Author's Note: I will never own the Vampire Diaries, but I do own Lani McCord and any character I make up.

Thanks for reading and do forget to review please!

"How could you? How could you lie to me, Lani?" Elena asked with tearful eyes. We where in my room.

"I am so sorry Elena. I-I didn't know what to do. I just didn't want to hurt you!" I told her with salty tears pouring down my face.

"Well you did!" She yelled. "All of this is your fault... yours and Damon's. You should have stayed away from him, just like Stefan said. All he does is bring pain and blood in his wake."

"Don't you think thats a little unfair. Have you even spend time with him?" I asked.

Then everything happened so fast. A strong wind open all the windows, shattering the mirrors. Elena turned into a darked-skin, wild-hair with red glowing eyes creature.

The voice came out of the monster was death- rattling. "You can't trust him, because all he is going to do is drag you down to his level. He is untrusting, unremorseful, lying monster. He can't be changed. They can't be changed. The vampires. Because you know why? You can't change a heart... that doesn't beat. There is no hope in their world. Your world."

I felt my knees sink to the cold, hard, wooden, floor. My eyes were becoming blurry.

"Give them a chances. I know its scary, but he just needs to show trust and care. Because care equals love, and love... well equals hope." I mumbled.

"Are you sure? Or are you just trying to convince yourself?" The creature said. And then I blacked-out.

-0-

I set-up quickly in my bed. Sweat coated my forehead.

"Bad dream?" A velvet voice asked, from the shadows.

I nearly jumped out of my bed. It was Damon.

Getting out of bed, I said, "Um yeah actually."

He stood right in front of me, his chin coming to my nose. "You know I can help with that." He spoke softly, as he starting kissing gently up and down my neck.

A tingling feeling started traveling through my body. Was I enjoying this?

"But you know to do that... I have to bring you down to my level." Then he bit into my neck, and I screamed.

I screamed, leaping off the couch. It was 1:45 according to the clock. It was Halloween and yet the experience from the other night with Damon at the boarding house has still messing with my head. And then Elena and I talked about the vampires. And well... she wasn't mad at me for lying to protect her, but she dosen't know if she can trust me.

But the whole problem was that it was my secret to tell. Ever since that night, 2 days ago, I haven't talked to a single person. Not Stefan, Elena, not even Damon. That dream is gong to haunt me.

My phone started to buzz. Its Elena.

"Hello... Elena"

"Hey um Lani...can you come over to the boarding house? It's Vicki" Elena said.

I knocked on the big wooden door. Looking down at my outfit of polka-dotted Toms, black leggings, gray sweater, a green stripped scarf, and with my wavy auburn hair surrounding my face.

The door opened revealing, Damon and his beautiful blue eyes. "Hello Lani" he smirked.

"Is Elena here?"

"Yep!"

"Where is she?"

"And good afternoon to you, little miss " I'm on a mission"."

"How can you be so arrogant and glib after everything that you've done to Vicki? Elena told me. I said don't do anything stupid."I told him curtly.

"And how can you be so brave and stupid to call a vampire arrogant and glib?" His smirk fell.

"If you wanted me dead, I'd be dead."

"Yes, you would."

"But I'm not."

"Yet."

"Where is Stefan?"

"In the dining room."

There was Vicki, Elena, and Stefan sitting all around the table.

I just stared at Vicki. I couldn't believe she was a vampire. I mean one day I knew her as a human and than she a person with the drive to kill.

"Coffee is our friend. It's the caffeine. It circulate through our veins, and it warms our body so we're not so cold to the touch."

"Well, what if I wanna drink human blood?"

"You're gonna have to learn to live with that urge and fight it on a daily basis one day at time."

"Oh god! Don't start with that whole 12 steps thing. School counselor has been down that road, and it doesn't work for me."

"It can work. It's your choice, Vicki."

"So you've never tasted human blood?" I looked too Stefan, wondering the answer myself.

"Not in a long time."

"How long?"

"Years and years. I'm not proud of my past behavior."

"Does this sketchy feeling ever go away? It's like I have a massive hangover. This daylight thing is a bitch. I need more blood. Where's your bathroom ? I have to pee. Why do I have to pee? I thought I was dead."

"Hey Lani, I know you just got here but can you go down into the basement and a water bottle of blood for Vicki. Before she gets temperamental." Stefan asked.

"I though she already was but ummm yeah, I can get it."I started to leave. "Hi Elena" I said with a smile. She gave me a curt nod.

Turning my back I went down in the basement. There was a fridge in which I opened, revealing a water bottle blood.

All of a sudden I was pinned to a wall, hanging by my throat, feet not even touching the ground.

Vicki vemonously said, " You know its your fault that I am a vampire right?"

"Wh...at?" I choked, breathing was becoming difficult.

"Yeah, see Damon came to the bonfire with me and my friends, by the way he killed them all, but anyways he told what happen before he came. Maybe if you stayed and offer some blood or tried to not let him out of the house then I wouldn't die!" She snarled.

"Sor...air...ple..." The world was becoming blacker, darker.

Then I was dropped to the ground and filled my lungs, too the point I was coughing. I looked up to see Vicki gone.

"There is your blood. Nearly got killed for it" I said to Stefan.

"Sorry this is hard for her."

"I know, I know."

Vicki then watched into the room again, to in which I glared at her.

"You know Stefan I don't want blood. I want to go outside."Vicki complained.

"I don't think that is a good idea Vicki." Elena stated. Vicki just ignored her.

"You've just been cooped up all day. Let's go." Damon said cockily, coming around a corner.

"Where?"

"Your life was pathetic. Your afterlife doesn't have to be."

"What are you doing? Stefan asked."

'She's been cooped up in your room all day. She's not Anne Frank."

"No no . Hey hey...Now's not the time for this. I told bluntly with Elena nodding."

"She could hurt someone." Stefan added.

"I'm not takin' her to Disneyland. We're going in the front yard. Come on."

"Bad idea Damon." Stefan warned.

"She's a vampire Stefan, she should know the perks".

"Like what?" Vicki asked curiously.

"Like..."

Just than Damon uses his superspeed and goes behind her in a blink of an eye.

"Whoa. How did you do that?"

"Come on Vicki, live a little. No pun intended".

Vicki uses her superspeed and ran away.

"Uh...my bad." Damon smirked.

Elena gave me a ride back to her house in complete silence. We were waiting for Stefan to calls us.

"Listen Elena-" I was interupted by her phone going off.

"Hello Stefan? What do you mean she is at the school fair? She's with Jeremy. We are on our way." Elena hung up the phone.

"Okay we need to change into a costume and head to school okay?" It wasn't really a question.

"Yeah ok but I don't have a costume." I replied.

"You can borrow on of mine, its an Angel. I goes as the bloody nurse." Elena cracked a almost smile at me.

Its all about process. And with that we changed.

Elena and I were making our way through the decorated halls, until we stumbled upon Matt, Stefan, and Vicki.

"What's goin' on?" Matt asked.

"Hey. uh, everything's fine." Stefan told him sternly.

"I told you to quit bothering me." Vicki pretended.

"No. Vicki, don't do this." Elena pleaded.

"Matt, he won't leave me alone."

"You need to back off, man."Matt said as a protecting brother.

"Matt, it's...it's okay." I tried to comfort him.

"No, it's not okay. What the hell is your problem?"

"Stefan. She's gone." Elena pointed out.

Stefan grabbed Matt's collar and said,"I'm trying to help her."

And then we left.

We were walking around the building, following Stefan as he pen-pointed the sound of Vicki attacking Jeremy.

Quickly we made our way to the bus parking lot.

"Vicki, what the hell?! Oh, my god. No! stop! Vicki! No! Ah!" Jeremy yelled.

Elena and I runs out the back entrance. She sees Vicki attacking Jeremy and runs over to them.

"Vicki, no!" Elena yelled.

I hit her with a wooden plank that I found it the rumble around the school. But unexceptly Vicki grabs me and throws my body into a pile of garbage side getting cut with a broken glass bottle.

Stefan grabs Vicki and holds her against the bus.

" Vicki!" Jeremy screamed.

While Stefan got distracted, Vicki grabbed his hand and twist, then disappeared.

"Go. get inside. Go!" Stefan commanded.

Elena takes Jeremy's hand and we run. As Stefan continues searching for Vicki.

Just as we are about to make to the metal doors Vicki pushes Jeremy out of the way and grabs my hair pulling me to her. She sinks her fangs to my throat and started to drinks. I scream out in pain as Stefan stabs Vicki with the wooden planked I used.

Vicki fells to the ground. Slowly turning gray and veiny.

" Vicki! Vicki! Vicki! Vicki!" Jeremy cried.

Stefan holds Jeremy back.

Get them out of here, Stefan." I whispered.

They left and I broke down.

How can I do this? How will tell Matt? Was this my fault like she said? She had was so young. She had a future. She had hope. Is this what happens to us? We grow in a world we pretend is normal and logically and then something or someone that seems incomprehendable that it shakes are foundation we build on. And then we have a choice. Do we restarted and rebuilt with a better idea or just giving up because we think its too hard? But aren't the best things in life achieved that way?

I looked at the dead vampire next to me. I guess death is a different story.

I just kept crying. Tears pouring down my face. Was it my fault? Did I kill this girl?

Through my crying I heard footsteps approaching. How was I going to explain this?

"You should go. I got this." I heard Damon tell me.

"Did I do this? Was this my fault?" I stood up.

"You confuse me for someone who cares."

"You know words can really haunt a person Damon. I know this act your doing, pretending not to care? Really why don't you want to feel?"

"Because I have felt and it hurts, and then it would make me weak like you."

I felt so much anger. I swing me hand at his face but he caught it.

"None of this matters to me,None of it. You think you can change me, well you are horribly wrong. I have been off the switch for 145 years. People have giving up on me. Gave me a bad name. I giving up on me. I am a lost, killing cause. You should give up on me too."

No one is a lost cause, just simply misunderstood. Alone. I gave you a second chance. People make mistakes Damon. And if you shut-down all your emotions, you can still humanity in mistakes. Because mistakes makes us human. You just got to rebuild could it not matter? No one deserves this lifestyle. It matters, and you know it!

I hit him. I actually hit him. I could already see a red hand-printed.

"You need to leave. Your wounds are bleeding and you need to leave." Damon warned.

I took a step to leave but lost my balance but before I touched the ground Damon caught me.

"See you do care. I guess I lost more blood than I thought."

"Just go get in my car." He shook his head towards the blue classic mustang.

Damon had put Vicki's body in the back of his car and we pulling up to Elena's house.

Stefan and Elena where sitting on her porch. We walked up and Elena asked Damon to compel Jeremy to forget what happen tonight. Damon agreed and went upstairs.

I understand why she would want that. He was just 16. Too young. But I mean aren't we all?

"How are doing?" Stefan asked me.

"I want to get out of this angel costume and go home and get cleaned up. But above all else I feel exhausted emotionally and physically." Stefan just nodded his head.

"Elena I am so sorry for everything that happen. I just want your trust back. I don't want to lose you." I apologized.

She got up and hugged me, "You haven't. I am sorry too. I understand."

Damon walked out of the house and said to me, "Let's get you home."

Stefan looked at me and I just nodded, heading to Damon's car.

Damon and I were sitting around the island in my kitchen. He just keep looking at me so intensely with those blue eyes.

"How do you feel?" He asked.

"Exhausted." I chuckled," But its not my first vampire bite." I smirked at him and he smirked back. "Yeah I feel exhausted but probably won't sleep any tonight."

"And why is that?"

"Tonight was the first time I watch someone I knew died tonight. I mean I know I only moved here 2 weeks ago but it feels like a lifetime. A tiring lifetime." I spoke softly.

"Go upstairs and changed into your pj's. I will make some tea." He said. I just nodded and went upstairs. Quickly removing my costume onto a heap on the floor. Then changed into sweats and a tank-top.

Going to my bathroom, I looked at the wound on my neck. I took a wash cloth and starting to rub the blood my skin. Unfortunately I rubbed to harshly and the scab cracked and started to bleed again.

"Here let me do it." Damon said from behind me. He handed my tea and I got up on the bathroom counter.

I took two huge gulps of the tea. It tasted sweet. I looked at Damon as he stared at me.

"It tastes sweet."

"Yeah well...I put something in there to help you sleep. I figured you need it."

"Um... thanks." I smiled a little.

"Now turn your head so I can clean up your neck."

I did as he asked. I could already feel the stuff he gave working. My eyes became blurry and I felt like I was losing balance.

He a white bandage on the wound," Done."

I push myself off the counter but fell to the floor. My body unwillingly to pick itself up.

I heard a chuckle and then felt strong arms carry me bridal style. Damon then put me in my bed and pull the covers around.

"Goodnight Lani. Sweet dreams." He whispered.

I closed my eyes, felt a hand moved the hair out of my face and caressing my cheek. Then drifted to slept.

Third Person's POV

Damon had left Lani's house, and now was digging a grave on the side of the hill for Vicki's body.

He kept thinking about Lani's costume, watching her fall asleep. He kept thinking of what she said. How she looked like Amelia. But the thing was she was the exact opposite of Amelia. Selfish and caring. But that dosen't mean he likes those qualities right. That would go against everything he embodiment.

Lani was going to tried and change him, him save. Well he like to see her try.

He smirked and went back to digging.

But little did Damon know was that Lani was right, words are haunting, but hope for something...well...well thats just overpowering. Sparks started in Damon that night. He allowed himself to trust someone, to hope in someone. Lani.

Of course Damon didn't realize that because good things takes time.

Please review and tell me what to improve on.

Any plot twist you think I should add?

Sorry for any grammar and punctation mistakes.

-Thanks!-

RLM