Disclaimer: i don't own a thing

'Every wish cannot take flight as every love can't have its own'

Salem's police Dept.

The guileless silence dragged on for quite a bit as detective Jamison took a long drag of his silk cut and leisurely blew the nicotine in a non-offensive direction, his partner seemed almost sombre in respect to the older man's cigarette break, it was almost creepy how people here seemed considerate of the littlest things.

Jamison squashed the cigarette after a few puffs and settled into his best inquisitive detective pose in front of the 'out- of- the- towner'. It was time for the truth.

'Ms...' he re-read the name off the clipboard 'Gilbert...why don't you start from the beginning, and this time tell us everything you're leaving out?' The quasi cynical smile on his lips didn't play for long as the brunette in front of him shifted uneasily in her hard metal chair and after a small bout of hesitation returned the detectives gaze determinedly. They were calmly intense, not shifty like criminals, he expected her to cave in completely or bolt for the locked door screaming like mad...

Although he believed she wasn't capable of committing the crime they recorded at the crime scene he just knew she knew much more about it then she was letting on. When she finally sighed and muttered a exasperated 'fine' He settled himself on opposite side silently congratulating himself.

'Enlighten me ...Elena'

Another shaky sigh later she started with 'So...actually, it's really Caroline's fault we-i mean, i'm here...'

Forbes Residence

Caroline shifted in her arm chair uneasily, firstly because she's never really used the hard laid back chair that's sat in her room indefinitely for anything like sitting, its resident function was more to pile on clothes she had already tried for a date/outing and disliked ...purses and scarves rested on it on a daily basis after school or a night out at mystic grill, had she not been backed into and made to sit on it she would have never realized its use as a hanger of unconventional items or its complete uselessness as something comfortable to sit on.

Secondly, the only reason she had to resort to sitting down on it was because the towns resident psychotic vampire stood in front of her with his arms crossed. His expression was one of latent concern and open speculation, and he'd threatened her with pointless violence if she squeaked.

'Damon...' she started after the silence had stretched for longer then she felt necessary and her back had started sweat, He held up a quieting finger 'A! Shut up'

Caroline took that as a queue to keep her list of practiced threats to herself and He continued to frown as if he were having a long conversation in his mind with himself? Or someone else? Could vampires do that? She wasn't sure really. She sighed a long sigh and ignored the raised eyebrow he sent in her direction.

She couldn't believe how freely Damon Salvatore even considered entering her room through the window after he has made it adamantly clear that he's dumped her for good and her relationship with Matt has just started to take off.

Taken off or landed already she didn't know what would become of their relationship. It had started tentatively with them as friends moving in unknown territory, her somewhat aware of his long history with Elena Gilbert and him aware somewhat of her bad experience with Stefan Salvatore's brother. What bothered her was the sinking idea that Matt, seriously sincere as he was, was he doing this as a rebound thing? Casual dating until he felt ready to face the real world.

Caroline believed in herself as good as the next blonde and beautiful complete with brains and capacity to change to make others like her...even then she avoided being intimidated by his seriousness. He was sensitive about feelings, that Matt. Even as she had a hard time admitting she needed to work on the 'tact' thing as he put it, she was proud that at least she had tried to impress him.

What really got her was the idea that it might not be enough to win him over completely. Seriously sensitive guys like him only came around once in a while and she felt like she was missing her catch because Elena kept turning up and distracting her blossoming relationship from becoming anything more than casual dating.

Distraction was an understatement.

Matt's eyes seem to change whenever his gaze landed on Elena, it was the same sort of look Caroline noticed Stefan always giving her. There was a hesitation, a clumsiness in him when he ran into Elena. Not like when they are together. The strange sort of intense seriousness seemed to fade when 'she' was around. He always seemed more critical and angry around Caroline.

Not violent angry but subtle, irritation angry, as if she were testing his patience or grating on his nerves.

After Matt blurted out that he wasn't sure about this 'relationship thing' Caroline had quietly looked around the 'grill', his work mates stood surveying her humiliation in clear light. It reminded her of Damon telling her she was 'stupid and useless', his words had rang like a slap, It was the same feeling when Matt looked at her intensely mad at being made to confess his confusion.

She only muttered an equally confused 'sorry' to that and ran into the darkness to find the nearest place that would offer her a drink without asking for some kind of ID to make themselves feel better about not corrupting young morals until they were of age.

The lights were dim and the bartenders careless. It was the perfect place to get sobbing drunk and not worry about her mother showing up with handcuffs to embarrass her.

She drank to her darkness as it steadily filled her with mirth over her situation, and the drinks qualified a definite road accident, if she tried to drive. She had tried once to get up and find the door to get some air, things were getting crazy blurry and she was alone...mostly, except for when she ran smack into someone wearing black.

She knew it was him when he casually asked if 'Captain America had already left her?' she tried to shove him away for that honest crack but things weren't where she imagined them to be right then because of all the alcohol she had intently consumed to forget about the darkness consuming her life, she crashed on the floor gracelessly in the attempt.

Damon Salvatore, professional ass that he was... wanted to naturally drink to that.

She doesn't remember telling him, but he already seemed to know of her un-relationship issues, how she didn't manage to ask...he offered her another drink genially at that and she took it with only the slightest of glares she could manage at him. Surprise, surprise...not.

Hence, he told her about the next big thing he was planning...and so naturally, she listened, if only in drunk stupor. She remembered the doom and gloom in his voice as he smashed back drink after drink. He was restlessly angry about something. Something that made his shoulders hunch together like a bloodthirsty vulture, something she had only wisps of memory about.

Oh and then there was something about the love of his 'un-life' betraying him or being a bitch...or was it both?

She remembered giggling at that telling him just as genially that he 'deserved it' and then watching his teeth glint in a tiny angsty sneer across his handsomely cruel face. It was the 'bad boy's really , really hurt' look, very melting and slightly unnerving but nerves were no longer an issue for Caroline she was drunk as a skunk and strung as high as a flag. She was not intimated by his presence or his sarcasm to her existence as a drinking partner at this time.

Either he found all this very amusing or he was trying to control his violent 'hands free' urges in a public place because he was quiet for a very long time next to her looking off into space, while she let lose her opinion of him as the lowest pond scum she had ever the misfortune of falling for. It was fine by her that he ignored her indiscretions towards him and she continued her trek to being totally smashed, it was like a good dream she once had about berating him senselessly. Only this time she was the one who was wholly senseless.

Her mother would be furious to see her like this.

She doubted that thought would have made her get off the stool she was perched on so determinedly any earlier or at least until the 'lights went out'. She almost rose to leave when whispers of 'underage kid' started multiplying but she also knew about Damon's insufferable attitude towards her opinions, he was a bit slow tonight, it was almost as an afterthought thqat he kicked the stool from right under her. She fell flat on her ass. Her head spun, back side ached like hell and the lights dimmed drastically while the bar patrons panicked at this development.

She might have muttered some form of obscenities at no one in particular then, Last thing she heard was Damon's voice next to her ear whispering torment like a promise.

Damn.

She remembered the feeling of his arms... strong, lifting her off the hard floor and taking her out of the bar, into the night somewhere...where? She was too whacked out to panic and alert people to his as large as life non human status, besides she doubted it would save her. If he wanted to bite the crap out of her on the street …he would, she felt much braver knocking back drinks and insulting him in a public place...Too bad.

A faint outline of the moon's fading crescent shape triggered some frightening memory involving her neck and his fangs, Still even as it got darker and darker under her eyelids, Her lips managed to move a fraction and a half, pleading with him in slurry tones not to 'hurt' her.

Maybe it was her state of complete helplessness by choice that made her boring or that Damon liked to chase his food before sinking in his fangs because as he wrestled her into her own car he muttered a 'pipe down!' and 'i'm not going to bite you Caroline' with a touch of irritation and something else, something she wasn't able to quite pick up on while incoherent.

Sympathy? from the blood sucking fiend who feasted on her as a form of relationship...righhhhht.

If her memory served her right, she had passed out after that. And when she woke up the next morning, even though her memory of the night before was to say at the best 'murky', she had still consciously searched for bite marks or signs of violence. Like a reflex.

There was nothing. She decided it could have been a strange dream she had and left it at that for two days.

Until the 2nd night, Where Damon decided to remind her that it had been very real and showed signs of concern over how much she did actually remember ...about his 'plan'. This is why he was in her room promising her a world of violence ...and pain. So what else was new in her life since he's showed up in this town?

Caroline remembered only bits and pieces ...that and her butt hurt like a big sore. She told him all this in between his manic pacing in her room unsure of how much he heard or discarded, he didn't exactly scream Mr. Focus right now. That and he'd asked her what happened to her twilight collection, she had gotten rid of since…well, since Damon had dropped her like a bad habit.

It just felt unsavory and shaming to have them around her. Those books had somehow defined her in a certain way, a certain way that made her seem dumb to others. Well, to Damon.

Maybe she did it just to get his attention or just to annoy him but it was something she couldn't resist asking even though she knew the answer to already 'Did you bite me that night..?'

Said potential biter's eyebrows hitched up until they almost left his forehead, he looked about ready to shake her senseless 'what are you stupid or something?' It wasn't so much as a question as it was a statement, she looked at him calmly crossing her arms over her chest, he was here out of his own volition without any invite from her, she didn't feel the slightest bit charitable at his state of unrest, uncertainty…whatever bug that was scratching him so fiercely that he had to come to her, at this time of the night.

When she didn't agree or disagree with him, he sighed dramatically, as his custom and humored her 'If I bit you?...you would know it Caroline…kay?'

How very reassuring of him, she said nothing to that.

He sat down on her bed uncharacteristically sad about something, about not making a meal out of her? She wasn't sure, He didn't say and she didn't ask. She felt so far this was as good harmless symbiotic hunter-prey as it got relationship. It wasn't so much as the slight dark circles under his eyes as the mood that kind of spoke to her. Brooding and sad like a cloud of darkness.

It was the funk she'd been in since he kicked her out of his life or un-life, whatever. This no longer bothered her…or at least she felt it didn't. Then why was she identifying with it so easily?

Dammit. She was not doing this falling for the twinkling dark eyes crap again. No more mind games.

When the ticking of the clock on her wall got louder and louder in her ears, Caroline leapt out of her chair like a bout of electricity had just coursed through her. She was not going to be afraid of him, what's the worst he can do? Bite her? Been there, suffered through that. She had no weapons but figured the inflamed adrenaline would have to do for now.

She was going to tell him to leave in her best I'm civilized but not above screaming like a banshee tone. Except he wasn't looking up at her, it's like he was spaced out about something, his hands were clasped together calmly, his eyelids hid the expression in his eyes...would he notice if she tried to stab him. Not that she could get that far, if he wanted he could knock her flat on the ground without blinking.

Caroline raised her hand to wave in front of him. His eyes made no flicker of movement to follow hers, she bent for a better view at his face. Somewhere in her mind was a ringing that she was doing something incredibly stupid…

'Damon..'

Suddenly he'd caught her hand as if he remembered she was here, Caroline jerked in his grip ... it tightened enough to hurt but not break, he looked at her then fully with the currents in eyes strangely still, expressionless face..he tugged at her gently enough to make her lean forward to him, and she did it.

When he said her name softly in wonderment, as if he were amazed or dazed by something. Or he had finally decided on something. Yes that look with the still dark eyes was what it was a 'decision', a decision that was going use and abuse her like a total sacrifice... oh shit ! she just knew she was in deep trouble when he opened his mouth ' How do you feel about going to Salem with me?...'

Salem? it was like a light bulb had gone on in her head. She remembered suddenly what it was he was telling her in the bar that night. He wanted to go to Salem for something...some power thing , like an artifact. Before her mouth did something incredibly stupid like blurting all that out without stopping for air she shut it real tight and tried to give him her best neutral look.

'ummm Salem? why?, i'm not sure Damon ...'

He smiled his normal smile completely neutral, completely focused on her. Caroline was sure she should not be looking in his eyes or the stupidly dilating pupils, but it was too late, her heart sank even though the rest of her relaxed in his grip, she felt her mouth smile back at him telling him she had nothing better to do tonight.

He got up and released her with a slightly playful twirl, Caroline felt as relaxed as if she'd swallowed a couple of valiums, which she hasn't done for a long time now.

Damon half dropped out of her window and held out a hand for her, she looked at her bed where her cell phone lay unloved and quiet like a small decoration, that hadn't rung in over two days. Matt, Elena & Bonnie all seemed to be getting along fine without her, why should she care or tell them she was off with a glorified killer…She did not smile at herself or Damon Salvatore who was still languidly resting on her window sill waiting for her 'Let's go beautiful…times a'waisting!'