Hi everyone! This is my very first TVD fanfic and I'd really appreciate feedback and constructive criticism! :)

Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries.


Home

Extended Summary
In the year 1863, Damon Salvatore left home to so bravely defend the South, nearly losing his own life along the way… nearly. When he regains consciousness in a ravaged battlefield, he discovers he is in transition. War changes people… literally. 145 years later, about to crumble under the weight of his past, Damon decides to seek the solace of home. And there, his path crosses hers.

It was the nit and grit of the Civil War that shook Damon to his very core. It was there he learned to put his walls up and to never let his guard down, shutting out any and every chance to show emotion. It was there, in the midst of war, that Damon realized this was the only way he would be able to protect himself.

CHAPTER 1: IN TRANSITION

1863

The midnight moon cast an eerie light on the terrors of battle as the wounded, dying and dead littered the forest floor. Groaning, injured men were hoisted onto what few benches were there. Surgeons were amputating arms and legs and probing bullets from flesh. A number of townsfolk milled about, ignoring the gore and tending to the hurt. The air was thick with the stench of blood.

A woman in a dark hooded cloak moved silently among the people. Her hair hung loosely around her face in curls as she dipped her head down to feed off a man's bloodied neck. She pulled back and the protruding veins that mapped across her face slowly disappeared. "Best thing about war time," she smirked to herself, "endless, anonymous blood."

Damon Salvatore knew he was about to die. Despite the frigid air, his black curls were damp with sweat, matting his forehead. His bare chest, slick with blood and perspiration, was heaving. He'd been shot, not long ago and he was starting to believe he wasn't bulletproof after all. He smirked inwardly at the thought. The bandages that were wrapped around his midsection did little to stop the wounds from bleeding. 'At least I'll die having fought to protect my home,' he thought, 'my life will have meant something.'Tears began to well in his eyes but he wouldn't allow them to fall. If his father taught him one thing, it was that men did not cry.

She wore a look of indifference as she strode through the casualties, glancing at each dying man listlessly. A mischievous smile crept up on her lips as one young man happened to catch her eye. He was beautiful. His face was flawless; his body looked as if it'd been sculpted by gods. The irregular beat of his heart became more and more prominent the closer she got. He was practically at death's doorstep. 'That's an unfortunate waste,' she thought, sighing.

His ears caught the airy breath of a sigh. He was, after all, overly familiar with the sound of disappointment. It shook him from his stupor. With his last ounce of strength, he opened his eyes a fraction of an inch. In an instance, he was entranced by her eyes. They were a hazel brown that radiated such warmth; warmth that could probably thaw the coldest of hearts.

He took her by surprise when he slowly opened his eyes. Behind the captivating steel blue shade, she could see so much emotion; longing, regret… innocence. In a split second she had bit the skin on her wrist and lowered her arm to the man's lips. A voice at the back of her head advised her against it but she dismissed the feeling with a 'What the hell.'

His brows furrowed in confusion. He couldn't hear anything above the sound of his own heart thumping in his ears as her blood ran down his throat. Her delicate hands gently cradled his face and then he felt the violent twist of his neck as it snapped and everything went black.


It was late morning when Damon regained consciousness. His eyes fluttered open and he sat up with a sharp intake of breath. He was on the bench, the same place he was the night before, but now the site was completely void of life. He concluded that the site must have fallen victim to a surprise attack, because the grove was an indescribable mass of mangled bodies, bloated horses and various weapons strewn every which way.

His head throbbed menacingly as he tried to piece together the events of that night.

Am I dead?

Who was that woman?

What did she do to me?

...Why?

The only thing he could remember were her eyes. He'd never forget those eyes.

His brows furrowed then his eyes grew wide in realization. His hands found their way to the blood-stained bandages wrapped around his torso, unwinding them only to find perfectly unscathed skin where the gunshot wound once was. He ran a hand through his tangled mess of hair and noticed a ring on his middle finger. It was big and old-fashioned, like an heirloom. Without a second thought, he went with the gut feeling that told him it was imperative that he never take it off.

Damon threw his head back in frustration. He felt off. He was having a very bad migraine, the sunlight made his eyes burn, and his throat felt bone dry. He shook his head and clumsily willed himself to stand, knocking over tables of equipment and tripping over strewn bodies. He stopped cold in his tracks when he felt it. He felt it calling out to him, seducing him. His heart beat erratically as he glanced down at a man's corpse by his feet. The man was a soldier, his gray shell jacket stained red by a shot to the chest. Damon clenched his jaw, but found himself in a trance. He raised his hands, red with the man's blood, to his mouth and the second the blood touched his lips, both pain and power coursed through his entire body. He groaned in torturous agony. Veins ran across his face in desperate need; sharp, blood-stained fangs emerged from his gums; and well aware that he was giving himself over to the cravings, a lone tear fell from his eyes before they turned into deep, black pools of nothingness.


We'll meet Elena in Chapter 3 and Chapter 2 will be filled with flashbacks of what Damon's been up to for the past 145 years.

I got the inspiration for the 'Home'-centric feel of the story from a Youtube video: "Damon&Elena [Twin Flames]" by Helsinkimianus (Watch it at .com/watch?v=6e0P_a-AudQ)

I also got really into the feel of the story watching the VD episode 1.06 - Lost Girls and 2.15 - The Dinner Party

FOLLOW, FAVORITE, REVIEW! :)