Disclaimer: I don't own The Vampire Diaries and am not making any money from writing this story.
Chapter One
The phone ringing woke him up out of his dream. He didn't want to pick it up but knew he had to. Whoever it was would keep calling him. He slid out of bed careful not to wake up the woman in his bed. He couldn't remember her name. Sarah, was it? Or maybe her name was Sally. It definitely started with an S.
He threw on some jeans and opened his cell phone.
"Hello, Alaric Saltzman speaking." He rubbed his eyes and tried to withhold his yawn.
"Ric, we need your help." A young woman's voice was heard.
"Who's this?" Alaric hadn't been in close contact with any of his old friends for a while now.
"It's me, Ric. Look, we really need your help." She said. Her voice, though young, held a lot of wisdom and tiredness to it, as if she had lived for too long even though she hadn't lived nearly enough.
Then it hit him.
"Elena?!" He asked in a shocked voice.
"It's me, Ric. Look, we really need your help." She was getting annoyed. It was one o'clock in the morning and she hadn't even gone to sleep. She had to make sure that no one knew that she was calling Alaric.
"With what exactly do you need my help at 2 in the morning?" He sounded exasperated. All he wanted to do was go back to sleep, snuggle up and maybe in a few hours, convince her to have another round. She was a warm body anyway and they would forget about each other the next day.
"We need your help with Damon." She said. The name stirred up something in his stomach that he wished he wouldn't feel anymore. He didn't give a rats ass about him anymore.
"Elena, as much as I would like to help, I do have a life here and am quite content on keeping it that way." He said.
"He's dying, Ric." She whispered.
"What? Why?" He couldn't wrap his head around Elena's statement.
"Look, I didn't want to say anything on the phone but you asked. We need your help here in Mystic Falls." She was getting tired and really wanted to go to bed. On top of that, she didn't want Jeremy or god forbid, Stefan to find out whom she was talking to if they were to wake up. They weren't as on board with the idea of calling Alaric for help as she was.
"Elena, what's wrong with Damon? Why is he dying?" He wondered what could've happened to Damon in the time that he was gone.
"Please come to Mystic Falls." She said, ignoring his question.
"You didn't answer my question."
"We'll explain it once you're here." He sighed. This girl never gave up.
"Fine Elena, I'll take the next plane out. See you soon." They said their good-byes and he hung up his phone.
He packed his bag and left a note and a spare key for the woman to lock up once she woke up. Once everything was packed and ready, he took the taxi to the nearest airport and booked his flight.
I bet everyone can't wait to see me. He thought wryly.