DISCLAIMER: This story is based on L.J. Smith's The Vampire Diaries books and CW's TV show. I don't own anything apart from Audrey. No money is being made with it.

Slow Dancing In a Burning Room

Audrey sipped some of the wine she had in the glass in her hands. Her eyes fixed on the shelves loaded with books in front of her, not really seeing a thing. She was sitting in the Salvatore's couch, all alone, her legs bent over the padded. She had arrived the day before and everything Damon had done so far was avoiding her. It was stupid of her to look for him, she now realized.

Stefan had been receptive, but Audrey knew his relationship with Damon enough to notice that he'd been treating her quite coldly and suspiciously. He didn't trust Damon's friends; he didn't even trust Damon in the first place. At least Stefan had done more than he did since Audrey came to town. He introduced her to Elena, his girlfriend, the night before when she arrived. Audrey was startled by the resemblance between her and Katherine Pierce. For a moment, she thought it might be the vampire she hated so much. But she soon understood that they were two completely different people.

She sipped a bit more, finishing her drink. She was placing the glass in a small table besides her when she heard steps coming in. Audrey didn't have to turn around to know who it was.

- Finally found a good excuse? – She asked roughly, still not turning around.

Damon came closer, his hands on his pockets. Without a word, he walked to the coffee table in front of the couch. He pushed some papers away, making room, and sit there. He remained in silence, not looking directly into Audrey's eyes. The girl didn't make any effort to talk, either.

- Actually… I didn't. – He finally said, rolling his eyes like he usually does. – I was expecting you to take care of that part.

Audrey closed her eyes, tired, supporting her head on the back of the couch. She took a deep breath.

- Do you even like me, Damon? – She looked at him. – Do I mean anything to you? Because I'm starting to think coming here was a mistake.

He didn't answer her questions.

- I know you. I know you run away of any good feeling manifested in you. – She stood up. – Is that the reason you left me? You realized you actually felt something for me, so you ran away before you couldn't control your heart anymore?

Damon remained in silence, diverting his eyes from Audrey's. She couldn't control her words anymore. Everything she kept for fifteen years had finally surfaced and Damon would have to listen to her.

- Were you afraid to love someone other than Katherine? Were you afraid that this love was even stronger than the one you had for her? That it was brotherly love? – She now had tears in her eyes. – A feeling that you thought you had lost it many years ago. Am I wrong?

Damon looked at her, still not saying a word. That was the last drop for Audrey. After so any years, she actually thought she would get an answer for all of those questions. Questions that had been haunting her ever since Damon left. But she was wrong. Looking out for him did only disappoint her.

- That's not the Damon I've met. – She mourned. – It's worse.

She turned around, leaving the room. Upon reaching the hall, she was surprised by the boy, who suddenly showed up before her. She tried to pass by him and continue her way to the guest room, but Damon stopped her. She didn't have any more strength to argue with him.

- Let me go. – She asked, wiping away her tears. She couldn't control them anymore.

Damon didn't say anything, he just hugged her. Audrey, taken by surprise and still apprehensive, tried to disentangle herself. But Damon was stronger than her, he'd always be. Crying, the girl gave up on her efforts. She sank her head on her friend's chest and hugged him back. She missed him, more than anyone could ever describe. He was everything she had ever since she was turned. He was her safe-harbor. Her older brother.

- I lost myself, Damon. – She cried, squeezing him even stronger. – When you left me.

He kissed the top of her head, holding her close.

- It looks like you found your way back home. – Damon whispered. He rolled his eyes, rakish. – That'd be my apologies, by the way.

Audrey laughed, relieved. She missed her friend's acid humor. His cocky, arrogant way. She missed her brother. Damon would never admit it out loud all those things the girl just said to him. But she knew him well to know that his silence was enough to prove her right. He loved her. He cared about her.

For the first time in years, Audrey felt safe again.

N/A: Hello there! This is my very first drabble in English (actually it was written in Portuguese first, but anyway) so please be kind! Audrey is a character I've came up with some time ago, way back into the middle of season 2, and only now I had the courage to publish it. I've always felt like Damon needed someone. After all this years of living he might have made at least one friend, right? Audrey would be his Lexi, I guess. If you're wondering, he was the one to turn her in the early 60s. She was only 16 at the time. Maybe I'll write the whole story down... who knows?

Since this one was written for myself, there is no proper description of her looks and I didn't want to change it because I really liked the way I wrote it. So feel free to picture her the way you please - although in my mind she's ginger, about 5.3" and has a mix of both a lady-like and a hippie style (it changes according to her mood, actually). She's really sweet and kind, but has a lot of Damon's sarcastic ways... He was the one to "raise" her, after all. He's really different when it comes to Audrey, tho. It's like she really digs out the best of him (which was one of the reasons he left her, btw).

Anyway, I don't have a beta-reader to help me with any misspelled words or grammar mistakes, so let me know if you find something wrong!

I hope you like it!

XX, Mad.