Cruel and Unusual Punishment

"Crimes of Passion Never Go Unpunished."

A dark tale of love, lust, pain and the unbreakable bond of blood.

A Vampire Diaries Fan Fiction by

VampTramp83

Chapter One: The Most Beautiful Deception

"The tragedy is all right there...in the very beginning when he smiles at her. When she instantly forgets. Forgets how dangerous he is."

Anne Eliot

Stefan's POV:

It was nearing eleven-fifteen in the morning when I found myself making my way slowly down the long main hallway of Mystic Falls High School, and toward my fourth period history class that I had pathetically been anxiously waiting to attend ever since I had compelled my way into it just a few hours before. The idea of having to sit through yet another semester of mundane high school classes that I had already taken nearly a hundred times before was absolutely mind numbing to my already fragile undead psyche, but the payoff that I was determined to receive from all of my hard work promised to be well worth the arduous task of simply relearning the Northern Virginia's high school curriculum just one last time. My mind ached painfully inside of my skull as I continued moving at my casual pace toward my advanced placement class, and I couldn't help but notice the intensely curious stares that I received from all of the small town youth around me as I continued on my path pretending that I couldn't hear every single small minded comment that each one of them made as they obsessively looked my way. I suppose that I couldn't blame them for being so curious about the new student that had seemed to appear suddenly out of thin air in a town where nothing ever went unnoticed, but the fact that they all seemed to stare at me as if I was some kind of foreign object that they had never before in their young lives ever seen, well that just seemed to be a little much.

Finally, after minding my speed to make sure that I was moving at a normal careless teenaged pace, I eventually rounded my final corner and made my way into the small expanse of room two twenty-one. I scanned the still practically empty space around me searching immediately for the only reason that I had stayed so long in what had once been my much beloved home town, and then slowly took a seat in the back of the room once I had noticed that she had not yet arrived. I dropped my tan messenger bag casually down onto the floor beside my incredibly uncomfortable excuse for a desk, and then drummed my fingers mindlessly against the wooden tabletop before me until I finally saw her beautiful and yet painfully heartbreaking young face come into view.

Just seconds before the fourth period bell was finally due to ring, Elena Gilbert walked into the small stuffy classroom in front of me, and in my eyes practically glided through the space before me as if I were trapped in some sort of bittersweet dream from which I could not awake. Her long dark chestnut colored hair was now pulled up into a high ponytail on the top of her head, unlike when I had first seen her earlier that morning, and her skin now seemed slightly flushed due to what I could only imagine was her rushed attempt to actually make it to class on time. The girl that was slowly making her way closer to me with every small step that she took looked identical to Katherine Pierce right down to the alluring smile on her perfect young face, and the slight sway of her hips that seemed to catch the eye of nearly every guy in the room as she casually walked past. It sickened me how strong the desire to kill the beautiful young creature before me burned deeply inside of me even as I sat in a room filled with completely coherent witnesses, and it made me feel even more disgusted when I realized that the idea of it completely turned me on.

"Elena! I saved you a seat." I heard a girl with a soft voice call from behind me, causing Elena to smile and move even faster in my direction. I slowly turned my head back toward where the sweet voice had come from, and then narrowed my eyes as I took the suspiciously familiar looking human teen completely into my view.

The young girl sitting in the next row beside me (and exactly one seat back) was petite, had long dark mahogany colored hair, and large intense caramel colored eyes that seemed to speak far louder than even her excited words to her friend ever had. Her skin was a beautiful lustrous ebony color, and her hair was worn straight down her back reaching just to the bottom of her small shoulder blades. She smiled politely at me as I finally met her mysterious young eyes, and then she quickly lost her friendly expression as she seemed to suddenly catch a chill from the breeze that blew in through the open window just across the room from her. I nodded as I looked at her and held my completely faked endearing smile tightly on my lips, but then suddenly felt a very uneasy feeling wash over me as I continued to study her intently. Why the hell did she look so familiar?

"Thanks, Bonnie. I swear if I have to chase Jeremy out of one more bathroom before its even lunchtime, I am going to freaking scream." Elena finally said tensely to the unnervingly familiar girl beside me who was apparently named Bonnie, and then carefully took her seat just in front of her and directly across from me. I smiled as I licked my lips slowly at my sudden good fortune, and then lifted my stare slowly up toward her as I pushed my unease quickly away. Elena didn't noticed me at first, but slowly after she had eventually finished her conversation with her friend regarding who I already knew to be her younger (and also slightly drug addicted) brother, she finally turned my way. She smiled warmly once she saw me, and then slowly leaned forward curiously in her seat.

"Hi, I'm Elena. I've never seen you around before. Are you new here?" She asked sweetly as her full lips twisted into a gentle smile, and her warm brown eyes brightened slightly in my direction. I smiled as I nodded slowly, and then let out a very careful breath.

"Yeah, I just moved back to town this summer. It's very nice to meet you, Elena. I'm Stefan, Stefan Salvatore." I answered politely as I nodded toward her, and then laid on some of my old southern charm that had always worked out quite deliciously for me in the past. Elena nodded as she flipped the long hair hanging from her ponytail back over her slim shoulder, and then shrugged casually in my direction.

"Moving back? I've lived in Mystic Falls all of my life, and I've never seen you around. When did you last live here?" She asked innocently as she quickly crossed one of her long legs over the other, and then carefully straightened her red cheerleading skirt over her thighs.

"It's been quite a while. It feels like it was almost a different lifetime." I said with a smile as I attempted to be as vague as possible in my answer, and yet at the same time also keep at least a small element of the truth alive in my words.

"Well, on behalf of everyone in Mystic Falls we are very glad to have you back, Stefan Salvatore." Elena said sweetly as she smiled brightly at me, and then finally turned herself back toward the front of the classroom just as the teacher took his place casually in front of his desk.

The first half of my fourth period class moved by incredibly quickly as I blatantly ignored the apparent newest teaching addition to Mystic Falls High School, Mr. Alaric Saltzman, and focused more so on the girl that was sitting next to me texting with her friends about yours truly. The uneasily familiar girl that still sat happily behind Elena was attempting to elusively tell her that I was totally checking her out, and apparently Elena was cryptically attempting to argue with her that I definitely was not. It amazed me how far teenagers had regressed since I had actually been one of them, but alas it was endearing to watch their simple interactions just the same. To give Elena's creepy little friend credit; I had in fact definitely been checking her out just as she had suspected. It was too bad for Elena, however, that my intentions for her were far worse than just a simple passion filled night in the backseat of my car, and no return phone call in the morning. No, my plans were far more appetizing than that.

"Alright, class. As you are all well aware, this is an advanced placement course and therefore you will be earning college credit for your work done in here this year. The course material for our first semester will be extensive and challenging, but I assure you that when you leave my class at the end of the school year, you will be very well prepared for any college history class that you will take as freshman." The incredibly young appearing history teacher began about fifteen minutes before the class was finally due to be over.

"Now that being said, the first unit that we are going to cover is going to be on The Civil War. Your first assignment will be a detailed research paper regarding the war, and its lasting effects on both the young men that fought in it, as well as the everyday citizens that lived through it watching from afar. You will work in partners, and every student will be expected to participate no matter what the excuse. This assignment will require a great deal of dedication both inside and outside of class, and it will be due one month from today." Mr. Saltzman finally finished causing a wave of groans to wash over the class around me, and the eruption of whispers to explode from nearly every corner of the once completely silent room. I smiled to myself as I silently thanked the idiotic young teacher before me for giving me just the reason that I needed in order to get a little bit more personal with Miss Elena, and then immediately began working through the incredibly gory beginning details to my plan in my brain that I was sure even my brother would have found disturbing.

"Now, I realize that this was probably not what you all wanted to hear on the first day of school, but please remember that I am giving you this assignment in order to prepare you for what is to come when you all hopefully begin college next fall. Professors, even in Virginia are not going to let you off easy just because it is the first day of class. They are going to expect you to be prepared immediately, and unfortunately, so do I." Mr. Saltzman rambled in what sounded like almost an apology as he began handing out information packets regarding the requirements of the assignment, and also quietly answering the millions of questions that were being thrown at him by every panicking student that he passed. I smiled as I rolled my eyes at the idiocy of the teenagers around me, and then looked to my right to find Bonnie and Elena already making plans to work together on the assignment that had just been announced. Well, it was time to put an end to that.

"Mr. Saltzman, I have a quick question." I said in my most sincere voice as the tall poorly shaven young teacher finally approached my desk, and then set a packet down carefully in front of me. Mr. Saltzman nodded as he looked down at me in curiosity, and surprisingly just the slightest bit of masked suspicion.

"Yes, Mr. Salvatore, right?" He asked with a smile as he pointed at me casually as if we were some sort of friends, and as if he were somehow suddenly incredibly cool. I nodded slowly as I faked an interested smile.

"Yes, that's right." I said slowly as I lowered my voice slightly, and then glanced quickly around me to make sure that those sitting beside me were pleasantly otherwise occupied with their sudden project anxiety. The teacher nodded as I finally returned my eyes to his, and then he slowly leaned down slightly closer toward where I sat.

"What can I do for you?" He asked quickly. I smiled as I focused my eyes intensely in on his, and then caught his stare tightly with mine.

"Don't you think that it would be best if we worked in partners of your choosing?" I asked slowly as I let my gaze pull his mind tightly to mine, and then held it forcefully to me until I felt completely in control of his consciousness. Mr. Saltzman nodded slowly as his stare began to glaze over slightly, and his body seemed to become just slightly limp beneath him.

"I think that it would be best if you worked in partners of my choosing." He repeated back to me in a slow conditioned tone that I recognized incredibly well from the administrator that had so generously put me in this horrible excuse for a class only a few hours before. I licked my lips as I felt my victory beginning to wash over me, and beautifully vivid images of both Elena and Katherine's demise flash quickly before my eyes.

"And, you also think that we should work with the person that is sitting next to us. You think that it would be easier that way." I said even quieter as I made sure that I did not draw any unnecessary attention to myself from those around me, while still at the same time diligently focusing on my important task at hand.

"I think that you should work with the person sitting next to you. It would be easier that way." He repeated back to me once again in a slow and monotonous tone. I smiled as I nodded slowly, and then immediately dropped my eyes back down toward my desk just as the young teacher's eyes quickly refocused, and then he awkwardly straightened his stance.

"You, um, good here, Stefan?" Mr. Saltzman stuttered in a slightly confused tone as he looked down at me, and then shook his head slightly as if attempting to wake himself from some sort of bad dream. I nodded casually as I looked up at him, and then smiled in complete innocence.

"Yes, you answered my question perfectly. Thank you, Mr. Saltzman." I said formally, and then after another confused look, he finally turned and returned to the front of the classroom.

"Alright, everyone please settle down. Now, at the risk of creating some sort of social war, I will be selecting your history partners for you in order to make matters easier." Mr. Saltzman announced as he leaned back against his desk, and then stared out over the room in front of him. Another wave of groans moved through the class even louder than the last, and I couldn't help but smile to myself at the incredibly satisfying sound.

"I know, I know, I am completely unfair. Now, I have decided that you will be working with the person sitting next to you since that seems to be easiest. You have a few minutes now that class is almost over to talk things through and make some initial plans, but please know that I would like an outline for your papers by next week. Good luck, everyone." He announced as he finally moved back behind his desk, and then eventually sat down turning his attention to his phone that had begun vibrating quietly against the wooden surface. I smiled in pride at my thriving compulsion skills, and then slowly turned back toward my sweet little Elena.

"I guess we will be getting to know each other a little bit better." I said with a flirtatious smile as my eyes quickly locked in on hers, and my mind began to race with vicious plans that caused my mouth to water deliciously. Elena nodded as she shrugged her shoulders nervously and then smiled kindly at me.

"I guess so." She said sweetly, and with that I knew that my plan had not been nearly as crazy as my brother had earlier said it to be. The Petrova's would be long gone by the end of the year, and if I kept going at this pace, maybe even sooner.

Elena's POV:

The once brightly shining late summer sun had just begun to set over the fiery copper sky above me as I nervously attempted to navigate my way down the incredibly uneven back roads just on the outskirts of town, and also somehow calm my incredibly frantic nerves that had practically been on fire ever since my mysterious new history partner had insisted that I meet him immediately after school. The poorly scribbled directions that I had written on my left hand nearly five hours before had finally begun to smear as I hastily turned onto yet another gravel covered road that I had never seen before, and thick clouds of what appeared to be fog suddenly began to rise from the road beneath me faster than even my car's new defrost system could contain. Finally after what felt like hours of driving in complete circles, my eyes eventually focused in on a large beautifully seasoned home just about a quarter of a mile away that from the description that Stefan had given to me earlier, appeared to be my incredibly nerve wrecking final destination. I let out a sigh of relief as I accelerated slightly on the road in which I was traveling on, and then quickly turned my now completely dirt covered Range Rover into the long winding driveway that promised to lead to the beautiful slightly isolated home. I drove carefully down the estate's expansive entrance, and then slowly pulled my black SUV just to the side of the large house directly beside a vintage looking midnight blue Camaro. I quickly turned off my car's engine, and then let out a deep breath as I took in the immaculate space surrounding me.

The house (or should I say small mansion) that sat just about fifty yards away from where I currently studied it, was possibly one of the most breathtaking homes that I had ever seen in my entire life. The spacious residence didn't have the usual glitz and glamoured architecture that other homes in the area, such as the Lockwood's mansion had, but it did have a very strong and powerful presence that I suspected not even the mayor's money could successfully buy. The structure before me was quite vast, incredibly expansive, and looked as if it could have fit nearly ten families comfortably inside of it, rather than just the one that I suspected actually lived there. The magnificent archways that led up to the darkened truss of the home were incredibly steep and carefully shadowed by the statuesque trees that encompassed most of the surrounding property that from what I could see practically went on forever. As I continued to study the large estate before me, I also noticed that there were quite a few greatly oversized windows spread over the expanse of the building that were shrouded in dark curtains, and making it nearly impossible to see any further past the thick misty glass in almost a protective sort of way. Slowly, I finally stepped out of the safe confines of my car, and quietly shut my driver's side door behind me. I stared up at the beautiful estate that I had been so quickly (and eagerly) invited to earlier in the day, and then swallowed thickly as I felt my nerves come to life suddenly beneath my skin at the thought of actually going inside of it. How could this have all been here my entire life without me knowing about it? And, why the hell had I never heard the name Salvatore before today?

Slowly, I moved closer toward what appeared to be the main entryway of the incredibly quiet ancient home that for some reason, I still found myself completely in awe of. As I walked, I quickly searched through my exhausted brain for the information that I had learned earlier in the day from my incredibly gossip savvy friend, Caroline, that had always known everything that there was to know about anything in Mystic Falls. When Caroline had first nearly accosted me after I had finally been released from my fourth period history class, I had been slightly terrified and definitely caught off guard at her intense curiosity over Mystic Falls High School's newest student, and my all of a sudden history partner. However, after talking to my friend for only a few short minutes, I suddenly realized exactly what all of her excitement had truly been about.

According to what Caroline Forbes (of the founding Forbes') had gathered from her mother after calling her immediately once she had learned Stefan's last name, the Salvatore's had been among one of the five original founding families in Mystic Falls just as both mine and hers had been so many years before. They had been a very wealthy family that a few generations before coming to our small town, had immigrated to America from Italy, and had been one of the first members of the original Mystic Falls Town Council. The Salvatore's had apparently been very lucrative business owners, incredibly hard workers, and had contributed a great deal to the community in their time. Unfortunately during the height of their prosperity, tragedy had suddenly struck the once rock solid family, and once it rained on the Salvatore's it apparently truly began to pour.

Long before any of the founding families had made their way into the small area that would later become my quaint hometown of Mystic Falls; the matriarch of the Salvatore family had died at a quite young age after giving birth to her second child. The loss had apparently been incredibly hard on the surviving male members of the family, but they had somehow moved on and continued to prosper greatly in the southeast. Once the Salvatore children (both boys) were finally grown, they had apparently both been drafted as soldiers into the Civil War. It was said that the two men were only gone for a few weeks before their father had received word that they had both been killed in action, and from what Caroline's mother had explained, he had died there shortly after.

At the time, everyone in the town had assumed that the Salvatore line had been sadly ended since neither one of the grown brothers had ever yet fathered any children, but apparently their father had a secret that no one at the time had known about. Apparently, Daddy Salvatore had been having an affair with one of his servants during the time just before he had died, and thus unknowingly fathered another child behind his very expensive closed doors. Sherriff Forbes (Caroline's mother) claimed that there was no other information regarding the Salvatore heritage after the discovery of the third child was made, but something told me there was a lot more to the story than what was being so generously shared by my friend's usually tight lipped mother. How could an entire family have just disappeared over one hundred years before, and now just suddenly seemed to spring up completely out of nowhere?

Finally, after wrecking my already chaotic young mind desperately over the confusing puzzle that was the Salvatore family history, I eventually made my way up to the large mahogany front door of what I prayed was in fact Stefan's home. I took in a deep steadying breath as I slowly lifted my hand toward the door, and then nearly jumped out of my skin as I suddenly heard the loud squawk of some sort of bird directly behind me.

"Jesus Christ!" I yelled as I quickly turned around nearly tripping over my own feet, and then suddenly found a large sleek crow sitting perched on top of a stone pillar just behind me, and staring at me in what appeared to be complete confusion. Could birds be confused?

"Bird, you scared the shit out of me." I breathed as I laughed to myself at my unusual jumpiness, and then ran my fingers quickly through my long hair silently thanking God that I hadn't turned around to find anything more threatening than a simple bird waiting behind me. The bird squawked loudly once again as it stared at me intently, and something about the way that its dark eyes seemed to almost penetrate through me suddenly caused the smile to fall from my once amused face.

I didn't know what it was, but it felt as if I was suddenly frozen in the entryway of the large antique home, and completely unable to move from where I stood. The beautiful onyx colored bird with silky shining dark feathers held my gaze tightly with its deep entrancing eyes as I stood in complete silence studying it as if I had never seen an animal like it in existence ever before. The bird tilted its head to the side as it seemed almost entertained by my admiring it so intensely, and then as if I were moving of someone else's accord, my feet took a few slow steps forward toward the mesmerizing creature. The crow continued to stare at me as it tilted its head quickly to the other side, and then squawked loudly once again, but this time I did not jump or scream. The vibrations from the primal call that had escaped the animal's beak seemed to move through my suddenly heated overly sensitive skin, and then sunk deeply into my bones causing my flesh to ache painfully from its power. A chill moved through my body as I took another unintended step forward, and then slowly stretched out my now shaking right hand toward the mysterious dark animal.

"Why can I not stop looking at you?" I whispered quietly to myself, but just as my last word finally left my lips, the crow quickly opened its expansive wings, and then gracefully flew away. My thoughts spun wildly inside of my confused mind as I quickly attempted to shake myself out of my incredibly strange encounter, and then I finally turned back toward the front door suddenly noticing that it was now just slightly opened. I swallowed as I moved closer toward the entrance, and then finally stepped slowly inside of the mysterious home searching for any signs of life that did not include that hauntingly beautiful dark bird.

The main hallway that led into what appeared to be the grand expanse to the ground floor of Stefan's home was as equally breathtaking as the outside of the house had been, and even more dark and secluded than its exterior. The walls around me were made of a beautiful dark polished wood, and the art that adorned the exquisite hardened surface appeared to be older than what I had even most recently seen inside of a museum. Small antique tables lined the sides of the hallway that I still slowly made my way down, and lovely (as well as obviously expensive) crystal lamps were scattered on top of them in what appeared to be almost a completely careless decoration. A light thin layer of dust seemed to cascade just over the tops of nearly everything that my eyes could take in before me as if no one had tended to it in quite some time, and the thick heady smell of leather wafted in through the stuffy air around me as I slowly continued to move. My mouth hung open in a silent awe as I took in the ancient beauty around me, and then I finally took yet another step further into the house in search of my host.

"Stefan?" I called weakly as I looked around the seemingly empty space around me, and then silently wondered if Caroline had actually been right when she had told me that her mother had mentioned that this house was said to be haunted.

"Stef…?" I attempted to call once again as I slowly turned around to glance behind me, but just as I did, I ran directly into a hard masculine body that caused all of my nerves to jump erratically beneath my muscles, and my heart to rise quickly into my throat.

"Oh my God, I am so sorry…the…." I started to stutter mindlessly in complete fear as I lifted my gaze and suddenly took in the man standing before me who only moments before had been nowhere to be seen. The man stared down at me with an intrigued expression on his face, and appeared to study my every breath as if each single movement that I made meant something of great importance to some unknown cause. I desperately attempted to search my mind for something to say to the mysterious stranger in order to force him to finally speak, but as soon as I let my eyes take in the entirety of his form before me, I suddenly felt my words get lost inside of my mind.

The man that stood silently just a few inches away from my reach, was mesmerizingly beautiful and even describing him as that felt as if it were an insult. He stood quite a few inches taller than me, and had the darkest color of midnight black hair that I had ever seen that lay in messy pieces on top of his head. His skin was a beautiful rich ivory color, and his body appeared incredibly strong beneath his dark form fitting clothing. His jaw was tight and squared slightly as he watched me, and his features were sharp and appeared as if they had somehow been chiseled by hand. The man stood confident with his shoulders back, and his chest slightly forward, but no amount of romance novel description could have ever possibly described what I saw when I finally lifted my eyes, and met his almost hypnotizing cool stare.

"The door was open…" I suddenly stuttered without the permission of my brain as I looked up into the paralyzing cobalt blue eyes that seemed to hold my stare tightly to his and refuse to let me go no matter how hard that I tried to escape them. I swallowed thickly as I felt my hands beginning to shake due to the man's continued silence before me, and then finally felt my mind begin to spin as his icy cool stare seemed to quickly reach inside of me and hold me forcefully where I stood.

"I…" I muttered as I pointed my hand behind me toward the front door in order to at least attempt to physically display that the door had in fact been blatantly left open, but unfortunately I still could not pull my eyes away from the mysterious stranger in front of me in order to make whatever point it was that I was foolishly trying to make.

"You must be, Elena. I'm Damon, Stefan's brother." The man said finally in a smooth tone as he nodded slowly, and then allowed a warm smile to twist over his perfect pale lips. I finally breathed out.

"Damon, it's um…really nice to meet you. I'm sorry; Stefan didn't tell me that he had a brother." I choked out as I licked my suddenly dry lips, and then took a timid step back attempting to put some much needed space between me and what appeared to be Stefan's much older brother. Damon nodded slowly as he watched me move away from him carefully, and then mirrored my motion by taking a small step back from me as well.

"Well, Stefan's not one to brag. Please, come in." He said with a smile as he motioned with one of his long tightly defined arms toward what I could only guess was the living room that I had apparently blindly passed almost immediately when I had first walked into the house only moments before.

"I'm sorry for coming in without knocking. The door was just open, and it didn't look like anyone was home so I thought…" I started to ramble in an attempt to explain why Stefan's brother had just found me roaming around his house as if I owned the freaking place. Damon nodded as he led me slowly into the massive expanse of his living room, and then turned back toward me quickly as he narrowed his eyes.

"So, you thought that you would take a private tour?" He asked sarcastically as he shrugged his shoulders, and then crossed his arms over his chest as he began to study me carefully once again. I swallowed as I felt heat rise quickly in my cheeks, and then shook my head as I dropped my eyes down to the floor beneath me.

"No, I just…" I started as I began to desperately search my brain for any logical reasons as to why I was walking around in someone else's house without permission, and then finally stopped just as I saw Damon smile once again.

"I was only joking, Elena. You are welcome here anytime." He said in a slightly softer tone as his eyes stayed intently on mine, and he spoke to me as if he had known me his entire life. I swallowed thickly once again as I felt my blood begin to move faster through my veins, and then my hands begin to shake slightly harder at my sides.

"So, um…is Stefan here? He asked me to meet him here after school to work on our history paper, and I really shouldn't be out too late or my aunt will start to worry." I said quickly as I began to fidget slightly where I stood, and then immediately cursed myself for making myself sound as if I were a child with a designated bedtime. Damon smiled as he took a step closer toward me, and then slowly shook his head.

"No, he's not actually. He ran out to catch…I mean grab something to eat, but he should be back anytime." He said slowly as he licked his lips, and then ran his eyes over me intently once again. My heart began to slam violently against the delicate bones of my chest as the look in Damon's eyes seemed to excite something inside of me that I had never felt before, and just as I felt my hands beginning to sweat I saw Damon swallow thickly as he continued to carefully watch me.

"Am I making you nervous, Elena?" He asked in a low voice as he took a slow step toward me, and then ran his tongue meticulously over his bottom lip just as his crystal blue eyes dropped toward the soft hallow of my throat. I swallowed as I shook my head and felt a slight amount of fear move over me suddenly from the unreadable tone of his voice, and then faked a casual smile.

"No, of course not. I just had a really long day at school today and I'm kind of tired." I said quickly as I took a small step backward and then crossed my arms tightly over my chest. Damon nodded as he finally ceased in his slow movements, and then nodded toward the sofa behind me.

"Would you like to sit down while you wait for my brother?" He asked kindly with a smile as he took a small step closer. I nodded slowly as I finally legitimately smiled.

"Sure, thank you." I said nervously as I took a few steps backward and then eventually made my way toward the large brown leather sofa that sat just behind me. Damon nodded as he watched me and then moved over to a large lounge chair just to the right of where I sat, and then leaned back against the thick material casually.

"So, um did you and Stefan just move back with your parents this summer then?" I asked uneasily as I desperately attempted to break the ice between Stefan's brother and myself, which felt as if it were quickly crushing me. Damon shook his head as he pursed his lips together, and then dropped his eyes down to the plush carpet beneath him.

"No, Stefan and my parents passed away quite some time ago. I have been his legal guardian ever since they died, and I decided that we should come back here so that he could finish up school." He said carefully as he finally folded his large arms over his chest, and then lifted his eyes back up to mine. I nodded slowly and smiled as I couldn't help but appreciate the kindness that had to apparently be inside of the man standing just across from me since he had been taking care of his brother for what I imagined to now be quite a long time. Speaking of a long time, exactly how old was this guy? Twenty-five? No, maybe twenty-two?

"I'm sorry to hear about your parents. Where did you guys live before you came back here?" I asked attempting not to pry too incredibly much while at the same time also getting at least a little bit of information on what seemed to be the very elusive lost founding family's past.

"We have always moved around a lot." He replied quickly as he faked a small smile, and then pushed himself away from the chair just before he began moving closer toward my seat. I nodded as I felt my nerves begin to slightly twitch, and my heart begin to pound faster with every single step that he took closer toward me.

"You have a really beautiful home." I said quickly as I pulled my eyes away from Damon, and began admiring the beautifully decorated space around me.

"It's a little kitschy for my taste, but thank you for the sentiment." He said casually as he finally sat down on the sofa next to me, and then leaned back against one of the large overstuffed cushions. My pulse pounded at his close proximity to my nervous body, and my gut screamed at me that I should move away quickly no matter how beautiful the stranger before me was. But, of course I didn't listen.

"Well, I think that things that are old and full of history are really interesting. I like to imagine what the story is behind them, and where they have been." I said attempting to keep my voice steady as I leaned slightly away from Damon, and then tightly crossed my legs in front of me. Damon smiled to himself as if he were thinking of some sort of a private joke, and then slowly raised his eyes to focus on something just beside my head. I swallowed as he slowly leaned forward toward me, and then he finally closed the gap between us causing my breathing to practically stop within my lungs.

"Relax, Elena. You just have something in your hair." He whispered softly as he seemed to immediately sense my incredible unease, and then without another word reached out and gently touched a few strands of my dark hair. A chill moved through my body as the touch from Damon's fingertips seemed to radiate throughout the sensitive nerves of my scalp, and then immediately reached deep inside of me touching something that I had never known existed before. My pulse pounded beneath my skin as I felt the soft caress of something against the side of my cheek, and then I felt my mouth go completely dry as I felt the whisper of Damon's fingertips against my now burning young flesh. Slowly, I lifted my eyes to finally catch Damon's, and for the first time ever since I had met him, I saw something in his eyes that scared me half to death. I didn't know what it was, but I knew that it was dangerous, and I knew that my gut had been right earlier when it had told me to run.

"Have you been playing with the birds, Elena?" Damon finally asked with a seductive smile as he pulled a long black silky feather from my hair, and then twirled it casually between his fingers just as he leaned back away from my face. I swallowed as I felt goose bumps break out over my skin, and then felt my knees begin to shake uncontrollably against me.

"No, um…I don't know how..." I rambled in a whisper as I felt my mind beginning to swirl once again as I locked eyes with the man in front of me, and then felt myself beginning to lose complete control of my chaotic thinking. Damon nodded as he set the feather down carefully onto the sofa between us, and then smiled brightly as his eyes stayed firmly locked on mine.

"Hello, brother." He said in a slightly dark sarcastic tone as he finally pulled his eyes away from mine, and then turned toward the entryway of the parlor just before he gracefully pushed himself up to stand. I cleared my throat uneasily as I followed Damon's movements and quickly rose from the sofa as well, just before I turned around to find Stefan standing behind us.

"Stefan. Hey." I said nervously as I pushed a few strands of my hair behind my ear, and then took a couple much needed steps away from Damon. Stefan nodded at me as he tightened his jaw slightly, and kept his eyes focused in intently on his brother.

"It's good to see you again, Elena. Damon, don't you have plans this evening?" He asked his brother formally as he seemed to be saying something with his eyes that his lips did not exactly voice. Damon smirked as he leaned back slightly on his heels, and then raised his hands in what appeared to be mock surrender.

"Ah, yes. I should probably go find someone…something to eat, and leave you two kids to your studies. Elena, it was very nice to meet you." He said as he slowly dropped his eyes from his brother, and then turned back toward me. I nodded as I avoided his stare, and then tried to process the unnerving words that he had just said. I heard Damon sigh, and then suddenly felt my skin heat as he unexpectedly reached out and grabbed my hand, causing my eyes to immediately shoot back up toward his.

"You are welcome to trespass in my home anytime that you'd like." He whispered as he slowly pulled my hand up to his mouth, and then gently kissed my skin just as his eyes locked tightly in on mine. My face flushed as the soft flesh of his mouth touched my hand, and then my heart pounded harder inside of my chest as his crystal colored eyes seemed to glisten just slightly in the room's dim lighting.

"Thank you. It was nice to meet you too, Damon." I said quickly and then dropped my hand and put a few much needed steps between me and Stefan's brother. Damon nodded as he smiled at me, and then winked at his brother just before he moved quickly across the room and then disappeared out of the now oddly closed front door. I took in a deep breath as I slowly turned back toward Stefan, who was looking at me in a very peculiar type of way, and then cleared my incredibly dry throat.

"Would you like to get started?" Stefan asked tightly as he continued to study my expression. I nodded as I smiled and then took a few steps closer toward him.

"Of course. Let's go write some history." I said with an incredibly fake level of enthusiasm, and then followed Stefan as he made his way quickly toward the stairs, and away from his mysterious brother with the terrifyingly beautiful blue eyes.

A/N: Alright so what did everyone think? Sorry I didn't update yesterday, but I've edited this chapter so many times that I think I'm getting OCD, lol. Anyway, a few notes: Yes, the story about the Salvatore's and how they died is completely and totally false. My point in writing this is to show that the town is obviously trying to cover things up, and give as much incorrect information as possible so that people do not continue to ask questions. Also, yes, Stefan is very creepy lol. I am trying to play up his crazy because he is fun that way, and I think it is a fascinating part of his character. Not all chapters will have Stefan's POV; I just thought it was important that I show his intentions at the beginning. Please note the characters will be ever evolving and changing. No one is all good, all bad or anything like that. I will try to get the next chapter up ASAP and please let me know what you think. Your reviews are great motivation and help me so much. Thank you so much for reading And thank you to each and every one of you that read the Prologue, reviewed and followed!