Chapter One
Damon sat by the fire, a glass of scotch pressed to his forehead. It wasn't the first time he had sat like this getting lost in the flames as his mind drifted through a thousand different thoughts and it probably would not be the last. The one thing that was different though was he didn't sit here tonight out of anger, depression, or with feelings of annoyance or hatred of the world that usually turned into hating himself.
No, tonight he sat there waiting patiently (or as patiently as he could) for Elijah to come over. Stefan was out with Klaus and he knew they would have the house to themselves tonight. He told himself that that was good because they could talk about the latest "vamp gone wild in mystic falls" without interruptions from their brothers. But lately he was beginning to feel something else while being alone with the original noble vampire. Something he still didn't want to look at too closely.
He heard the front door open of the Salvator house and knew it was him without needing to go and check. "In here, Elijah" called Damon getting up and putting his glass back on the decanter and picking up the crystal bottle. As he turned he saw Elijah framed in the doorway. He was just a little taller than Damon's six feet and was wearing a very expensive suit with a violet tie. Damon was only wearing a black button up shirt (although a very expensive black shirt) and jeans (although very expensive jeans) and as usual felt a little out done by Elijah's style. His suit was a three piece black tailored fitted westwood.
"Good evening Damon" said Elijah cordially. Damon just smiled and raised his refilled glass and a fresh one for Elijah.
Elijah nodded his thanks as he took the glass and went to sit on the chair Damon had previously been sitting on and crossed his legs while he sipped his drink. Damon drank his in one quick gulp.
"So Stefan is out for the evening?" asked Elijah.
"Yes, which you already know. I doubt Klaus does much lately without you knowing about it" said Damon leaning against one of the heavy wooden bookshelves that lined the room. "Well, that is true. Just because Klaus has changed his wicked ways for your brother doesn't mean I'm not going to still be cautious." said Elijah.
Damon laughed "Ah yes Saint Stefan, I guess his self righteous ways finally rubbed off on someone. No pun intended." Elijah smiled. Damon relished seeing him smile. He did it so rarely.
"As much as I love discussing family drama I think we should get to the business at hand. I have checked around with any vampires living nearby and none of them have killed any humans lately around this area."
" Wait you checked personally or sent some of your little minions to do the job for you?" asked Damon laughing.
"I detest getting my hands unnecessarily dirty, especially when there is help at hand". Elijah, being one of the original vampires came with a dash more superiority then most vampires. He was powerful, rich, charming and exceedingly dangerous. Which had its advantages certainly, his name alone struck fear in any vampire and usually led to the unlucky vampire spilling every ounce of information or else they spilled their blood. Damon had to admit that was one of the many reason he didn't mind paring up with Elijah for this rogue hunt. He didn't have to admit it though to him.
"Well while you were sitting at home moving your little chess pieces I went to have a look at the bodies in the morgue and found that there is a pattern. Whoever is killing the victims doesn't just bite and drain. Our little friend likes to cut the victims throat after the kill." "So he or she is trying to hide the fang marks" said Elijah looking disgusted.
"Yup, guess their trying to cover their tracks." said Damon looking purposely board about the whole ordeal. Elijah had only know him for a short time but could tell underneath that "Who cares" expression Damon was troubled by the killings too. If it wasn't just senseless killing then it might not be a rogue after all and that meant it was going to be more difficult than they thought.
"Well we still have some clues. Whoever it is definitely does not have daylight ring because all the killings were at night" said Damon pacing up and down with his arms crossed over his chest.
Elijah decided to watch him instead of the flames.
"Hmmm" he said sounding distracted. "I know what you're going to say, that its armature detective work deducing that two plus two equals four but it's all we have to go on for now." said Damon.
"No you are right and there isn't anyone in town alive, with fang marks and no memory why their suddenly punctured, so there not feeding for a quick snack. Their either trying to send a message or they can't control themselves." said Elijah rubbing his eyes.
He could not seem to concentrate very well at all tonight and was considering finishing up here since him and Damon did not seem to have any more information to discuss. There was a part of him that was reluctant to leave but he knew he should really be focusing on finding this killer and putting an end to this whole misfortunate event. He got up buttoning his suit jacket as he did. Damon looked slightly surprised to see him leave so soon but quickly schooled his features to look indifferent and stood still in the middle of the large living room. "Leaving?" asked Damon
"Yes if you'll excuse me for tonight Damon I'm going to see my "minions" as you call them and see if they have anything else new and you can..."
Damon cut him off "and I'm going to walk the streets and see if I can catch our little killer in the act. Remember Elijah we're a team. You can't order me around".
"Damon I wasn't going to..." said Elijah sounding slightly offended and hurt. But Damon had already grabbed his leather jacket and began throwing it on while walking to the door.
"I know Elijah its fine. Come on lets go". He threw open the door leaning against it letting Elijah walk out first. As he closed the door behind him he was just in time to see the other vampire disappear into the woods that boarded the Salvator house.
Damon had just passed The Grill for the second time on another of his nightly hunt of killer rogues ever since the first attacks. If you could call it a hunt that is; it was a Monday night so there wasn't much activity going on out in the streets. Not compared to the big cities he had lived in, in his hundred plus years or so. It gave him a chance to think though. The last few weeks had been pretty crazy and were anything from the mundane town life he always loathed. Mystic Falls had been the target of attacks from a group of original werewolves. That's right the first ever werewolves.
Even now Damon couldn't believe this towns luck. It just couldn't stay out of trouble. Damon, Stefan and Elena's gang of vigilantes had all banded together of course because werewolves weren't just dangerous to originals but all vampires and anyone associated with vampires so even little Tyler with his hybrid status were on their hit list. They had won of course (originals plus Damon plus Stefan on blood and some witchy voodoo is one powerful cocktail). But that wasn't what Damon was thinking about. The originals had left in peace all but Klaus and Elijah and things had shifted. Klaus and Stefan who had already been extremely close were now inseparable but so too were him and Elijah.
Sure they had to form an alliance as such being on the same team for a change and going up against an enemy of old but it wasn't just that. He enjoyed Elijah's company. He made him laugh and his noble and good nature seemed to call to Damon allowing him not to be so hard and angry all the time. It was a relief being with Elijah. They were both so different in some ways true but they also had so much in common. They liked the same books and movies (even though Elijah who really was a fossil sometimes) hadn't seen anything new since Planet of the Apes. He even found himself seeking out ways to be near the other man. Before he let himself get too caught up in thinking of Elijah which was becoming an exasperating habit he decided to call it a night when he saw the first rays of the sun rising from the east.
When he got home and saw no sign of Stefan he grabbed a bag of blood and headed upstairs. By the time he got to his room he had finished his snack and was ready to crash. Lying in bed he thought about the first few times he had seen Elijah. It had been when he was trying to use Elena to kill Klaus. He remembered the first time he saw him. He had never ever felt tongue tied around another person, even Katherine had not held the same allure to him. He felt a smile tug at his mouth at the memories of him and Elijah during their first encounters.
Elijah had been cold and distant to everyone and no wonder; he was seen as their enemy for a good reason. His cool rational manner annoyed Damon and intrigued him. It wasn't the brooding, self deprecating attitude of Stefan, no; it was different and refreshing it was assurance and calm. He tried telling himself it was just that strange night after the battle that made him recall all these memories. But that was a lie because these memories weren't altered, he still felt the same then as he did now. Falling asleep he couldn't help but picture those dark brown eyes with a touch of onyx as they had stared at him that night.
"Sir Will you require anything else of me?" asked Hudson from the doorway of Elijah's chambers.
"No thank you, that is all for tonight" replied Elijah with his back to him from where he stood staring out his window to the grounds below. Hudson really was the best butler he could ever have asked for. He kept to the old ways when servants worked hard and were a part of the household but he wasn't afraid to give his opinion to Elijah when he saw fit which earned him his respect. Elijah watched the sun coming up without really seeing it, he was contemplating whether or not he should text Damon about the new information he had found out tonight but finally decided against it. He would no doubt be sleeping and even the tempting idea of hearing his deep voice made deeper by sleep was not enough to make him pick up his phone; he needed sleep since he had gone without it for so long thanks to the werewolf fiasco and now this. Loosening his tie he decided to take a shower. Tonight things with Damon had still felt a bit tense. The other man was no doubt trying to create some distance between them ever since the last night of the battle with the original dogs from hell. Damon had been intoxicated to the point that even his vampire reflexes had been impaired. Elijah had gone looking for him to say he was leaving Mystic Falls with his family but on seeing him, slumped over at the bar and a glass of scotch still held in his hand, he decided to wait and get him home instead.
The fresh air outside had helped to sober him up a bit and by the time Elijah had gotten him home to bed he wasn't so bad. He had directed him to his bed and waited until he got himself under the covers before he turned to leave. Before he could go however Damon's hand had reached out to take hold of his wrist. "Elijah" he had whispered hesitantly. "Yes?" asked Elijah his voice a little hoarse from the look in Damon's eyes.
"Will you um, stay...with me that is, for awhile?"
"Of course" he had said sitting at the end of the bed feeling something warm in his chest at the sound of his voice. Nothing had happened of course, they had spent the night talking about their lives and Damon had asked him questions that no other vampires dared ask with the enthusiasm of a school boy. What it felt like to live for this long, what was his favourite century, who he had faced in battle etc. They had laughed and exchanged stories for awhile and then he had asked did he ever get lonely.
Elijah had looked at Damon and saw he was fiddling with the blankets looking like he was deep in thought but when Elijah didn't continue he looked up and met his eyes. He could see the loneliness and pain reflected there that he knew showed in his own eyes as well. Damon had reached out and clasped their hands together, his hand was warm and strong and he had smiled slowly. Soon after he had drifted off to sleep Elijah left feeling more relaxed than he ever had. Elijah got out of the shower wishing he could take back that night since it probably had made Damon uncomfortable but he couldn't. It was a night that had eclipsed most of Elijah's fondest memories and he didn't want to take it back.