Driving back into town, Shaylee Gilbert knew this was a bad idea. She was driving her old, beat up Chevy Colorado pick up truck to her old house in Mystic Falls.

It had been 5 months since she had left there. Her parents had been killed in a car crash with her and her sister, Elena. Herself, and her sister had survived. They called them miracle's. Their parents however, weren't as fortunate. Shaylee stayed around Mystic Falls for awhile after her parents died. Elena, her sister, and Jeremy, her brother, were put under the care of their Aunt Jenna. She was more of a friend than an Aunt, and she had no idea how to raise 3 depressed teenagers.

The first day of school, She met Stefan. Stefan Salvatore. Shortly after that, Shay met Damon Salvatore, his brother. They were Vampires. Yep, real, bloodsucking, never aging, burn in the sun without their special ring, Vampires. Elena and Shaylee…took it different ways. Shay was just pissed that they didn't tell her sooner. She had grown close to Damon and Stefan, and thought they should have told her sooner.

The 4 of them had been threw a lot together, what with Logan Fell being turned into a vampire, car accidents, deaths. But Shaylee and the dark, raven haired, piercing blue eyed vampire grew closer, and closer. They…kissed. And it blew Shay's mind, Damon's too. He had completely fallen for her, though he would never admit it to anyone else.

But after that night…Shaylee got scared. She was scared of commitment. Scared to get close to somebody again…just to have them leave her. So, she left.

Shaylee left the town of Mystic falls with lots of goodbye tears and hugs. She just couldn't stay there anymore. So, she packed her bags and headed to Maine. She went to stay with friends, and went to high school there.

. Elena had called Shay and told her about everything she had been missing. Her and Damon talked on the phone a lot. But mostly it was him threatening to drag her ass back to Mystic Falls before he came there and threw her over his shoulder and carried her back himself. But they never discussed the kiss. Shay was nervous to. She…she knew she loved Damon. It was impossible not to…But she didn't want to screw up their friendship.

When Elena called Shay to tell her about her life, Shaylee told Elena about hers as well…a lot had happened in a short few months. She started smoking…well…kind of. Only once in a while. She started drinking to, because she got a new boyfriend. David. David was…he was something. Every time she thought of David, she thought of the cute, boyish grin with shaggy dark hair and big, bright excited eyes. Now, she only thought of pain, and abuse. He was awful to her. But…she stayed with him. Even when he hit her…she stayed with him, and Hailey didn't even know why. She kept making the same excuses…it was just a bad night…I deserved it.

When Elena heard this, she was absolutely furious. She threatened to tell Damon, or Stefan, but Shay pleaded with her not to. So…Elena didn't. But that was clearly a mistake.

Not one person knew that she was driving back to Mystic falls. Shaylee drove fast with her window down, noticing the decorations. It was founders day. Wow. She had missed a lot.

Shaylee ran a hand threw her wavy very, very dark brown hair with a very light, subtle red tint to it. She stopped the car in her driveway, and got out, wearing ripped, dark skinny leg blue jeans with a white, corset style blouse that synched at the waist, then flowed down to a few inches after her jeans started. She paired it with her black leather jacket that was very worn in, and black stiletto heels.

She opened the door, and smiled brightly. She missed this place.

"Hello family! I'm Ho-" Shaylee started to call excited, but froze when she saw Elena in front of her, holding a knife. What?

"Elena…what-"

Elena looked at her shocked. She was the last person she expected to see here!

"Shay?"

Shaylee nodded, confused. What was going on. But then there was a 'whoooosh' sound, and both girls flipped around, trying to see where it went.

"Did you see anybody?" Elena asked worriedly. Shaylee shook her head. What had she missed when she was gone?

"Alright, I need to call Stefan. Go into the kitchen, John's bleeding!" Elena told her hurriedly, worried. Shaylee was completely thrown for a loop. What the hell was going on? Elena was panicked. Shaylee ran as fast as she could in tall stiletto heels and peered around the counter. John was laying on the ground, blood pooling around him.

She gasped.

"John!" She called worriedly and immediately got a towel off the counter and put it on his stomach, trying to stop the massive flow of blood. She never really cared for him, but she didn't like seeing anybody hurt.

"K…Kath…" He sputtered painfully. Shaylee shook her head and shushed him. He shouldn't talk.

"Elena! Will you please tell me what the hell is going on?" Shaylee demanded panicking. Did someone break in? John was stabbed! His blood was everywhere! Was it a vampire? Katherine?

The police and ambulance got there 10 minutes later. Everything was crazy as they wheeled John's body out on a stretcher, and the police were securing the house. Both Elena and Shaylee knew that they wouldn't be able to find the person who did it. They would be to fast. They, were a vampire.

Shaylee and Elena stood at the bottom of the stairs, their arms crossed, hugged into their bodies.

"What the hell has been going on?" Shaylee asked Elena completely confused. How would a vampire be able to get into the house? They had to be invited in!

But Stefan came up just then. He immediately checked Elena over, making sure she was ok, but then his eyes fixed on Shaylee.

"Shaylee…" He started, confused, but then smiled softly. Shaylee gave a small smile under the circumstances and moved over to hug him. Stefan smiled softly and wrapped her arms around her.

"Hey, I just got back." She told him. Stefan nodded, but then turned into serious mode.

"Where's Jeremy?"

Yep, Jeremy tried to kill himself. He took Anna's blood, then took the pills. The idiot…

"C'mon." Elena told Stefan, the two of them ran upstairs, and Shaylee stayed downstairs. She sighed. She wanted to know what was going on! She hated being in the dark.

But that's when the phone rang. Shaylee moved into the kitchen, avoiding the blood, and picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Elena?" A person on the other end asked confused.

"No, it's Shaylee."

"Shaylee?" A voice exclaimed. "It's Matt. You and Elena need to get down to the hospital. Caroline…we got into a car crash with Tyler tonight. She's in surgery."

Shaylee gasped, and told Matt they would be there soon.

"Elena! We have to leave, now!" She yelled. Caroline was one of her best friends. Matt and Tyler were too. She had to be with them.


Shaylee ran into the hospital as fast as she could with her stiletto heels on, and immediately looked around every corner. Elena was busy parking the car. They took hers, since really, Shaylee's was a piece of junk. Finally, she saw Matt.

"Matt." She called, walking over to him. Matt immediately looked up thankfully.

"How's Caroline?" She asked, sitting down in the chair beside Matt, putting a comforting hand on his arm. Caroline and him had been dating for awhile now.

Matt sighed a shaky sigh, and shook his head. "It's not good Shay."

"What happened?" Shaylee immediately asked concerned, meeting Matt's sad, blue eyes.

"We were driving, and Tyler heard this noise…he…he got-like this…migraine or something." Matt explained.

"He lost control of the car…and I-" Matt couldn't finish, and Shaylee couldn't blame him.

"Tyler's dad is dead." Matt told Shaylee sadly. Shaylee was completely confused. Elena had told her about the device…but Tyler's dad wasn't a vampire!

"Wh…what?" Shaylee asked stunned. Matt nodded. Shaylee sighed.

"Alright, I'll be right back. I have to go see Tyler." Shaylee told him, getting up. Matt nodded, and Shaylee immediately walked to find Tyler. She had absolutely no clue were he was. Rounded another corner into the ER and saw Tyler against the wall.

"Tyler?" She asked softly. She saw him sitting in a chair by himself, clutching his head. Obvious tears coming out of his eyes.

He immediately looked up, trying to hide them, but then saw it was just Shaylee.

"Shaylee? Wh…what are you doing here?"

"That doesn't matter. I heard what happened." Shaylee told him, immediately walking closer. Tyler stood up, and she hugged him tightly. Tyler wrapped his arms tightly around Shaylee, thankful to have her back. They had been best friends since they were little.

Whenever Shaylee had a problem, she would usually go to Tyler. His mom was like her second mother.


As Damon rounded the corner, he saw Bonnie and Elena talking with another girl. She had tall heels on, dark skinny jeans, white shirt, leather jacket. His eyes raked up her body curiously to her dark dark wavy brown hair. Who was she?

"How's Caroline?" Elena immediately asked Bonnie. Bonnie sighed and shook her head at both the girls.

"It's not good. The doctors don't know if she's going to make it." Bonnie admitted sadly.

"Isn't there something you can do? Like…a spell or something?" Shaylee immediately asked.

Damon's eyes went wide with shock, but he covered quickly. He knew that voice anywhere. Shaylee. God. He looked at her again. Her bright blonde hair changed to brown. Her and Elena were almost opposites. But she was still gorgeous, he would go so far as to say more gorgeous then Elena. Did she change her clothes? She was at his house tonight…

She got her bright blonde hair from her dad…who they now found out was John. And her blue eyes from him. However…she had Isobel's…he didn't want to think about that.

He felt that familiar pull to her. Full of love, and lust…trust. He was undoubtedly in love with her. When she showed up at the boarding house tonight, she proved that.


"Damon." Shaylee called, smiling softly at him. Damon frowned with confusion, and turned around and was stunned. There was the love of his life…the true love of his life. Ever since he met Shaylee…she pushed all the feelings he had for Katherine away. Completely.

"Shaylee…what are you doing here?"

Shaylee took a deep breath in her white and silver dress that hugged every curve of her body, and her leather jacket and stiletto heels.

"What I should have done a long time ago." She admitted and crossed the room hurriedly, and stood right in front of Damon. He heard her breath hitch and his did the same. The only thing you could hear in the room was their breathing.

Shaylee looked up and met Damon's passionate, intense gaze from his piercing blue eyes, and reached up, kissing him softly. Damon was shocked, but got over that quickly of the feel of Shaylee's lips pressed against his. This didn't feel like their first kiss. No, this one was different.

Damon moaned and threaded his hand threw Shaylee's curled hair and pulled her close, kissing her passionately, his arm moving to wrap around her waist, pushing her small, tight body against his. God he's wanted to do this forever.

Shaylee pulled away, breathing hard, looking up at Damon's eyes. His eyes grew dark with lust as he looked her up and down.

"I'm sorry. I never should have left. I got-"

"Doesn't matter now." Damon told her, pulling her close again.

"She doesn't know how." Damon finally spoke, approaching the group. Shaylee whirled around and froze looking at the muscular, dark raven haired man in front of her. Their eyes met, and Shaylee's breath caught in her throat like it did every single time they were together. Her heart erupted with all those old feelings she tried so hard to avoid.

But when she dumped David…she swore she was going to make her life better. Damon came with that.

"Shay." He greeted. Shaylee mouthed 'hi' awkwardly, feeling out of place, and let them continue with their conversation.

"Do you?" Damon asked Bonnie, who guiltily shook her head.

"No."

"No, you don't because it took Emily years to learn a spell like that." Damon told her pointedly. Shaylee looked up at him confused. How much had she missed in that short amount of time she was gone?

"Yeah? Well, I can take down a vampire. That spell was easy to learn." Bonnie threatened up at Damon who forced a smirk.

"I can give Caroline some blood." Damon told Shaylee turning towards her, looking down at her intimately. Shaylee's breath hitched in her throat as she looked back up at Damon who was now standing closely in front of her.

Elena shook her head. "No. No way."

"Just enough to heal her. She's be safe in the hospital, and all better." Damon explained.

"No." Elena told him, shaking her head defiantly. "We'll find another way!"

"Do it." Bonnie told Damon. Damon looked down at Shaylee to confirm. Her opinion was the only real one that mattered to her.

"this is Caroline." Shaylee told them all, justifying it, then looking back up into Damon's piercing blue eyes that felt like they were going right threw her.

"we can't let her die. Do it." Shaylee told him. Damon nodded, then moved his attention to Bonnie.

"If I do this, you and me? We call a truce?" he asked, smirking.

"No, but you'll do it anyway. For Shaylee." Bonnie pointed out. Damon narrowed his eyes at the witch, and she nodded at Elena, both of them leaving.

Shaylee sighed, and looked back up at Damon, knowing she was going to have to explain.

"Look, I know this is the last thing you wanna do right now, what with Caroline in the hospital, but we should talk about what happened tonight." He told her, looking down intensely into her dark, bright blue eyes.

Shaylee nodded looking back up at him.

"Yeah! One of the tomb vampires got into the house and almost killed John!"

Damon looked down at her, completely confused. What?

"What? What-? When? What are you talking about?" Damon asked her. "After you left?"

Shaylee looked up at him confused, her eyebrows furrowing together.

"After I let? I wasn't at your house." Shaylee told him confused. Damon rolled his eyes.

"Oh C'mon Shay. You know you were." She wasn't getting off that easy. She couldn't just pretend that it didn't happen. No like the first kiss.

"What are you talking about Damon?" Shaylee demanded completely confused. There was a lot of that going on tonight.

"Earlier. In my room. We were talking. All cathartic, feelings exposed?" Damon asked her, seeing if it rang any bells.

"C'mon! We kissed Shaylee!" Damon said softly, demandingly so others didn't over hear them.

"Led to a little more until I had to leave." Damon reminded her. Shaylee shook her head, her brow still furrowed.

"Ok, I don't know what your talking about Damon. Even I don't get this high when I've been smoking." Shaylee told him, rolling her eyes, passing it off as one of Damon's jokes.

Damon took a mental note about her smoking and would ask her about that later, but now, they needed to deal with the issue at hand.

Shaylee tried to walk past him, but Damon shot his hand out, and caught her arm, pulling her back to face him, moving in front of her, centimeters away, looking down at her.

"look, if you want to forget it happened, fine." Damon snapped quietly. "But I can't."

"Shaylee?" someone called confused. Damon immediately dropped Shaylee's arm and turned away, trying to think of why she would suddenly be denying this. They almost had sex!

"What are you doing here?" Jenna asked confused, moving to hug her niece who smiled at her softly.

"I chose tonight of all nights to come back into town." Shaylee told her. Jenna smiled.

"Well, your room hasn't been touched." Jenna promised her. "Look, I got Elena's message, how's john?"

"I don't know. I was looking for you at the house, where were you?"

Jenna looked at her confused. A lot of confusion tonight.

"I told you and Elena that I was going to the fire department. To fill out a report."

Shaylee shook her head. "No you didn't."

"Yes, I did." Jenna told her, promisingly.

"No, you didn't."

"Yes, I did Shaylee."

Damon looked at the scene baffled. Why wouldn't she remember two things? She had vervain. She couldn't have been compelled. But then it hit him with wide eyes, and a slap in the face.

"Oh." He complained. Shaylee immediately looked at him. His face pure, utter annoyance.

"Mm-hmm. You've got to be kidding me." He whined in complained and utter detestation. Gabriella.


Damon pulled Shay out of the hospital, quickly. They grabbed Elena, and Damon took Shaylee's keys, and started driving them home.

"Wait! Ok, I've been pretty damn patient tonight, but someone has got to tell me what the hell is going on!" Shaylee snapped, bewildered. Everyone seemed to know what was going on, but her.

Damon sighed. Yep, same Shaylee. She was stubborn, and was practically the opposite from him…but that's what he loved about her, unfortunately.

"Well, you've got a little doppelganger running around to. Shaylee, meet Gabriella Peirce." Damon told her annoyed.

Elena handed her a picture of Katherine and Gabriella they found. Damon and Stefan never knew Gabriella though. They didn't even know she existed until quite recently. A visit from Isobel cleared that one right up.

"Wait…what? Excuse me?" Shaylee snapped at both of them. "You didn't even think you should call me?"

Damon rolled his eyes at her and continued to drive quickly down the road. Shaylee sat in the passenger seat and Elena sat in the back.

"Shay…you weren't here…and a lot of things have been going on-" Elena tried to justify before Shaylee cut her off.

"Yeah! I picked up on that!" Shaylee snapped angrily, running a hand threw her wavy hair. Damon recognized it as the move she always did when she was stressed, or mad, upset, hurt. Pick one.

"Look, Isobel came, and she started talking about Katherine and Gabriella-"

"Wait, who's Isobel?" Shaylee asked Elena befuddled. Damon turned his head to look at her with big, wide eyes.

"Elena, seriously?" Damon complained. He couldn't believe that Elena didn't tell her that she was-

"We're adopted." Elena told her slowly. Shaylee raised her eyebrows, shock crossing over her face and body.

"What? No…we aren't we're-"

"yes, we are." Elena said, nodding to her sister, promising. Shaylee shifted in her seat, and turned back to face her.

"Isobel…and John are our parents." Shaylee's jaw dropped.

"Way to burry the lead!" Shaylee snapped, running a hand threw her hair, sighing. She tried to take all of this in…but whoa. She took a big deep breath, trying to calm down and take all this in.

"God! I leave for like…5 seconds and all hell breaks loose." She complained, making Damon smirk.

"5 months." He corrected her in annoyance. "And maybe you shouldn't have left."

Shaylee turned to glare at him, then focused her attention back on Elena. No matter what their 'parents' said, Shaylee wouldn't never accept them as her real parents. Her real parents died!

"Well…Isobel came into town…and was talking about Katherine, and Gabriella. How they were stunned at how much we really looked like them. Well, she gave me this picture." Elena told her, gesturing to the picture now in Shaylee's hand.

Shaylee groaned, and tossed it back to Elena.

"You have a lot of apologizing to do." Shaylee snapped at her sister angrily. Damon rolled his eyes.

"And you don't?" He snapped right back. Shaylee turned her head and fixed him a glare.

Elena smiled softly, glad to have her sister back. Her and Damon were back to normal, always butting heads.

Damon parked the car and they ran into the house. There was Stefan, on the floor with his arm twisted around his back. Elena gasped and immediately went to go help him.

Shaylee and Damon knew better, and peered around the room cautiously.

"Stefan."

"Elena."

"What happened?" Elena asked worriedly. Damon just shook his head.

"Katherine and Gabriella happened."


"Did she say what she wanted?" Damon demanded as him and Stefan were cleaning up the kitchen, making coffee.

Shaylee sat on the counter by Damon, and Elena sat at the table, looking at them.

"No." Stefan told him, grabbing a cup our of the cabinet.

"Woman knows how to make an entrance." Damon muttered in disbelief and anger.

"She said 'At least they were able to fool one of us.' What did she mean?" Stefan asked him curiously.

"Gabriella pretended to be Shay and came over tonight." Damon explained, handing Shaylee a cup of Coffee, squeezing her knee affectionately as he leaned against the counter beside her.

"Katherine was in this house. That means she's been invited in. What-what are we going to do?" Shaylee asked concerned.

"Move." Damon said, shrugging. Shaylee glared at him.

"Very helpful. Thank you." She said sarcastically. Damon shrugged and did his' eye thing' with his eyebrows. Shaylee hated to admit it, but she had missed it.

"Katherine wants you dead, there's zero you can do about it. You will be dead."

Why thank you Damon.

"But you guys aren't, so clearly she has other plans." Damon told them.

"Right." Stefan agreed. "So, we need to find out what those other plans are and not provoke her in the process."

Everyone shot Damon a pointed look.

"What happened tonight, when you thought she was Shay?" Stefan asked. Damon sighed. Shaylee looked up at him expectantly. What did they do?

"To risk another frown line encroaching on a very crowded forehead." Damon started, his lips pursed. "We…kissed…"

Shaylee looked at Damon, and saw threw his amused expression. She saw he was nothing but hurt. It made her heart ache. She felt horrible for what Gabriella did. But mostly, jealous! She couldn't just kiss Damon!

"And you thought it was me?" Shaylee asked, hoping that he still loved her more than anything, like she did him.

"What do you mean, you kissed?" Elena asked, narrowing her eyes at Damon.

"Well…" Damon started, smirking in amusement. "When 2 lips pucker and they go-"

Shaylee cut him off before he could demonstrate.

"Ok, John must know something. There has to be a reason Katherine tried to kill him." Shaylee reminded all of them.

"She's Katherine! She loved to play games and your fooling yourself if you think your going to find out what she's up to." Damon told them. Stefan shook her head. They still didn't know what Gabriella was like.

"No, Shaylee's right. Well…your mother was in touch with Katherine, so maybe John does know something." Stefan told them.

Shaylee nodded, and hopped off the counter.

"Where are you going?" Elena asked confused.

"I think I'm going to take Damon's advice and just 'ignore the bitches.' I'm going to sleep. Goodnight." Shaylee called to them smiling flakily and grabbing her duffle bags that were in the room, heading up to hers, up the stairs. Reaching the door that was one down from Jeremy's, Shaylee walked in and smiled.

The walls were a semi dark green, but the room still looked light. She had light brown furniture, a nightstand by her bed on each side, and a desk next to her bed. She had her dresser, with a mirror on it, like Elena's, and her bed was in the middle, with a painting of the New York city buildings in pink, yellow, and brown outline. Damon had got it for her for her birthday. She had a big, plush white down comforter and white pillows, with a brown one. She had little nick knacks on her dressers, and nightstands.

She had glass dolphins jumping out of glass water. Gift from Stefan. A phone, brown lamp, a beige vase with a brown plant sticking out, adding to the 'urban' feel of her room. She loved it.

She took off her shoes and was greeted bye the plush white carpet that slipped between your toes. She thought back to the day. God. So much stuff to comprehend. She couldn't…she just…

She went to her suitcase and unzipped it quickly, grabbing her joint that was on the top. She opened her window and grabbed the lighter in her purse and lit it, putting it between her lips, in haling deeply.

"Shay, I was just-" But Jeremy immediately stopped, seeing her sister smoking made her freeze.

"What's that?" Jeremy demanded.

Shaylee sighed and nodded. Great.

"Jer, it's nothing." Shaylee told him. He looked up at her incredulously.

"No, it's not nothing Shaylee. Not to me. You're my big sister, you not supposed to be doing pot." Jeremy told her angrily, standing up to face her. Shaylee rolled her eyes.

"Jer, don't go getting all 'big brother' act on me. I said it's nothing, it's nothing." Shaylee told him. Jeremy shook his head.

"Look, I know it gives you that high and you feel great. Like your life is great and put together, but eventually that high wears off and it leaves you feeling like crap." Jeremy told her.

Shaylee rolled her eyes. "Jeremy. Save it."

"How long?" Jeremy demanded. Shaylee sighed.

"What?"

"How long how you been smoking pot and whatever the hell else your putting into your system?" Jeremy demanded.

"Since I met David, ok? Happy?"

Jeremy looked at her confused.

"David? Who's David."

"Nobody important." Shaylee promised.

"Mmm, I beg to differ." Damon told them, leaning against the wall. Shaylee groaned and tipped her head back.

"You two have got to stop the tag team thing. Jer, I know stopped doing it, but it doesn't mean I have to." Shaylee argued and tried to push past Damon who shook his head and his pointer finger at her, not letting her past.

"No, we need to have a little chat about this." Damon told her, pushing her back towards the bed. Shaylee groaned and sat down on the bed.

"What is the big deal?" She complained.

"This whole new cussing, smoking, most likely drinking," Damon added. "freshly died brunette thing would be ok if we didn't know you. But, unfortunately for you, we do."

Shaylee groaned. This was going to be a long speech.

"So here's the thing. Your going to stop doing whatever your doing, and go back to the old Shaylee, because this crap in your system will kill you." Damon told her seriously angry and intensely. Shaylee shook her head.

"Well, then it's a good thing I have a vampire best friend to bring me back to life!" She said sarcastically excited. Damon and Jeremy both rolled their eyes.

After their very long, annoying conversation, Shaylee was too annoyed. How dare they lecture her on something they knew nothing about! It helped her with the pain!


She exited the bathroom after putting her pajamas on and saw Damon in her room. She groaned, but wasn't surprised.

"What do you want Damon?" Shaylee asked, putting her bags down on the floor. He shook his head and sat on her bed.

"I get it, I'll stop doing drugs." Shaylee said, completely lying just to get him out of her room.

"I thought it was you." he started. Shaylee sighed and sat down on the bed with him. She knew exactly what he was referring to. Kissing Gabriella.

"I know."

They sat in silence for awhile, both knowing what the other was thinking without even having to look.

"Look, I have to get up early tomorrow and go to the…wake at Tyler's so you should probably just…go." Shaylee told him standing up, the mood turning awkward as she stood in front of Damon as he looked up at her.

"Why'd you leave?" Damon suddenly asked her, looking up. Shaylee sighed. Great…mood exchanging, feeling sharing feelings mood commence.

Shaylee put her hands on her hips and stood strong.

"Because I knew you were never going to love me. It was always going to be Katherine." Shaylee told him, meeting his bewildered eyes. Is that really what she thought?

"Shay…" He started apologetically, shaking his head slowly.

"You know what Damon…it's been a long…crazy day. I just got done driving 412 miles in a 2 day period and then I got dumped into this town of…crazy." Shaylee started. "I just want to go to sleep right about now."

Damon nodded, respecting that she didn't want to talk about it. He smirked, and scooted up on her bed, laying against the pillows.

"What are you doing?" Shaylee asked confused, crossing her arms.

"Sleeping." Damon told her, raising his eyebrows and widening his piercing blue eyes in his 'eye thing.'

"Damon-" Shaylee started to complain.

"Mm, mm, mm." Damon scolded, shaking his head. "Katherine's been invited in, maybe Gabriella. Your clearly not wearing vervain anymore…"

Shaylee sighed. Yes, she was. It just wasn't in an obvious spot like Elena's.

"So, that makes me, your personal vampire guard tonight." Damon told her, smirking. Shaylee groaned and picked up a duffel bag.

"Fine. Just don't snore, or your out of here." Shaylee threatened, closing the door, heading into the bathroom and changing into her pajamas.

Damon smirked to himself and looked up at the ceiling. She had changed in so many ways, but she was still the same, fiery passionate girl that he loved.

He was shocked that she could ever think he would never love her.


Later that night, Shaylee was having the worst nightmare of her entire life.

"God! Why don't we ever do anything anymore?" David complained, taking a sniff of coke. Shay grimaced at the white powder. It was gross.

"We don't do anything because your stoned or wasted all the fucking time." Shaylee snapped, sitting down on the bed.

David whipped his head around to glare at her angrily. Shay was taken aback at his sudden attitude change.

"David…what?"

"Well, I think we need to rectify that." David told her smirking, walking over to her. Shay narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, I'm talking about bumping this up to a NC-17 rating." David smirked, pushing her down on the bed.

"David Do-" But she was cut off by him crashing their lips together roughly. It wasn't the good type of rough that Damon could be either. It was the harsh, mean rough that felt horrible.

"Mm!" Shaylee screamed, muffled by his lips. She tried desperately to push him off with all of her might, but he was to strong and heavy.

"Get off of me!" She shouted, turning her head, trying to push him off, but it only seemed to egg him on.

"Stop it!" Shaylee shouted as he unbuckled her belt and tugged her sweater aside.

"Cut the drama prom queen. I'm sure this isn't anything you haven't done before!" David told her, grabbing just under her jaw, making her look at him as she struggled.

"Get off me!" She yelled, pushing against his chest, again and again, terror coursing threw her veins. He silenced her with his lips.

She pushed his face away and turned her face.

"Stop! Please!" She shouted. He stopped, and slapped her across the face, bringing tears to her eyes.

He started kissing her neck, slipping his hand under her shirt, grabbing her breast.

"Stop! Now! Get off me!" Shaylee shouted.

Shaylee gasped as she sat up straight in bed. This had only happened one other time. The night of the….the night of. She couldn't bring herself to say it. Besides that, she learned to block it out. Avoid it at all costs, but she could tell it wasn't going to happen tonight.

Shaylee's pulse ran rapid as she immediately got out of bed, careful not to wake up Damon. She didn't want to have to explain this. She never wanted to tell him.

She quickly ran into the bathroom and locked the door, practically heaving for breath. She slid down to the floor and put her head against her knees and tried to breathe deeply. Shaylee closed her eyes, but that just made it worse. She could see it happening all over again.


The next day, Shaylee headed up the Lockwood steps without Jenna, Elena, or Jeremy. They stayed behind at the house to finish the dish they were bringing.

She looked up and saw Tyler at the entrance, greeting people.

"Hey." Shaylee told him softly, sadly. Tyler smiled a sad smile and immediately brought her into his arms.

"Thanks for coming. I understand why you didn't come to the funeral." Tyler told her softly, hugging her tightly. Shaylee nodded and hugged Tyler just as tight.

But that's when they heard the loud roar of the engine from a jeep. Turning around, Shaylee released Tyler who kept an arm around her still.

"Is that…." Shaylee started, immediately recognizing the driver.

Tyler nodded. "Yup."

The man got out of the car dressed in beige slacks and an off white shirt. His curly hair and sharp jaw line clearly identified him.

"So, the black sheep returns." Tyler commented. Mason looked up at him confused, and slightly shocked, but then he looked at Shaylee.

"Tyler? Shaylee?" He asked. Wow…they grew up.

"Yeah." Tyler said nodding. Not a very warm reception.

"What happened to you guys? In my mind, your still 12 years old!" Mason exclaimed. Tyler sighed.

"Well, that's 2 years older than the last time you saw us, Uncle Mason." Tyler commented. Mason sighed and nodded. He should have visited.

"C'mere." He told Tyler, giving him a big hug.

"It's good to see you." Shaylee told Mason as he hugged her next tightly. She smiled into him. She had always loved Mason. He taught her how to surf.

"You too." Mason told her. She was always like a daughter to him.

Shaylee walked around the house, and saw Damon looking out into the backyard.

"Hey, you ok?" Shaylee asked walking up to stand next to him. Damon sighed.

"Great Elena. Walking on sunshine, thanks for asking." He said sarcastically.

"Damon." Shaylee started.

"Shaylee." He said mockingly, the same tone that she used with him.

"Damon, just talk to me." Shaylee asked him.

Damon sighed. What could he say? The love of his life changed completely and was doing drugs? Or the person he thought he loved kissed him and they almost slept together when he found out it wasn't really her?

"You kissed me, I kissed you back, doppelganger high jinks ensued. How do you think I'm doing?" Damon asked bitterly. Shaylee sighed.

"I think your hurt." Shaylee told him honestly. Damon scoffed.

"I don't get hurt."

"Yes, you do." Shaylee pointed out knowingly being a smart ass, which she knew would bug Damon.

"You just don't admit that you get hurt. You get angry, cover it up, then do something undoubtedly stupid!" Shaylee told him exaggerating the word undoubtedly, just like Damon would do with his eyes.

"Your scared." Damon summarized. Shaylee sighed.

"Your scared Gabriella and Katherine are going to send me off the deep end." Damon started. "Well, don't be. I don't need her for that."

Shaylee sighed and Damon crossed in front of her, walking away. But then he paused, and turned around.

"You know, Why- why is it such a surprise that I would kiss you?" Damon asked her confused. Before she left, he thought they were heading in that direction.

"It's not." Shaylee told him, shaking her head. Damon looked at her confused. Then why was it such a big deal?

"It just hurts." Shaylee explained. Damon furrowed his eyebrows. What?

"What are you talking about?"

"It hurts that you couldn't tell us apart, and that you thought I would kiss you, after everything that's happened."

Damon sighed.

"Shaylee…" He started. Shaylee just shook her head.

"No…I don't blame you…I just-"

"I know." Damon told her, nodding his head.

Damon met her eyes. Did she really mean that? That she wouldn't have kissed him? Damon looked at Shaylee and their blue eyes met and connected in a passionate, intense stare. That's how their relationship was. Passionate, intense.

Damon immediately walked 4 long strides to be in front of her. Shaylee's breath hitched in her throat and she looked up at him towering over her.

Damon's eyes flickered from her eyes, to her lush lips. Shaylee's did the same, and Damon saw that, and new it was ok.

He moved slowly down to her lips, his eyes locking on hers, making sure it was ok. She didn't hesitate, and didn't move. Damon moved in, but that's when they were interrupted. No, she couldn't do this. Not again.

"Shaylee!" Bonnie exclaimed. Her hair was a mess, and she had a panicked look in her eyes.

Shaylee looked at her confused.

"Katherine's here, and she's outside, talking with Stefan."

Damon and Shaylee both groaned and ran outside, looking around the grounds.

They found Stefan and who was hopefully…Elena on a secluded bench. Walking up, Shaylee groaned and looked away. Stefan had blood all over his stomach. She presumed he was stabbed with something.

"Ew, cover up Fabio." Damon told him, looking away.

"We got a crazy ex on the loose. Watch out, Katherine's trying to steal your guy." Damon told Elena teasingly, making both girls roll their eyes.

"No…that's not what's happening." Stefan told them. However, that is exactly what was happening, and everyone knew that.


"Hey Matt! How is she? She's awake?" Shay asked happily walking into the hospital, being greeted by Matt.

Matt smiled brightly and nodded to her. "See for yourself!"

Matt put a hand on her back and guided her into Caroline's room. She was sitting up, as happy as a kid on Christmas.

"Jersey Shore is on!" Caroline called, immediately sitting up in bed with the remote. She looked perfectly fine to everyone's relief. Especially Shaylee's.

Shay laughed as she immediately walked over to Caroline and hugged her tightly. Caroline gasped slightly at the tightness, and Shaylee immediately let go, looking at her apologetically.

"I'm sorry." Shay apologized. Caroline immediately started laughing.

"It's fine. I'm just a little sore." Caroline admitted. Shay nodded. She was so glad Caroline was alive. She couldn't deal with the fact that she almost lost her. She almost lost another person in her life. After the last 5 months, she couldn't deal with it.

Tears spran to Shay's eyes as she smiled brightly down at Caroline.

"Oh! Shay!" Caroline exclaimed, immediately grabbing her hand. "You are not allowed to cry here!"

Shay laughed threw her tears and moved her free hand up to wipe some of them. Matt chuckled and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her into him.

"I know, I can't help it. We almost lost you Care."

Caroline rolled her eyes, her smile still as perky as every. "But, you didn't!"

Shay and Matt chuckled at her spunk.

"And now, everything is perfect. We're all together again!" Caroline said excitedly. "Shay is back, and everything is great."

Shay and Matt laughed with Caroline and Shay smiled at her, crinkling her nose a bit. She always did that when she was happy.

"And Elena's with Stefan, I'm with Matt, and now your back with Damon…" Caroline told her, hinting.

"Care…" Matt said warningly.

"Actually, it's not going to work with me and Damon." Shaylee admitted. Caroline nodded.

"Yeah, that's true. He's kinda swooning over Elena now." Caroline told her guiltily. Shay froze, and Matt felt her freeze.

"W…what?" Shaylee asked confused, and hurt. Damon…and her sister? But…but Elena had Stefan!

"Oh Shay. I'm sorry to break it to you like that." Caroline told her guiltily.

Shay forced a smile and shook her head.

"No, it…it doesn't even matter. I…I have a boyfriend." Shaylee lied. Well…partially lied. Technically…David and her never really had the 'break up' talk. She was afraid about how he would take it.

"That's right! David! Ooo! When is he coming into town? I need to meet him!" Caroline exclaimed, causing Matt to laugh, and Shaylee to force a laugh. Never. Ever.


Shaylee sat down on Damon's couch later that night. She sat beside him as he drank his glass of what was undoubtedly bourbon and swung her legs over onto his lap, sitting up, looking at him.

"So…" Shaylee started, looking over at Damon. "Catch me up. What happened founder's day that's got you this mad? Other than…you know."

Damon sighed and nodded, taking another sip. Shaylee was just trying to see…if what Caroline said was really true. Was…was Damon in love with Elena?

Sure…she didn't really have a right to comment on that. She did leave… for 5 months. Leaving Damon hurt…and available… But she wanted to know…needed to know if he was in love with her before she started falling for him…like she began doing the first time she saw him in the hospital again. Before she gave him her heart. She didn't want it broken, like it already was.

"The council." he started to explain. "with the help of John set of a device that gives all the vampires those itchy little migraines. Well…I went down, got stabbed with vervain and stuffed with all the other tomb vampires into your family's building."

Shaylee was shocked. Damon almost died?

"Is that why it burned down?" Shaylee asked. Damon nodded and took another sip.

"well." Shaylee started smiling, curling up into Damon on the couch. "I'm glad you didn't die."

Damon chuckled and shook his head. Well, that was comforting.

"Thanks for that." Damon said sarcastically.

"Anytime." Shaylee promised laughing, never missing a beat in their playful banter.

"You missed a lot." Damon told her after a brief pause. Damon put his arm around Shaylee as she rested her head on his chest. Shaylee chuckled.

"I got that. Damon-"

"Shay-" They said at the same time, looking down, or up at each other, into each other's eyes. Shaylee didn't know how she could have ever left!

"We should talk about what happened with Gabriella-"

"Ah Shay. You know me. Don't really care." Damon told her, shrugging his shoulders.

Shaylee rolled her eyes. Yeah, the day Damon Salvatore was over it was the day Shaylee said she was fine and really meant it.

"Yeah right." Shaylee scoffed. Damon shook his head.

"No really. I barely even noticed you were gone. Why would it make a difference if you kissed me?" Damon told her, completely lying threw his teeth. He cared, a lot. He couldn't stand it when she left.

Shaylee looked over at him, hurt, and shocked. She turned her hurt into anger though. She wasn't going to let him get to her.

"barely noticed I was gone?" Shaylee asked in disbelief. Damon rolled his eyes.

"Yep."

Shaylee shook her head angrily. Seriously? He was going to pull this? Now? God, she couldn't handle all of his freaking mood swings!

"you didn't miss me, one bit?"

"Nope." Damon told her, doing his eye thing.

"I can't believe you!" Shaylee yelled at him.

"Can't believe what? That I didn't spend those 5 months pining away for you?" Damon snapped. "You left. I got over it. You should try it."

Shaylee's jaw fell open. She knew he obviously had some anger and distain over the fact that she left, but she thought that he had gotten over it.

"I should try it? You should try having a heart!" Shaylee snapped at him, standing up to face him.

"And you should try admitting that that first kiss meant something!"

"It didn't. You still loved Katherine and would never love me! Your cold." Shaylee told him.

"News flash, I'm dead." Damon snapped Shaylee.

"I've noticed." Shaylee snapped back. She couldn't believe she was about to say that she loved him!

"I can't believe I came back for this." Shaylee snapped getting up and grabbing her Jacket.

"Shay." Damon complained, regretting their argument. Yeah, he did miss her. He missed her every single day.

"Save it Damon." Shaylee demanded, starting to walk out the door.

"We should just forget that kiss ever happened." Shay snapped angrily, slamming the door. Damon sighed and bit his lower lip angrily. He could only push her so much… He was an idiot.


Walking in the house, she put her keys on the table by the door and put her purse on the floor by it, taking off her leather jacket.

She looked up to see John wheeling his luggage towards the door. thank god one of her nightmares was going to be out of her hair.

"Hi Dad." Shaylee said sarcastically bitter. John sighed.

"Elena told you." He summarized. Shaylee nodded and looked towards his luggage.

"So, you figure you'd kill all of your evil vampires then you'd leave town?" Shaylee snapped. It was apparently just her night for confrontations.

"Not all. But enough." John told his daughter. Looking at John, she didn't know why she didn't see it before. The hair…the eyes.

"Would you tell Elena I said goodbye?"

"Tell her yourself." Shaylee told him.

"You have every right to hate me." John told her, all knowingly. "But I did what was right for you. Your father would have done the same thing."

When he said 'your father' Shaylee knew he meant 'not him.'

"No, my father would have saw things differently-"

"No, your father would have done things differently." John told her. Shaylee rolled her eyes and started to walk away.

"Shaylee!" He yelled going after her, tugging her back. Shaylee yanked her arm out of his grasp.

"What? What now?" She demanded, her lower jaw jutting slightly out trying to be strong.

John looked at her confused.

"You were there! All of this time you were there, and you didn't tell me! Elena didn't tell me. Jeremy didn't tell me, Damon, Stefan, and Tyler didn't tell me! You were my father! Do you know how messed up I was after they died?" Shaylee demanded angrily. John looked at her sadly, and nodded.

"I moved away because I couldn't deal with seeing this damn town every single day! Driving across that stupid bridge every single day! I moved away from my friends and my family! You don't know how messed up I got. You could have fixed all of it!" Shaylee snapped. She knew it wasn't johns fault, but she needed to yell at someone.

"I know you hate me."

"No I don't. Just…leave." Shaylee told him, immediately heading up to her room, leaving John sighing in her wake.

Shaylee immediately went to her luggage and popped the top open, digging around, into the bottom frantically. She couldn't deal with this anymore. She found the thing, white stick and took her black lighter out of her pocket, and lit it up.

She went over, and pushed the window open, exhaling in that direction.

"Hey Shay, I-"

Jeremy started. Shaylee cursed to herself and turned around, hiding the joint behind her.

"Yeah Jer?" Shaylee asked innocently. Jeremy looked at her suspiciously.

"Were you just-"

"Just what?" Shaylee asked, playing confused. Jeremy kept looking at her. He swore she had been smoking.

"so, why's your window open?" He asked. Shaylee almost groaned. Her brother was good. He knew all the signs. He used to be like this, she forgot about that. He knew all the tricks.

"Uh…Just uh…getting some fresh air."

"In the cold?"

"Love the cold." Shaylee made up an excuse. Jeremy nodded.

"Alright…never mind." He told her, doubtfully and headed out of the room, closing the door behind him. Shaylee sighed and put out the joint against the window seal and closed it. That was really close. She couldn't do that anymore. At least…not in this house.

Shaylee went to get changed for bed. When she got out, she saw Damon sitting on her bed. She rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips.

"What are you doing here?" Shaylee demanded. Damon sighed.

"Just doing my part in the neighborhood watch." He commented.

"Well…thanks." Shaylee told him, rolling her eyes. But then she looked at him suspiciously. He was…somber…quiet…calm.

"Have you been drinking?" Shaylee summarized. Damon pouted and raised his fingers in a gesture 'a little.'

"Great. Your upset, and have been drinking. That's just a…stellar combination." Shaylee said sarcastically.

"No, I'm not upset. Upset in an emotion for people who care." Damon told her. Shaylee rolled her eyes. She knew he cared. Maybe a bit too much.

"Oh yeah, cause we all know that you don't care." Shaylee commented sarcastically, just wanting to get him out and go to bed.

Damon suddenly looked up at her, realization on his face.

"You were hurt when I didn't notice it wasn't you I was kissing?" Damon asked. Shaylee nodded.

"You can't imagine I'd believe that it was you-"

"Damon…" Shaylee started confused.

"That what we've been doing here…means something." Damon started, standing up. Shaylee sighed. This wasn't him. This was drunk him, and it wasn't what Shaylee wanted.

"There is something going on between the two of us besides anger and fighting, and you know it." Damon told her, moving to stand right in front of her, towering over her. Shaylee looked up to meet his intense blue eyes that were looking down at her. Her breath caught in her throat and her pulse sped up from the closeness. She wasn't fighting it. She didn't have to. She was to mad at him. But mostly hurt…because she saw how he looked at Elena.

"Your lying to yourself, and I can prove it." Damon told her, his hands coming up take her face into his hands.

"Damon-" Shay tried to object, but was cut off, silenced by Damon's aggressive lips on hers.

Shaylee would have to be lying if she said she didn't enjoy the kiss. Every kiss with Damon was like getting a shot of adrenaline and opening her heart up to love. Damon ran a hand into her messily wavy hair and pulled her closer, an arm moving to wrap around her waist.

But Shay knew she couldn't do this. Damon was drunk. She didn't want this to happen this way. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen!

"N-no. Damon-" Shay interjected, trying to push him off, but he wouldn't move, so she turned her face. Damon pulled back and looked at her hurt.

"Damon, your drunk!" The last time someone had kissed her when they were drunk was...David. And he...

"That doesn't matter Shay-"

"Yes it does Damon! I can't be with you when you're like this!" Shaylee argued. "I want it to be real-"

"It is real." Damon argued, looking passionately into her eyes. Shay shook her head.

"No! It's not! Damon, I can't do this with you because you're in love with my sister!" Shaylee objected. Damon furrowed his eyebrows at her, his heart completely breaking in two.

Damon looked at her, completely shocked.

"What? What-what are you talking about?"

"It's never going to be me Damon! Don't you see? It's always going to be Elena. It's always going to be her. It always is. Or Katherine!" Shaylee snapped, pushing him off angrily.

'It should have been Katherine.' Damon thought to himself. Katherine had showed up at his house. They made out, and she didn't want him. Now, Shay didn't want him.

"I. Am. Not. Going to be a second choice all of my life! I will not let you do this to me. I will not let this be done to me, again." Shaylee bit out.

Damon looked at her with wide eyes. Wide, shocked eyes because he could completely understand what that felt like.

"Shay, hey, what's going on?" Jeremy asked. Shay groaned. Jeremy had to stop barging into her room. She knew he was her brother, and was concerned…but he needed to leave. Now.

"It's nothing Jeremy. Go back to your room." Shay told her, rubbing the back of her neck nervously.

But suddenly, Damon blurred across the room and pinned Jeremy against the wall.

"Damon!" Shay shouted angrily. Damon didn't know what came over him. He just…snapped.

"No, he wants to be a vampire so bad. To turn it off!" Damon hissed. Shay looked at the scene with wide, and terrified eyes.

"All you have to do, is snap!" Damon then snapped Jeremy's head to the side, and he collapsed down on the floor.

Shaylee froze, her eyes big, and scared. It all went in slow motion.

Damon's hands slowly taking Jeremy's neck.

Snap.

Jeremy falling.

It all rushed back at Shay as Jeremy's body hit the ground.

"NO!" Shaylee yelled, her heart ripping out of her chest. Tears filled her eyes and dread filled her system as she ran to her little brother who was lying dead on the ground. Sobbing uncontrollably, She had her hand on his chest, and his shoulder, praying it wasn't true.

Damon turned around, fuming. But he froze as he saw what he had done. Damn-it. He had never, ever, once seen Shaylee cry.

Shaylee didn't know when Damon left, or if he left. She didn't care. She cried into Jeremy's chest when her eyes flickered across something on his hand. A ring. She immediately grabbed his hand and saw a familiar ring design that she had seen on John's finger. Was it? Could it possibly-

Shaylee immediately reached up on the bed for her phone, continuing to kneel by Jeremy, her dark brown wavy hair messily in her face, and her bright eyes sad, and tear soaked.

She quickly dialed Stefan's number as she sobbed.

"Shay?" Stefan asked. Shaylee let out a sob as she brushed her hair back with her hand, out of her eyes.

"Stefan, y…you have to come over here. Damon…d…damon-" Shaylee said in between sobs.

"What happened? What did Damon do?" Stefan demanded anxiously, worriedly. She heard his door slam shut threw the phone.

"He killed Jeremy."

Stefan froze, but hung up the phone quickly running to Shay's house. He got there in a minute flat and immediately ran upstairs, letting himself in.

"Shay?" He yelled, running up the stairs to see his best friend. He saw her small body crouched on the floor next to her still brother's.

"What happened?" Stefan demanded, immediately kneeling down by her, seeing Jeremy's ring.

"D…Damon got mad…and h…he."

Stefan sighed angrily and put his strong hand on Shay's back, rubbing up and down softly.

"He's going to be fine. His ring protected him." Stefan promised her. Shaylee let out a shaky deep breath, relieved.

"Hey, C'mere." Stefan murmured softly, pulling Shaylee into his chest, his arm wrapping around her as one came up, cupping the back of her head. Shaylee let the tears flow freely, the sobbing stopping.

"I hate him." Shaylee spoke finally. Stefan sighed and pulled her closer, comfortingly.

"No you don't. It was Damon…he wasn't in the right state of mi-"

"Don't Stefan." Shaylee told him, shaking her head, picking it up off his chest to look at him, meeting his eyes. Stefan looked down at her and sighed, meeting her sad, teary, wet eyes.

"He's done to many things. I'm never going to forgive him." Shaylee cried softly, more tears coming down her cheeks.

Stefan nodded understandingly and took his hand and cupped her face, his thumb brushing the tears away before bringing her into his chest again.

Alright, so i hope you like it. It was my first attempt at Fanfiction in a long time. The Shay and David backstory goes into more detail later on. Please give me idea's on what you would like to see happen. I would really appreciate it! :)

Remember, reviews make me happy and want to update!