A/N: I don't own anyone but my OC's…though I wished I owned the guys…*sighs*
A/N: After doing some thinking I decided to go in a different direction with this as it would be way more interesting!!!!
A few days had passed since that fateful night but to Alaric it seemed like yesterday. He continued teaching at the high school but didn't have the energy to put the passion behind what he presented. Some of the students had noticed the sullen look in his eyes but didn't think a thing of it. Most were too worried about the next class or the party that was going on Friday night. Jeremy, however, sat and watched as his teacher went through the motions as he discussed the Salem Witch Trials but noticed something was….off.
Before he could ask what's wrong, the bell rang sending students pouring out in the halls. Jeremy tried to get to Alaric but the teacher was already out the door and hurrying down the hall. Stefan approached the younger Gilbert as Elena weaved through the sea of bodies towards the pair. She stopped noticing the worried faces.
"Stefan what is it?" Stefan blinked before casting his eyes in her direction.
"It's Mr. Saltzman," he said. "Something's not right with him."
She knew not to mention vampires around her brother as Elena hoped to keep him protected from the truth. Stefan had told her about what happened in the house between Damon and Alaric and how he literally came back to life. She had reacted with shock at first then the reality set in and shock gave way to acceptance.
Alaric reached his car and fumbled with the keys, dropping them twice before getting the driver's side unlocked. Bending down he curled his fingers over the ring of keys and began to stand up but a foot appeared and slammed down over the top. Alaric yelped and dropped his keys once again. He didn't have to guess who it was hovering over him.
"Seems you have nine lives," Damon peered down at the human. "Oh wait make it eight since I did kill you."
Alaric kept mum, refusing to say anything which would bring any form of pleasure to the vampire. Damon merely shrugged off his indifference and slammed Alaric against the side of his car. His cold dead hands fisted the man's jacket and shirt as Damon glared with cold dangerous eyes.
"How did you come back?" The teacher kept tight lipped and stared hard at his attacker.
"Wait it doesn't matter," Damon smirked down at him with hands gripped the material tighter. Alaric's heart raced as the vampire came closer, closing the gap between them.
"Damon that's enough!" Stefan snapped. Damon continued to stare at the human for a few moments longer before releasing his grip and stepping back. Alaric stood up straight against the car door while Damon whipped around to confront his brother.
"You always insist on ruining my fun little brother," he sighed with a hint of genuine disappointment. Stefan did a double take but as quickly as he heard it, it was gone. Vanished upon the gentle breeze that carried through them all.
"Leave him alone Damon," Stefan growled in a low deep tone.
"Make me," Damon flashed a wicked grin before vanishing into the woods. Stefan stood there until his brother was gone before twisting around towards the terrified man.
"He's gone," Stefan reassured him. Alaric just nodded and whipped around to get in his car. He was determined to put as much room between him and the vampire as possible. His home was the only place Damon could not enter but he wasn't going to be a prisoner in his own home.
Damon sat in the den with a glass of whiskey firmly in his hand. His eyes were level with the dancing hues of yellow, orange, and red in their granite prison. Why didn't he just kill him? Why did he let Stefan stop him? Was he starting to go soft on humans? He couldn't get the damn human out of his mind not matter what he did. His thoughts would drift to the soft light brown hair that just yearned to have fingers ran through or the deep penetrating mocha depths that were the windows to his soul. Damon had seen the agony in the human's eyes when he rubbed it in Alaric's face at the auction about Isobel and upon seeing Elena's hurt expression he felt……bad? Bad! No, Damon Salvatore never harbored remorse or repentance for what he did.
"Nah," Damon shook his head and downed the last bit of Jim. He sat back and closed his eyes allowing the liquid fire to coat his throat. Now that was the stuff. Stefan watched his brother on the chair and shook his head. He knew something was up with his brother ever since he crossed paths with Alaric a few weeks before. But his brother wasn't the easiest person in the world to read so the younger Salvatore was left guessing as to what was spinning in Damon's mind.
A knock on the door made Stefan look over his shoulder at the large entryway. Damon wasn't moving but he had heard their mystery guest striking the plate of the door knocker.
"Stefan someone's at the door….." Damon muttered irritably.
Stefan turned and hurried through the grand parlor then the front hallway until he was standing at the door. Without thinking he flung the door open and was startled to see who was standing on the other side.
"Hi Stefan," the shorter red haired woman greeted him warmly. The vampire let out a whoosh of air in relief as he smiled back at her.
"Brooklyn hi!" They quickly embraced then let go.
"What are you doing here? I thought you were…."
"Hunting? Yeah I'm still doing that. But I got word about what happened down here and hauled tracks to make sure you didn't meet the end of a stake," she looked him over and nodded in approval.
"And by the looks of it you're just as hot as ever," Stefan chuckled awkwardly. They knew each other from Minneapolis when she was 19 and starting out on her own. Stefan had saved her life from a rogue vampire and ever since the two had been close friends.
"I heard about what Damon did to Lexi," Brooklyn bristled as she spoke. "Is he here? Because if he is he's dead."
"No, Brook don't," Stefan lifted a hand preventing her from stepping in. "He's not worth it."
"Speak for yourself," she retorted. "She was my friend too and Lee is still devastated. I went to see him and made sure he fed. You didn't see him Stefan. He was in a sorry state- weak and turning into a mummified state from refusing to feed. But it was his eyes that I remembered the most and still do. Hell, I can see them now even as I stand here. Two circles of pain highlighted in deep dull chocolate rings. Thank god I know people who work in blood banks."
Stefan was crestfallen over how far Lee had slipped. He had truly loved Lexi and nearly killed Damon in Georgia. Stefan noted the tense lines creasing at the edges of Brooklyn's eyes as her hands curled up into two tight fists. Brooklyn and Damon didn't see eye to eye with one another but then again she was an empath and immediately picked up on what she called his bad vibes. Turned out the feelings were mutual.
"I didn't know Brook," Brooklyn waved a hand and shook her head. "Look it's not worth arguing over okay? If Damon's here I'll just ignore him as best I can. Besides I wanna ask you about someone."
"Sure," Stefan smiled.
"I was at the Mystic Grill and spotted a guy in a black jacket and pants with a red button up shirt. He had light brown hair and these beautiful soulful dark eyes."
Stefan's face fell but he immediately forced the grin back up. His friend had this dreamy almost lustful look in her eyes. Brooklyn had described Alaric Saltzman to the T and it appeared she had taken a liking to him.
"What?" She stared at him strangely. "Did I say something?"
"No, no," he shook his head. "I know who he is. His name's Alaric Saltzman and he teaches history over at the high school."
"Really…." Brooklyn had a wicked smiled on her face as Stefan knew that look in her eyes and knew what she was thinking.
Okay readers.....Next update soon.....
