Disclaimer: I completely and utterly wished I owned the Vampire Diaries, but I don't. L. J. Smith owns all the characters from the Vampire Diaries (though I added a few of mine).

Surprises

Summer 1831

Rosemarie hid behind the giant oak tree, waiting for him to find her. She giggled quietly, checking to see if he was near. When she turned back around, he jumped out and threw the snake at her.

"Damon!" She screamed.

She scrambled away from the slithering beast, laughing hysterically. She stood up, then ran to Damon and tackled him to the ground.

"Rose, what are you doing?" His aquamarine eyes captured hers, widening at her mud-covered face. He covered his mouth with his hand. "I'm so sorry, are you okay?" He tried to wipe the dirt from her face, but it smudged it more thoroughly.

She laughed, then stuck her hands into the ground and smeared the dripping mud across his face. He glared at her, and then wrestled her to the ground, imprisoning her in his arms.

"Ha! Surrender or I'll leave you out here alone in the dark, animal-infested woods…"

She raised her hands, palms up. "Okay, okay I surrender. Just don't leave me here."

He let her go reluctantly. She then jumped out of his arms, and skipped away.

"Hey, you have to help me clean up before my father sees me!" Damon whined.

She turned around and shrugged. "It's a lost cause – look how messy you are!"

"Well, if we're not clean by the time we go home, your father will punish you, also."

She stopped in her tracks, and Damon smiled wide. She turned around with a look of terror on her face.

"Race me to the creek?"

He nodded and they stumbled down the hill into the clear water to wash themselves off.

Present Day

The vampire Katherine called Loren pressed down on her wounds, keeping the blood from gushing out of her. He wiped the sweat from her brow, and then quickly dug his fingers into her chest to take out the bullets. Her cry echoed throughout the forest, startling the birds in the area out of their nests.

She was breathing heavily, out of habit, and then collapsed. Her eyes were blinking furiously, and she whimpered in pain.

Stefan wasn't sure if it was an act for Loren to feel pity for her, or if she was truly in pain. The part of Stefan that cared for humans did pity her, and then he reminded himself that she wasn't a human.

After Loren finished gutting her of the wooden bullets, he picked her up bridal style then ran into the trees, disappearing.

Stefan stared at Sheriff Forbes for a long moment, and then ran after them.

It seemed as though Loren was trying to confuse Stefan. He must have heard me approach, Stefan thought to himself. Loren weaved between the trees and foliage, bouncing off of the trunks as he did so. As he was drawing near to the Salvatore boarding house, he turned swiftly and struck his foot against Stefan, throwing him almost a hundred feet back. Stefan slammed into a thick tree, causing it crack and fall. He rolled himself over to watch Loren with glazed over eyes as he sped away with Katherine. He was obviously not a newer vampire; he used skill only centuries-old vampires knew of. Stefan groaned as he stood up, hating that he was weaker than the enemy because of his diet.

Next Day

Bonnie gazed at her friend lying on the bleach white bed. She sighed as she rested her head against the metal rod surrounding the mattress. She felt as though she was going insane without her only friend that never changed. Caroline was her rock, never swaying no matter how unusual things got. That's why she was the only one Bonnie would talk to after Grams died. Caroline was usually oblivious to the drama that happened to everyone else.

Footsteps sounded near the door of the hospital room. Matt came up next to her, and passed her a coffee from the hospital cafeteria. Bonnie took a sip, and then stifled a gag. She coughed, turning her head from Matt to reveal the look of disgust that she couldn't help from showing.

"Yeah, the coffee sucks; but it's better if you don't think about the taste. It keeps you awake." Matt said.

Bonnie took a quick gulp, scrunching her nose at the taste, and then swallowed it hastily.

Matt sighed. "What do you think happened?"

Bonnie looked up at him in confusion.

"Uh, why do you think she's staying in a coma for so long? I mean, it wasn't a terrible crash."

"I-" Bonnie started. "I honestly don't understand either. She's pretty strong; she should've made it through."

"Do you think she'll make it?" He whispered.

Bonnie nodded.

They stared at her for a few minutes, thinking quietly to themselves.

The nurse barged into the room, checking on her patient. Her voice was a guttural rasp. "Kids, you gotta leave. I need to check her out, without you teenagers messing up all the equipment."

Matt raised his eyebrows at Bonnie, and they both left quietly. They walked into the lobby, stealing a few chairs. Matt turned to Bonnie and attempted to imitate the nurse's voice, making her giggle hysterically.

No one was at the hospital at such an early time, so they talked about things not relating to the girl they both missed. After about ten minutes, a different nurse came up to them to tell them they could go back to the room.

After they talked for a few more hours, Matt had to leave for work. Bonnie hugged him, and then he kissed Caroline on the forehead.

She twitched.

Bonnie stared at her for a moment, and then looked up at Matt. He was watching Caroline with wide eyes.

"Caroline?" He clutched her hand.

Her eyes fluttered almost imperceptibly.

Bonnie stumbled over to the other side of the bed, and pressed the button that called the nurse. Matt was mumbling to Caroline, pleading her to wake up. The nurse stride into the room, taking in the scene.

"Is there something wrong?" She asked in her rasping voice.

Matt was too focused on Caroline to answer, so Bonnie replied. "Caroline twitched."

The nurse rolled her eyes. "Oh honey, that could just be a response some patients do when unconscious-"

Caroline groaned, then turned onto her side

"-Or she could be waking up." She finished, and then pushed Matt aside to check on Caroline.

After the nurse started fidgeting with the equipment, Caroline's eyes opened completely. Matt almost tackled the nurse to get to Caroline.

She groaned as she stared up at Matt. Bonnie thought she should give them their privacy, so she stepped out of the room and wandered around the hospital. She found herself at the blood donor area, surprisingly. She was about to turn around, when someone caught her eye.

Jeremy was searching through a box of full bags of blood. He picked up the plastic box, then carried it out the side exit of the room.

She followed him quietly. He was leading her throughout the hospital, twisting around hallways and lobbies then guided her out of the building. It seemed as though his destination was the alley behind the hospital.

Bonnie watched with wary eyes as he tore through a full bag, and sucked the blood in it dry.

The night was getting late as Alice fled from the scene of the crime, frustrated. This death wasn't one of Katherine's, meaning another vampire must be in town. An adult woman with onyx hair and mocha skin was the victim this time, but who was killer?

Alice ran over to the Grill to inspect if anyone looked suspicious, and came up empty. She dragged her feet on the way out; aggravated she was clear of any clues. A boy ran into her on the way out, though. He muttered his apologies, and then shuffled past her into the restaurant. She turned around in confusion; he acted human, but his scent was a vampires. She thought of all the ways to get a man's attention, then shrugged and used a classic.

She threw her purse on the ground, and then dropped next to it with a sigh. The boy turned toward the sound, and then dropped down beside her.

"Sorry about that, that was probably my fault." He said as he started collecting the objects sprawled across the floor.

"What-" She started. "No, it was completely me. You don't have to help me. I can handle myself."

He turned his eyes up to her, saw her face, then whipped his head back to the floor and finished cleaning up. She heard his gulp, and smiled to herself. Even vampires could be put under her spell.

"What's your name?" She said softly.

"Jeremy. Jeremy Gilbert. Sorry again for bumping into you. I, uh, need to go."

"Okay, I'm Alice by the way."

He nodded, and then walked away.

Alice tilted her head to the side, confused by his human behavior. He must be a new one, she thought. But then why would he kill someone innocent, after he was recently changed? If he acted so human, why would he kill one? None of this made sense to her. Unless almost the entire town was once again vampires, which she hoped was incorrect; she didn't understand who would be the killer.

Jeremy and Katherine were innocent, at least in this case, and anyway Katherine was still probably weak from the vervain. Unless… A friend of hers might have returned?

She shook her head on her way to the hotel she was staying at. He wouldn't betray her again. He was incapable of that kind of evil.

Alice slid her key card into the lock, and then opened the door quickly. She stepped into the room warily, though, because she could feel someone was here recently.

A gush of wind and the door slammed closed. Katherine stood at the door, her arms crossed and a smirk on her hauntingly beautiful face. Another gush of wind and Loren stood behind her. She backed against the wall to face both of them on either side of the room. She shook her head in astonishment… It seemed as though he was capable of the evil betrayal entailed.

He tilted his head in an oddly animalistic manner, which was completely unusual for him. He used to be the most humane and human vampire Alice ever met. Now he was the sidekick to Katherine's plan. Alice was going to be sick, could feel the bile rising up to her throat.

"My dear Alice, don't be frightened… It's not like we'll hurt you." He smiled, letting his fangs sprout and eyes darken. He took a step towards her.

She stumbled back. "Don't touch me, betrayer, and I'm not frightened. I'm just disgusted with you, Loren."

He walked towards her anyway, stroking her face delicately. "I'm sorry for this, Alice." He tipped her face up with a finger, tilted his head in the direction that blocked Katherine's vision, and then winked. He leaned into her ear and whispered. "Promises were meant to be broken, Daisy."

Loren slammed his hand into her stomach, completely through to the wall. She sucked in a breath, her eyes wide as she stared at him in disbelief. He shrugged, and then threw her into the kitchenette like a rag doll. Her reflexes were faster this time, though, and she stopped herself from crashing into the refrigerator. She sped towards him, but before she could grab him, he snatched her hands and smashed her into the floor. The tile cracked around them, and her blood was oozing out of the wound in her stomach. She kicked him in the chest, sending him flying in the opposite direction towards Katherine. Katherine stepped aside, though, before he fell to the ground. When he stood up to face Alice again, Katherine laid a hand on his chest.

She circled around Alice with her hands behind her back. The next instant Katherine was clutching Alice by her neck, and slammed her into the wall sending pieces of it everywhere. She coughed, gripping her neck in a useless attempt to stop Katherine. After Alice was at the edge of unconsciousness, Katherine finally relented. Alice wheezed and coughed in order to breathe in oxygen.

"You're lucky I'm in a good mood, Alice."

Alice chuckled."This is your good mood? I would not want to be near you in your bad mood. I don't know who would want to, Loren."

Katherine smashed her heel-clad foot into Alice's nose.

The breeze notified Alice that they left her. She looked around at the room and groaned. The repairs would cost a fortune.

She sighed, and then crawled over to her purse on the floor near the door. She brought out her cell phone, then pressed #2 speed dial.

A familiar voice sounded on the other line, automatically soothing Alice.

"Katherine's here in Mystic Falls again, and Loren's with her now."

"Would you like me to help?"

"Yes, come as soon as possible. Katherine's driving me insane. I have to get her out of this town before she does any more damage." She looked around the hotel room. "Though that seems oddly impossible. I'll see you when you get here… Goodbye, Mother."

Author's Note: Thank you guys so much for reviewing! Keep it up.