Damon's POV

I frowned at my sudden loneliness, my body feeling chilled from the abrupt absence of hers. She hated vampires. She despised vampires. Yet, she'd slit her own throat just to ensure that she became one. It made no sense and I couldn't help but wonder if she was playing me. Except, for the first time since I'd met her she had actually seemed genuine. One thing I knew for certain was that if she had turned into a vampire just so she could kill her dad, he must have done something really bad to make her that desperate.

I quickly dialled Liz Forbes' number and waited impatiently for her answer. "Liz I need a quick favour. How well do you know Elena Gilbert?"

"She was best friends with my daughter until her mom died about a year ago… Keeps herself to herself and never leaves the house anymore, poor thing. Why? Have you seen her?" Liz asked curiously, her voice straining to be heard over the voices in the background.

"That's not important. Do you know the name of her father?"

Liz gave a humourless laugh, which was quickly followed by a piteous sigh. "Grayson. The bastard had an affair with some pretty, young socialite called Isobel and then got up and left them; Elena was only about 13. I had reports from neighbours saying that he'd turn up at their house and distressing sounds could be heard from the streets: screaming, smashing and all manner of nightmarish noises. The neighbours were certain that he'd killed them numerous times, but Miranda and Elena always denied that he'd ever been there when we tracked them down; they never even had a scratch.

"Then Miranda died suddenly and the poor girl was left all alone; the majority of the town still suspect he did it. The last time I saw her was at Miranda's funeral and you could just see that it'd broken her; she looked completely blank, as if her mom's death had drained her of any hope or energy she had left." She explained sadly. "There've been no complaints of a commotion in their house for a long time now and people stopped trying to visit a long time ago; we all tried to begin with but she just never answered. Some say she's gone crazy, and to be honest I wouldn't blame her if she had; even the strongest of characters would be traumatised after what she's been through, poor thing. Of course, no one knows for certain about any of it because the two of them were always so secretive, as if their lives depended on it. All we know is that one day the three of them were a happy family – Grayson, Miranda and Elena – and then they just weren't. We've got no idea where he is anymore, but as far as this town is concerned I think we'd rather not know. Elena is safer without him anyway."

I clenched my hand into a fist as I listened to Liz, my mind filled with images of Elena's distressed writhing body that night I'd taken away her nightmares. "But he's still alive?"

"As far as I'm aware…" Liz replied vaguely. "Have you seen Elena recently then Damon? Is she okay?"

"And what about this Isobel? What do you know about her?" I asked vehemently, completely ignoring the questions regarding Elena.

"She was friends with Miranda in high school and I think they stayed pretty close, seeing each other from time to time. I think by the time the affair had started they'd already drifted pretty far apart. She'd always wanted what Miranda had so it didn't really come as much of a surprise; she was a sly, jealous woman. Pale skinned, straight black hair and cold, lifeless hazel eyes. She comes back to town every now and then; she lives in the outskirts with all the other well-off people."

"Surname?" I couldn't help a feeling of familiarity at the description I'd been given. Isobel… Isobel… why did I recognise that name?

"Flemming. Isobel Flemming."

I pursed my lips and narrowed my eyes as I tried to place the name. I knew I knew her, but I'd met a lot of people in my lifetime and it was difficult to match a name to a face sometimes. "Right… Thanks Liz." I replied thoughtfully before hanging up the phone.

"The name Grayson Gilbert mean anything to you?" I asked Stefan as he came in from his hunt.

Stefan frowned for a moment in thought and then opened his mouth as if to say something before closing it again. He sat down on the couch opposite and rubbed his chin with his index finger, as if he was contemplating man's existential dilemma. God he was self-righteous and irritating! "I seem to remember coming across that name when we met in Atlanta four or five years ago…" He said at last, his voice sounding ridiculously philosophical. "That woman you were messing around with mentioned him I think."

I rolled my eyes in disdain at myself as a light bulb flickered on in my mind. "Isobel." I muttered.

"Obnoxious woman if I remember rightly, not that it really mattered all that much to you." Stefan remarked as he stood and left the parlor, but I was distracted and only barely caught it.

Five years ago

"I hope you know what you're asking for, otherwise it's going to be a nasty shock when the sun rises tomorrow." I mocked with a smirk plastered on my face.

I had Isobel pinned naked beneath me, her monotonous eyes looking up at me with impatience. "Just do it Damon. I'm tired of begging. I want this." She replied in her thin, soprano voice that I found unbelievably irritating. At least she tasted good.

"All right then sweetie." I drawled before my visage changed and I tore with my fangs into the flesh of my wrist. I pressed the wound to Isobel's full lips and she drank eagerly, her face slightly scrunched up at the still unpleasant coppery taste. I glanced around the dank motel room with boredom as I waited for her to finish, keen to get my turn. Having your blood drank by a woman was supposed to be exhilarating, but unfortunately Isobel was attractive but dreary, and I was getting very little out of the exchange.

"I think that's enough." I announced darkly as I easily pulled my arm from her slender hands. "It's my turn."

Isobel screamed as my fangs pierced into the tender flesh of her neck, creating a pair of new wounds from the night before. I drank the beautiful elixir hungrily with big gulps, my arms and legs anchoring her struggling body beneath me; it seemed that even though she wanted me to kill her, she just couldn't help but try to get away. It made the whole experience far more exciting for me, so I was quite happy to let her continue thrashing around.

There was a strange trace of bitterness in Isobel's blood that I presumed laced from her objectionable personality and I couldn't help but notice that there was definitely something missing from her that had obviously made her desperate; I only had to look at her to get her in bed and she was willing to become a vampire just to fill the gaping void that was her life. She had a strange quality to her that made her seem very plain, even though she should have been beautiful with her perfectly symmetrical face and big eyes. If I wasn't so heartless, I might have felt sorry for her. But since I was, I happily took advantage of her insufferable misery.

I sighed when she ran dry and wiped my mouth on the white bed sheets. Without looking back at Isobel's drained corpse I pulled on my clothes and slipped out the motel room, quickly hanging the 'DO NOT DISTURB' sign on the doorknob before disappearing into the night.

Elena's POV

I was lying at the bottom of my bathtub, hoping that being several inches underwater would make the world disappear. I didn't want to be here. I didn't want to be dealing with any of this. I just wanted it all to stop. I wanted everything to go away.

Feeling a strange sensation of being watched, I opened my eyes to peer through the warm water and gasped at the face hovering above me. I shot upright in the bath coughing and spluttering, my chest heaving as it attempted to rid itself of the water in my lungs; it burnt in a way that filled my eyes instantly with tears.

"Oops." A familiar deep voice of dark velvet texture muttered, evidently finding the incident funny.

"I swear to God I'm going to rip you to shreds!" I screamed at him in a croaky voice.

Damon lifted his arms up in surrender as I got out the bath and wrapped a towel around my wet naked body. "Look, I was just here to talk." He offered matter-of-factly.

"And you couldn't wait until after I got out the bath?" I snapped at him.

"Well I could have done… but where's the fun in that?" He teased with a smirk.

I lunged at him, knocking him to the ground so I was straddling him. "Tell me what you needed to talk so importantly about so that you can get the hell out of here." I spat between gritted teeth.

Damon's eyes darkened as he looked up at my wild form, my hair wavy and dripping wet. I felt a delicious warmth flow through me as his gaze drifted down my body and focused hungrily on where our bodies touched. "I'm going to help you." He said gently, his soft but firm hands sliding up my damp thighs.

I'm really sorry it took me longer to update, but I had an exam and it completely frazzled my brain! I hope you like this chapter, things are starting to come together a bit now :) thank you sooo much to everyone reading my story and please keep reviewing - it really does help the writing process! x