One Tree Hill. The Vampire Diaries. I don't own either of them.

Pre-Summary: "Damon, I can't just drop everything and move to Mystic Falls with you. Senior year's about to start," Brooke said and Damon shrugged. "You can start it there. Nobody'll even notice you're new...except for the psycho Hybrid and Barbie Bitch." Brooke shook her head with a small smile, "Damon…" He added, "Aren't you tired of being the footnote to somebody else's love story? Cuz I know I am."

Summary: All it took was one visit from Damon Salvatore and Brooke Davis was packing her life away in Tree Hill and moving into the Salvatore mansion with Mystic Falls' resident bad boy. Brooke only knows a small amount of the bullshit going on, but once she's there, she's stuck there. And aside from the jealous Elena, imposing Klaus and the ever-brooding Ripper Stefan, Brooke's gotta deal with feelings she'd rather not have for her best friend. And are those feelings really as one-sided as she thinks…or has Damon really let go of Elena for good? Set in season 3.

I'm sorry for blaming you

For everything I just couldn't do

And I've hurt myself by hurting you

Hurt by Christina Aguilera

"She doesn't wanna talk to you right now, Tyler," Brooke stated, staring the rich athlete/hybrid down with attitude. Brooke had started staying with Caroline for a few days as an attempt to avoid Damon and was currently keeping her hybrid ex away from her friend. Tyler sighed.

"Who the hell are you again?" Tyler demanded, not really feeling the brunette before him, but respecting her nonetheless. She seemed like a good friend for Care.

"A friend who doesn't want you near her again," Brooke replied sharply and Tyler glared at her, pissed when she stepped in his way when he tried to get into the house. "Especially after you almost killed her." Shame was written all over Tyler's face.

"I want to apologize for that. I didn't mean to; you have to believe me." Brooke sighed.

"I believe you…but that still doesn't mean you have the right to be near her right now." Brooke felt bad for saying that, but Caroline stated that she really didn't want to see Tyler. She knew he didn't do it on his own; he was sired and made to do whatever Klaus wanted. But it hurt anyway and Caroline wasn't in the mood. And Brooke had her back. Besides, the girl's actual best friends were busy taking care of finding Bonnie's mother.

"How is she?" Tyler asked. He knew what a bite from a werewolf could do to a vampire, feared it when he realized Caroline had put her life on the line during his first transformation. Brooke licked her lips dryly before sighing.

"Fine. Klaus healed her." That confused Tyler.

"Why would –

"Just know that she's alright," Brooke interjected, holding up a hand to stop him from questioning her. Truthfully, Brooke was still stuck on how Klaus acted, especially when he said he "fancied" her. It was charming and completely old-fashioned, but Brooke was impressed. He's still not Damon, her mind thought to remind her and inwardly, Brooke frowned.

"Brooke," Caroline called and the brunette turned around to see Caroline smiling at her appreciatively. Caroline had listened to Tyler and Brooke for the past ten minutes and knew she needed to talk to Tyler. She patted Brooke on the shoulder before saying, "Thanks." Brooke winked at her, glared at Tyler, and then grabbed her coat. Before she could get past the hybrid, she grabbed his shoulder and fixed him with a cold glare.

"Hurt her again and your balls are gone, puppy," she growled and strutted past him, leaving behind a spooked Tyler and a grinning Caroline.

Gotta love Brooke Davis.

OOOOOOOO

"Can we talk about you and Damon instead?" Bonnie suggested, trying to get off the emotional conversation of her mother leaving her. She'd avoided that conversation with her best friends for a reason and it was bad enough they were driving to meet up with her after all this time. Elena shook her head quickly.

"I'm not talking about it." But Bonnie kept staring at Elena as she drove and Elena caved. "He kissed me. It's not gonna happen again."

Bonnie gave her a disbelieving look before turning her eyes to the road for a moment. She didn't believe that for a second. Damon Salvatore was relentless in his feelings for Elena and she knew her friend was seconds from caving in. Not like Bonnie truly wanted her with Damon, but Elena was her friend and therefore, Bonnie supported her decisions.

"I mean, what is good?" Bonnie decided to ask. After all, they were girls. They asked each other these questions and squealed about the results later, even if they didn't like what they heard. Elena made a face.

"Doesn't matter." And Bonnie scoffed.

"It sooo was," Bonnie joked and smirked at Elena's face. Elena shrugged.

"It's not happening again." Bonnie gave her a curious stare as she made a turn in the road.

"Why not?" Elena sighed.

"Brooke."

"But I thought they were just friends," Bonnie reminded her and Elena shrugged.

"I thought so too…until she slapped me."

The car screeched to a halt. Bonnie stared at Elena in complete shock. Brooke was nice from what Bonnie gathered and she was fun enough to appease Caroline when Bonnie and Elena bored her. She was a good ally and she was determined to help. Yes, when Bonnie saw Brooke, she saw her feistiness and the fire she had within her was strong; her aura rivaled Bonnie's when she snapped at a girl for bumping them in the hallway. But Bonnie hadn't expected this.

"She slapped you?" Bonnie exclaimed and Elena sighed, showing her her left cheek. Bonnie hadn't noticed earlier, but Elena had put on some concealer on her cheek. But looking closely, she could see what appeared to be a small bruise on Elena's face. "But she's so small."

"That didn't stop her from hitting me," Elena remarked bitterly. "It's been five days and it still hurts." Bonnie winced.

"Ouch," she murmured and kept driving as Elena covered that side of her face with her hair, trying not to think about the almost mind-numbing pain of Brooke's hand going across her face. Elena had been hit before; Klaus even back-handed her. But that slap…it rivaled his. It shook her whole world and left her with a pain that haunted her for the rest of the day. "How did Damon take it?"

"I…" Elena shrugged. It was only this morning that she talked to Damon and Elena could tell that something had seriously changed in him. And she wasn't sure what it was. "I honestly don't know."

"How'd it go…talking to Brooke?" Damon asked as the stepped onto the porch and Elena sighed, leaning against the door. After the incident with Brooke, Elena actually had to use makeup and that said something because Elena was not known for using makeup unless there was a party.

"Well, if you're wondering if she snapped, she did," she told him. "She hit me." Damon cursed under his breath and Elena watched him pace, sadness oozing off of his entire being. "Damon?"

"Yeah?" Elena took in a breath. The kiss was a mistake…well, not a mistake. But Elena knew it shouldn't have happened and it shouldn't happen again. At the end of the day, no matter what Stefan did, he held her heart. And she didn't feel necessarily guilty about it, but she didn't want anything to happen with Damon. Not when it could get in the way of Stefan coming back to them.

"The kiss. It shouldn't happen again. It isn't right." And Damon just stared at her for a long time, making Elena lose all thought.

She expected him to say something smart. She expected one of his snide remarks or for him to say something that would make her question not wanting him to kiss her again. Hell, a part of her anticipated him kissing her again so she could go back to figuring out if it had anything on Stefan's kisses.

"I know," was what he actually said before Damon retreated, not even sparing her a backward glance.

Elena damn sure hadn't expected that.

OOOOOOOOOO

"Please, don't lecture me right now, Ric," Brooke begged as she laid her body out on his couch, kicking her shoes off. She'd been bored and the minute Damon was out of Alaric's apartment, she was there. She'd been avoiding him successfully and proud of it. Alaric sighed and gave her a disappointed look. "Don't give me that look!"

"He misses you, ya know," Alaric decided to point out and Brooke averted her eyes, playing with the hem of her blouse.

"I know." Alaric sat on the edge of the couch, staring down at her as Brooke attempted to avoid his gaze. He hated this. As much as Damon pissed him off sometimes, that was still his friend and he hated seeing Damon so distraught. And Brooke…they hadn't even known each other long, but Ric cared for her too. It was a confusing mesh of emotions and drama and Ric seriously needed a drink.

"Then go home, Brooke. Stop running away from him and talk," Alaric told her and Brooke sighed, blinking back those stupid tears.

"I can't do that, Alaric, so don't ask me." Alaric decided to get to the point of this entire conversation.

"Damon told me he told you he loved you," he said and Brooke's eyes rose quickly to meet his. And all he saw was a scared little girl.

And that was heartbreaking.

"He…" Brooke swallowed back the lump of emotion as and her lower lip shook for a moment before she continued, "We've said it plenty of times. He means the same as always." Alaric frowned down at her.

"Does he?" He pressed and Brooke sighed. "Just go tell that idiot that you're in love with him and you're just scared of getting hurt again."

Damn, Alaric.

Straight to the fucking point.

"That's a lot easier said than done," Brooke whispered and slowly sat up. She needed a long, hot bath and a vacation. "And Damon doesn't love me…not that way." Alaric grabbed her arm before she could walk away, forcing Brooke to look him dead in the eyes.

"But how do you know?"

Brooke didn't have an answer so that question.

OOOOOOOO

"I have something to tell you," Elena said to Stefan after she pulled one of the wooden bullets out of his chest. "And it's not because I feel guilty that it happened, but because I feel guilty that you don't know." Elena sighed. She was going to do this. She needed to. She wanted Stefan to hear it from her and nobody else.

Stefan just watched her, not sure he was going to like what she was going to say. Because despite what she just said, Elena had her guilty face on. No matter what he said or how he acted, Stefan knew Elena better than she did sometimes. So, he prepared himself for anything.

"I kissed Damon."

He wasn't prepared for that.

Elena waited, waited for some snide, sarcastic response that would make her roll her eyes and walk away. She even expected him to insult her and call her out, even call her another Katherine. She expected and anticipated so many reactions that would make her go home and cry and think about how much she missed her Stefan.

But this was the last thing she expected.

Stefan had lowered his gaze and did not say one word for a long time, putting Elena on edge. He wasn't there at the moment. He was back to that time on Founder's Day when his Elena told him that she loved him and that he had nothing to worry about when it came to Damon. He was back to when she told him about how Damon kissed her before he snapped Jeremy's neck, how she kept telling Damon that it would always be Stefan. He was back to when he called on her birthday, needing more than to hear her voice, and she told him that she loved him – for him to hold on to that and to never let it go.

And then their eyes met.

And for a second, Elena saw her Stefan again. His eyes held so many emotions and yet, Elena couldn't read them completely and it hurt. It hurt her deep in her soul and she inhaled shakily – she hadn't even realized that her own tears had been close to the surface – as he stood. Without even saying a word, Stefan turned from her and walked away, leaving Elena to try to shake the guilt and pain away.

"Stefan," she called as soon as she got to their calls. He was just standing by his, waiting for her to get back near the house where she would be safe. But he didn't say anything. "Say something." Still no response and Elena felt the begging reach her voice, "Please."

"I shouldn't have kidnapped you," he said quietly and Elena froze, her heart nearly stopping at his words. He turned around to meet Elena's confused eyes. "The car, the bridge. It was too far." Elena nodded, appreciative that he even acknowledged that he was wrong. But it still didn't make that feeling like everything was wrong in her gut go away. Instead, Elena felt sick and like there was a weight on her chest. This wasn't Ripper Stefan anymore…or at least, it wasn't fully him.

"Thank you."

"But you shouldn't have lied to me today. You can't go off and do things like that, Elena, not when Klaus is still alive." Elena nodded at his thoughtfulness, letting out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

"I know…I just wanted Bonnie to meet her mom without everything getting in the way," she explained and Stefan nodded, her words stabbing him in the heart. He could accept this. After all, he gave Elena every reason to hate him. So, why should she even want him around or even want to help him anymore?

"You mean, without me getting in the way," he clarified and Elena really wished she could say that that wasn't the case, wished that she could say something that could change everything. But she couldn't and it hurt. Because after everything they'd been through together, she never thought she and Stefan could be like this. And Stefan's piercing green eyes wouldn't let her lie to him or try to make up any excuses.

"I didn't plan on kissing him." Elena decided to stick with that because it was the truth. She hadn't planned on that kiss. It had happened and she didn't regret it. She just…she didn't know whether or not she should actually be happy about it. But Stefan didn't give her a judgmental look, didn't glare at her and make her feel worse, which made her feel horrible.

"You're better than him, Elena," he informed her and Elena's eyes widened a fraction, surprised at the honesty and openness in his eyes, those same eyes that she had dreamed of so many times since he left her. "Better than the both of us."

There was this moment where Elena realized – even though a part of her always knew this – that she still was as crazy in love with Stefan as she was before the summer started. He was the love of her life, the light in her darkness when she had been trying to find her way back to the old Elena after her parents died. And watching him hop into his car and drive away broke something inside of her as Elena remembered the last time they had truly parted, when he had first went to Klaus and not come back. She hadn't known then that their last kiss truly was their last.

And she didn't know where they were now.

OOOOOOO

It was a picture of them.

Brooke decided to go back to the mansion and stay in her room. That wouldn't be so hard. Besides, Caroline needed a moment with her Dad because he was in the hospital and Brooke didn't want to intrude unless the blonde told her she needed her. So, she swallowed back her fear and entered the mansion, relieved that no one was there. She hurried through her room and went through her things, finding a box filled with memories. There were pictures of her, pictures of Peyton and Lucas, and pictures of her with all of her friends.

And then this one.

"Oh, come on," Damon groaned and Brooke giggled as she pulled him into the booth. Tree Hill was having a carnival on the beach – surprisingly – and Brooke was able to convince Damon to come. She abandoned Peyton to hang out with him, but the blonde was cool with it. She wasn't in the mood anyway.

"It's just a few pictures, Damon," she told him teasingly and he gave her a mock glare as Brooke pulled him into the photo booth. They sat down and Damon made a face as Brooke put her money in.

"I don't do pictures." Brooke shot him a look. That was some bullshit. She'd taken pictures of him before and he enjoyed being the center of attention. And he was made for the camera if she wanted to be honest.

"Too cool for pictures, Bad Boy?" He grinned

"Duh." Brooke rolled her eyes.

"Well, you're not when you're taking pictures with your best friend," she snapped playfully. "And you better pose damnit!" And Brooke pressed the button.

They went through a series of poses; Damon pretended to bite Brooke, she fake-shot him, he fake-choked her, and he covered her eyes and she laughed. But then, for that last picture, Damon pulled her onto his lap and before Brooke could say anything, he kissed her cheek and she giggled as the flash went off. Afterwards, Brooke smiled at him and hurried out, trying to ignore tingle on her cheek or the fact that her face was extremely hot.

Out of all the fun ones they took, it had been her favorite picture.

"Brooke," Damon called from the door and she raised her eyes to see him leaning against the doorframe. Brooke sighed and dropped the picture in the box, putting on the lid. Things were so much simpler then, she thought before giving him a small smile.

"Hey." There was this awkward pause and things scarcely ever were awkward between them. But it was and Brooke didn't know how to fix it. Damon sighed, scratching the back of his head.

"Brooke, about –

"Wait." Damon stopped his movement towards her as Brooke held up her hand and she shrugged. "We have to worry about Klaus and that dead medical examiner. We have to worry about those coffins he took today and the one you're hiding."

"I know all of that," Damon said.

"So, let's just let this go," Brooke begged and kept talking before he could interrupt her. "Just for right now. Just until…we come to some kind of…safe point." Damon just stared at her for a long time and Brooke turned her head, not able to continue their eye contact.

"And this is exactly what you want?" Because it damn sure wasn't what he wanted. Damon Salvatore was not good with words, but for Brooke, he'd do anything. And he really wanted this situation fixed, not brushed to the side so she could avoid any emotional issues.

No, it wasn't what Brooke truly wanted. She wanted a time machine so that she could go back and stop herself from seeing Damon kiss or Elena. She wanted to go back to when things weren't like this and she didn't have to feel the way she did. But there wasn't anything like that and she wasn't ready to talk to Damon.

Not about them.

"Yes."

"Fine," Damon ground out through clenched teeth, stormed across the hall, and slam his bedroom shut him behind him.

Leaving Brooke to cover her eyes in agony as she heard him tear his room apart.

OOOOO

So, whatcha think? Please review.

And next on our When There's A Spark installment:

Brooke vs. Elena part 2

What will our two brunettes do now?