AN: What is this? Is this me actually posting a chapter? Yes actually it is! And I can't believe I let this go on so long without posting anything. I deeply apologize for not posting anything and keeping everyone waiting. I meant to finish this story this past summer, and then things got so hectic, and suddenly school was here, and I finally have time to post this! I will try to be better and hope to finish at least one of my fan fics soon.

I'd like to thank everyone who left reviews on that last chapter because when I saw that people were still reading this story, it got me thinking on how much I really enjoyed writing it. So thanks so much for giving me that extra push and confidence to finish this. :)

Now this chapter does include a character that is not in the show, but is in the books, but I do believe she is a lil out of character so I apologize for that. I changed her story a bit considering on the show they've switched up a lot of things, so I did some changing of my own just for fun. But the character still does belong to the lovely L.J. Smith. :)

The Vampire Diariesbooks and characters(c) L.

The Vampire Diaries Show(c) The Amazing CW.

5 Days Later

Damon had stopped in every city before Chicago. Mainly to buy a few drinks at a bar, but also to talk to a few people. Anna said 1983 was the last time she saw Katherine and she could have moved since then. Compulsion worked well when searching for answers.

Now, he pulled up to his fifth bar in the last five days of searching for little clues Katherine could have left in a little town outside the city.

The bar favored the Mystic Grill serving lunch and dinner at tables, an open bar, and even a few pool tables were scattered here and there.

Instead of taking a seat by the bar, Damon sat in the nearest booth closest to the door hoping he could compel a few passing townspeople.

His eyes went to the menu at the end of the table by the wall. He might as well eat something. The last REAL meal he'd had was 2 days ago at a small bar in West Virginia. This place was packed with people and he didn't really feel like fishing. He opened the menu and scanned it. The waitress came by and asked to take his order.

She was cute with bouncy fluffy hair, and light eyes. But this girl reminded him too much of Caroline, and with the way she was smiling at him now made him think she just might have the same personality.

He smirked at her and said, "The Burger Bites. Extra pickles."

"Coming right up," she grinned scribbling on her pad of paper before walking off.

Just as Damon set the menu back in its original place, a girl slid into the seat in front of him. She was panting slightly, and she was spitting out words at a fast pace, "I will give you twenty bucks if you pretend to talk to me." She looked around her eyes searching the room.

Damon smirked amused. "Who ya hiding from?"

The girl smiled lightly. She had flowing black hair, and piercing brown eyes. With a skinny figure and smooth olive skin. She looked around Elena's age.

"I'm trying to dodge my parents," she admitted.

Damon raised an eyebrow.

She twirled her index finger in the air. "They're the ones who did this"

Damon looked around with his eyes. Bright decorations were hung on the ceiling, streamers and balloons, and as he'd noticed before there were a lot of people.

"Party?" He guessed.

"Yeah," replied the girl as she sat back in her seat arms crossed.

"Your party?" She was fun to tease.

"Maybe," the girl smiled.

Damon had to admit the girl was cute. Her hair was brushed behind her shoulders and it put up a nice showcase of her neck. Damon was starting to wish he'd eaten something earlier…

Luckily, the waitress came back with his order. She placed the plate of food between Damon and the girl, and he noticed she didn't look pleased with the girl sitting there with him.

"Can I get you anything Miss Sulez?"

"No Kara," the girl smiled. "Thanks though. But like I said, please just call me Meredith."

The waitress smiled. "Sorry, Meredith." Damon noticed how her eyes glinted with a sort of jealousy.

"Last name?" Damon asked once Kara was gone.

Meredith sighed. "Yeah, my parents are pretty famous around here. They sell a lot of property. But not just here. We've gone from place to place looking for "better property to sell" as my father puts it. It's all about the cash. I've lived in almost every state for a few months and I'm lucky if I stay a year or two in one place."

Damon knew how that was. He'd been all around the world watching it change. Carriages to cars. Letters to cell phones. So many things could happen in a century. Heck many things can happen in a DAY as he just discovered.

"You're a pretty open book to someone you just met," Damon commented taking a sip of his soda.

"Well," Meredith said with a smile. "Mr…"she looked at him searching for a name.

"Damon Smith," Damon smirked.

"Well, Mr. Smith," she continued. "When you've gone from place to place meeting people, making friends, and then having to leave again and again, you learn it's best not to make friends at all. Now, you," She paused looking him over and pointing at him, "You aren't from around here. I can tell. So, my guess is you'll be leaving sometime soon. So why can't I tell a stranger my story, who's just going to leave anyway, instead of me."

"True, but haven't you heard of "Never talk to strangers." He joked.

"Yes, but aren't your closest friends strangers at first?" She shot back.

Damon grinned popping a French fry into his mouth. He took a bite of one of his small burgers, before Meredith leaned back in her seat again.

"So," Damon wondered. He decided to take a shot at something. "Where have you been? Hawaii? Alaska? The Big Apple?"

"Haven't been to Hawaii yet," she giggled. "But I've been to the North, and I've stayed across the South. All across the U.S."

"Mystic Falls perhaps?" Damon asked. "That's where I'm from."

A weird look crossed her face that was a mix of sadness and remembrance and confusion. "That's funny. I just moved from there last year…That was the one time I broke my routine of not making friends. I met some really nice people." She gave a sad smile.

"Anybody I may know?" Damon ate the last of his burgers.

Suddenly, Kara reappeared. "Can I get you anything else?" She asked. She picked up the cleared plate.

"Nope," Damon said and looking disappointed, she walked away.

Meredith replied to his earlier question by naming off people, "Um, Matt Donovan, Elena Gilbert-"

"Ah, I know her," Damon grinned again. At that moment Damon wondered how Elena was doing. Probably hanging out wit his brooding brother…

"You do?" Meredith seemed excited. "How?"

"She's dating my little brother," Damon said.

Meredith looked confused again. "I thought she was dating Matt…"

"Nope. Not when she met my brother," Damon explained.

"Oh," the young girl seemed lost in thought for a moment before shaking her head and saying, "So, Mr. Smith. I told you my story. How about yours? Why are YOU here?"

"Oh," Damon chuckled. "That story's a long one and I don't think you want to hear it."

"You just seem like a man with an agenda."

Oh, you have NO idea, Damon thought.

"I am looking for someone actually." He said. "Looking" wasn't really the right word though…

"Oh really?" Meredith asked. "I can probably help with that."

"Could you now?"

"Sure," Meredith gave a bright smile. "I'm good with names."

"Hmm," Damon paused before speaking. "She moves a lot. Do you know a Miss Pierce?"

"Maybe," she thought. "Where'd you last see her?"

"I heard she was in Chicago."

"Oh, I was there a few weeks ago…"

Damon waited.

Maybe he was wasting more time with this girl. But something about her made him listen and stay. She knew Elena so she must be smart, but then again the witch is a best friend of hers and she tried to kill him.

"Oh! Now I got it!" Meredith exclaimed. "Couldn't forget a face like hers…" She trailed off. "Come to think of it she could be Elena's sister."

"Tell me about it," Damon smirked drumming his fingers on the table.

"Anyway," Meredith shook her head. "Yeah, she bought an apartment from my parents just before we left. She said she lived there before not to long ago."

"Think you can get the address for me?"

Meredith's eyes narrowed for a moment, thinking again. "I like you, so, I can try."

Meredith was able to get the address eventually, and came back to Damon with it and her promised twenty bucks.

"Keep it," Damon said taking the slip of paper. He had what he needed.

Meredith almost protested, but thought better of it. Instead she said as Damon slid out of the booth, "It was nice meeting you, Damon." She stood too a smile playing at her lips.

Damon smirked one of his famous smirks. "You too, Meredith."

"Good luck."

Damon nodded, and just before stepping out the door to the bar, had a second thought to erase her memory.

But chose against it.

AN: I really hope you guys liked it! Please review! (Also, I know it may have seem a little strange for Meredith to just give out her address like that, but I needed a way for Damon to find her location, so sorry if that seems strange.)

Thanks again! :)

~M

Meredith Sulez(c) L. :)