The Gamble

A Vampire Diaries Fanfic.

Damon Salvatore x Ashlan Corral

'For those who forget what it means to be Alive.'

Song: ''Skinny Love"- Birdie

Chapter 11

"Copy Cat"

PRESENT DAY

I sat down on a log, my whole body trembled slightly.

The pile of deer carcass was lying just a few feet from me. The smell was awful, so terrible that I bent over and began to vomit. Bits of flesh, blood, and bile fell to the ground as I gagged.

What was happening to me?

This wasn't me, this anger, this disgusting desire to hurt, what was wrong with me?

This was so terrible, I puked my guts out, practically pulling them out as I gagged myself to keep vomiting. When there was nothing left, I felt the tears come.

This wasn't me, this can't be me...

I have to get rid of these bodies though-

My phone buzzed on the ground, not far from me.

Damon.

I took a few deep breaths, trying to keep calm.

"Hello?" I answered with, wincing when he began to talk. It wasn't because he was yelling, I wanted him to yell, get mad at me, it would make me feel better. Yet he spoke so softly, I could hear the hints of concern in his voice.

"Where are you? You didn't come home last night." He said, ah there was the ebbing of irritation.

"Yeah well, I went for a walk and ate a deer... Animal blood isn't that bad, y'know?" I teased, doing my best to sound light hearted.

"Lani what's wrong?" He asked, making me halt. That was pretty much all the hints he needed, I gulped.

"I'll tell you everything later, it's nothing bad, it's just..." I began, pausing as he silently waited. "You were right, I don't want to be a vampire."

We were both quiet for a bit, I could hear him sighing slightly. Nothing was said for a moment, but in that moment I knew he was so scared of what I might do.

"Lani-"

"I'm not going to hurt myself Damon, I just... I need time to think." I began, biting my lip.

"Tell me where you are, I'll come get-"

"No Damon, look I'll be home in about an hour, I.. think." I began, glancing around. I had to be at least an hour out of town, there wasn't much around be other than a huge mass of trees and canopies.

"You think? That's it, where are you so I can come and kick your ass." He growled, clearly he was very frustrated. Despite this, despite every ridiculous thing that I had said or done in the past 24 hours, I couldn't help it. A snort fell from my lips, realization shot through me.

"Damon you-" I snorted, laughing a little. The tears rolled down my face, God I think I'm losing my mind. "Look, I'm stronger than that, you told me yourself. I'll be home in an hour, and when I am we can talk."

"I still want to know where you are." He demanded, I could practically hear the frown in his voice.

"In the forest, I had a mini-buffet."

"You're turning green too? Ugh and here I thought Stefan was bad." Damon muttered. "Poor Bambi, he's not going to have a mother anymore."

"Shut up!" I said, thinking of a poor defenseless dear. "Poor Bambi..." I pouted, but something had changed. It was like the moment Damon started talking, I was okay, I felt safer, happier, whenever he spoke.

What the Hell?

"Hurry home." He said softly, and despite him not seeing it, I nodded.

"Thank you, Damon, for always worrying about me." I said it so quietly. He hummed a reply, probably in the company of others. I hung up and looked to the pile of deer.

Well, time to clean up I guess.

1864

DAY 26

It was a miracle I was able to sneak off to the gardens.

Most of the time my handmaid, Coraline, was just outside my door. Today she had fallen ill though, and although I felt bad, I simply couldn't resist the chance to get some fresh air.

The sun was near setting now, I decided to just stroll a little bit in the flowers, smell a few roses, then be on my merry way back. However, when I turned around to walk back in, there was another person standing there. I placed a hand over my heart, she had scared me.

Though, she looked rather familiar...

She smiled, giving a small curtsy.

"You must be the Madison I have heard so much about." She said, making me smile and curtsy back.

"You must be the woman Stefan told me was staying with us. It's a pleasure to meet you." I said, she nodded.

"Katherine." She said, then looked down at the pretty roses by her side. She slowly plucked one, smiling at it. I walked up to her, glancing down at all the flowers too.

"You like roses?" I asked, she nodded as she smelled the rose, twirling it a bit.

"Red is my favorite color, and roses especially are just like me." She said calmly. My brow furrowed, but I couldn't help but laugh.

"Curious behavior, I like you already." I teased, then turned to pluck a gladiolus. I took a quick whiff of the flower as well before turning to look at her. "If we are going by character, I believe this flower suits me very well."

She raised a brow at me, but otherwise smiled.

"Strength of character? Hmm, we'll see." She said, looking down at her rose. I paused for a moment before looking at the flowers again.

"Why do you believe a rose best suits you?" I asked, she gave a chuckle before replying.

"Well, it is a very beautiful flower, but every rose," She began, turning to me. She gently grabbed one of my hands and opened my palm. I raised a brow, but didn't fight it. She placed the stem of the rose across my palm and then forced my hand shut. I gasped at the thorns stabbing into my skin, but when I tried to open my hand up, she kept my palm closed with inhuman strength.

"Has many, many thorns."

I looked from my hand then into her eyes, my own wide with shock.

"I want you to leave town. I want you to never come back." She said, then she turned around and began to walk away. I stayed there, plucking the thorns out of my palm.

What the hell just happened?

"Scary, isn't she?"

I gasped before spinning around. Then my eyes widened even more. A mirror image of me, she looked almost identical to me, except she had low cheeks bones and a larger forehead. Her face looked different, with slightly smaller eyes, a more petite frame, but she looked like me, with the same eyes and red hair. Who was this woman?

"Why do we look alike?" I asked, confused. She chuckled before walking closer.

"We are related." She said, helping me pull the thorns out. Despite my wincing she continued to pluck them one by one.

"Thank you." I said, not liking the way my bloody hand looked now.

"You must be careful of that vampire, she is not one to be tested." Aurelia said, her voice a tone deeper than my own. I looked up to her with surprise.

"Vampire?"

She ignored me and continued to talk.

"Those rings will prevent you from being compelled into doing as Katherine says, and that other ring will protect you from her by attacking her." She said quickly, but I just got a little bit dizzy.

"Wait hold on a second! Who are you? Have we met? Do you know anything about me?" I asked, completely and utterly confused. She cupped my face, before chuckling.

"What's once lost can be found Ashlan, you just have to dig deep enough." She said before turning me around by my shoulders. I took a step, but then paused.

"Why did you call me Ashlan-"

She was gone.

I must be losing it!

Instead of thinking about the matter any further, I turned back to the house and went back to my room.

PRESENT DAY

By the time I had cleaned up and lit the carcass' on fire, it was evening. The sun was getting lower in the sky, but I couldn't stay in the house. After trying even a ridiculously warm bath, I still couldn't get myself to stay still, so I got out and dressed. Stefan told me there was a party going on in the woods, so I figured if I went there I might find some distraction by talking to him.

My feet hit the ground, propelling me through the woods at inhuman speed, but a strangely delicious scent caught my nose, making me slam on the brakes to get a whiff. A chuckle flitted through the air, but before I could find the source it vanished.

A twig snapped to my right.

A chuckle to my left.

Someone was circling me.

They snapped a twig in front of me, so I played opposites and ran in the other direction. I collided head on with another person, shoving us both to the ground. My eyes widened with shock as I saw the face of my pursuer. Red hair delicately held back in a ruffled braid, stormy grey eyes watching me with such an intensity. Pale, smooth skin and full lips that curled into a cruel smile.

It was me.

I instantly flung myself off of her, the copy cat, every muscle in my body tense to attack. Who the hell was she? That woman before, who gave me the necklace, who told me-

Yet it couldn't be, she looked so young! Before she looked like me, but her bone structure was different, yet now she was me.

"Who the hell are you?" I scowled, watching her grin at me.

"Mmm a person." She said calmly, making me roll my eyes. This wasn't right, there was no way this could be happening!

"Why do you exactly like me? Last time you were older, you're so young and..." I glanced down at her breasts, raising a brow before looking at my own. "Well you got those down pat pretty good." I muttered, glancing at the C cup again versus my B cup. She smirked, dusting herself off.

"I look like you because I stole a lock of hair from you as a baby." She began, where the hell did that come from?! "Call it a goodbye present."

"Goodbye? From what?" I asked, but when she just smiled, it dawned on me. If that was true then... why did she need a lock of hair? Unless... I pointed accusingly at her, smirking.

"You're hiding from someone." I said, but she just chuckled. Okay, so maybe that wasn't the right words...

"Try enjoying a new perspective."

I gasped as the new voice said this behind me, a stake being shoved through my back. Coughing up blood I glanced over at the pretty blonde.

"Maria..." I muttered, wincing as I spoke. She chuckled, letting me fall to the ground.

"With her looking like you, we can do whatever we want to your pretty little town." Maria said, chuckled in that once sweet voice that sounded like she'd gargled nails now. I sat on my knees, supporting my upper body on my arms as I breathed heavily, trying to pull the stake out. Maria shoved it deeper each time I attempted to pull at it.

"Who are you?" I growled, looking at my copy cat. She chuckled, but then shrugged.

"Always so many questions, is this what I get for helping you?" She asked in such a feigned hurt tone. I rolled my eyes, but then she came up to me and slammed her heel into my shoulder, sending me flying back into a tree and Maria stepped out of the way.

"Don't be too harsh," Maria teased, but she was grinning ear to ear. "Wouldn't want them to find a body."

There had to be a memory, something that told me who this woman was. Yet I couldn't put it to the front of my mind...! My eyes drifted to the necklace she was wearing. It was a small gold pocket watch pendant with a long chain, a lot like mine. She did give it to me, that would make sense...

"I was worried you would be a quiet woman, but I can see why he likes you."

When I first met her she was so calm and open, now she looked fake and cruel. This woman may look like me, but she seemed even more cruel than myself now.

"I hope you'll take care of him, I couldn't."

If she's not Madison, then what guy was she talking about? Surely not Damon, unless there's yet another me actually running around... jeez now I know how Elena feels.

"But you should remember, he will always love me most."

So if it wasn't Damon... then there has only been one other man in my life.

...Axel?

...

.

Oh my God.

My head snapped up as I looked at her with complete and utter shock. There was just no way- why would she-

"What are you gawking at?" The woman said, looking uncomfortable under my scrutinizing gaze. I just sat there, completely shell shocked. There was just no way, she couldn't possibly be-

"Aurelia?"

Yet when her eyes widened, I knew I was right. This was the woman who had loved Axel but couldn't be with him. This was the woman who had been teaching me through out my days about the supernatural without my knowing. This was the same woman who had given birth to me.

This was my Mother.

Oh Snap!

Okay, I know this chapter had a lot to drop on you guys, but I just thought,' wow, totally gunna drop the first bomb, I mean you guys deserve to know right? It's be a story and a quarter! So yeah, Aurelia is the name of the second 'Lani' and she is also... Lani's mother? Whaaaaaat? Haha, well I know this is going to be very strange, but trust me on this, I've been trying to making this as twisty and cool as I could!

I still am surprised you guys liked the time travel idea, here I thought most would hate it a lot, so I was worried to put Lani in the past, but as it turns out you guys liked it, woot!

RATE AND REVIEW!

REVIEW OF THE DAY: Today it goes to-xJenzaFreakx! LOL I'm so glad you love Lani! I really like writing from her because she has a strange sense of humor, personally I think she's one of the best OC's I've ever come up with, and I usually suck at writing OC's to be honest. Only one out of twenty ever make it to the publishing stage, Lani's story has been the longest! The reason her blood is different is also because of her time traveling abilities. She hasn't really tapped into those, and won't for a while, but trust me, I plan to play with it a lot. Also, there is a reason it couldn't be 'Madison' running around, but I'll explain that in a later chapter. Thank you so much for your long reviews, I seriously grin ear to ear when I see long ones, makes me smile a lot for the rest of the day :)

QUESTION OF THE DAY: So, who saw Aurelia coming?