Hi darlings! Long time, no see but life's been getting in the way. C'est la vie, you know? On top of that, I've been writing this! I know I just started a new story (This Kitty Has Claws) and I'll probably continue that at some stage, but I just wasn't feeling it, y'know? And an idea for this story had been swirling around my head for ages. It's the kind of story is the kind of story I would love to read. It focuses more on the vampire thing, but it's not following the TV show or books or anything. (Although I may have taken some ideas, like the whole decree etc from the Hunger Games. Sorry Suzanne Collins :P) So yeah! It's different to the kind of thing I usually write, so bear with me. I've rated this T but there is blood drinking and all that vampiric stuff, but nothing too graphic, I think.

So yes, I'll stop blabbering. Enjoy!

x

By way of punishment for the way the humans of Mystic Falls treated the vampires in the Dark Ages, as of introduction of this decree, the town will be broken into two parts – the Shire, where vampires shall reside and prosper, and the Pail, where humans shall reside. Any human found in the Shire at any time without permission faces prosecution. The town of Mystic Falls shall be ruled by a government elected by vampires. Any human(s) found making an attempt to rebel against these rules shall be prosecuted and may face execution. However, by way of repentance, these convicted humans may offer up either themselves or a member of their family to serve as a blood donor to a vampire lacking one. The court holds the right to determine if this is an option after they review each case.

I nibbled on my already chewed down nails, pacing back and forth. My mother watched me sadly from the worn down kitchen chairs, fiddling with her chipped mug. "The court might find him not guilty." She murmured hopefully and I rolled my eyes.

"The police caught him in the middle of trying to break into the government building in the Shire Mom, with detailed documents about how he was going to take down the vampires, along with information that he stole from the head of the whole thing. I think they'll say that he did it."

Mom said nothing and I felt a twinge of guilt. I knew that this whole thing had been as stressful for her as me – there were now permanent bags and deep purple rings around her eyes. She was a lot thinner too, and her hair was limply shoved behind one ear. I knew I should have comforted her but I couldn't take being in this tiny house anymore. "I'm going for a walk." I muttered, slamming my mug onto the counter but before I could slam the door, I heard her say quietly "Be home for the verdict please sweetheart." I ignored her but the nerves were making me want to vomit.

I stormed out of the house and down our street. In reality, the Pail wasn't so bad – it could be a lot worse. The entire place was grey, which I couldn't stand. Everywhere you looked was claustrophobically bleak and sad, which just made me want to scream. It had been bearable at least, until about a half a year ago, when Dad started getting all of these uprising ideas and Jeremy started acting out and Caroline…no. Caroline was too painful to think about, plus, as Dad had told me over and over again, she was a traitor. At least she had got out though – that was one thing we had vowed to do. Now I was stuck here on my own and she was…she was out there, with someone to love and probably a big house with maids and servants. I was here, and what prospect for the future did I have? I knew everyone in the town, and I would be damned before I married any one of them. I'd have to live with my mother until she eventually died, and live in the house, that awful house and scrape by with a job in the tiny shop – I didn't allow myself to think of alternatives. I kicked a stone absentmindedly and it rolled back to me.

I glanced up and realised I had walked to the border of the Shire and the Pail. A small wall divided the two, but it wasn't the wall that kept us out of the Shire – it was the fear. I peered into the bustling town and couldn't help but be dazzled (as I always was) at how beautiful the city was. It was crafted with the richest of materials, and fancy shops lined the streets. The odd vampire passed by -although I made sure to duck whenever one did because didn't want them to notice me – and they all wore expensive clothes that I was sure cost twenty times the amount that my few raggedy dresses did. I watched for a little while, allowing myself a break from the constant anxiety. It was only when I noticed a man in a grey suit making his way towards the wall, carrying a briefcase. His brow was creased and he kept glancing at his watch. I instantly knew that this was a government official, and the only reason why he would be coming here…

I got up and ran, ran as fast as I could through the cracked streets and tiny, sagging houses until I finally reached our little bungalow. I flung open the door to find Mom waiting in the hallway, terror etched on her face. She relaxed a little when she saw it was me, and pulled me inside, but not before glancing out behind me.
"He's…he's coming." I gasped, chest heaving from lack of air.
She immediately began flapping about. "Should I make tea? The house, tidy the house!" She began to straighten the few ornaments we owned, along with diving into the cupboards to find the duster. I watched as the man came nearer and nearer, ignoring the people pressed up against their windows, watching his every step. He was handsome – pretty much all vampires were – with sandy brown hair and a not completely unkind expression. His eyes were the most hypnotising part about him, but this was nothing new – all vampires had intense eyes, they needed to so they could compel you.

He looked a little startled when he saw that the door was open and I was staring at him but he carried on down our barren garden and stopped a little away from the door.

"Mrs. Miranda Gilbert?" He asked me, seeming a bit taken aback by the fact that I was only twenty and Dad was about forty five. Mom pushed past me, and I was proud to see her draw herself up to full height and glare at him stonily, speaking in her most confident voice. "I'm Miranda. How may I help you?"

The man looked her sympathetically, and pulled a sheet of paper from his briefcase. "I regret to inform you," He said softly. "That your husband, Grayson Gilbert, has been convicted of rebelling against the government and is subsequently facing the death sentence." All of Mom's confidence drained from her body and she leaned against me for support. "The…death sentence?" She whispered, more to herself than anything else. I knew what she was thinking – even if Dad was a bit useless sometimes, he did provide the majority of the money for this family. Without him…we were in a bit of a mess.

"When's the date?" I asked the man roughly and he looked grim and the pit of despair in my stomach grew even deeper. "Well, there's been a slight…offering, shall we say."
I felt Mom tense but the man carried on regardless. "Your father was offered the option to sign away one of his family for six months as a blood donor to the man who he originally stole the information from. He agreed."
This isn't happening, this isn't happening, this isn't happening…
"He agreed to sign away his only daughter, a Ms. Elena Gilbert." I felt myself go weak at the knees. Obviously I didn't want Dad to die but I couldn't believe that he had just…just signed me away. Mom was shaking her head vigorously.

"No." She insisted hysterically. "You're not taking her away, not while I'm here. I won't let you." "Mom…" I whispered numbly, knowing she was only going to make things worse.
She looked at me wildly. "No Elena! You're not going to be a blood bank for these animals! I'll go for her, she's just a child!" The man frowned at her and glanced down at his little fact file. "Our records tell us that she is twenty years of age, which is well over the legal blood donor age."

"Don't you dare call her a donor!" Mom screeched at him while I focused on keeping myself upright. "Donor implies that it's voluntary! And none of us will ever volunteer to give our blood to you filth!" And she spat on him.

I winced as I saw the anger grow in his now blazing eyes. "M'am, if you don't want to be locked up like your husband is, I suggest that you calm down immediately." He snarled and I caught a glimpse of his now extending fangs.
Mom paled a little and didn't say anything else. The man shot her a final glare and turned to me. "You're coming with me. You'll be staying with your new…well, you'll be staying with him tonight and then you may come home tomorrow night. He'll instruct you further after that." He instructed irritability, and panic and bile rose in my chest. I had to leave right away? I hadn't even considered this an option. "Can't I just say goodbye first?" I asked desperately and he rolled his eyes. "Hurry." He snapped through gritted teeth before stomping to the end of the garden.

I turned to Mom, with huge eyes and shivers running up and down my body. "We don't have much time, so you listen to me sweetheart." She said urgently, holding my face in her hands. "I love you so much, and you can do this. You just need to show them that you can't be compelled and you won't ever give in, do you understand me?"
I nodded, trembling and she kissed my forehead before reaching into her pocket and producing a necklace, a pretty silver heart with a long silver chain. It was beautiful in fact, and looked extremely out of place in the dullness of the room. "This," She whispered, doing the clasp around my neck. "Is filled with vervain. As long as it is touching your skin, no vampire can mess with your mind." I stared at her in confusion – what was this vervain stuff, and more importantly, how did she know about it? But she put a finger to her lips and suspicions crept into my mind that Dad wasn't the only rebel with secret information.
I let my fingers drift to the cool metal now sitting just between my breasts and felt some courage flow into me. I could do this – I had to. "Tell Jeremy I love him." I said shakily and she smiled sadly. "And he loves you. I'll see you soon my sweetheart." She gave me a final hug and then the man was stomping back down the broken path.

"Come on then." He demanded and Mom gave my hand a final squeeze before I had to take a deep breath and let go of her to follow him outside.

The cold air stung my cheeks – I hadn't noticed it before. The man reached into his briefcase and pulled out a pair of handcuffs and I felt lightheaded again. "Hold out your wrists please." He said emotionlessly and I obeyed. He fastened them and locked them in place, although not before I felt one of his cool fingers linger on my wrist, on my vein. I shivered, and this seemed to snap him back to reality, because he turned and began to walk briskly down the street. My cheeks burned with embarrassment as I kept on unintentionally catching the eyes of all of the neighbours watching at the windows. Some were shaking their heads in pity, others looked openly horrified. I looked at the ground, determined not to cry.

I glanced up when we got to the border and saw a big black car was waiting for us. The vampire of course didn't bat an eyelid at the sight of the vehicle but it only reminded me further of what I was walking into. He at least had the manners to hold the door open for me while I slid into the back, before slamming the door so hard that the car shuddered. It was silent for a moment until the vampire slid into the passenger seat and the driver pulled away smoothly.

Panic rose in my chest as I watched as the Pail disappeared from view. Don't show fear, I reminded myself. The vampire's phone beeped and he glanced at it, frowning. "There's been a slight…change in plan." He told me, looking at the phone weirdly.

I glanced up hopefully, allowing myself a brief flash of belief that I would be set free. But no, the vampire just mumbled something under his breath to the driver, who gave him a funny look but kept driving, much to my disappointment.

"You're now being transferred to a different vampire as a donor, as opposed to the man your father stole from. Do you understand?"
I nodded numbly. It didn't really matter who's 'donor' I was – I was still going to have to let someone else drink my blood. The thought sent a shiver through my spine and I had to will myself not to burst into tears. At least, I consoled myself, this vampire mightn't be old – anyone who was head of a government had to be old right? I had been guaranteed an at least 50 year old if I had the original guy. Now…well, maybe the tables would turn in my favour.

We drove for another fifteen, tense minutes. I sat with my forehead slumped against the window, unable to believe that everything had been ok – well, as ok as they could be – a few hours ago. Now my entire life was going to be turned on its head. I couldn't even distract myself with the fact that the Shire was rushing by – I just slumped down lower and lower until I was hidden from sight.

After driving a little while down a leafy winding road, we turned into a long driveway. At the top of it stood one of the most beautiful houses I had ever seen. It was a mansion, with huge windows and a massive front door and – I kid you not – a fountain sat in front of the whole thing. It was beautiful and I allowed myself to be temporarily distracted before we drew to a halt and the churning feeling came back again.

The vampire got out of the car quickly and I squeezed my eyes shut, desperately hoping that for some reason, he wouldn't open my door. He did of course, and stepped back. "Out of the car." He snapped impatiently and with shaky (and handcuffed) hands, I undid my seatbelt and slid out of the car as slowly as possible. The vampire glared at me and grabbed my wrist and led me to the door of the house. "Behave." He hissed before ringing the doorbell and I swear to you, I had never felt more anxious than when the door started to open. When the person was revealed however, I could only stare.

He was a few years older than me – maybe 25, 26? He had the most incredible cheekbones, a smug smirk that looked like it had never left his face, and his eyes. I had seen beautiful vampire eyes, all of them had them, but never had I seen such piercing, intense blue eyes, lined with coal black lashes and now looking at me so intently that I was positive he could read my mind. They were hypnotising too, the kind of eyes you could just get lost in. They were…compelling. Oh my God. I quickly tore my gaze away from him and looked at the floor. I wouldn't let him control my mind, I wouldn't.

"This is the girl?" He asked and his voice was a silky purr that felt like it was curling around me in a snuggly hug. "It is sir. I understand this is her first time being a donor so –" "Take off the handcuffs. Her father's a criminal, not her." My vampire interrupted. The man's expression soured but he clicked the handcuffs off me, and I rubbed my wrists gratefully.

My vampire was looking at me very intensely. "Tyler, you're free to go." He told the man beside me dismissively who hesitated but then turned on his heel, got in the car, slammed the door and drove away. And then we were alone.

I kept looking at the ground until I felt a cool finger gently tilting my head up until I was forced to look him in the eye. "First timer, huh?" He murmured, making my heart thump, although I wasn't exactly sure if it was because of fear. I nodded silently and he released me. "Well, I'm Damon Salvatore. You're Elena Gilbert, if I'm correct?" Another nod from me. He regarded me quietly before gesturing into the house. "You'd better come in then. The sooner we can get your first time over with, the better."
I was beginning to feel faint at this stage, but I forced myself to take steady (ish) steps forwards into the warm exterior of the house. It was as beautiful inside as out, with classic furnishing and chandeliers all over the place. I would have complimented him on it, but I wasn't sure what I was allowed or not allowed to do and on top of that, I didn't trust my voice to work properly.

He led me into a lightly furnished sitting room and I realised what was going to happen next. My neck, his fangs. Oh God, I wasn't ready for this. I must have been getting paler and paler because he was looking at me with slight concern. I began to tremble on top of that and he sighed before gently nudging me down onto a chair.

"Hey, calm down. I'm not going to hurt you." He soothed silkily, although I could see his eyes start to get darker as he looked at me hungrily. This could only mean one thing. I couldn't do this, oh God. But then something weird happened. He was looking at me incredibly intensely, and I was feeling a bit star struck but nothing else. Confusion flashed across his face and then he began to laugh, sitting back.

"You're a tricky one." He chuckled in a velvety voice, and I felt even more and more on edge. What on Earth had I done wrong now? And more importantly, was he going to punish me or something?

But he did nothing, other than look amused. "Where is it then?" He asked, temporarily losing the hungry look in his eyes. I stared at him, completely bewildered. He focused in on my necklace and gave a knowing little 'ah'.
"Who gave that to you?" He asked, a little too curiously. I didn't say anything, not wanting to get Mom in trouble. He sighed and sat back.

"The Governor wouldn't be too pleased if he knew one of your kind knew about our intolerance to vervain." I caught the undertone of my threat in this, wrapped up in his silky purr and I felt my hatred for all of these people grow. "So I'm going to repeat, Ms. Gilbert. Where did you find out about it?" I could tell that he was serious too. He really would tell the governor about this and then my family and I would get in trouble, and that was something I did not want. Better be in trouble with Damon than him. So I was left with no other option that to answer.

"My mom gave it to me." I whispered and I realised it was the first thing I had said to him. He looked slightly surprised that I had actually answered him and held out his hand. "Can you give it to me please?" With fumbling fingers, I unclasped the cool necklace and dropped it into his outstretched palm. He examined it carefully, turning it over in his fingers.
I waited jerkily, wondering if he was going to give it back. Mom would kill me if I came back tomorrow night and had lost the single piece of protection I had.
"I'm going to keep this until tomorrow night. Then I'll give it back to you." He murmured and I knew it wasn't an offer – it was a statement. He glanced up at me from under his black eyelashes, and my heart did that incredibly annoying thing where it began to quicken, again not from fear but something else.
"I'm not going to compel you to do anything you wouldn't want." He said softly, and I wanted so badly to trust him but I knew I never would. He saw my expression and slipped the necklace into his pocket.
"When did you last eat?" He asked suddenly and I instantly tensed, becoming defensive. Truthfully, it was yesterday afternoon but that was because Dad was in jail so we didn't have any extra money for food. We had two meals a day – breakfast and lunch, the same as everyone did in the Pail, so it was never a point of embarrassment that you didn't have money there. But vampires from the Shire were a whole different story. They had their donors and on top of that, they had about four meals a day along with heaps of money to spend on whatever they pleased. So I didn't answer him, determined not to let him think that we were weaker than he already thought we were.

He regarded my stony silence for a few moments before standing up and I flinched back, which he ignored. "Come on then. I'll make you something to eat. Blood isn't as rich if the person is hungry." He disappeared out of the room and I got the impression I was meant to follow him, so I stood up shakily and followed the general direction he had gone.

I emerged in a massive, beautiful kitchen. It was light and airy, with huge glittering windows, and a black and white colour scheme. Damon was standing mixing something on the island counter in the centre of the kitchen. He looked up and saw me pretty much cowering by the door. "Sit down." He said, gesturing to a chair beside the island and I hesitantly made my way over to it, perching on the very edge. "I don't just live here on my own, by the way. My brother lives here as well, with his wife. They're away on a trip for a few days though." I nodded numbly, not even caring at this stage that I was going to be surrounded by vampires. I was in as much danger with one as I was with twenty, so really, what was the difference?

Damon poured whatever he was making into a dish and I couldn't help but inhale. It smelled fantastic, like tomatoes. I was guessing that the ingredients that went in there cost more than our family's collective pay check. He slid the dish into the oven and then looked at me, not saying anything. His eyes were making me dizzy again, and I blinked quickly before he spoke. "From now on, I'd like you to eat here if that's ok."
I bristled, glaring at him. "Why would I do that?" I snapped and something flashed across his face before he answered calmly. "I told you before. Blood tastes better when the human is full, and by the looks of it, you're not full very often." This was true but I hated the way he said it with pity, which is probably why I responded so aggressively.

"It's not your responsibility to feed me." I hissed, standing up.
"No, but I'm the one who'll be feeding from you, so I'd prefer if you were fed. Besides, you'll have more money at home; you'll only have to feed two, not three." This only made me angrier but I had to admit that he was right. There would be more money at home, a lot of it and God only knows we could use some of that. Judging by the smirk on his face, he knew he had won which was only aided by the now ringing timer and my rumbling stomach.

"You know, there are some vampires wouldn't let you eat." He told me as I picked at the dish of some pasta thing he had given me. I glanced up at him.
"But you said –"
"I know what I said, and it's true, blood tastes richer when the human is full, and I personally prefer that. There are some vampires that don't. They get off on the fact that the human is dying."
I stared at him, horrified.
"But that's awful!" I cried and Damon shrugged.
"Usually they compel them so that they don't really know what's going on. They're a minority though."
I pushed away my plate, feeling sick. He looked at the plate in silence for a moment and then stood up and I realised what was coming next. "You're full then?" He asked softly and I nodded slightly, because truthfully I was; that was the most food I had eaten in years, but I couldn't even focus on that – the room was starting to spin a little.

"Hey, hey, it's ok." He said soothingly, very lightly touching my forearm. I resisted the urge to yank it away and focused on my breathing as much as I could. "Elena, look at me." I didn't of course, until I was pretty much forced to when he gently tilted my chin up so his blue eyes were piercing into me. "I'm not going to hurt you." He murmured in a velvety voice as he pushed the hair off of my shoulder. I felt like a deer caught in the headlights as I stared at him, totally freaked out as his eyes began to darken and his fangs began to grow and I cursed myself for realising how sexy he was with the whole vampire thing going on.

"Tilt your head back darling." He purred silkily and I felt obliged to do as he asked, tilting so my neck was exposed. "There's a good girl. This might feel like a little pinch but then it'll be over…" As he came closer, my heart began to beat faster and I felt him put a hand on my back to steady me. "You're ok, I've got you." He murmured in my ear and I shivered as I felt his sharp teeth graze down my neck before finally settling on a spot. Then he bit down.

It was like two sharp needles piercing my skin – I winced but found it wasn't as excruciating as I had thought it would be. Now that the pain was over…it was…well, it was dizzying for one thing. His hands were twisted in my hair, his lips on my neck and I was in a daze. He was drinking deeply and at some stage, we both ended up back in the sitting room and on the couch. He was getting gentler at this stage, his grip on me loosening slightly and his gulps slower now. Eventually he pulled away completely, although not before running his silky tongue over the two little bite marks.

I stared at him, my head spinning. He looked a little dazed as well, but quickly collected himself, a small smug smile appearing on his face. "That wasn't so bad, was it?" He purred, brushing a stray bit of hair from my face. My fingers drifted to the two tender marks on my neck. It was a bit hard to comprehend what had just happened. I winced as my fingers brushed over them – they were still sore, obviously.

Damon watched me carefully and I realised he was probably waiting for me to say something. Then I think he noticed the colour completely draining from my cheeks and the last thing I saw was his concerned face before I blacked out.

"Elena? Elena!" My head was thumping and whoever was calling me was making it worse. I felt two fingers pressing against my neck – taking my pulse I supposed. I heard a sigh of relief and then a gentle shake of my shoulder. "Elena, open your eyes. I know you can hear me." I groaned and let my eyelids flutter open to see those gorgeous ice blues staring down at me in concern. I blinked, realising I was lying on the couch. "You're still pale as a sheet." He murmured quietly and I suddenly realised how close we were to each other. There must have been something wrong with me today – first I let him drink my blood, for crying out loud, and now I was letting this vampire stand a few inches away from me?

"I'm fine, I'm fine." I mumbled, sitting up and immediately regretting it. The entire room spun around, making me want to throw up. But I soldiered on, willing my legs to carry me as I stood up. "Elena, don't be ridiculous –" I shook my head faintly and took a few shaky steps towards the door. This was a bad idea. I squeezed my eyes shut trying to find my centre of gravity but I knew it wasn't going to do much good. My knees were beginning to give way but just before I crumpled in a heap on the floor, I felt his strong arms wrap around me, catching me.

"Come on princess, you're too weak to walk." He murmured, half leading, half carrying me back to the couch. I slumped back down unwillingly into the soft leather, flinching when he came close to me. "Stay…stay away from me." I muttered and he sat down at the furthest edge of the couch, before sighing. "You need blood, Ms. Gilbert." He murmured and I managed to stop my head spinning for just long enough to glare at him.
"In case you haven't realised, I had blood. Then you drank it all." I spat acidly. He ignored this and held his wrist to his mouth before biting down quickly and then holding it out to me. I stared at him in alarm, inching away as the bright red drops of blood began to appear. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" I yelped and he sighed.

"You need to drink some of my blood to steady yourself. Just a little bit." I cringed at the thought but my head was still spinning, but I would never do that. "I'll be fine." I mumbled, and he rolled his eyes.
"Stop with your damn morals and drink Ms. Gilbert. You need it."
I shook my head, stomach churning and something flashed across his face.

"Why not, Elena?" He challenged suddenly, moving closer to me on the couch. I winced at the movement, which made me even dizzier.

"I'll tell you why - because that's the one thing we do and you don't and that's the one thing you pride yourself on not doing, the one thing that makes you better than us. Well you'd be best getting off your high horse because you need my blood and either you'll take it willingly or I'll force you." I stared at him, a bit startled because it was true– this was what made the two of us so different. He did…that and I didn't, and much as I hated to admit, it was exactly the reason I considered myself better than him. But he needed it too, didn't he? The same way I needed food – or his blood right now.

He was still glaring at me, wrist still outstretched. I looked at the droplets of blood hesitantly. He could see me wavering and his voice dropped to a silky, coaxing purr. "Just a few mouthfuls, you don't have to worry about anything. There's a good girl, don't even think about it…" I was lifting his wrist to my mouth, squeezing my eyes shut as I did so. "Now drink." He murmured and I had to obey, taking hesitant sips at first before drinking more deeply.
The blood, as much as I hated to say it, was making me feel a lot better. When I finally felt back to normal, I dropped his wrist like it had burned me, horrified at what I had just done.

Before I could begin panicking however, I heard the front door open and then a male voice calling "Damon! We're home!" Damon frowned, standing up. "Stefan shouldn't be home until tomorrow." He said, half to himself and half to me.

He didn't get a chance to say anything else to me though, because a tall, sandy haired man with warm green eyes was stepping into the room and I had to stare at him because I knew him from somewhere, I just couldn't for the life of me think from where. He smiled at me sweetly and I smiled back, racking my brain as to where I would have seen him before. Damon's next question answered this for me.

"Is Caroline with you?"

I remembered.

"Caroline, you can't just go like this!" I cried desperately, trying to grab her arm as the rain poured down on us. The pretty blonde shook her head, her curls tumbling everywhere. "I love him Elena, and I really thought you of all people would understand. I have to be with him and I'm sorry." We were coming closer to the border now, too close for my liking. "What about me?" I begged, tears streaming down my face. "Your friends, your family? Do we mean nothing to you anymore?" This caused her to stop, with a pained expression on her face. "I just can't stay here anymore Elle." She whispered, tears beginning to drip down her face no mingling with the rain. "So what – we'll just cope, will we? You're too good for this life and I'm not?" I snapped and she shook her head. "Of course not Elena! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry but –" I glared at her so fiercely that she stopped. "Enjoy your new life with your leech." I snarled before turning to run. She called after me and I only looked back once, but that was when I saw a young man appear beside her, putting an arm protectively around her and watching after me with soft green eyes.

Caroline.