vein. But surprisingly, she didn't say anything about it and turned to him without another glance towards her. "And Damon, this is Bennett Ericsson. Our newest arrival to our team. She was sent from the Hunters Association in California to help us and teach us the best techniques for hunting and killing those monsters."

Damon turned to Bennett and gave a slight bow with that same smirk on his face. A smirk that to her looked like he had a secret and he wanted to let people know that he did but wouldn't actually tell what it was. "Nice to meet you Miss Ericsson, I'm intrigued to see what information you for our search."

"Uhuh," Bennett muttered as she bent to grab her bag as she stood from her chair. "Well its been a nice chat, but I must go. Just wanted to pop in for a nice little catch up and tell you that I'm here. I'll give you my number and address when I have time, see ya."

She pushed past Damon as she walked towards the door and booked it as fast as she could go. There were too many memories in that office and she had tried to keep them out of her head but she just couldn't. The whole way out of the station and to her car, she could feel the judging looks of the officers as she passed. They all knew her and her reputation and it haunted her every day since. She didn't need these people, this perfect little town, constantly reminding her of all her screw ups. She remembered each and every one of them. It haunted her everyday and she was sure it would never go away as long as she was alive. That was why she took job she did, every day there was the risk of death and if she did die, then she wouldn't be haunted by her demons anymore. She wouldn't have to have the constant reminder of everything that happened when she was a teenager.

Unlocking her car and getting in, she jammed her keys in the ignition and pulled out of the parking lot as fast as she could. She had lied when she said that she hadn't been to her new apartment yet. She had gotten in the day before and helped the movers take all her things up and unpacked the little she had brought with her. But she had been putting off the meeting with the Sheriff as long as she could. It was also a lie that she didn't know her phone number or address. Of course she knew them, she just hadn't wanted to give them to Forbes yet. She needed that little moment of being cut off from this town while she could. Once she did give those two little pieces of information, she would be apart of Mystic Falls again and she didn't know if she was ready for that yet.

As soon as she got home, she slammed the door closed to her apartment and tears immediately sprung to her eyes. Why she had ever thought she was prepared to come back was beyond her. She obviously wasn't ready and fully regretted agreeing to coming back. But she had also been running from something in California also and thought that coming back to her hometown had been a good idea. Obviously not.

She collapsed on her bed and pulled a pillow to her stomach and squeezed it as she closed her eyes and buried her head in the top. After a few minutes of crying, she felt something soft touch her arm and opened her eyes to be met with the worried gaze of her black lab Ollie, who was obviously concerned about her crying. Patting the bed beside her, she invited him up and he gladly did so and snuggled into her, hoping to comfort her in some way. She had gotten him two days after she had arrived in California when she was 18. He was her best friend and she probably wouldn't have survived without him. Ollie was exactly what she had needed to help herself recover from everything from her past. She almost didn't come back to Mystic Falls since she couldn't find an apartment that would allow animals besides cats and caged animals. And if she hadn't found the place she had, she wouldn't have come. She couldn't have survived without Ollie, especially now with all the memories resurfacing now that she was back. Which was why she wasn't having a panic attack as she continued to cry because Ollie was there. He was her personal guardian angel. So she just hugged him tighter as she continued to cry praying that things would be different the second time around.

...

So second story I've posted on here and also first story thought of for TVD. I got addicted to the show when I was at school and my roommates introduced me to it. Anyway, so hopefully this is a good start, I always freak out a little when it comes to new stories... So feedback about this would be amazing. I'm thinking that this story is going to take place during season two, right in the beginning when Katherine said that she never loved Damon and that it was always Stefan. Yeah, right when she broke his heart into a million pieces. Don't get me wrong though, I actually like Katherine a lot. I think she's a really well written character and Nina does an awesome job playing her. Though just to make clear now, I'm not an Elena lover. She's ok but the whole love triangle annoys me, not that I even like love triangles to begin with. Anyway, sorry. Also I should mention that the whole love triangle where Elena loves both doesn't exist in this story. Elena and Stefan will always be together. In this story Elena will never be torn between the two and Damon doesn't fall in love with Elena... Sorry if anyone was wanting that but... I have my own plans. So hopefully even after this long ass authors note you'll still consider giving this story a try! :) thanks for reading! 3