Chapter 3 What are you?

I'm here. I'm still here.

"What the hell was with that voice last night?" I asked myself as I sat alone at a small wooden table inside the cafe I had come across on my walk that morning and clutched a paper cup full of coffee while I tried to decipher what I had heard just a few hours ago.

My nerves were still quivering from that voice coming out of the darkness from what seemed like no where in particular. It had scared me so much that I slept with all my lights on for what was the first time since I was a child but I didn't care. I was scared beyond belief because that was the first time something like that had ever happened to me. Normally when I read people's thoughts by accident, there was always some sort of sign, like a crackle or a pop, that said I was about to be in someone's mind. But not only was there no warning, but I wasn't quite sure that it was even someone's thoughts that I had heard and that was why I was so jumpy this morning. Usually at night and especially late at night, most people's minds were at rest, so no stray thoughts ever floated in by accident. So when I heard it just erupt in my head, I wanted to scream but I managed not to. It then occurred to me after I had calmed down that the voice, although distant and far away, sounded vaguely familiar. Like I had heard this person speaking to me in the past but the voice was no distorted so I couldn't pin point who it was. But I did have a feeling that I was meant to hear it. Just like there had to be a reason why I felt like I was supposed to be in this town. Something was going on and there was something out there in Mystic Falls that was trying to contact me.

"Allison?" An unsure voice asked from across the room and I turned my head and focused my eyes on the approaching figure and saw that it was Elena Gilbert, the girl who was dating Stefan who I had met at the bar last night. She waved to me as she walked over with her own cup of coffee in her hand and sat down across from me and dropped her bag on the floor at her feet. "I thought I recognized you, but I couldn't be sure. What are you doing up so early?"

"Oh...i just...couldn't sleep." I lied, not wanting to go into the whole thing about hearing a weird voice when I just met this girl the night before. I had felt an instant kinship with her that made me think we would end up being friends. But that didn't mean I was going to cop up to hearing voices that even I found strange, even though I was a mind reader. "I haven't slept all that well in the past few weeks."

"That's too bad, I know what that is like." Elena nodded, taking a sip of her coffee before running her hand through her hair and looking at me. "So what brings you here to Mystic Falls?"

"Excuse me?" I asked, biting on my lip and raising my eyebrow at her question. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, there has to be a reason you came here." Elena stated, shrugging her shoulders at me. "Not many people who aren't related to the founding families, ever pass through and settle here unless there is a reason. And I just have a feeling that you aren't related to anyone in this town. So I was just curious."

"Oh, I was getting out of a situation back home that made me desperate to leave and go somewhere else. And I just picked this place randomly off a map." I explained, lying again because that wasn't the total truth. My decision to come here hadn't just been random, I felt a pull to this place. I was meant to come here, but I had yet to figure out why. So I just faked a smile and said. "That's all there is to it."

"Ok, just wondering. It made me interested in why you're here because of how intensely Damon has been talking about it." Elena told me, her brown eyes searching my green ones as if she were trying to figure me out. "He seems to think you are something to worry about it. But you're not. Are you?"

"Uh no." I answered back, laughing at the idea of me of all people being something to fear. "If anyone should be worried about someone it should be me. Damon really seems to be interested in me and I don't think it is for a good reason. In my experience, when a vampire expresses interest, most of the time it is not good."

"You've been involved with vampires back home?" Elena asked, her eyes lighting up with curiosity. "What were they like?"

"The usual, mean and violent, arrogant and self centered." I recounted the characteristics of most vampires before I smiled and said. "But actually that's not true for all of them. My cousin got engaged to a vampire and he is wonderful."

"Really? That's fascinating. I didn't know people would actually want to marry vampires." Elena said, drinking a large gulp of her coffee. "But I guess that's because it hadn't been legal until recently."

"She's very excited, she loves him and he treats her so well." I stated, smiling warmly as I thought about Bill. He really was the best kind of vampire, able to blend his human side and his vampire side seamlessly. "I think it's because of his age and how old fashioned he is."

"When was he turned?" Elena wanted to know.

"Sometime around the Civil War I think." I scratched my head to remember the date exactly but it didn't come to mind.

"That's about the same time as when Stefan and Damon were turned." She exclaimed, shaking her head with a smile. "Interesting. I can't imagine meeting a vampire any older then them."

" I have met vampires much much older." I said without thinking, flinching when the vampire's face in question flashed through my head. I didn't realize how much his face would pain me and I drew in a hiss of a breath at that moment.

"Are you ok." Elena asked, sounding concerned as I felt her eyes on me.

"I'm fine. Just bad memories." I forced Eric's face from my mind and made myself calm down so I could actually breathe normally. "It's nothing."

"Are you sure? You just looked so sad all a sudden." Elena commented, pressing her lips together sympathetically. She leaned in close like she was sharing a secret and asked. "Is that why you came here? To get away from something bad?"

"You know, I would really like to not talk about it." I told her, clutching my coffee cup with both hands. "It's just not pleasant for me."

"I understand. I won't force you to tell me anything you don't want to, but..." Elena trailed off, looking down awkwardly at her lap. "You just look like you could use a friend. And I know we just met, but I figure we could be friends. It would give you someone that you know around here."

"Thanks, I might take you up on that." I felt the urge to smile and so I did. It wasn't my usual smile but it was the best I could manage. "I would stay longer, but I have to get back to my apartment and do some unpacking and organizing before I have to go to work."

"I have to get school anyway or else it will be the millionth time I am late this year." Elena laughed, standing up and pulling the strap of her bag over her shoulder and grabbing her coffee. "So I guess we will cross paths again soon."

"Definitely." I nodded, reaching down to take my purse and then stood up. "See you around Elena."

"Same to you Allison."

At school

"Elena, what is up with that face?" Bonnie asked, sliding onto the bench across from her as Elena looked up with a frown. "You've been looking that way all morning."

"I'm sorry, I can't help it. My mind is just not here." Elena sighed, slamming shut her history book as she sat back and stretched her arms. She had come out here to the picnic tables in the hopes that she would be able to distract her mind from it's over run of thoughts by studying, but there had been no such luck. Her brain just kept on going back to her conversation earlier that morning with Allison and she was trying to see if there was anything there that would tell her anything about what Allison could be. She tucked her hair behind her ears and leaned across the table to say. "Do you remember me telling you what Damon said about that new girl who moved here? I had coffee with Allison this morning and I was trying to find out something that would confirm his suspicions and I came up with nothing."

"Well she is not going to just tell you outright what she is, that is if she is anything." Bonnie replied, clasping her hands together on the top of the picnic table. "From what you told me about her, she doesn't seem all that much of a concern to me."

"Stefan didn't think so but then he talked to her and smelt her blood and his mind changed." Elena explained, thinking back to how Stefan had looked after the brunette and she knew something was going on. "Neither of them think she is just human and I don't think so either."

"Well, the blood thing aside, why do you think she isn't human?" Bonnie asked, raising her thin eyebrow.

"Think about it , unless you are related somehow to the history of our town or a distant relative, then why else would anyone settle here?" Elena pointed out, relaying what she had said to Allison back to Bonnie. "I just know she isn't a member of one of the founding families or any family around here. So why is she here?"

"That doesn't mean she is something bad." Bonnie said with a frown. "You might just be overreacting."

"And you think Stefan and Damon are over reacting too?" She shot back, sighing heavily and then leaned in closer. "They smelt her blood and they said it was the strongest they have ever come in contact with. You can't tell me it is a coincidence that someone with blood that strong just happened to come to Mystic Falls and is just a normal human. It's not possible. There is something supernatural about her. And who knows if she is something to be feared or not."

"Ok, maybe you have a point. Maybe it is something to look in to." Bonnie agreed, running both hands through her dark hair before through her arms in the air. "If you honestly think that this newcomer is something that we need to watch out for then I will see what I can do about it."

"How are you supposed to find out if they can't?" Elena wondered, watching her best friend with a wary eye. Bonnie, although more timid then most of the people they went to school with, could put herself out there when it really counted. Today was the day that Elena needed her friend to pull that out. But still, she was unsure of how that would happen. "Seriously, what makes you think you know how to figure this out?"

"Hello! I'm a witch. I have my ways."

Later that night

"Come on Damon, why must you drag me out again?" Stefan groaned as he and his brother strolled down the sidewalk just as the sky was finishing turning into it's night-time shade of black and he looked at him with a frown on his face. "Why did you insist that I come out with you?"

"Because what fun would you have sitting alone at the house all night when you could be out on the town with me?" Damon smirked, shoving him to the side with his elbow as they walked. "It's time to stop hiding and join the night life little brother."

Stefan stopped himself from reaching out and hitting his older brother in the face. He hated it when Damon went on a tirade like he had been for the past few hours. Always pointing out what he did wrong or how his behavior was boring and he was wasting his vampire life acting like he was still human. Stefan just wished he could shut his brother up but that never happened. Damon was Damon. And he was going to do whatever he wanted to do no matter what anyone said. At least until Damon met his match in someone. Stefan had thought it had been with Katherine, but she had messed the two of them up so badly that even with her gone, their relationship still had its rocky moments because of her. Damon needed someone to challenge him but to also remind him that there was still humanity locked up somewhere inside of him just waiting to come back out. Someone that would teach Damon how to get what he wanted through his good deeds, rather then his bad. But that hadn't happened yet.

"Maybe I like sitting at home by myself without you around to annoy me." Stefan hissed, narrowing his eyes when Damon appeared to brush off his comment and focus his blue eyes on something off in the distance. "What are you staring at now?"

"Oh just something that has been occupying my precious mental time." Damon replied, pointing across the street to a brick building before saying. "And guess who just went in there?"

"For god sakes, Damon do you always have to obsess over something?" Stefan rolled his eyes as he looked where his brother was pointing and saw Allison Stackhouse enter what looked like an apartment building in a hurry while Damon watched her with a devious look on his face. "You do realized you are obsessed right?"

"I'm not obsessed, just intrigued." Damon corrected, crossing his arms thoughtfully. "And now I know where she is staying. And that will make it so much easier."

"Will make what... so much easier?" Stefan asked, feeling concerned as he looked at his brother's face. Whenever Damon had that look, it usually didn't mean good things. Nothing positive ever came out of Damon's interests and Stefan doubted that this time would be any different. "Why are you so interested in her? What exactly are you expecting to gain from finding out what she is?"

"Why wouldn't I be interested in her?" Damon's smirk got even tighter as he appeared to be eying the door to the building and considering something. "She's hot and mysterious. So why not?"

"Oh man, this is not going to turn out well for anyone."

At the Mystic Grill

"Oh dear god. Not you again."

Damon grinned as he crossed the floor of the partially filled Mystic Grill and headed over to the bar like a man on a mission. And he was on a mission. Ever since he and Stefan had seen Allison go into the apartment building where she lived, he hadn't been able to erase her from his mind. Not that he had been able to do it before, but her presence in his head was even more rooted and he had to try again to figure her out. She was like a puzzle to him and he was determined to crack her. She intrigued him so much that he had stopped bothering Stefan and abandoned his brother out in the streets an hour ago just so he could come back into the bar to talk to her. And now that he was here, he was ready to get some answers.

"Aw, what's the matter sweetheart? Not thrilled to see me?" Damon smirked as he slid into a chair right in front of the bar counter where she was standing behind and propped his elbows up on the shiny wood and grinned as he looked up and down her body and smirked. "But I am thrilled to see you. You look just yummy."

"You're disgusting." Allison shot back, her eyes flashing full of anger as she crossed her arms over herself and glared at him. "What do you want?"

"I want what I've been wanting since you arrived." He stated, leaning forward so his face was closer to hers and he could practically see the vein in her throat pulsating in front of his eyes. He grinned even more when, with his vampire hearing, he heard her heart speed up. "What are you?"

"That is none of your business." She snapped, her hands going to her hips in fury. "So give it up and go bother someone else. I'm sure you will find someone who will enjoy it."

"You are so feisty. And I like that, a lot." Damon shot back watching her look around for any possible distraction but there was none. So with a raise of his eyebrows, he moved closer and reached out to touch her arm, feeling the warmth and smoothness of her skin. "Why don't you just save us both the trouble and tell me what are you?"

"I said no." Allison hissed, yanking her arm away from him and stepping back. "And besides, looking at you, I highly doubt trouble will cease once you know what I am."

"What are you saying? That I look like I cause trouble?" Damon asked, a look of mock surprise on his face as he waited to see her reaction. "Do you know that hurt my feelings?"

"Um, I highly doubt that you have feelings." She said, shaking her head so much that her long hair fell over one shoulder and exposed her slim neck to the point where he could make out the fang mark on her skin.

"Where did you get those?" He wanted to know, reaching out again and tugged her forward. He had seen them the first night he met her but he was more intrigued by them now that he knew her blood was something special. Oh to be the lucky vampire who had gotten to feed on her. That was one lucky bastard.

"Is it in your nature to constantly be bugging me all the time?" She asked, twisting her arm until he released her. "I mean, every time you are around, you have to grab at me."

"Afraid that you might like it?" He chuckled, watching her mouth drop open and he had to grin. He liked pissing her off. It was fun for him and he would do it again and again. That was just how he operated and he was about to stop any time soon.

"No, I think you might like more then I ever could." Allison snapped, pulling her hair back over her shoulders so her neck was partially covered again. "Now back off and leave me alone."

"We'll see if that ever happens..."

Elena's house

"Bonnie what's the matter?" Elena asked, frowning as she turned in her chair where she had been sitting at her desk doing her homework just as her best friend walked in with a deep set frown on her face. It was the type of look Bonnie wore when something hadn't gone right and she was about to say something about it. Elena got up and went over to the bed where Bonnie had taken a seat and looked at her hesitantly. "Is something wrong?"

"Something is wrong, but it's not really serious. But it has made me a little bit on edge." Bonnie replied, dropping her bag on the floor and crossing her legs underneath her as she sat in the middle of the bed. "You think I'm a fairly competent witch, right?"

"You're better then competent. You're amazing and powerful." Elena retorted, her voice not uncertain in the least as she looked at her best friend. "What is this about? What do your abilities have to do with what's wrong?"

"The spell failed." Bonnie blurted out, looking ashamed as she peeked through her dark hair at Elena. "Remember when I told you that I was going to find out what Allison was and that I had my ways?"

"Yea." Elena nodded, remembering the conversation from earlier that day. "So what went wrong?"

"That's just it, nothing did go wrong. I did the Revealing Spell perfectly just like the book said." Bonnie twisted her hands around her as she spoke. "And when it is done right, it is supposed to reveal the magic components of the person you are casting the spell upon. But it didn't work on her."

"So what happened? Why did it fail?"

"When a spell like that is cast, it is very hard to hoodwink it and keep it from doing what it was meant to do, which is reveal a person's true identity. But when I did it, nothing came to me. It was like there was a barrier between the spell and Allison that was keeping me from finding out. Or that whatever she is, is so old and powerful that the spell couldn't accommodate it's power."

"So what you're saying is that she is supernatural but you don't know just how much." Elena bit her lip and frowned deeply, so thoroughly confused now. "So what does that mean? Is it impossible to find out what she is? Is there no other way?"

"I don't know for sure, I'll keep looking, but right now, we are still in the dark."