Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries nor its characters. They belong to L.J. Smith, Kevin Williamson, Julie Plec, The CW Network, and whoever else.

Note/Warning: Because the idea of Lexi and Anna being friends was too awesome to pass up.

Just Enough to Get By

"I really get sick of being asked my ID. I guess it's a compliment, but I don't really think I look that young," Lexi stated with a longsuffering sigh. She then grinned at her companion. "Unlike you," she teased with a wink.

Anna laughed, softly, and downed her shot of tequila. "Just one of life's little inconveniences, Lexi." She set the shot glass down and reached for another. It had been a long day, she deserved a couple hours of hedonism.

Lexi watched her. There was sympathy in her eyes. She had this date memorized; the date she'd met Anna almost forty years ago - and like Stefan's birthday and other important dates in her life, it was the day they always tried to meet up.

Unlike most of the other dates, this was a low day for Anna. Maybe the anniversary of some great loss, maybe something else. Lexi didn't know. She and Anna were good friends, but they both had their secrets. The sadness this date brought Anna was one of them.

Lexi grabbed her own shot glass and swallowed down the liquor. She made a face - that sensation never got old somehow - and offered Anna a smile. "You know, if you need to talk, I'm as good at listening as I am at blabbering."

It got a laugh out of her companion, but Anna shook her head. "Thanks, but no thanks. I don't feel like spilling my guts over tequila shots." The vampire looked like she was barely over fifteen, but Lexi had no idea what Anna's real age was.

Another one of their secrets.

"How are things with Lee?" Anna asked, veering the conversation away from herself. It was a familiar maneuver, and usually it didn't work - but Anna had bought up Lexi's newest favorite subject.

"He's perfect!" Lexi exclaimed. She was beaming, radiant as she continued. "I finally opened up about what I am," - she didn't notice how Anna's jaw briefly clenched, her eyes flickering with apprehension - "Almost six months ago now. He was a little freaked at first. But then he told me he didn't care - can you believe it? I finally found a decent guy that's cool with this!"

Anna smiled. It was tight, and Lexi did notice that. Anna drank another shot. "You're lucky."

"Oh, come on, like you've never told any of the boys you've picked up that you're a vampire." Lexi took another shot, feeling oddly defensive - which was ridiculous, even if Anna was her age or older, it wasn't as though Lexi was a child acting recklessly. She was a three hundred plus year old vampire acting reckless.

"Yes, but I never cared about any of them," Anna pointed out after a thoughtful moment. "It never really put me in danger."

Lexi paused, watching her friend carefully. Her shoulders relaxed slightly and she nodded. "You mean if they reject you it won't hurt, and you aren't going to shed any tears if you have to ditch them like yesterday's news."

Anna laughed a little. The tequila was getting to her head a bit. "Exactly. I'm safe," she stated proudly as she lifted her next shot to her lips.

"I get it. But you can't keep doing that to yourself. Don't get me wrong. Casual sex is awesome, and getting involved with humans for more...practical means definitely has its advantages. But you've gotta leave yourself open for love, girl. It happens, even for us. Sometimes even with humans."

The other vampire shook her head. "I'm glad that it seems to be working for you, Lexi. But I've seen firsthand how brutal it can be when it doesn't." Anna smiled that tight smile once more. The smile was genuine though, and it sobered Lexi for a moment. "I have a goal. A purpose. I know where I need to go, what to do with my life. And nothing is going to get in the way of that. Especially something so unpredictable."

Lexi smiled back and nodded. "Okay. But it is unpredictable, like you said, Anna. It might just come around and bite you in the ass," she teased.

Anna laughed, and the tension in her face was gone. "You first," she teased back.

"Oh, we'll see about that, girl." Lexi grinned and held her last shot glass up. "To sexy vampire girls who, despite different outlooks on love and men, kick ass!"

"To us," Anna agreed, clinking her last shot glass with Lexi's.

They downed their last shots, both making similar faces, just a little out of sync. They laughed and ordered another round. They talked about years before, about how things had been going, some of the things they'd done that didn't relate to the opposite sex - well, mostly, as Lexi would often bring Lee into the picture, but Anna simply smiled and listened.

It was only a couple of hours until dawn when Anna finally hopped off her chair. "It's time for me to leave. Plus, I'm sure the infamous Lee is awaiting you anxiously," she added with a melodramatic flair.

"Yeah, yeah, don't be so smug," Lexi chided playfully as she managed to gracefully slip out from her seat. "It was good to see you again, Anna."

"You too, Lexi." Anna smiled, the little vampire giving her friend a brief hug. "But I better get going, I'd like a head start before sunrise."

Lexi returned the hug and nodded. "So where next year?"

"How about Las Vegas?" Anna suggested with a wicked smile, which only grew when Lexi practically squealed.

"Hell yeah! I've been dying for an excuse to go back there. Lee's so afraid if we go I'll find some studly gay stripper and compel him to be with me instead." Lexi laughed and shook her head at the thought. "He's still getting used to the fact that now that I've found him, I don't want anyone else."

Anna shook her head as well, though in disbelief. "It's hard to think of you as the kind of girl that would ever settle down. At least settle for one guy."

"When you finally find the right one, you realize that nobody else will ever satisfy. You can't just walk away and leave it, Anna. Trust me. You'll find that one day, I know it. Though it might be hard finding it with someone who isn't a perv considering how young you look," Lexi almost giggled, winking playfully at the other vampire.

Anna rolled her eyes. "I get by just fine, Lexi. Without love, and with my young looks which you're jealous of."

Lexi snorted. "Please, I look young enough as it is, girl." She smiled, affectionately, and gave Anna's shoulder a squeeze. "Las Vegas it is, this time next year. The big two oh oh oh, can you believe it?"

Anna shrugged. "Just another year to me." She'd slipped into her jacket and started to head for the door. She paused after a few steps and turned back to her friend. "I may not get it...but I'm happy for you. I'm happy he worked out."

"Thank you. Don't worry, Baby. You won't always be so alone."

"I know," Anna nodded. "I won't." Then she turned and strode out of the bar, heading south as Lexi went east, to home.

To Lee.

The sun was rising as Anna drove her newly acquired car out of the city of Atlanta.

Lexi's company had been needed this year. It was a rough year. They all were rough years, but something about this one made the day harder for Anna than it had been for a while. Perhaps it was leaving the latest in a long string of lost boys she'd helped find their way only a few days ago. Perhaps it was her emotions leaking back through even when she tried to keep them off.

Perhaps it was just one of those years.

But she had gotten through it. Just like always.

Lexi helped. Even if this year they'd spent more time on talk of love and relationships with humans than Anna would have liked. Lexi's change, her newfound happiness with Lee, all that talk about finding the right one - it'd almost gotten to Anna. She'd been vulnerable, and it had been hard to keep her emotions in check. Especially with the liquor going to her head.

A tiny, little voice in the back of her mind wanted to listen to Lexi's words. Part of her longed to have that kind of companionship, but it was a part of her that she had learned to ignore years ago.

Men were useful, boys were even better. But they were dangerous when you let yourself care. Especially the human ones.

Anna remembered that lesson all too well. One her mother had learned, one Anna had witnessed.

She glanced at the ring on her right hand, the one she'd possessed longer than any of her other jewelry, the one her mother had given her.

It was deceitful to keep that from Lexi, but Anna was well aware of Lexi's friendship with Stefan Salvatore. She couldn't let word reach him about her. She liked her anonymity quite well, and she wasn't going to put her plans in danger. No matter how much she liked Lexi, it wasn't worth it.

Nothing was worth it.

"One hundred and thirty-five years," Anna whispered softly, eyes moving from her ring to the road. "I'll be with you again soon, Mother."

Lexi was right, though not in the way she'd thought when she'd told Anna that she wouldn't always be alone.

No, Anna wouldn't be alone forever. She would get her mother out, and everything would be right again. She smiled and wondered how her mother would get along with Lexi. She had a feeling her mother wouldn't approve at first, but eventually, Momma would come around. Lexi was hard to not like, after all. Maybe the three of them would go to Las Vegas together that year.

Maybe Anna and Pearl would even let Lexi bring Lee along.

"We'll live it up, Momma. I promise."

No. She wouldn't always be so alone.