An uneventful week passed. With the Salvatores out of town, it seemed like the vampire activity died away. I began procuring blood from the hospital for Caroline to prevent her from having to steal it.

"Mom this blood bag's almost expired." She said, wrinkling her nose at it. I sighed, rolling my eyes. She had always been like this with food. I'd buy the stuff from the bargain bin to save a buck and she would turn her nose up at it because it wasn't fresh.

"Don't you think the people who need blood transfusions will need the fresh stuff more?" I pointed out. She glared at me. "It's not going to kill you, now is it?"

"Doesn't mean I want to taste it." She huffed.

"I'm sure it tastes fine. You haven't even tried it." I said chidingly.

She looked at it a bit dubiously and finally pulled the tab to open it, sniffing it like it was potentially rotten milk. I watched as she took a tentative sip... then another. I was getting over the sight of her drinking blood, especially when she did so in such a comical way.

"Well?" I inquired after she had downed nearly half the contents.

"Fine." She said as though she was doing me a favor by drinking it. "I guess it's… edible."

"Atta girl." I said and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" She called after me.

"I'm interviewing new candidates for the open deputy position." I told her. "The last one quit after the latest bout of attacks." It felt strange to discuss this so openly with her, I had raised her to keep her away from the family business after all.

"Hope you find a good one!" she called after me.

I sat at my desk considering the young man before me. After Casey quit, it left an opening for a new deputy so I'd sifted through the résumés and made a selection. Kurt Locke looked nice in a suit, Caucasian, approximately 6 foot, early thirties with short sandy brown hair and dark eyes. A small healed scar graced his left cheek. He was a transplant from Los Angeles where he had been a detective before being demoted under ambiguous circumstances. He was unmarried with no kids so I didn't have to worry about who would support his family when he turned up dead. A morbid thought, but after Casey quit I decided it would be a good idea to take that into consideration when making new hires.

What really interested me about him in particular was when I had called his previous commanding officer. He had told me that Kurt had been a good cop but must have cracked under the pressure and recommended I give him a psych evaluation before taking him on.

Apparently he'd thought there were vampires after him.

While he may have been crazy, it was just as possible that he'd had an actual encounter with one. I shuddered to think how many vampires there must be in LA with so many people, so much night life, and so much regular crime to cover it up.

"Virginia's a long way from California, what made you decide to move here?" I asked, proceeding with the interview.

"I thought it would be good to get a fresh start. I assume you've already talked to Ralph."

"He said you believed in vampires." I said, challenging him.

He flushed but leaned in. "With all do respect, Sheriff, don't you?"

I cocked a brow at his boldness.

"Or are you going to tell me that wasn't vervain you spiked my drink with when I came in?" He asked in hushed tones.

I smiled slightly. "Guilty. Tell me about your experience with vampires."

After hiring Kurt on, I was called to the Grill for a public disturbance. I glanced at the clock in my cruiser which read 6:30 pm. Someone had gotten an early start.

It was almost normal, without the vampire attacks I had begun to let my guard down, bit by bit. Perhaps it was foolish of me, but I longed to at least pretend for a while that I lived in the normal world, and not one where I had to be on the lookout for the next body to show up.

I still felt weird going into the Grill after what had happened, but I put on my professional face as I parked out front. It would be packed this time of day with people getting out of work and the last thing I needed them to see was me cracking under the horrific memories.

As I stepped inside, my eyes first trailed to the spot on the floor where Jeremy had lain dead before me. There was only the slightest discoloration on the wood floor, and only then if you were looking for it, but my heart skipped a beat all the same. Forcing my gaze from the sight of my sin, I scanned the crowd for the cause of the disturbance.

I didn't have to search long, people were staring after all, and Matt was standing beside the cause of the issue. My stomach clenched as I realized it was Alaric Saltzman.

I hadn't really gotten the chance to talk to him, but I knew he was in deep when it came to the 'other side' of Mystic Falls. I also knew he was dating Jenna Somers when she died under mysterious circumstances.

We had hauled him in for questioning, as was procedure. Sadly, most of the time the significant other was responsible in a murder case, but he was released shortly thereafter when we examined the body. She had been a vampire.

I asked Caroline about it. She didn't go into specifics, but said that Jenna had been turned the same day she died against her will. She said that it was not the Salvatores that had done it and the one that had was gone. I had left it at that.

I stepped confidently forward, feeling broken glass crunch under my boot. Another patron was clenching a bleeding hand and staring at Alaric hatefully.

"What happened here?" I asked Matt. He looked vaguely regretful as he responded.

"Alaric's been here since noon. Vinnie Busto here," he gestured with disdain to the man clenching his hand, "-said some things that upset him and Alaric threw his glass at him."

"This guy attacked me for no reason. I want to press charges." The man added.

I nodded. "Sir, I suggest you first get medical treatment for your hand, it is bleeding pretty badly. Go to the police station afterwards and we'll collect your statement and help you with the relevant paperwork. I'll take care of him." I nodded towards Alaric, who was being unsettlingly quiet.

The man looked like he wanted to argue, but I pinned him with my best 'don't talk back to the sheriff' look. He agreed to go to the hospital.

I looked regretfully at Alaric. He must be hurting badly right now, and this incident would not sit well with his current employment at the high school. With a sigh, I produced my cuffs and read him his rights.

I put Alaric in my backseat and began to drive. He still had not said a word, so I offered up the olive branch. "I'm sorry… about Jenna."

He looked up at me and I saw a stray tear. "Thanks."

Well that was something at least. "What did that guy say to get you so riled up anyway?"

Alaric closed his eyes and let out a breath. "It doesn't matter. I shouldn't have taken the bait. He wasn't worth it."

"No, you probably shouldn't have." I sadly agreed. "I don't know what I'm going to do for you. You can argue that it was a legitimate fight, but attacking him with broken glass will still be considered excessive force."

"I don't care." He said coldly. "Lock me up. It doesn't matter."

"What about Elena and Jeremy? I've looked the other way, but they're both still kids. Elena might be able to get emancipated status, but Jeremy?"

"They are probably better without me."

"That's not true and you know it."

"Isn't it?" He glared. "All this is happening because of how entrenched we are in the supernatural world. I'm part of that, but Jenna didn't have to be. She's dead because of me."

"Your first wife… She disappeared mysteriously. Is that how you found out?"

Alaric looked positively deflated and nodded. "She was obsessed with the possibility of immortality. It was only a matter of time before she found a vampire willing to turn her."

I looked horrified. Who would choose this path? "Did she come after you?"

Alaric shook his head. "She ran away. I spent years tracking her down and going over her research. I learned about vampires, how to hunt them. I knew she wasn't dead. When I saw her again… she told me what she'd done. Why she'd done it. I was finally able to move on."

"That's awful."

"It was. But I needed to know the truth. Damon had told me that was what happened, but I couldn't really believe it until I heard it from her myself." He sighed.

My eyes widened and I backpedaled. "Wait wait wait, Damon? What did he have to do with this?"

"He's the one that turned my wife… and the reason I came to Mystic Falls. He told me that Isabelle had wanted to be a vampire, but I wasn't interested in believing him. I attacked him at his home."

"And he let you live?"

Alaric laughed. "No, no he definitely killed me."

I stiffened in my seat and asked steadily. "So you're a vampire?"

"Human, I assure you, sheriff. I have a ring that Isabelle gave me. It protects me from dying a supernatural death- such as having my neck snapped by a vampire."

"That's… convenient." I finally managed to say. It sounded bizarre, impossible, but who was I to judge a magic ring in the face of all I'd seen. "What did he do when you didn't stay dead?"

Alaric sighed. "It was a bit strange, but we kind of became friends after that…"

I looked at him in disbelief in the rearview and nearly missed my turn. Luckily the other cars on the road were driving extra cautiously around the cruiser and swerved out of my way as I cut the corner way too fast. I finally pulled the cruiser over and turned around to actually face Alaric. "You said you were a vampire hunter. You said he killed your wife. Why on earth would you become friends with him?"

Alaric sighed. "It's complicated… but given what I know, it's not easy to have normal friendships. Surely you know that?"

My own lack of friends could speak volumes on the subject of trying to be friends with someone you had to keep secrets from. "He's a murderer."

"I know. I'm not a fan of it, believe me. But he's helped me out. I've helped him out. He was there for me with a bottle of bourbon the night Jenna died. He helped me keep it together. If that's not friendship, I don't know what is."

Alaric had given me a questioning look as I dropped him off at the Gilbert house. I told him not to worry about it, to get some sleep and we'd talk in the morning. I couldn't bring him in like this, when he was so obviously not in his normal state of mind. What would a night in lockup do for him?

I had been a mess when Bill had left me. He hadn't even died, but he was more than dead to me. Maybe I would have felt better if a vampire had gotten him and I could have gone on thinking that he'd never betrayed me. I went out and tried to drown my sorrows. When the bartender tried to cut me off, I threatened to use my influence as Sheriff to have his liquor license revoked. I let myself get obliterated after that.

Carol had finally come to get me. I don't remember much of the conversation, but I think she was upset about having to cover up the whole scandal more than she was worried about my emotional well-being. But she had gotten me home safe, given me some water and settled me into bed with the promise that we'd talk about it in the morning.

"Sheriff Forbes, come in please."My radio buzzed to life.

"This is Sheriff Forbes, go ahead."

"We have a gentleman here who was involved in an altercation at the Grill this evening. He's asking for you. Over."

I sighed. Couldn't they just take his damn report and leave me out of it? "10-4, I'll be there in 15. Over and out."

I called Caroline on my way to the station and asked her to meet me there. If I wasn't sure about what I was about to do, I was when I entered the precinct to Vinnie's shouting.

"I come in here and find out you're not even holding the guy? What did you take him home or something?!" He exclaimed. I sent a deadly look to deputy Miles, who was manning the counter as he hid sheepishly behind his computer screen.

"Let's talk in my office please." I said calmly. Vinnie wasn't having it.

"How could you have let him go? The man is dangerous! He attacked me, and we all know what happened to his girlfriend-"

Pieces snapped into place. "That's why he attacked you, isn't it?" I interrupted.

Vinnie sneered. "I only said what everyone else in the place was thinking. No one wanted him there. Guy was weird enough before this all happened. Now that we know he killed his girlfriend-"

"Might I remind you that you're talking to an officer of the law?" I said cooly. "Defamation is a serious offense. We investigated the death of Jenna Sommers and found no evidence that Mr. Saltzman was involved. Unless you personally know something to the contrary, he is innocent in the eyes of the law."

"What… What? You're defending this piece of-"

"Mr. Busto, I'm going to have to ask you to leave the premises and return when you're in a calmer state of mind. If this continues, I will be forced to arrest you for defamation and creating a public disturbance."

Vinnie sputtered and then gave me a look that promised retribution. He looked to deputy Miles who was still hiding behind his computer screen throughout the entire situation and found no support there. He stalked off.

I let out a heavy breath and directed my anger towards the deputy. "Care to explain to me why you told him Saltzman wasn't here?"

"I didn't know… I thought he was trying to bail the guy out." I rolled my eyes.

"And you wonder why you always end up on desk duty…" I grumbled.

Stepping outside I saw Vinnie at the end of the parking lot talking to Caroline. His eyes were locked with hers as he nodded mindlessly in agreement to every word she said.

Sorry about the big gap in updates. School and the fact that I've been having a little trouble finding my footing in the story are to blame. I know how it will end, but there's so much more to explore before we get there. Hope you enjoyed the chapter and a little Alaric action, even if he wasn't 100%.