June 11th, 1953

"Do you really have to go see Jospeh?" I asked after unlatching myself from a man's neck. "This is so much more fun." I let go of the man and he groaned as he hit the floor with a thud.

Damon laughed as he let go of the young girl he was drinking from. "This is more fun, but I think he wants some family reunion to happen with me and Stefan."

"How's that gonna go?"

"I'll have some fun bringing my eternity of misery."

I rolled my eyes before straddling myself on Damon's lap. "Give him a chance. You were so excited to go with him to fight in World War II."

"Fine," Damon said. "But first..." He slowly moved in to kiss me on the lips. The kiss deepened as Damon picked me up and laid me across the bar, his hands wandering.

"Hey!" I said, sitting up abruptly and pushing Damon back. "As much as I would love to spend all night doing this with you, you are stalling." I gave him another playful push, "Go."

"Fine!" Damon groaned, picking up his leather jacket and swinging it on over his white tee. "But you better get ready for me when I come back."

I smiled, "You know I will."

But Damon never came back.

A few weeks later I found myself, standing next to the younger Salvatore brother outside the boarding house.

"I smell blood," he said.

I nodded.

I slowly opened the door, the television was on but the house was quiet. "I don't hear anyone." I said.

When we walked into the parlour we saw Jospeh there on the ground, a glass sticking out of his neck. "What happened?"

"I know exactly what happened," Stefan began. "Joseph probably set too many rules, so Damon killed him and took off."

"I don't believe you." I said, looking around, trying to find any evidence that might prove Stefan wrong.

"I'm sorry to upset you, but-"

"Wait," I interrupted bending down and picking up a syringe. "It smells like vervain, Stefan."

Stefan took it from my hands, inspecting it.

"I don't have a good feeling about this, Stefan." I said, tears coming to my eyes.

Stefan turned, grabbing my shoulders. "We'll find him,(Y/N)."

Stefan and I spent weeks, months searching for Damon. We tried his favourite spots all over Mystic Falls, then Virginia, the surrounding states, New York, hell, we even looked for trails in Europe.

But it was useless. Damon was gone.

"What if he just wants to be gone?" I asked Stefan one day as we were seated in the Salvatore kitchen searching through newspapers and maps.

"What do you mean?" he asked, looking up.

"I mean, what if he doesn't want to be found?"

"The last night you saw him, it seemed he never wanted to leave."

"I know," I said. "I know but then I convinced him to come back here, to try and make things right. But then you didn't show up. What if he has just been mad at us this whole time?"

"I don't know, (Y/N)."

"I think maybe we should stop looking. Let him be for a while. Let him come home when he wants to."

"Are you sure?"

I nodded, with tears in my eyes. "As much as I hate to, yes, I think we should."

"You much of a sport's fan, Damon?" Enzo asked looking at Damon laying down on the floor. "No. Neither am I."

Enzo waited for Damon to say something and went on, filling the silence. "Any other interests - fine wines, travel, cars?"

Damon laid on the floor and drawing circles with his finger.

"I'm partial to Jaguars myself, convertibles, the kind you take on a Sunday drive to impress a pretty girl." He paused for a moment, looking out into a memory. "Ever done that?"

"Once or twice." Damon finally answered in a small whisper.

"Oh, come now. Got to be more than that."

"Well the girl I was trying to impress was more of a horse and carriage type girl."

"What, just one girl?"

"Never met another like her. Not until (Y/N) at least."

"Ohh, now we're talking."

"She was the last person I saw. I thought she would try to find me, but you see how well that worked out."

"Women," Enzo said. "So fickle."

Damon breathed out a laugh, but his heart still hurt over her.

New Year's Eve 1958

"Darling!" I called out. "What do you think of these pearls?"

"Well, 'Future Mrs. Fell'", Franklin said as he came in. "I think you will be beautiful with or without the pearls."

"You're too good to me." I leaned back and gave him Franklin a kiss.

"Listen, honey," I wanted to talk to you before we leave. "Be careful tonight. These creatures they're dangerous."

"Then why would we go if we would be in danger?" I asked.

"Dr. Whitmore is very good about keeping them weak, so we won't be in any danger, but we still need to be careful. Just stay with me, darling and you'll be safe."

"You'll always protect me," I said and smiled as I gave Franklin another kiss.

"In fact, one of these vampires, I think I told you about him before, is the one who killed Joseph Salvatore."

"Yes, I remember you reporting about Jospeh's 'animal attack'. He was such a nice man, I was devastated to hear about it."

"Oh!" Franklin exclaimed looking at his watch. "We must go, we don't want to be late. But! Before we do, I want to give you something." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a bracelet. "This bracelet has vervain in it."

I swallowed thickly, reaching into my pockets and quickly pulling on the gloves that would go with my outfit.

"I want you to wear it at all times tonight. Like I said these creatures will be weak but you can never be too careful."

"Thank you, darling." I said sweetly and watched nervously as he fastened the bracelet around my wrist. Luckily it didn't touch my skin. "Its beautiful!"

"Ready?" Franklin asked.

I nodded, taking his arm. We walked quietly down the road to the Whitmore House. "Darling, we must show Dr. Whitmore my new bracelet!"

Dr. Whitmore himself was there at the door and said, "Ah I finally get to meet (Y/N)! Franklin has said so many lovely things about you. Do come in."

I smiled delicately as Dr. Whitmore took my hand and showed me in to the sitting room. A large, barbaric looking cage stood in the center of the room containing Damon and a second vampire. My heart fluttered and I could feel my cheeks blush, and I wanted to run right this moment and break down the bars and kiss Damon until we couldn't stand.

But I looked away and channelled all the energy into admiring the Dr. Whitmore's home. Finally, Dr. Whitmore brought me to stand in front of the cages.

"These creatures," I began and Damon's head snapped up. "They are incredible." I winked, reaching my out and Dr. Whitmore grabbed my arm quickly. "Miss, you're wonder will get you hurt."

Damon snarled, showing his fangs and I had to stifle a laugh. "I apologise! I'm intrigued and nervous!"

"Well, maybe one day you could help me with some of my research."

"Oh my, I don't know."

"We can talk later."

"Thank you, Dr. Whitmore."

I walked away back towards Franklin as Dr. Whitmore picked up his wine and called everyone's attention.

"Ladies and gentlemen as it is almost midnight, I think it fitting that we toast the new year with a glass of vampire blood, wouldn't you agree."

Dr. Whitmore reached out and grabbed Damon, pulling him from the cage. It was then I saw how weak Damon was. My heart broke. What kind of suffering has he endured for the past five years?

"(Y/N), why don't you come forward and help me."

"Me?" I asked sheepishly, turning to Franklin.

"Go on, darling." Franklin said and I walked forward to Dr. Whitmore as he cut a line in Damon's palm, the blood dripping into a small goblet.

"Your hand please," Dr. Whitmore said and I reached my hand out.

"Watch and see," he continued on as he dragged the knife across my palm, then turned to grab the goblet. "Now when (Y/N) drink's some of the vampire's blood-" Dr. Whitmore, stopped when he noticed that my hand had already healed.

"Oh dear! How did that happen?" I exclaimed and then sunk my teeth into his neck, drinking more and more until he collapsed. The room went into chaos. "Damon, drink!" I urged, shaking him out of his surprise. He nodded and drained Dr. Whitmore. Upon gaining his strength he looked at me for a moment, "(Y/N) I-"

"There's no time now, Damon. I love you but we need to go!"

"Wait!" Damon said reaching into the cage. "Enzo."

Damon grabbed the second vampire, Enzo and grabbed another person for Enzo to drink from.

As I watched Damon and Enzo regain their strength, I searched the room and found a scared and confused Franklin seated in a corner. I slowly walked up to him.

"Who are you?!" He cried, pressing himself further into the corner.

"I don't want to kill you," I said.

Franklin spit at me. I rolled my eyes and picked him up by the collar. Looking at his wrist, I ripped it off of him. "Now you don't have any vervain." I said and looked deeply into his eyes. "We never met, you don't know me. And you never had anything to do with Whitmore. Now, go."

Franklin dazed, walked out of the Whitmore house.

I walked up to Damon and Enzo as they finished off the rest of the attendees. "Come on, boys." I said. "Let's go home."

The three of us walked out of the Whitmore house, covered in blood and made our way to a car. Once inside we drove quickly to the Salvatore Boardinghouse.

When we pulled up, Stefan walked outside confused.

"Damon?" he said when he saw us get out of the car.

"Hello brother." Damon said and walked up to bring Stefan in an embrace. "I missed you."

"I missed you too, brother."

The boys smiled fondly at each other.

"Enzo," Damon said. "Meet my brother Stefan, and my girl (Y/N). You can stay here as long as you like."

"I appreciate that." he said, shaking Stefan's hand and placing a polite kiss on mine. "Thank you, (Y/N), for rescuing us."

I nodded my head and walked into Damon's arms, as Stefan and Enzo went inside. "I'm so sorry," I cried, burying my head into chest, breathing in his scent.

"For what?" Damon asked sweetly, picking up my chin to look at him.

"If you had never gone back to see Jospeh, none of this would've happened."

"Shh," Damon said bringing me back into his chest. "You didn't know."

"I looked everywhere for you. I'm sorry I wasn't able to find you sooner. What did they do to you?"

"We don't have to talk about that now," Damon said, kissing my forehead. "For now, let's just enjoy a nice hot bath and have that nice night we've been waiting for."

"I think I can do that." I said and leaned in to kiss Damon deeply.