I know I'm supposed to be working on the sequel to Elijah and Evangeline, but Connor's character is SO INTRIGUING! And I'm feeling so Bonnie and Clyde today that I thought I'd whip something up. Don't worry Secret of the Petrovas fans. I'm also working on vignettes and outlining the sequel.

Disclaimer: I don't own TVD. L.J. Smith does, and Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson do too.

Warning: 4x02 spoilers

I would rather be ashes than dust! I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry-rot. I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet. The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time. -Jack London

Chapter 1: Looks Can Be Deceiving

Blaze stood in front of the mirror, smoothing the golden locks over her simple black dress. She looked the part, like a sweet sad girl who'd just lost her father tragically. Helpless and vulnerable. But it was all part of the act. Her father hadn't brought her up that way.

When the vampires came back into town during Blaze's senior year her father made it clear that he would probably die. So when she got the phone call at college last week, informing her of her father's death, she was hardly fazed. She'd finished grieving before he was cold in his grave. It was time for vengeance.

The memorial was boring, a waste of time, up until Tyler Lockwood interrupted the singing. He'd barely spoken for a minute when a shot pierced his abdomen.

Screams erupted from the pews, but Blaze was more focused on the Lockwood boy. Instead of fleeing like everyone else had, she dropped to the floor of her pew and shifted out of sight. The Gilbert girl ran up to Tyler, then some guy she didn't really know, followed by Caroline Forbes.

Blaze watched in amazement as Caroline pulled the bullet from Tyler's chest. He immediately gasped and coughed for air. He's a vampire, she realized in silent, determined horror. And Caroline, the Gilbert girl and her boyfriend, even Mayor Lockwood, were all in on the secret.

She waited several minutes for Tyler and his mother to disappear, then she crept stealthily from the church.

Outside the church, she spotted the Gilbert boy putting a bandage on Matt Donovan's neck. Hmm. She followed them casually to the grill and kept her distance.

There were several strangers in town, many of whom were family members of the deceased, like herself. Blaze was so busy thinking about the day's events that she hadn't noticed Matt and the Gilbert boy leaving the grill.

Cursing to herself she sat down at the bar, beside a handsome but severe looking man.

"Ginger Ale," she motioned to the bartender. He brought her a glass, and she sipped the cup in pensive silence.

"Hello there," the somewhat frightening man offered a smile and held out his hand. "I'm Connor Jordan."

Blaze narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the man but grudgingly shook his hand. "I'm Bailey Harris, but people here know me as Blaze."

"Blaze." His eyes narrowed curiously. "How'd you land a nickname like that?"

"Someone broke into my house when I was twelve," Blaze had to stifle a laugh, "I set them on fire."

Connor couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of a twelve-year-old girl setting a man on fire. "That's quite a story."

"You must have quite a story yourself." She grabbed his hand again in one swift movement and inhaled deeply. "Considering you reek of vervain."

Connor smirked slightly and drew his hand back. "Perceptive."

"Oh it was easy to recognize. After all, it matches the scent of my favorite perfume." She grinned and swept her honey-colored hair from neck.

Connor leaned forward tentatively, and breathed in the scent of her neck. Indeed it smelled of vervain. So strongly, in fact, that he wondered if she bathed in it.

Blaze's heart raced as she felt his lips inadvertently graze her shoulder, and she took the connection as an opportunity to lean in toward his ear. "You shot the Lockwood boy, didn't you?"

He shot back and eyed her suspiciously. "What do you know about that?"

"I know that his girlfriend pulled your wooden bullet from his chest with her bare hands."

"And how do you know that?" He still wasn't sure he trusted her.

"Oh come on, look at me. No one suspects someone like me, the poor, helpless daughter of a dead council member, to be a vampire hunter."

Connor now looked at her with new resolve. "You could help me find every vampire in this town."

Blaze leaned so close to his ear, that her lips touched his cheek. "I can do much more than that."

He didn't miss the double meaning but continued to play coy, exhaling above her neck, "And what exactly can you do?"

She pushed Connor back playfully and smirked at him mischievously, "The man I set on fire when I was twelve, he didn't break into my house."

Connor tilted his head, curious of what she meant.

Suddenly Blaze's body was right against his. "He wanted to get in," she grinned at the double entendre, "but he wasn't invited."

"A vampire," he stared at Blaze with new eyes.

"Mystic Falls seems to be a breeding ground for them."

Their bodies were still pressed together, and they could feel each other's heartbeats. Finally Connor stepped back coolly. "Meet me here tomorrow. Same time." Then he nodded politely to Blaze and exited the grill without another word.

Blaze grinned to herself for a moment, but the smile quickly faded into her vengeful stare. She now had an ally, but Blaze still felt restless. Her father was dead, and she would avenge him. She would kill every last vampire in this town if she had to. They would all pay.

So what do you guys think? Is it a story worth continuing? Should Blaze just be bad, bad, bad, or should she eventually have a change of heart? Please Review and let me know!