It was hard for Elena Gilbert to admit that the summer was drawing to a close and the time for returning to her fall course load at Whitmore was drawing ever nearer. It was difficult to admit that the summer, which had been marred with typical supernatural dramas, was reaching its conclusion and soon enough she would be forced to pack her bags and wait for Caroline's cute car to speed around the corner to retrieve her for the long drive. It was a thought that she did not want to have when she still had a few days left to decide how she would reconcile leaving again, when she had just reached a comfortable place in her relationship with Damon, and when for once, things were going okay.

The Travelers, a supernaturally enhanced group of witches, was still a problem and threat to their safety, but they were fairly confident they had their advances under control with the added help they had in battling them with Stefan, Caroline and some of their other friends that were just as determined as she was to see them go.

Pushing a strand of her long hair back behind her ear, she felt a smile grace her face when she felt a strong, sure arm wrap around the small of her back, pulling her closer against the side of her boyfriend, Damon Salvatore. It was rare that they ever got time alone anymore with the struggles that they faced both individually and together, and with her impending return to college life, it was an absolute must that they get time alone together. Sighing deeply, she looked up into his composed face, trying to fathom the mysteries that shone behind his cerulean eyes.

Damon was a mystery to her—one that she had determined to solve when they got together—but even after almost a year together, she still couldn't figure out certain parts of him despite her determination. For now, she was content to walk in the crisp, early evening air while her mind attempted to steer her back to issues that didn't include which electives to take.

Or the fact that she would soon be leaving Damon. The previous year they had managed the time differences and the long distance ramifications without much hassle, but there was always that little voice in the back of her mind that warned against feeling any kind of contentment with her current situation because of how quickly things could change—either for the worst or for the better.

As this thought assaulted her mind, she found herself shrinking even tighter against the warmth of Damon's body as they walked down the little avenue that had long since gone to bed with the lateness of the evening and the residents wanting to get as much sleep as possible before the early morning rush hour. It was nice to be alone for once without the rest of the world closing in on them.

"You're quiet," Damon remarked. "Something on that pretty mind of yours?"

Elena shrugged. "Just life, Damon. I'm thinking about college and how we're going to deal with that with the Travelers getting closer, and-"

"We managed it last year," Damon reminded her, placing a finger against her lips as he halted their progression down the street. "Can we just enjoy one evening without the rest of the universe trying to ruin it?"

"Yeah... I guess so."

It was the least she could try to do. The universe that had deemed the fated doppelgangers to be together had been trying everything in their power to keep she and Damon apart, but with Elena's determination and Damon's, they had failed thus far, and that was how she intended on keeping it.

"So what major are you deciding on?"

In Whitmore, students had until second year to decide on a major that would carry them through the rest of their college experience. The first year had been all about getting integrated into the school and testing out the grounds and figuring out class schedules and which parties to avoid and go to.

"I was thinking pre-med."

The medical field had been in her veins since childhood when her father would take her to his office and she would get a firsthand look at what her dad did behind closed doors. The patients were always nice and gave her candies to take home with her, but as she grew older, it was the idea of helping someone who would have otherwise been lost.

"Really?" Damon said, a rare kind of impressed look coming over his face. "Impressive. You want to Dr. Jekyll someone?"

"No," Elena said, rolling her eyes. "But I do want to help people, Damon."

"I get it, I get it," Damon said, throwing his hands up in submission. "Just make sure you have time for us low-lives once in awhile."

"Not a chance," Elena teased.

"Well-"

Whatever he had been about to say, disappeared in the ear-splitting scream that they heard coming from a street away from them, followed by a low howl that sounded suspiciously like a sob. Giving each other looks that could only mean they were silently conferring on what to do, they both took off in the same direction, hoping to reach the sound of the distress before it was too late.

When they rounded the corner into a side alley that was below an apartment complex, they were greeted with the sight of a small child, ten years or a little older from what Elena could tell on quick inspection. She was shaking uncontrollably on the ground, as her terrified eyes looked up at the sound of their approach.

Giving Damon a look, Elena slowly leaned down in front of the distressed child, noting several superficial cuts and scrapes along her arms and legs, and one deep gash on her left cheek that shone with the blood from the wound that had been created.

"It's okay," Elena said, speaking softly and deliberately to induce calm in the frightened child. "It's okay. Can you tell me your name?"

The little girl's bottom lip trembled as she looked up at them with her icy blue eyes. "A—Alexandra."

"That's a pretty name for a pretty girl," Damon said, as he leaned down next to her, taking care to stay a comforting distance away so she wouldn't feel crowded. "I'm Damon."

The little girl looked at him, clearly deciding whether or not she felt safe in their presence when she had clearly just gone through a trauma.

"I'm Elena," Elena said. "Can you tell me what happened to you?"

Looking up right above where they were crouched down, Elena could see a moderately-sized window pane that had shards of glass still stuck on it. Looking back down at the child, she could see that her clothes were spattered with blood from wounds that were invisible to the naked eye. It filled Elena with a familiar sense of dread as she hesitantly ran her hands over her body, trying to find the source of the blood.

"I heard—I heard my Mommy and Daddy scream," Alexandra began, hiccuping. "And—and when I went into their room, a man was standing over their bed."

A man?

A vampire?

Elena could tell that was what was on Damon's mind, too. It was not uncommon for a break-in to happen, but when the alleged "burglars" actually took pains to sneak into an occupied bedroom, that raised red flags for her.

"What did this man look like?" Damon asked.

"I don't know—I'm not sure. I didn't see his face!" she cried. "I want my Mommy and Daddy!"

"I know, I know," Elena said softly, trying to keep her calm so that the shock would not get to her system and cause even more damage than had already been done. Without knowing the exact cause of her injuries, she could not accurately diagnose the child. "Then what happened?"

"Then he saw—saw me. He said something but I didn't understand it, and then he put his hands around my neck and there was...nothing! I woke up out here just now."

Elena felt an immediate chill run down her spine followed almost instantly by a nauseated feeling that resonated deep in the pit of her stomach. Whoever had killed her parents, (and there was really no doubt in either of their minds that her parents were deceased), had also been the same one who had turned a child into a vampire.

An immortal being who had to live with insatiable thirst and learn how to control that thirst.

A child who had to learn how to successfully tackle the myriad of emotions that would become a staple in her life now that her best and worst traits would be magnified. Looking over at Damon, she could see the same look of horror cross over his face as the magnitude of what they were facing, slammed into them both.

"Princess," Damon said gently. "How old are you?"

"Ten." Alexandra sniffled. "Are my Mommy and Daddy hurt?"

What could they say to a child who had lost her humanity at only ten, and was now faced with the doubly whammy of losing her parents all in one night. The enormity of it would have crushed anyone, but Elena was clueless as to how a child was supposed to handle that kind of trauma.

"I'll tell you what," Elena said, beginning to straighten herself to a standing position. "We're going to take you back to our home and then we'll see about your Mom and Dad, okay?"

Alexandra looked hesitant, as though she was not sure whether or not she should trust these two complete strangers who had suddenly happened across her. It was a predicament that Elena could sympathize with, but knew they were running out of time, especially if she was in the midst of a transition like she strongly suspected.

"My Mommy said that I shouldn't go with strangers."

"Well, see, the thing is, Elena and I are not technically strangers," Damon explained. "We're buddies. You trust us, right?"

It was clear that Alexandra did not know what to believe—on the one hand these people seemed nice and were trying to help her, but on the other hand, she had just gone through a scary experience with that strange man in her parent's bedroom, and then waking up outside on the cold hard ground.

"I guess so."

"There's no reason to fear us," Elena reminded her. "We're trying to help you."

"I—I know. Where are you taking me?" she asked, as she allowed Damon to pick her up in his arms to save her the task of walking after her hazardous fall.

"Back to our place," Damon said, as he and Elena started walking back down the street they had turned into the alley from. "We have a place where we can put you where you will be safe." In a house like the Salvatore boarding house that was built with size and luxury in mind, the only close quarters in the house were the upstairs bedrooms where they intended on staying with her until they figured out what to do.

"Can my Mom and Dad come too?"

"We'll see," Elena said quietly. "Are you hungry?"

Elena knew from personal experience that when one was going through a transition, the idea of food was appealing on the outside, but when the actual food was attempting to travel through the compromised digestion system, it could wreak havoc on a new vampire's delicate and changing immue system.

"Yeah. Do you have food?"

"We sure do," Damon said, with a smirk. "Her kid brother can't stop raiding the fridge. I think we might have to put a lock on it or he'll eat us out of the house."

"He's a growing teenager, Damon," Elena said, rolling her eyes.

"So?" Damon retorted with a scoff. "It doesn't mean that I have to like it."

As the walk wore on, Damon could feel the child's once rigid posture relax slightly in response to the exhaustion she was undoubtedly feeling after the trying night she had had. Looking over at Elena with his eyebrows raised in clear question, neither of them spoke as they turned into the long driveway that led to their home. It was a relief to have the mansion in sight and know they would be able to utilize their resources there.

Walking into the foyer with the lit fireplace, Alexandra's eyes widened in shock at the grandeur of the place before Damon turned and walked down the hall and up the stairs to the bedroom he and Elena shared together. It wasn't much, but it was their own personal haven that they were now sharing with their unexpected find.

"Do you want me to make you a sandwich?" Elena asked, as they settled her in the bed.

"Okay."

Giving her a small smile before leaving, Elena made sure that she was out of the girl's earshot before she pulled out her cellphone, taking a deep breath as she dialed the intended number.

"Bonnie? Hey. It's Elena. I need your help with something."

This is an edited version of my story "Fire and Rain" in which Damon and Elena found Alexandra on the brink of her transition-it was not entirely up to par with my standards and so I decided to redo it a little bit.