Hey guys I'm thinking of putting songs at the beginning of my chapters that portend to the chapter. If you have a song that you want to tell me about I will listen to it and try to use it!

This chapter and the next are probably my favorite chapters in season 1. There is great Dalex moments in them both. Hope you enjoy!

Season 1 Episode 10 The Turning Point

Elena fell asleep before I did. I moved her arm off of my waist and gave myself some space. I had stopped crying, not having any more tears left. I did sleep eventually, a dreamless sleep. I woke up when Elena's alarm clock went off. My eyes were puffy and red, something I noticed whilst looking at myself in the mirror. I groaned at my appearance. It was embarrassing to think that I was crying over someone who didn't deserve it. I splashed my face with some cold water, hoping to wake myself up and maybe calm down the swelling of my face. Neither happened.

It was going to be a long day.

I grabbed my bag, pulling my outfit out for that day. Bonnie had left early that morning, wanting to clear her head she said. Elena had protested, but Bonnie wasn't having it. After the events of the night before she needed some time to process it all, alone. I understood, I had gone through the same thing.

Once I was dressed I went to the door. Upon opening it, I saw Jeremy, sitting in his room. He had a sketch pad sitting on his desk and he was scribbling away, his eyes focused on his shading. I felt my jaw drop. I had no idea that Jeremy drew. In fact, I barely knew anything about my younger cousin.

"Hey." I said popping my head into his room. He looked at me over his shoulder and when he saw me, then shielded his sketch away from me. I didn't take offense, I did that all the time. Some artists were closed off about the way their art looked, and I completely understood.

"Hey." He replied, watching me carefully as I entered his room. It was dark and full of knick knacks. There were posters of rock and metal bands all over the walls and some of his old artwork was even displayed. It was rough and edgy. I liked it.

"I didn't know you drew." I told him. He shrugged. I smirked and walked over to him. I tried to see his drawing but he covered it, giving me a glare. I let out a breath.

"Come on." I urged. "From one artist to another?"

"You draw?" He asked, seemingly surprised at that. I nodded with a smile. He hesitated but eventually moved his arm out of the way. I looked it over and felt my gut wrench. It was his interpretation of another drawing sitting on the desk.

It was a vampire.

I could tell by the teeth, a dead giveaway. But also the eyes and the veins that were prominently displayed. I had to cover my shock with a grin. Besides the terrifying reminder that vampires were running loose in Mystic Falls, I had to admit Jeremy had talent.

"This is…" I trailed off. He gave me a look, like he was prepared for the worst. "Really kick ass."

He grinned, surprised at my answer. I assumed that no one understood his art if he ever showed it off. I didn't believe that any artist's work was bad. Everyone's imagination was different, so something beautiful to me could be appalling to another. Jeremy's work wasn't like mine, but it was still good in its own way.

"I'd love to see more sometime." I told him. "If you would let me."

"As long as you let me see your stuff too." He said. I smirked. I wondered how Jeremy would feel about my art. For some reason I bet that he thought like I did. He wouldn't be cruel, but he would be constructive.

"Deal." I replied, holding out my hand. We shook and then I waved him goodbye. Feeling a bit giddy, I headed back to Elena's room. She was just pulling on her jacket when I stepped inside. I closed the door behind me. She looked up to me with a smile but it faded when she saw my face.

"You ok?" She asked me. I shrugged. I didn't know if I was truly ok, but I couldn't dwell on what Damon had said. He and Stefan would be leaving soon anyway, and his opinion didn't matter.

"Yeah." I answered. "Are you?"

"I'm alright I guess." She said, pulling her hair out of her jacket. "What were you and Jeremy talking about?"

I shrugged again, prepared to just keep it between us, but I looked back up at her.

"Did you know he draws?" I asked her curiously. I knew it was irritating to answer a question with a question, but I was curious. Maybe drawing was a talent in our family. My family.

"Yeah." She said curiously. Then her eyes got wide. "Is he drawing again?"

"Looks like it." I replied. Elena broke out into a grin. I didn't know why that was so prevalent, but it put Elena in a chipper mood.

"He hasn't drawn since the accident." She told me. "This is great."

I smiled too. Jeremy seemed to be getting better. I didn't know if that was Damon's compulsion doing the work or if he was really healing. It was probably both.

"I didn't even realize." She said suddenly, shouldering her bag. "Both of you draw."

"Yeah." I said. "Pretty cool."

"It is." She said with a smile. It was like a little nod to the fact that we were a family. It made me smile a bit at the thought. I followed her lead and grabbed my own bag. We then headed down the stairs to find Jenna already at the door.

"Jeremy's got his sketch pad out." Elena told her aunt. The redhead turned with a face of surprise.

"You're kidding." Jenna said looking just as excited at Elena was. I smiled to myself at their reactions.

"Nope. But don't say a word." Elena urged. "The minute we encourage him, he'll put it away."

"Psychology major." Jenna said. "Check that!"

I stood by the door awkwardly. Although I felt more at ease when it came to this stuff, I still felt odd considering the past. But that's what it was. The past. I couldn't take it back and neither could they. We could only move forward.

"You and Stefan?" Jenna asked as Elena looked at her phone. "Update?"

"He knows how I feel and where I stand and I know where he stands but it doesn't matter." Elena explained. "He's leaving, moving away."

"Where is he going?" Jenna asked as the three of us filed out the door.

"I've stopped asking questions." Elena told Jenna. "The answers get scary."

We walked outside and off the front porch. I bit my bottom lip. Damon was leaving, and although that should have been a good thing. But I again found myself at odds with myself. I knew this was a good thing, and after last night he made it clear he wasn't interested. However, I was a masochist and I still wanted him to stay. I would miss his annoying smirk and the way that he did everything he could to make me uncomfortable. I would miss the way that he broke into my house and his perverted comments. I would miss the way he smiled when I cracked a joke and the way that his eyes turned mischievous. As much as I hated to admit it I would miss him.

"Yours leaves, mine returns." Jenna said, bringing me out of my thoughts.

"Logan?" Elena asked. Logan Fell. I shivered when I thought about how he had hinted to the vampires being in town that one time I listened in on the councils conversation.

"He's back." Jenna said while Elena groaned. "I didn't let him past the front door."

"I hope you slammed it in his face." Elena said. I smiled a bit at the thought of the sight.

"Medium slam." Jenna replied, a little ashamed.

"Three strike rule, Jenna." Elena warned. "You're not even allowed to watch the news."

"Exactly." Jenna agreed. "No more Logan "Scum" Fell."

Elena smiled and I just smirked not knowing the full situation. Jenna told us goodbye and we piled into Elena's car. The ride to school was silent but it wasn't an awkward silence. It was pretty comfortable. Elena and I had come a long way from never talking to awkward conversations and now comfortable silence. It was weird, but very satisfying at the same time.

I jumped when my phone started to ring. It barely ever rang. Elena looked over to me and I shrugged. I opened it and answered.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Gilbert." I heard Robert's voice on the phone. "I need you to take the afternoon shift."

"Robert, I have class." I told him. Robert wasn't too worried about my education, not like he should have been.

"And I'm short staffed." He said. "Did Donovan ever say when she is coming back?"

I swallowed, feeling a pit grow in my stomach. I hadn't thought about Vicki in a while. It was still surreal that she was dead. She wasn't coming back and no one knew but Elena, Stefan, Damon, and I. I wondered if anyone would ever piece together the truth. I just hoped I was long gone before that happened.

"No." I replied. "She didn't. Listen I'll be there tonight but I can't skip again."

"Alright fine." Robert said and hung up. I snapped my phone closed and sighed. If it wasn't school or vampire stuff I was always working. I couldn't get around it, I needed the money. I needed this job. It just sucked that my life was being taken over by it.

I told Elena I would catch up with her later that I had to go to my locker. I grabbed some books, shoving them into my bag and slamming the locker door shut. I caught a glimpse of myself in my neighbors mirror and grunted. I looked horrible. With the puffy eyes and the messy hair, I looked like a depressed teenager going through a break up. Damon and I weren't even together. I shouldn't be acting like this. What was wrong with me?

I tried to pay attention in class. I really did. But my mind was in so many different places I couldn't think straight. I even tried to draw and I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I wasn't inspired or feeling the least bit artistic. I just felt… empty.

The final bell rang and I found myself going to the "Plan Your Future" assembly. A whole bunch of different career people had set up in the auditorium. I found myself drawn to the art exhibit, unsurprisingly. Not a lot of people were here yet, so I could enjoy all I wanted. There was some good stuff here, some dark and creepy while others were feminine and flowery. I should have submitted something, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I was too much of a critique on myself. I did however, find something that surprised me.

A drawing of a man, he looked like he wore a whole body suit, was drawn in a pose ready to attack. The lines were clean and the body structure was magnificent. I didn't think I could ever do something like that. As I looked at the name I found myself shocked at who was the artist.

Tyler Lockwood.

I didn't know Jeremy drew, let alone Tyler Lockwood. Maybe there was more to these people than I originally realized. As I flipped through more sketches I felt myself being watched. I felt a chill go up my spine that alerted me to what felt like eyes on me. After a few minutes of this chilling feeling I turned around to see who it was. I shouldn't have turned.

"Damon?" I asked once I got a good look at him. He was right in front of me, looking all business. "I thought you were leaving."

"I need to talk to you." He said urgently. When I didn't move he huffed and grabbed my arm. He pulled me away from where I stood and down an empty hallway. I struggled a bit, but I got nowhere. He was much stronger than I was.

"What the hell?" I asked him once I wrenched my arm from his grasp. "I thought I told you to stay away."

"And we already established that that's not what you want." He replied matter of factly. "I need your help."

"Why would you need my help?" I asked him, arms crossed over my chest. "I thought I was pathetic."

He rolled his eyes, obviously not amused with the way this conversation was going. I had spent the night crying because I had been rejected and he was leaving. Come to find out he is not gone and now he needed my help. This would have been much easier if he would just stay away.

"Would you listen to me?" Damon asked irritated. "There is another vampire in town."

I furrowed my brows.

"What?" I asked. He nodded once. "Who is it?"

"I don't know." He replied. "That's why I need you."

I couldn't help the giddy feeling I felt at the statement. He then pulled something out of his pocket and held it out to me. Upon inspection it was a golden compass. He passed it to me and I watched as it ticked around until it pointed right at Damon.

"What is it?" I asked, fascinated by the device. My fingers swept over the smooth gold. I had never held something so beautiful before.

"It's the Gilbert compass." He replied. "Your ancestors created it to track vampires."

"So this thing…" I said pointing to it. "Points to vampires."

"Exactly." He replied. It made sense now why it was pointing to Damon. "Ergo, I need your help."

I looked up at him and saw the desperation in his eyes. It was clouded by his wickedness but he obviously was worried about this, even if he didn't want to admit it.

"Why would you be tracking this vampire?" I asked him. "I thought you were leaving."

"I was." He replied a bit solemnly. "I still am."

"Oh…" I said, looking down at the ground. I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up. Damon leaving was the best thing for me and for this town. I needed to remember everything he had done, every bad thing he had done since he arrived.

"Once, this vampire is gone then you will be rid of me." He said. "Just like you wanted."

"Right." I replied, swallowing. "Just like I want."

He nodded and the two of us stared at one another for what seemed like forever. I felt like I could stay there forever, just looking into his eyes. He was the one who broke the contact, turning and leading me out of the school.

Well, I guess this wasn't for Damon, this was for all the towns' people in Mystic Falls. I had a duty to protect them just like Stefan and Damon did. I followed Damon out to his car, looking around to make sure no one saw me before I hopped in. I knew that Bonnie and Elena would freak if they found out I left with him, but I had to go.

For Mystic Falls.

He drove me to an old abandoned warehouse. Once I climbed out he explained what I needed to do. I held the compass as he instructed and waited. He had run off somewhere, far away so he wouldn't affect its results. It wasn't long before it started to tick and the little hand pointed directly to the warehouse. That must have meant that the vampire was inside.

"Here." Damon said grabbing the compass from me. I watched him with my lips pursed. "What?"

"Did you know it was in there the whole time?" I asked. His famous smirk appeared on his face.

"I wasn't certain." He said. "But I wanted to be sure."

"And only I could do that?" I asked, hands on my hips. He chuckled.

"Maybe I just wanted to hang out with you." He said. "One last hurrah before I go."

"You know these mood swings of yours are freaking me out." I admitted. He rolled his eyes. "So what do I do now?"

"Wait here." He replied. My jaw fell open.

"But what if something happens?" I asked. I wasn't just going to sit by like those weak girls do in the movies.

"I'll handle it." He replied. Then he gripped my shoulders, looking me right in the eye. "Do not go in there got it?"

"Yeah." I said, wriggling out of his grasp. "I got it."

He gave one curt nod and then he turned. I watched him go into the building, the door shutting behind him. I waited, for what seemed like forever before I got bored. I was leaned against his car, and I debated on texting Elena. But I voted against it, she would ask where I was and then she would freak out. I didn't have time to deal with a freaked out Elena.

I suddenly heard yelling, a painful scream pierced the air. My eyes snapped up to the building and I found my legs moving before my mind could comprehend what I was doing. I ran up the stairs, prying open the door and stepping inside. It was dark, only a little bit of light shining through the clouded windows. This warehouse had been abandoned for years, a perfect spot to hide a vampire. I could hear voices, one was Damon's and I could tell that it was full of pain and anger. The other was one I recognized but couldn't place.

"All I can think about is blood and killing people. I can't stop killing people. I keep killing." The voice I recognized said. "And I like it. I'm conflicted."

I turned the corner slightly and saw them. The one with the voice I recognized had his back to me, so I couldn't see his face. Damon was on the floor, bleeding and pulling what I deemed to be wooden bullets from his body. I cringed.

"Welcome to the club." Damon said to the new vampire. Suddenly, his eyes looked up meeting mine. They flashed anger toward me and I flinched back. He looked back to the other guy, probably trying to keep attention off of me.

"Wait a minute. Cops only found one body." Damon said, trying to distract him. I knew that was my cue to go, but I couldn't just leave him there. He was bleeding, and from the looks of it, he wasn't in a place to be fighting alone. This vampire had a weapon.

"I left one. I was tired. But I've been hiding the rest of bodies." The vampire said and then pointed. "They're right back there."

I followed where he pointed and felt my jaw drop. There were dead bodied piled up high, all drained of blood. I felt myself gasp before I could stop myself. I knew in that second that I should run.

"Well lookie here." The vampire, now I realized to be Logan Fell, said when he turned. "Looks like you brought me a present Damon."

I felt my eyes go wide and I turned to run but he caught me before I even got a chance to move. I screamed moving around, trying to get away from him. Damon was right, I should have stayed outside. I closed my eyes, waiting for the pain but it never came.

"Wait!" Damon yelled from his spot on the floor. Logan halted. "She's got vervain in her system."

I looked to him, eyes wide. We both knew that I hadn't ingested any vervain. I only wore it in my bracelet. However, I wasn't going to disagree. If Logan believed I had vervain in my blood, then I would be of no use to him.

"How do I know you are telling the truth?" Logan asked, eyes narrowed.

"Go ahead if you think I'm bluffing." He said. I swallowed. "But don't be surprised when you fall and I get the chance to kill you."

Logan seemed to contemplate his next move. Looking between me and Damon. I then felt him sniff my hair, breathing in my scent. I flinched away, whimpering as he did it.

"Such a shame." Logan said, but then he threw me down. I scrambled over to Damon, something I thought I would never do. He grabbed me, shoving me protectively behind him. Logan waltzed back over to us, looking very smug and twirling his gun around.

"How cute." Logan taunted. "Nice pet Salvatore."

"She keeps me on my toes." Damon replied. I squeezed his arm. I knew I would have smacked him had he said it while not in the presence of an unstable vampire.

"I might have to get myself one." Logan said as he sat down. "Maybe Jenna."

My eyes widened and my stomach dropped. Logan was not going to get anywhere near Jenna if I had anything to do with it. I really needed to get her and Jeremy some vervain.

"Why am I so overly emotional?" Logan asked suddenly. "All I can think about is my ex-girlfriend. I wanna be with her and bite her and stuff."

"Well, you probably love her. Anything you felt before will be magnified now." Damon explained. "You're gonna have to learn how to control that."

"What about walking in the sun? I'm a morning person. You can walk in the sun which, by the way, is pretty cool." Logan asked. "The council will never suspect you. That's not in the journals."

"The journals?" Damon asked.

"Yeah, the founding fathers, they passed down journals to their kids." Logan answered. "Come on man, you gotta tell me. How can you walk around in the sun?"

"Who turned you?" Damon quipped.

"How do you walk in the sun?" Logan repeated.

"Who turned you?" Damon asked again.

"You know, I've been really nice so far but I will kill you." Logan said, standing up and pointing his gun at Damon.

"Then you'll never know." Damon replied, standing and pulling me up with him. "You're not answering my question."

"You first. Or I'll kill her." Logan threatened. Damon wrapped a protective arm around my torso, pushing me right behind him. I gripped the back of his shirt, holding on to something so I wouldn't faint.

"You won't." Damon replied. "Not as long as I'm standing."

"Then maybe you need to go down." Logan said. I heard the shot of the bullets coming from the gun. Damon fell down, convulsing with each bullet that hit him.

"Damon!" I screamed and leaned down to him. His whole front was covered in blood and he started to groan in pain.

"I have things to do, people to kill." Logan said. "Guess I'll be needing a little head start."

With that he was gone, leaving me and Damon alone. My hands were all over him, floating just above his torso. I didn't know what to do or how to fix this. I wasn't a doctor, and I was definitely not a vampire doctor. With quick thinking I ripped his shirt open, uncovering all of his wounds. Some had already healed, but others still held the wooden bullets scaring his smooth pale skin.

"If you wanted me to take my shirt off you could have just asked." Damon coughed. I glared, fighting the urge to slap him.

"Wh-what do you want me to do?" I asked him. I didn't have any desire to pull those bullets out. I didn't know if I could man up and even try.

"What I want…" He began, sitting up. "Is for Logan Fell's head above my fire place."

I watched him begin to pull the bloody bullets from his body. I looked away, fighting the urge to vomit. I wasn't into blood and the surgical things you see on TV. So quite frankly, this whole thing was grossing me out.

"Why didn't you listen to me?" Damon asked, voice angry. I looked back to him, seeing he wasn't looking me in the eye.

"I heard you yell…" I replied. "I was worried."

That was when he looked up at me, meeting my gaze. I held my breath waiting for his response. He licked his lips, before he stood. He looked like he was thinking, processing my words. He didn't reply, he just held out his hand and hoisted me up.

"Come on." He said and led me out the door. It didn't escape me that his hand was on the small of my back. It also didn't escape me that he was still shirtless.

He drove me back to his place, parking in front of the boarding house. I swallowed, not having been here since he kidnapped me here. It felt like a life time ago, but it was truthfully only about a week. I couldn't believe that it had come this far and that I was still hanging out with him. I guess this wasn't hanging out, but I was still talking to him.

"You coming?" He asked me when he reached the door. I nodded, following his lead. I walked inside and shivered when he shut the door. He could have done anything he wanted to do to me and I had walked right into his trap. But he didn't do anything, he just led me back to his bedroom.

"Why am I here?" I asked him, looking around his room. I had already seen this room, remembering it from where I had been locked in here. I looked to the bed and found that he had changed the sheets. My blood didn't stain them anymore.

"I am not going to let you do something stupid again." He said before he ripped his shirt off. I bit my lip, looking away from the shirtless vampire in front of me. I heard him dial his phone and I turned back around.

"Logan Fell is a vampire and when I find him again, I'm gonna destroy him limb by limb." Damon said, rifling through his closet for a shirt.

He seemed to be having difficulty, what with using one hand and him having his wounds. I walked over to him, taking his place. I started to look for one of his shirts, seeing a lot of dark colors. T shirts and button ups were most of his wardrobe. I pulled out a dark T shirt and turned around. Much to my surprise he was right there, staring down at me with those icy eyes. I froze, stuck there by the force of his gaze.

"Well, I'll be right there." Damon said and hung up the phone. He then took the shirt from me and pulled it over his head. I was sorry to see his shirtless torso go, but the shirt still hugged his body like a second skin.

"You wear a lot of black." I commented, not knowing what else to say. He chuckled.

"It's the color of my soul." He responded. I let out a breathy laugh. We stayed there for a while, stuck in each other's gaze. I felt myself swallow when he twitched forward just an inch. However, the moment was short lived.

"I've got to get to the school." He explained. I nodded, trying not to let it show that I had been expecting something else.

I followed him outside and back to his car. It was dark now, and that meant Logan Fell was loose. We had to find him. We were quiet for a while, that is until he stopped right out in front of the Grill.

"Now is not the time for a drink Damon." I said. "I thought we had to go to the school?"

"I'm going to the school." He said. "You have to work."

"You've got to be kidding me." I said looking over at him. He looked completely serious. "Damon-"

"Nope." He said holding up a finger. "If you're here then I don't have to worry about you."

"I can take care of myself." I quipped. He rolled his eyes, which caused me to glare at him.

"Right, like you did earlier today?" He challenged. I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest. I didn't want to go in, especially since I knew that Logan was out there and I couldn't help. I wanted to help.

"It would help me a lot." He said, as if he read my mind. "If I knew you were safe."

My head slowly turned to him. He was leaned slightly toward me, not enough to put him in my personal space, but just enough to make me notice. His eyes held sincerity and worry, something I thought he couldn't show. But I had come to the conclusion that Damon cared for me, in some way shape or form he cared. It may not have been romantic, but he cared.

"Fine." I replied, yanking open the door. "Be careful alright?"

"Always am." He responded with a wink. He was about to drive away before I leaned into the door once more.

"Oh, Damon?" I called to him. He looked at me. "Kick his ass."

He smirked at me and I slammed the door. Once it was closed he drove away.

It wasn't hard to find Logan. He was new, so he wasn't good with covering up his tracks. Damon and Stefan found his vehicle easy, a passed out Caroline Forbes in the passenger seat and her mother frantic on the phone. Once Stefan had pulled Logan from the car, Damon used a gun to shoot three wooden bullets into him. He smiled with glee as the newbie vampire fell to the ground.

"Pay back's a bitch isn't it?" Damon commented before he dove for Logan's phone. Stefan pulled Caroline from the car and took off with her. "Sherriff? Yeah, it's Damon."

"Where is Caroline?" Sherriff Forbes asked frantically on the phone.

"She's fine. I'm on Elm street." Damon explained and then closed the phone. He then headed to the back where he popped open the trunk and there lay a tire iron. Damon grabbed it, the metal cool on his hand. He then turned to Logan who lay on the ground in pain.

"Gonna try this one more time." Damon said, swinging the iron like a bat. "Who turned you?"

"I told you I don't know." Logan said sitting up.

"This tire iron here could take your head clean off." Damon said. "Is that your final answer?"

"How can you side with them?" Logan asked. Damon held the tire iron up in a swinging position.

"I don't side with anyone. You pissed me off. I want you dead." Damon explained. "Who turned you?"

"Is this because I tried to eat your girlfriend?" Logan asked. Damon glared.

"She's not my girlfriend." Damon replied. "Who turned you?"

"Really? Cause you're weirdly protective of her." Logan said. "She must mean something to you."

"I'm going to ask you one more time." Damon said, ignoring Logan's last comment. "Who turned you?"

"I don't know!" Logan yelled. Damon sighed.

"Oh, well. You're screwed." Damon said and started to swing.

"Wait, wait! I do know." Logan said, holding his hand up in defense.

"You're lying." Damon concluded.

"You think you're the only one who wants to get in that tomb underneath the old church?" Logan asked. That got Damon's attention. He lowered the tire iron a bit.

"If you're lying to me, I will end you." Damon threatened.

"I am not lying. There is another way to break the spell. We can help you." Logan explained. "Meet me at the old church."

The two of them looked up to see police lights and sirens. Logan gave Damon a pleading look and Damon huffed. If Logan was lying he could kill him, and if he was telling the truth… there may just be another way to open up the tomb.

"Take me down. Make it look real. Make it look real!" Damon said. Logan then ran forward, tossing Damon against his car and taking off. Damon fell to the ground, pretending that the assault hurt.

Logan Fell had better be telling the truth.

My shift had ended and I was heading home. I tried to call Elena, but she wasn't answering. I called mom too but she didn't answer as well. So, even against my better judgement I started to walk home alone.

I didn't have Damon or Stefan's numbers so I could call them to ask if Logan was "taken care of." I just hoped that he still thought I had vervain in my system and he would leave me alone if he came across me. It was dark and foggy, not a good thing to be walking out in. I clutched my jacket tighter to me, the cool fall air chilling me to the bone.

There wasn't anyone out in the streets and barely any cars drove by. It was creepy and now that I knew better, I was scared. My house wasn't far, but it was far enough to freak me out a little. Especially since there was a crazy vampire out there. I didn't want to be the next victim piled up in Logan's warehouse.

I picked up my pace, making it to my house in record time. Mom's car was gone, so I figured she was still at work. I went up to my door, putting the key in the lock. However, before I could open the door I heard the snap of a twig. I felt my blood go cold and my heart skip a beat. I closed my eyes, swallowing hard before I turned. Once I was all the way around I peeked.

"Nice strategy." Damon said once I faced him. "Pretend your invisible and maybe they will believe you are invisible."

"What do you want Damon?" I asked harshly. I was tired and not in the mood for his games. I hoped that he had news on Logan, maybe then I could rest easy.

"Logan is dead." Damon said. I nodded.

"Good." I said and then turned solemn. "So you're leaving then?"

He didn't answer me, he just took a few steps forward until he towered over me. I swallowed, feeling very anxious at his close proximity. He stared at me for a while, I didn't even notice him taking hold of my wrist. I also didn't notice him slip my bracelet from it. I looked down then and frowned.

"Damon what are you-" I began but he shushed me.

"He knew how to get her out." Damon said, turning the bracelet in his fingers. "Logan. He knew another way."

"What? Get who out?" I asked him, eyeing my bracelet. I didn't like him having it. I felt exposed, knowing he could make me do anything right at that moment.

"And now he's dead." Damon mumbled, clutching my bracelet in his fist. I looked back up to him and felt utterly helpless.

"Please. Give me back my bracelet." I begged him. He met my gaze again and shook his head.

"I need to go away." He told me. "I need to leave."

I said nothing, although I knew that it was coming. Logan was gone, the vampire problem was taken care of. Now he could leave. But I didn't want him to.

"Don't." I said suddenly. He looked back to me. "You could stay."

"No." He replied. "No. I can't. Everything reminds me of her."

Katherine, was my immediate thought. It made sense, he met her here. There must be so many memories, even since the town had changed so much. I couldn't imagine how painful that would be. So, I understood why he wanted to leave. Nothing was keeping him here now. But I selfishly wanted him to stay for my own personal reasons. Damon made me feel alive, even when he was bugging the crap out of me. This while mess had made me stronger, and I was afraid if he left then that strength would leave me too.

"I have to go." Damon repeated, but his eyes flicker to me. "But you can come with me."

My eyebrows furrowed and I suddenly felt my stomach lurch. I turned around quickly, grabbing for the door handle, but he stopped me. With a quick flick of his wrist he turned me around and pinned me against the door.

"Go to sleep pretty girl." He ordered, and I had no choice. My eyes flickered closed and my whole world went dark.

She fell limp into Damon's arms, and he caught her with ease. He grabbed her stuff, locking her front door before he left. He carried her bridal style to his car, slipping her into the passenger seat and with vampire speed he ran to the other side.

Once he was in he locked the doors, not that she would wake up any time soon. He stuffed her bracelet in his pocket, that way he wouldn't lose it. He started the car up and revved the engine. With a hard foot to the pedal he was off, driving way over the speed limit.

Logan was dead, along with the secret of how to open the tomb without the crystal. He was angry, unstable, but he couldn't stay here in this state. He needed to forget, to take some time to feel numb before the real pain set in. He could have fun by himself, but Alex was there and he took the chance. He knew he would have to explain to her mother, he could always compel her on the phone. All it took was his voice.

Besides, Elena and Stefan would be fine without him for one day. He needed to have some fun, and Alex was in some desperate need of socialization. This would be good for both of them.

His eyes flickered over to her, looking so peaceful as she slept. A stray hair fell onto her face and he pushed it aside. She was so warm, full of warm human blood. The scent of her made his mouth water, but he restrained himself. He could feed off some other poor unsuspecting girl. Alex was off limits.

"Don't worry pretty girl." He said. "I'll take care of you."