Disclaimer: The Vampire Diaries is the property of the CW. No copyright infringement is intended.
~ X ~
There was a lot of history leading up to the moment Damon plunged that stake into Lexi's heart. The seeds of her destruction were planted a long time ago; carefully nurtured with jealousy, and fertilized with resentment.
I wrote a series of five stories chronicling the events that led up to Lexi's death at Damon's hands. They should be read in this order:
First Seed - Story ID 8837170
Seed of Her Destruction - Story ID 8190540
Another Seed is Planted - Story ID 8773864
Seed to Sprout - Story ID 9232598
Seed to Sprout to Toxic Weed – Story ID 9869542
~ X ~
Circa 1920's
He had inconspicuously scouted the area for the last two nights, noting carefully the discreet knock on the door, the peek, the hand signal, and then the door opening just enough to let the people enter. He saw how the men dressed and was careful to obtain a tux so he fit in. He waited this night until he spotted one of the men who were always granted immediate entry into the speakeasy, intercepting him as soon as he climbed out of his Duesenberg.
He dilated the pupils of his blue eyes, smiling genially. "I'm a good friend of yours, and you're bringing me to the gin joint to show me a good time. Start a tab for me after you get me in but leave me alone after that."
The middle-aged, beefy, red-faced man, wrapped an arm across his shoulder and blustered heartily. "You're gonna love this place. Been wanting to take you here forever."
Damon smiled and allowed himself to be escorted up to the sturdy steel door, painted to look like wood. His new friend gave the special knock on the door, and a slot slid open. The watchful eyes scanned the middle aged man, but looked warily at the unknown black haired slender man accompanying him. The bluff man assured the bouncer, "Friend of mine. I vouch for him."
The hard eyes looked Damon up and down. The vampire made sure he stayed relaxed and smiling, allowing the eyes time to come to a decision. He hadn't dared try compelling the bouncer. He had heard that vampires were known here, and he didn't want to blow it if the bouncer was on vervain.
The eyes must have decided in his favor because the door swung open, and his new found friend hustled him through the door. The greeter, a huge muscle bound man with an unsmiling face, nodded respectfully to him, while greeting his companion by name.
Damon walked through the dark hallway, his senses already alerting him to the smoke and buzz of conversation. A good jazz band was playing as he stepped into the main room, while a slender white haired girl sang. He idly noted she had a great voice, sweet and soulful.
Damon walked with his companion to the bar and allowed him to order him a bourbon and start the tab with the bartender. He then whispered in his ear to be on his way, shaking hands with him for the benefit of any onlookers. Damon, safely introduced to the bartender, still waited until after he had downed three drinks and listened to a couple of sets before casually asking, "I'm trying to catch up with a friend of mine, Stefan Salvatore. The buzz is he hangs around here."
The bartender, whose broken nose and cauliflower ear, clearly indicated that at one time he had been in the ring, continued mixing the drink he was making, but showed no hesitation in replying. "Used to be here every night with his dame and her brother, but haven't seen him but a few times since the raid.
The man interpreted Damon's raised eyebrows as a request for more information because he added, "It was a strange type of raid. Coppers broke in, sprayed bullets around, broke a few things, and then left." He shrugged. "We shut down for one night and then got the place repaired in two days and whammo, open for business as usual." He shook his head and winked. "Must have been a shake down for more protection money. Everyone's on the take in this city."
Damon commiserated with him and ordered another drink. He waited a bit and then said, "Didn't know Stefan had a dame. What she look like?"
"Killer blonde!" The bartender wiggled his eyebrows to indicate she was something special."But your friend is something else with the Janes."
Damon picked up his drink, swirling it casually. "How so?"
The bartender smirked. "One dame takes off and another pops up chasing him down. " He laughed. "Those blondes just love that boy!"
Damon frowned. "A different blonde?"
"Yeah, this one was feisty, a real bearcat. They got in a fight, and he wouldn't leave with her, so she cracked him over the head with a bottle." The bartender chuckled as he reminisced. "The whole bar cheered her. Manager came running over, but she musta sweet talked him cause he had one of da bouncers help her take him out. Gloria"—the bartender indicated the singer with his chin—"came over, but she seemed satisfied by whatever the blonde dame told her."
"Hmmm!" Damon looked with renewed interest at the singer. She seemed to feel his gaze because her eyes swung over to him, seeming to pierce him.
Damon casually lifted his glass and nodded to her. She smiled and continued her song. He sat quietly at the bar and sure enough, she made her way over to him when the band took their next break. It took her awhile to weave her way through the tables since was obviously popular and had to stop to acknowledge many greetings.
When she reached the bar, she gently placed a hand on the shoulder of the man sitting next to Damon who immediately turned to her as she said, "You mind?"
He gallantly smiled at her, grabbed his drink, and seated her. "Anything for you Darlin'."
"May I get you a drink?" Damon offered with one of his most charming smiles, as he turned on his stool to face her.
"No hair of the dog for me. Just ginger ale. Have to sing tonight," she replied, her speaking voice as lovely as her singing voice.
Damon raised a hand, but the bartender didn't even bother asking, just set a ginger ale with ice in front of her.
"So, Gloria, my name is Damon Salvatore."
She didn't ask how he knew her name, just sipped her soda and archly inquired, "Any relation to a handsome ripper named Stefan?"
"My brother's reputation appears to have spread." Damon's rueful frown and wrinkled brow indicated he was upset.
"Only among a few in the know," she reassured him.
"I'm trying to track him down," Damon explained as he searched her face.
She smiled saucily. "That boy has a lot of people trying to track him down."
Damon frowned in consternation. "What do you mean, a lot?"
"Well, before you, he had a pretty black haired flapper watching him. She was a doll with great gams! She just watched though. Never made a move for him." She looked into the depths of her glass, and now it was her turn to frown. "Then this copper that raided our place. He came back and wanted to know where your brother was."
"Copper?" Damon was puzzled, wondering what Stefan had been up to. Had someone tracked him from that mess in Monterey?
Gloria saw that her words had bothered Damon, so she hurried to reassure him. "I don't think it was really about him though. More about someone he had been hanging out with." Gloria twirled her swizzle stick and licked the ginger ale off it while Damon watched appreciatively. Gloria liked the twinkle in his eyes, but quickly warned him. "I don't mix with vampires."
Damon pursed his lips and accepted the rejection without rancor. After all he was here for a reason, and while Gloria would have been enjoyable he should stick to his main purpose.
"So the copper wasn't after him specifically?" Damon asked, downing his shot, which the efficient bartender immediately replaced without being asked.
Gloria smiled mischievously. "I kind of think he might have just liked your brother. He was real easy on him when he questioned him on the night of the raid, and that man didn't mind roughing up people if he didn't like em."
Damon just shook his head. "My brother definitely prefers women," he added with a knowing smile. "As do I, and I am so much better than him. I come with testimonials."
Gloria laughed. "You don't give up, do you Mister Salvatore?" She sighed regretfully. "You Salvatore brothers are a tempting duo, but I have my rules." She smiled down at her drink and said, "Well, it was a woman who dragged him out of here."
Damon straightened up, definitely interested. "She have a name? Can you describe her?"
"Short blonde hair, round interesting face. Beautiful, but not in an ordinary way." Gloria looked like she was searching for words. "She would always stick out."
She concentrated for a moment. "Stefan definitely knew her, and he didn't look happy. He said 'leave me alone'." Gloria laughed merrily. "She said 'of course' and then laid him out with a bottle. Course I could tell she broke his neck." Damon shot her a sharp glance, and she calmly continued. "Oh yeah, she was a vampire. She compelled the manager, but I went over to make sure it was okay cause I have a soft spot for him." She met Damon's eyes and said, "She said he needed to dry out, and she was gonna do it. I knew she was telling the truth, so I let her take him."
Damon's brow rose again, and he gave a shrewd smile. "You are a witch," he accused.
She gave a little half bow. "And a very good one at that."
Damon drummed his fingers on the bar. "I have a really good idea who it is, and my little bro is not in danger, but I would like to find him." He politely asked, "Can you help me?"
"Hmmm," she said. "No threats? No bluster about how dangerous vampires are?"
He turned on the full charm, eye wide open. "Now, do I look that stupid?"
Gloria couldn't hold back an answering smile and made a writing motion to the watchful bartender. He quickly brought over a pen and paper. Gloria wrote down an address and folded the paper, handing it to Damon who grabbed her hand and kissed it. "If you add your phone number, I would be in ecstasy."
She gave his knuckles a rap with the pen. "Break's over. Thanks for the ginger ale." She got up and turned to walk away, stopping to say, "Your brother's a mess. He needs help."
"I know," Damon replied seriously. "It's why I'm trying to find him."
Gloria watched the lean black haired man leave as she started her next set. She thought to herself, it is just not right that both those brothers be so damn attractive and vampires, but her mama always told her don't get involved with vampires and she always listened to her mama. Still, such a pity!