After a hundred years of waiting. I finally got my chance. I arrived in Mystic Falls in the afternoon, and checked into a motel not far from the center of town. I was happy for the first time in a long time. I was finally close to my goal, he would finally pay for ruining my life. I had lost my innocence that day, and since then, I had blossomed into a sort of mechanical way of life. I was 19 when I finally found a vampire willing to turn me, if I was going to kill a vampire; I quickly learned I must become one myself to have a fighting chance. After turning, it was a matter of vampire connections. Who was in Savanna in the early 1900s? Who was ripping people to shreds and placing them back together like some sick serial feeder? That was about all it took to lead me here, filling multiple syringes with vervain in Mystic Falls and dreaming of all the ways I would torture Stefan Salvatore once I came across him. I stuffed a couple of the syringes in my purse along with some makeup and got dressed for the night. I kept at least three stakes on me at all times, two small ones at my waist and an even smaller one around my ankle where I could hide it the thickness of my military grade combat boots. I threw an extra one in my bag just in case before popping out the door and asking the hostess in the lobby of the motel where people went around here for a drink. Over the years Ive found the best place to find vampires is in a bar; either because prey is easier when alcohol is involved or because we're all alcoholics. She told me the Mystic Grill and pointed me in the right direction; I headed out, I was hoping this would be quick but after a hundred years of waiting, I figured it would take longer than the first day to do this. But that didn't stop me from fantasizing about the look in that murderers eyes when I plunged a stake through his heart. I smiled at the thought as I casually walked through the door at the Mystic Grill and over to the bar where the blonde bartender asked me what I wanted, I noted that he was kind of cute. I told him to pour me a vodka cranberry and sat down and scanned the bar for someone who looked like the man I remember so vividly from my childhood.

"You new around here?" the bartender asked cleaning a spot on the bar that I noted was already clean.

"Just passing through town." I replied taking a sip of the drink and putting it back on the counter.

"Yeah? You know anyone around here?"

"Just one person, I'm actually looking for him, maybe you could help."

He smiled, "Yeah sure, Mystic Falls is pretty small, Whats his name?"

"Stefan…Stefan Salvatore." His face changed, he knew who I was talking about, and I had sparked his curiosity.

"How do you know Stefan?" he asked lowering his eyes a bit and glancing to his left where there was a man sitting alone at the far end of the counter. The man glanced over, but looked uninterested and lowered his eyes back down into his whiskey.

"Old friend." I said with a smile, I think I could guess whats going on here.

"Well, that's his brother," he pointed to the man on the far side of the bar.

"You might want to ask him." I looked over again, the he pointed to had dark hair and light blue eyes, he was wearing a leather jacket and looking at his phone before glancing at me. I silently cursed myself for being so obvious. Now I would have to make up some over story or something. I didn't realize he had a brother and I certainly hadn't expected he would be with another vampire now I would probably have to kill both of them. No matter, I was prepared. I had been prepared for years. I looked back at the bartender, "Thank you for your help."

I said quickly before putting a 20 on the table and trying to slip out of the bar unnoticed. I made it out the door fine, but as soon as I got down the street, Stefans brother appeared in front of me.

"Hello." He said, smiling sideways and raising his eyebrows as he gave me a look up and down.

"I heard you had a question for me." I smiled back quickly and then dropped the courtesy and side stepped him.

"Well, you know I did, but then I figured, what the hell? Why not make my visit a little surprise?" he sidestepped so he was in front of me again, "hmm, you seem to be blocking my way. Maybe you should move."

I put my hand on his chest. He kept his eyes level with my own, I could tell he was trying to figure out if I was a threat to him, trying to see if I was a vampire too, or something else…

"What do you want with Stefan?" he squinted his eyes as if that might help him figure me out. I pressed hard into his chest and my hand went through his flesh until it was just under his heart. I felt it beat against my fingertips and he glanced down then up again into my eyes.

"I said- move, and don't get in my way again. Next time I will rip your heart out." I ripped my hand from his chest and pushed him out of my way before leaving him there on the sidewalk looking shooken and confused. Now my cover was blown. Not even 24 hours in Mystic Falls and the plan has already gone awry. He had more than one person protecting him, I knew it by the way the human instantly tried to cover him up when he knew I knew him. This was frustrating. I wanted this to be clean and easy. Now who knows who I would have to kill to get to Stefan. I decided to just go with the flow. Stay in Mystic Falls, lay low. Make friends. Try and get to a point where I can get Stefan alone. The one advantage I did have was that he didn't know who I was, or why I was looking for him. It would be essential to keep that a secret for the time being at least. I went back to my motel room and looked for a foreclosure I could swipe up in town since I was going to be here for a while. I finally found one that looked alright and set upon going to get it in the morning. The foreclosure was settled quickly, and I got it for a good cheap price. I moved in my one suitcase and decided to go get a drink, try and mingle and make friends. I didn't get far down the street before noticing a familiar face walking towards the Mystic Grill. I couldn't believe it, it was the person who turned me so long ago, I noticed him from behind, his walk hadn't changed a bit, he was the same man I knew and loved once. He was walking in front of me, and he was turning into the Mystic Grill just as I came up behind him.

"Nik?" I asked, instinctively putting a stray lock of my strawberry blonde hair behind my ear. He turned and looked at me for what seemed like forever before he said my name, and when he said it, he sent chills down my spine.

"River. Would you care to join me for a drink?" he smiled slowly, and I felt my knees go to jelly.

"Yes, ofcourse." He opened the door for me and we walked in together. I looked around for Stefan's brother but he wasn't there, it was practically empty except for the bartender who was the same as the day before, he eyed me cautiously when I walked in, looking from me to Nik, then back to the not dirty spot he was still cleaning on the counter. Nik and I sat at the bar again, this time keeping a fair distance from the bartender. I watched him as he watched us closely, he brought his phone out and texted someone, then came to tend to our orders.

"Klaus. What can I get you," it was less like a greeting and more like an accusation, Nik smiled anyway in that cheeky way he used to do, "Matt, good to see you too Mate, two Scotch on the rocks please."

Matt got our drinks and put them on the table.

"Now shoo, I don't want you reporting every word to your nosy friends." Nik dismissed him like he would a slave and Matt lowered his eyes but left to tend to someone on the other side of the restaurant.

"So, River. I would ask you what brings you to Mystic Falls, but I think I already know. You've finally found Stefan. You know I expected you to be here when I got here last year but I think now is better timing anyways." He picked up his glass and swished his drink around before taking a sip.

"Took me a little bit, but I made it. Ive been looking and training for a long time." I took a sip of my scotch and winced at the sting as it went down.

Nik smiled at the face I made. "I almost forgot, you've never been a fan of dark liquor."

I laughed a bit, then cut to the chase. "So where is he? I ran into his brother. Thanks for the heads up."

Nik laughed too, "I haven't seen you in… what? 75 years? Everything I told you back then was all I knew of him then."

He picked up his drink and raised his eyebrows, "People change. Hes got friends now too, he's not the Ripper I knew before."

I scoffed and drank the rest of my drink with a gulp, "A string of murders last year that fit his description say something different. People change, I'll give you that," I slammed my drink on the counter and leaned in so I was inches away from him, "But we aren't people Niklaus." He frowned a bit and drained his own drink.

"Well, you certainly haven't changed a bit." He looked me up and down with his soft blue green eyes.

"Where can I find Stefan Salvatore?" I asked.

He cleared his throat, "I need Stefan alive. For the time being."

I lowered my eyes and reached into my purse without looking, feeling for the needle of vervain, I found it and wrapped my fingers around it.

Nik was still looking me in the eyes. "Well, that's a shame Nikki," I swung my hand out of my purse and shoved it into his stomach letting the syringe leak vervain into his system, he was an original, it wouldn't do much, but it would send a message. "because I've been waiting long enough."

I let go of him and he fell to the floor, temporarily damaged.

Matt exclaimed a quick, "Hey!" but I slammed my hand on the counter and he looked my in the eyes, I compelled him quick, "You've never seen me before, I never asked for Stefan, I was not here with Nik. You've been working here alone all day. You will tell whoever you send that text to that you were mistaken."

But the kid just squinted his eyes at me and said, "You cant compel me. I drink vervain every morning."

I rolled my eyes, why was this turning out to be so difficult? I pulled the stake out of my purse with a quick movement and gave him a hard whack over the side of the head.

He fell out onto the floor, "…Well that works just as well." I said and spun around to see Stefan's brother in front of me, plunging a syringe of vervain into my stomach, he smiled as I lost consciousness and fell to the ground.