Hey guys! So, I'm not going to lie, I am writing season 3 right now and Damon kissed Elena in the show! I flipped out and felt like he was cheating on Alex and then remembered she is not actually in the show. I have fallen so in love with Dalex that I hate thinking about Delena!

Big things happen in this chapter! Big things! But enough of my babbling, read on my dears!

Season 2 Episode 10 The Sacrifice

"So, wait…" I began. "The moonstone can destroy the curse so you won't have to be sacrificed?"

"That's what this Slater guy said." Elena replied. I was currently resting after mine and John's early morning run. He was still much better than me at keeping the same speed, but if I continued I would have much more stamina.

I was pleased when Elena called. I missed the sound of her voice, among other things. It had only been a few days, but it felt like a lifetime away from my friends. I also felt very out of the loop. Both Elena and Damon had tried to fill me in as best they could, but it just wasn't the same.

"I wish I could go with you." I said looking out the window. John was currently setting up targets for me to shoot stakes at with the air compressed gun. I was excited to learn how to shoot it properly. I would prefer shooting that thing over hand to hand combat any day.

"When are you coming home?" She asked. I licked my lips. One week wasn't enough for me to learn everything John had to offer. It was enough to maybe save my ass when needed, but that still wasn't enough for me. I needed more time. I needed more training, I just didn't know if John would go for it.

"I…I'm not sure." I admitted. I heard Elena make a groaning sound on the other end.

"You said a week." Elena mumbled. "It's been a week."

"I know." I said. "I know it's just… I don't think I'm ready."

There was a long pause. I knew that my decision to hang out with my father were very surprising to everyone. But I wrote it down to me wanting to know how to protect myself, not wanting any kind of father daughter relationship. Although, it had been good to venture into that subject matter. I guess never having a father before makes me yearn for what John could offer me.

"Listen, I get what you are trying to do." Elena said, bumping me out of my thoughts. "I totally understand… what you went through… that was traumatic."

I winced remembering the sound of my bone cracking and the pain that followed. I remembered Katherine threatening my mother and how scared I had been to defy her. I remembered Jace telling me that he was part of the whole plot. I think that was what hurt the most.

"Hey has Jace been around?" I asked suddenly. Although I was still angry with him, I couldn't shake the feelings I had about him. He was a friend… he made a mistake. But his mission was a success. He had made me trust him and even after his betrayal I couldn't forget him.

"No, Alex." Elena said grimly. "I'm sorry but… he left."

I nodded, even though I knew she couldn't see it. I should have known. He had no reason to be here anymore. Katherine was in the tomb and he couldn't get her out. There was no reason for him to stay, not even for me.

"Oh, ok." I said, my voice sounding sadder than I wanted to let on.

"Hey, I got to go." Elena said. "But I'll call and tell you everything."

"Ok." I replied. "Elena… be careful."

"I will." She replied. We said goodbye and hung up. I searched through my phone scrolling past Damon and landing on Jace. I debated on clicking call and eventually I did. I held the phone up to my ear and waited.

"I'm sorry, but this number has since been disconnected. We are sorry for any inconvenience."

I shut the phone and laid it down on my bed. I should have known. Jace was gone, and I knew that was probably a good thing. But he was my friend, he himself said he was my friend. But I had pushed him away.

I sighed, standing up and going outside the room to have target practice.

Jace watched from afar as the Salvatore brothers left the church ruins. He knew that they had left the door open and that Katherine would be there. He also knew to stay out of sight because by now they probably knew that he was in cahoots with her and they would probably try to kill him if he was seen. Damon already hated him, and it wouldn't take much for either of them to kill her. He took a deep breath, he was going to need to be as calm as possible, unless he wanted her to hear his nervousness by the way his heartbeat was beating so erratically. What did he have to be nervous about? She was trapped in that tomb. She couldn't hurt him anymore.

She couldn't hurt anyone anymore.

He slowly walked out from his hiding place and went down the stone steps. He was walking slowly, carefully, as to not alert her of his presence. But who was he kidding? She was a vampire, she probably heard his breathing when he was hiding from the brothers.

He got to the last step and stared into the room. It was empty, the only thing inside were some candles and the stone door. He didn't see her at the entrance, although she probably heard him. He swallowed hard before approaching the entrance.

"Katherine?" He called, trying to even out his voice. "Hey! I want to talk to you."

He was greeted with silence. He waited for about five minutes before he turned and was about to go. However, when his back was to the door he heard heels clicking on the stone floor. He waited until the clicking stop before he turned.

"So, he finally shows his face." Katherine hissed. "I missed you the night of the masquerade."

"I was busy." Jace shrugged. He could see her seething beneath that hard exterior. He was a good distance away, that way she couldn't grab him and pull him in. She looked hungry.

"You had a job to do." Katherine said harshly. "And you failed me."

Jace scoffed, to which she glared at him. He knew that he was acting all tough because she couldn't get to him. If she was free this conversation would go completely different. However, he had the upper hand now. It was a nice feeling actually.

"But I'm going to let you make it up to me." Katherine mused. Jace's eyebrows furrowed. "I want you to convince that Bennett witch to let me out of here."

"And what makes you think that Bonnie would even consider?" Jace asked. "She doesn't even like you."

"I've seen you be persuasive." Katherine said, eyeing him up and down. "Besides, if you want us to be together-"

"I don't want that." Jace said immediately. Katherine's eyebrows shot up in disbelief. Jace stood firm, crossing his arms over his chest. She then bit her bottom lip seductively.

"I love when you get all testy." She said looking him over. Jace didn't falter.

"That night… when you broke Alex's arm…" Jace said. Katherine smirked at the memory. "I saw you for who you really are."

"She's with Damon." Katherine said, as if the answer was obvious. "She was the easiest way to get the moonstone."

"Why was it so important that I integrate myself into her life anyway?" Jace asked. Katherine shrugged. "I'm tired of you not telling me anything. Tell me."

"What's in it for me?" She asked. Jace rolled his eyes, taking a bottle of red blood out of his bag. He tossed it into the tomb. She grabbed for it, gulping it down. Jace tried not to gag at the bit that dripped from the corner of her lip.

"There's more where that came from." Jace said. "Now answer me."

Katherine swallowed, wiping the excess from her lips. She then licked her fingers, gazing at him. He used to swoon at that gaze, how sexy and dangerous she was. But now all he saw was a monster.

"Not only is she Damon's little pet…" Katherine explained. "But she's much more important than anyone really knows."

"How so?" Jace asked. Katherine chuckled.

"You look like a little school boy." Katherine said. "If I had known you would catch feelings-"

"I didn't." Jace spat. "Those were fake."

"And what about your feelings for me?" Katherine asked coyly. Jace swallowed stepping forward one step. He was staring right into those doe brown eyes. It was amazing how innocent she could make herself look, but in reality she was a cold hearted murderer.

"Those were what you put in my head." Jace said. "But that's over now."

"How soon you forget that I made you." Katherine said. "If it weren't for me you would still be living in squalor and sadness."

"Maybe I was better off that way." Jace said. Katherine laughed.

"I remember when I first met you." Katherine said. "This poor little orphan who had just run away from his foster home. You were trying to sneak your way into a bar."

"I remember." Jace said. "And you compelled the bouncer to let me in."

"And then you found your way to my bed." Katherine winked. "Do you remember what I told you?"

Jace swallowed. He remembered everything about that night. He remembered her tight black dress. He had lost his virginity to her that night. He remembered how alive he felt. He hadn't felt like that in a long time.

"You said that you would make me great." Jace said. Katherine nodded. "What I've been doing is not great."

"I gave you a purpose, Jace." Katherine said. "Doesn't matter what team it was for."

"It matters to me." Jace replied. "We're done."

He turned to leave but Katherine made a noise. He turned back around and she was standing right at the entrance. She pushed on the invisible force field that kept her locked inside.

"Jace, you love me." Katherine said. "You have to get me out of here."

Jace set his jaw. Jace didn't know if he ever really did love her, or if he was in love with the idea of her. She had caught him at a low point. Sure she gave him food, clothing, shelter, and a false sense of security. But was he truly in love with her? He wasn't so sure.

"How could I love an evil, narcissistic bitch like you?" Jace spat. Katherine's lip curled over her teeth. He turned to really leave this time.

"You want to know why I came back to Mystic Falls?" Katherine asked. Jace stopped on the stairs.

"You wanted to break the curse." Jace shrugged. Katherine shook her head.

"I came back for Stefan." Katherine said. "Also to get Klaus off my back, but… for Stefan too."

"But I thought you said-"

"I came back for Stefan." Katherine admitted. "I never loved you."

Jace stood there, staring at her evil face. He must have had true feelings for her, because his heart twisted when she said it. He should have known that she never really cared. She played him just like she had every other person she had ever come into contact with.

"And Alex?" Katherine said. "She's not the only Gilbert Klaus is looking for."

Jace felt his stomach lurch and he swallowed. He knew about this curse, but he had no idea Alex was involved. He couldn't believe Katherine had involved him in this, just to hand over Alex to this Klaus guy to die. He wouldn't have it.

"Go to hell." Jace muttered, forcing himself to leave. He could hear her scoff from behind him, but he didn't stop to say anything more. He left her behind and never looked back.

I was beginning to get annoyed. I had called Elena, Damon, Stefan, even Jeremy. No one picked up, not even once. I wanted to know what was going on. Elena was going to see this Slater guy, and I had no idea what Damon was doing. Much to my chagrin, Every one of my calls was left ignored. I was starting to believe that they were doing it on purpose.

"You're a natural." John said bringing in the person shaped target I had shot at. I forced a smile, looking at the large holes I had put in it. There was one in the shoulder, one in the stomach and one in the heart. I had used the gun first, then I had thrown the stakes. I was much better at shooting the gun then throwing.

"Something wrong?" He asked curiously. I debated on not saying anything. None of this was his business anyway. But something else told me that I could maybe use his advice. I sighed putting my phone down, glaring at it.

"No one is answering." I replied. "Starting to freak me out."

"Now you know how Damon felt that first night you were here." John said with a slight laugh. I looked up at him, eyebrows furrowed.

"When did you start caring about how Damon felt?" I asked. He shrugged rolling up the target and putting a rubber band around it. He set it on the table, sitting across from me.

"I don't." John said. "But you do and I care how you feel."

I swallowed hard and looked down at the table. I clicked my phone on but there were no calls. We sat in painful silence for a very long time. I shifted in my seat, trying to ease some tension. John pushed the rolled up target at me.

"Keep it." He said. "That way you can show off. Maybe Damon will think twice before messing with you."

I laughed with him and rolled my eyes. I then took the target and walked back to my bedroom. I stuffed it in my bag so I wouldn't forget. I then paused, hang on the zipper. I looked at my duffle bag and took a deep breath. I stood in the middle of the bedroom for a long time before I walked back out into the kitchen.

"I want to stay longer." I said to John. He turned around, eyes wide. He was drinking water and looked as if he was almost choking on it. He swallowed, clearing his throat.

"Alex, we agreed on-"

"I know." I interrupted. "But you can teach me so much more."

"There isn't anything I've taught you that you didn't already know." John said. "I told you, you're a natural."

I just about had a temper tantrum. Why couldn't anyone see this my way? This was important to me… I had to stay longer.

"I'm nowhere near where I need to be." I said shaking my head. "Why won't you teach me?"

"Because I don't want this life for you." John admitted. "Do you honestly think you can take someone elses life? Rip it out of them like an animal? Even someone who is undead?"

"Of course I could." I replied. But I didn't know if that was true. Could I actually plunge a stake through Katherine's heart if I had to? I didn't know if I had the guts to do it.

"It's not as easy as it sounds." John said. "It changes you."

"Maybe I need a little bit of change." I urged. "John please-"

"You have spent enough time here."

He turned his back to me and I huffed like a child. I glared at his back for a long time. Why couldn't he just teach me? He owed me 17 years, what was a few more weeks? The room was silent and I felt my eyes prick with tears. I sniffed, wiping away tears that fell onto my cheeks.

"I'm scared." I whispered. John turned, eyes on me.

"Of what?" He asked. I licked my lips.

"Of going home." I replied. "I'm scared of this ever happening to me again."

John stepped forward, eyes softer than before. I blinked away a few tears. I felt utterly embrassed. I didn't want to cry in front of anyone, let alone John. But I had to face the facts. I was terrified.

"I have to know that this will never happen again." I said. "I close my eyes and see her face… I feel her hurting me… I can't…. I can't handle it."

I broke down then. John rushed up to me, taking me in his arms. I didn't push away, instead I cried into his chest and gripped his shirt. He ran his hand over my hair, trying to soothe me.

"Even the best vampire hunters still feel that fear." John said. "That won't go away."

I closed my eyes. I didn't know if I could live with that kind of fear. I was terrified. I didn't want to die, I wasn't prepared to die. I thought that if I learned how to fight I would finally be ok, that this fear would disappear. But over the few days I had been there the fear hadn't gone away.

"I just want to feel safe." I murmured. John's chest rose and fell as he breathed. He pulled back holding my shoulders and looking at me.

"Running away is not the way to do it." John said. I nodded. I knew that I was being silly. But the truth was, I was terrified. The idea had struck me to my core, and I couldn't shake it. I was afraid of my own home, of my house. I knew Katherine was locked away, but who knows what else could come along? Damon couldn't protect me all the time, although I knew he would try.

"You are a strong girl, Alex." John said. "You will get through this."

"And what if I don't?" I asked. "What if I'm never me again?"

John's lips went into a straight line. I stared at him, waiting for him to answer me.

"Either way…" John said. "You are going to be fine."

I stared at him for a long time, my vision blurry with tears. Just then my phone rang. I jerked out of John's grasp and dove for the phone. I vaguely thought I looked kind of like a ninja. I flipped it open and held it to my ear.

"What's going on?" I asked hastily. I didn't even check to see who had called. I was too anxious.

"You need to talk some sense into your sister." Damon muttered from the other end of the line. "She's acting stupid."

I could hear Elena huff in the background. I furrowed my brows. I knew that Elena was going to see this Slater guy, but I had no idea Damon was going. I felt a little hint of jealousy overcome me.

"What's happening?" I asked again.

"Little Miss Hero here is trying to sacrifice herself to Klaus." Damon explained. I felt my heart sink. From what I had heard about Elijah, he didn't sound too much fun to be around. But Klaus? He was the real deal.

"Give her the phone." I ordered. It wasn't long before I heard her sigh. "What the hell are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that I'm going to save everyone's lives." She said. "I won't let anyone die for me. Not anymore."

"You must be crazy if you think we are going to let you do this." I said to her. I could feel John's eyes on me, curious and anxious. I waved him off.

"This isn't your choice Alex." She said. I gritted my teeth. What the hell was she doing? She wouldn't survive this. To break the curse, they needed blood from the doppelgänger. She would have to die. I wasn't going to let that happen.

"Damon?" I asked when I heard a shuffle of the phone.

"I'm here." Damon replied. I felt relaxed at the sound of his voice. I missed that voice.

"Take her home." I said. "Don't let her do anything stupid."

"Believe me, she's going home." Damon said. "But I make no promises on that last part."

I nodded, although I knew he couldn't see. He probably knew that I was doing it. There was a long pause, and I knew that I couldn't stay here any longer. Even if I was afraid, and I didn't think I was ready… I had to go back. They needed me.

"Damon?" I murmured.

"Yeah?" He asked almost as quietly.

"I'm coming home." I told him. There was a brief lapse of silence. I waited for the longest time. What if he didn't want me to come back? I had left without a warning, I couldn't blame him for being upset. But John was right. I had to go back and I had to face my fear. I had to go back and make myself feel safe. It was the only way that I would be ok again.

"Good." Damon said. "I'll see you when you get back."

"Bye." I said and hung up the phone. I turned to John who had a bittersweet expression. I took a deep breath. "I have to go."

"I know." John said. I felt kind of guilty, leaving him here all alone. I hadn't realized how alone John really was. He had lost everything, my mom, his brother, Isobel, and me. But he didn't seem to mind being alone, another thing we had in common. He was a loner just like I was. It was strikingly apparent how much I did take after him.

"This was really nice." I admitted. "The training."

"Yeah." John replied. "It was."

We were quiet for a long time. I couldn't lie and say that I didn't enjoy spending this time with him. He was different when it was just him and no one else was around. Sure he was still a shitty person, but a lot of people were and we willingly overlook it. It was just like Damon. He had shown me every reason that he was bad for me, that I should run away and never turn back. However, all I could see was the good that was hidden beneath. Sure, sometimes he surprised me with his actions. But I knew that deep down he was only doing what he thought was best.

"I'll drive you." John offered moving out of the room. I stood there for a long time, watching his retreating back. I wanted to say something, anything. I just couldn't find the words.

I grabbed my stuff and we went into the car. The lake house was just outside of Mystic Falls. If Damon had really wanted to find me he could have. I was glad he didn't though. I enjoyed the training, ass grueling and tough as it was. I was glad to have some new information and even a little bit of a confidence boost. I couldn't deny that I enjoyed John's company either. I learned a lot about that side of my family. I learned a lot about myself.

"You have to face them." John said. I looked up at his sudden statement. We were halfway back to Mystic Falls. We would be there in a few short minutes.

"Who?" I questioned.

"The one who scared you." John said simply. I gulped and moved to stare out the window. I had heard that it was said that people who had a fear needed to face it otherwise they would never truly get over it.

"I don't think I can." I said quietly.

"You said you wanted to feel safe." John said. "But you won't feel safe until you face your fear."

I nodded. We had just passed the Mystic Falls sign. We would be at my house soon. The rest of the ride was quiet. I sat there and stewed about the idea of confronting my fear while John stared silently out the window. We pulled up to my house and he walked me up to the door. I put my hand on the door handle and then turned to him.

"Thank you." I said to him, meeting his gaze. "For everything."

"Anytime." He replied. I nodded and opened the door. I took one step inside before I turned back to him and did something unexpected. I hugged him. I wrapped my arms around him and just hugged him. He seemed to be surprised by this, but eventually he hugged me back.

"You're going to be ok." John said. "I promise."

I swallowed, not sure that I believed him, but I did nod at least for his benefit. I pulled away and I could see a tear in his eye. He had a solemn expression on his features, I'm sure mine resembled his. I wondered when I would ever see him again.

"Bye." I said, waving at him.

"Bye."

Alex shut the door quietly behind her. John Gilbert stood there for a second staring at the door with a sad expression. She would be ok, but she would be ok without him. His time with her was over, and he didn't think he would ever get anything else like that again. He smiled when he heard the reunion of his daughter and her mother. She was a good kid. Lauren was a good mother. They didn't need him.

He turned to go, pulling the keys from his pocket and walking toward the car. He hoped he would see her again. He hoped to see both of his daughters again. But they had lives of their own. Lives that existed without him.

"John!"

He turned at the sound of his name. Lauren came jogging up to him. He could see the tears in her eyes, most likely tears of joy for having her daughter back. John smiled at her.

"Hello Lauren." John said. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes." She said, a little winded. "I just… wanted to thank you."

"Thank me?" John repeated. What ever would she thank him for?

"For bringing her home." Lauren said, tucking a piece of blonde hair behind her ear. "For taking care of her…"

"She's a good kid." John said, making Lauren smile. "A lot like her mother."

John remembered how they used to be, before he messed everything up. He loved Lauren, he always had. Isobel could not compare to John's first love. He just wished that he had never let her go. But if he hadn't, Elena would not be alive. John didn't want that either.

"Listen…" Lauren said, catching his attention. "You don't have to stay away."

John's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"You're her father." Lauren said, tucking her hands into her pockets. "And if she wants you in her life… then I won't stop you."

There was a long pause where John just stared at her. She shifted her weight, something she did when she was uncomfortable. Then, John did something crazy. He reached out for her, cupping her face with his good hand and bringing her surprised lips to his. At first, she didn't move, but then she melted against him and the two shared a passionate kiss. John had been wanting to do that for years.

He pulled back after a minute.

"Thank you." He said. She didn't respond. She just nodded. He swallowed hard before he turned back to his car. She stood there, dumbfounded, watching him leave for the second time.

Once I had settled back in and told mom how much I missed her, I headed over to the Salvatores. I borrowed the car, not feeling up to walking. I pulled up front and got out of the car, walking up to the front door. I didn't bother knocking, knowing that the door was never locked. I stepped inside the house and closed the door behind me.

"Damon?" I called. I received more silence. I headed further inside the room and put my bag down. I waited for a bit, debating on pouring myself a drink. I knew that Damon wasn't happy about my sudden disappearance, especially since I went to see the guy who tried to kill him. But I had my reasons and I was back now.

"Damon?" I called again. "Come on. I know you're mad at me but I really need to talk to you."

I sighed when I heard nothing. I assumed that he wasn't here. I turned back to the alcohol gripping a bottle. I could stay here, Damon probably wouldn't mind. But I voted against it. If he didn't want me to stay then I wasn't going to drink home drunk.

"Hello."

I jumped, gasping as I did so. I turned so quick I thought I might give myself whip lash. When I was fully turned around I saw that it was a woman. She had short, spiky hair and beautiful green eyes. She stood a good distance away from me, and by the way she was holding up her hands, I assumed that she meant me no harm.

"Sorry." She said in a British accent. "I was showering. I didn't think anyone would come over."

I swallowed, noticing that she had a towel wrapped around her head along with a shirt a few sizes too big and some pj pants that were also a bit large. I also noticed that they were Damon's.

"W-where is Damon?" I asked, cursing at myself for stuttering. I felt my heart clench and I thought I might throw up.

"He's not here." She replied. "He should be back soon."

I nodded, swallowing hard. She held out her hand to me.

"I'm Rose." She said. I took her hand gingerly and shook it. Elena had told me about her, how she had taken Elena to hand over to this Elijah guy. I didn't trust her, even if her intentions now were good.

"Alex." I replied. She smiled at me.

"So you're the girlfriend." Rose said looking me up and down. I shifted slightly, nervous at her assessment of me. But I then held my chin up and plastered a smile on my face.

"Yes I am." I replied, doing my own assessment of her. She let out a small laugh that I didn't understand. She opened her mouth as if she was about to say something but just then the door opened.

In walked Damon who looked less than happy. Usually I would have asked what was wrong, but right now that wasn't my concern. He looked at me and his lips twitched but he didn't smile.

"Everything ok?" Rose asked. I held back the scoff that I wanted to let out. Who was she? She just showed up so why did she think she could worry about my friends?

"Stefan's in the tomb." Damon said. "Jeremy had to play hero and go after the moonstone."

"Wait… is Jeremy-"

"He's ok." Damon assured. "He and Elena are home."

I relaxed, let out a deep breath. But Stefan was in the tomb. This was bad, very bad. He was in the tomb with Katherine, the craziest bitch in Mystic Falls.

"Well, I'll let you two be alone." Rose said and walked up the stairs. I stood there, straight as a pole and just stared at him. I watched him pour himself a drink and then as he took a sip. He said nothing, he barely even looked at me.

"You ok?" I asked. He took another gulp.

"Not really." He replied with a slight scoff. I stepped forward.

"Is there anything I can do?" I asked him. He stood there for a long time, silent as he finished his drink. He then poured another. I waited patiently for his answer.

"Yeah, you can." Damon said turning to look at me. "All of you humans can stop trying to be super heroes."

The way he said human sounded like it was a disgusting word. I said nothing, looking down at the floor.

"First, you run off to your dick head of a dad to learn how to kill vampires." He said, pointing at me. "Then Jeremy runs into the damn tomb and almost gets killed, and on top of that Elena is trying to die to save all of us. Well let me tell you, all three of you are nuts."

"For wanting to protect ourselves?" I retorted. "For trying to protect the ones we love?"

"For thinking that you are invincible." Damon replied. "As noble as all of this is, none of you can save anyone. All you do is get in the way."

I gritted my teeth glaring at his back when he turned around. I don't know how long it was before I got the bright idea to grab my stake, but I eventually pulled it from my belt loop. I held it sturdy in my hand, remembering everything John had taught me.

Deep breath, relax, bend your knees, hold the stake low. His voice echoed in my mind like a broken record. Once I was in the correct stance, I lunged. I wasn't trying to kill Damon, or even hurt him. I just wanted to prove to him that human's weren't invisible, but neither were vampires.

When I got though he turned, grabbed my arm and twisted, not hard enough to hurt me but enough to catch me and leave me immobile. I glared up into his icy eyes, so much intensity in them I almost shied away. He wasn't happy, and he probably didn't appreciate me trying to attack him. He leaned forward, our noses touching.

"Bad idea." He said. He held me there for a long time, just glaring at me before he released his hold. He turned back to his drink and I stood there stewing in my terrible attempt at attack. However, when he wasn't paying attention I moved slowly behind him. He wasn't expecting me to try again so I took my chance. He wasn't on the alert, so I jumped on him. He fell down, me on top of him, the force of my weight and the surprise knocking him over.

I straddled his chest, the stake in my hand poised at his heart. At first, he looked up at me in shock, then he glared. I smirked at him, a playful giggle threatening to erupt from my throat. His glare eventually faded and a mischievous grin reached his eyes. In a second he got the upper hand, moving our position so he was on top of me. I shivered.

"I guess he did teach you something." Damon offered. I smiled, but it faded when his did. "Don't leave like that again... please."

"Ok." I replied. He nodded once and then leaned forward. He kissed the tip of my nose, then my cheek, then my jaw. He was so close to my lips, if I moved one inch we would be kissing. He released his hold on my wrists and helped me up. I put the stake back in my belt loop and he returned to making a drink. I stood there silently, watching his every move. How could something be so beautiful, right down to the way he moved. He could have anyone he wanted, and yet he chose me. I was no where near as attractive as he was, we just didn't make sense as a couple.

"Rose is pretty." I said, not trying to hide the bitterness in my voice. He turned, glass in hand. He looked me over before he shrugged.

"I guess so." He said. I bit my bottom lip, shifting my weight from one foot to the other.

"I didn't know she was staying here." I commented. I was staring at the floor again, anxiety making my heart pound against my chest.

"Does that bother you?" He asked. I shook my head.

"No… no she needs a place to stay." I replied. I didn't mind someone staying here, but Rose was a pretty woman and I was a plain girl. She was much more Damon's type and most likely more experience than I was.

"Rose is pretty." Damon said. I felt my heart swell with sadness. "But she is nowhere near as beautiful as you."

My eyes flickered up to him. He had set down his glass and he was approaching me slowly. His hands cupped my cheeks, forcing me to look at him. He smiled down at me before he leaned forward and kissed me. The kiss was sweet, passionate, there was nothing lustful in it. It was just his way of telling me that he wasn't going anywhere and I felt my anxiety fade away.

"I love you." I murmured when he pulled back. I could feel him tense and my eyes widened. I hadn't meant for that to come out. I never meant to say it, it just came out. I pulled back even more, trying to see his face. His face was emotionless, his eyes searching my own expression. I swallowed hard, a lump forming in my throat. I felt so stupid, so, so stupid. How could I have said that? I didn't even know if we were at that stage yet.

"I'm sorry." I said turning, trying to hide my face. I could feel the tears pick my eyes and I moved to grab my bag. However, I was stopped when he grabbed my hand. He spun my around and I was flush up against his chest. His face was still blank, but I didn't get much of a chance to see it before he kissed me again. This kiss wasn't sweet and gentle like the last one. No, this one was filled with longing, and even though Damon hadn't said anything back to me, I didn't really mind. All I could think about was the way that this felt, the way my heart was pounding and how his hands felt roaming my body. This was love, I knew it now.

I was in love with Damon Salvatore.