SUNNYDALE, CALIFORNIA: 2001
Damon couldn't help but stare dumbfounded at Spike as the two of them sit in a booth at Willy's both with a glass of bourbon in front of them. Honestly, he just didn't know how to process everything Spike had just filled him in on, all he could do was let out a loud laugh at the insanity of it.
When Spike merely glares at him the emotionless vampire couldn't help but continue to chuckle, it was the most amusing thing he had ever heard.
"A Slayer." Damon chuckles staring at Spike in disbelief "You fell in love with A Slayer. Your soulless ass got soft over a damn Slayer."
Spike couldn't help but scoff, Damon was one to talk given the nutcase he had fallen in love with, he had met Katherine once not that Damon knew that given he thought she was still trapped in the tomb, and while she was great in the sake...she was not worth the trouble she brought with her.
"Oh sod off." He hisses taking a big gulp of his bourbon while Damon continues to taunt him in amusement.
"Dude come on..." Damon pipes up leaning his elbows on the table "Seriously of all people that awakes your soulless heart...it's the woman who tries to kill our kind?"
Spike sighs as he thinks about Buffy, the woman he loved, the woman that was currently laying six feet underground after sacrificing herself to save the world "She's..." He whispers trying to contain himself, the pain of losing Buffy still so fresh even 147 days later "She's a hell of a woman...well she was."
With that, he grabs the bottle of bourbon resting between them refilling his glass while Damon merely smirks as he realizes he was now standing in a Slayer-less Hellmouth, talk about a party for the supernatural.
"Another Slayer bites the dust." He chuckles ignoring the glare Spike throws his way merely rolling his eyes "Spike, that's their point of existence, you told me that." He reminds the younger vampire raising his glass towards him before downing the last of the amber liquid down in one go.
"She was different." Spike hisses in anger the glass in his hands cracking slightly as he tried to remain composed, inhaling tightly Spike glances up to the clock on the wall before standing "Look I got to go. Head to the crypt I don't care mate, but I got a promise to keep to a lady."
Damon frowns in confusion, this wasn't the Spike he partied with back in the early '90s and the last of the '80s, whoever this Slayer was...she had really messed him up, he was almost acting like the current brooding Angelus who was too boring to be around now that he was all soulful "But..."
Knowing Damon wanted his help Spike sighs, the sooner he helped Salvatore the sooner he would be on his way "I'll talk to my boys tomorrow man. I made a promise."
With that Spike throws some cash onto the table before strolling out of the bar leaving Damon alone at the table, he had to admit he was curious, this Slayer had to be pretty amazing for Spike of all people to change.
MYSTIC FALLS: PRESENT DAY
After explaining his years of solitary down here to Elena who was frozen to silence in too much horror to speak Damon was back to staring down at the Locket.
As he stares down at it he couldn't stop those green eyes from filling his mind, that smile, the sarcasm, the banter, her laugh.
Those small thoughts were filling every corner of his brain to the point where, as he stared at the locket he couldn't even hear Elena calling his name.
"Damon!" Elena exclaims again finally causing Damon's gaze to be torn away from the Locket he had given away 9 years ago.
Clenching his jaw he looks up at Elena who frowns "What is that?" She asks curiously staring at the necklace only to frown as she spots the familiar S on the top of the locket.
Damon sighs as he stares down at the locket, his thumb grazing over the S as memories continue to try and force their way to the surface "It was my mothers."
"What is it doing here?"
Elena frowns in confusion and tilts her head curiously as she spots the look on Damon's face, the way he looked at that Locket...there was more to this.
Damon sighs as he closes his eyes trying to bury it all back down again as he had done back in 2003, he had shoved it all down back then, and he could do it again.
"I don't know...the last time I saw it...was in Sunnydale."
SUNNYDALE, CALIFORNIA: 2001
Damon couldn't help but chuckle as he strolls through the burning streets of Sunnydale, it seemed the little secret of the Slayer's death had spread, leading to demons running chaos through the town.
Between breaking into buildings and setting cars on fire he had to admit this was his idea of a party. So many blood bags running around screaming trying to escape from the demons causing destruction.
Strolling down the burning streets Damon's eyes scan over the people like a lion looking for its prey, he was in the mood for something young and pretty.
However, in his mission to find someone to drain his eyes fill with confusion as he spots some of the demons crowding in a circle.
Letting his curiosity lead him the vampire makes his way over to the demons frowning in confusion as he spots what he assumed to be the leader standing by a blonde girl. But what was confusing him more was the fact that even though he couldn't see her face he could clearly see the metal wires in her leg.
He couldn't help but let out an amused breath, he had to admit robots that was new for him.
"Well, that's different."
MYSTIC FALLS: PRESENT DAY
Elena who was in the process of trying to defend her father's history with the Augustine society sighs as she spots Damon watching the metal door across from them.
Something was going on she could tell, from the minute he said Sunnydale it was like he shut down a part of himself, he had refused to speak another word.
Whatever happened, it was something he was hiding from and it drove her curiosity mad.
Moving to lean against the bars of the cell she couldn't help but glance over curiously "Sunnydale.." She whispers causing his eyes to tear from the door going over to her "...there was a big earthquake there destroyed the whole town...I saw it on the news when I was a kid."
At the mention of the town that was now nothing more than a crater, Damon couldn't help but snort at that. He remembered every aspect of that day and the fact it was written off as nothing more than an earthquake still made him laugh.
As he laughs Elena frowns in confusion "What?"
Damon shakes his head before glancing back down at the locket in his hands "It wasn't an earthquake that destroyed Sunnydale..."
"What do you mean?" She asks only to frown as a dark look covers her boyfriend's face, a look she recognized, she had been the cause of it many times in the past...heartbreak.
Damon inhales tightly clenching his fist tightly around the locket as he thinks back to that day, that day had been one of the best in his life...the day after had probably been the worst.
"It wasn't an earthquake." He repeats before his eyes meet hers "It was a girl."
SUNNYDALE, CALIFORNIA: 2001
Damon couldn't help but smirk in amusement as he watches the robot chick stand completely chained up with each limb chained to a different motorbike.
She was going to get ripped apart.
As the head demon raises his gun Damon smirks slightly "Gentleman!" The boss calls "Start your engines. Bye-bye Slayer."
At his words Damon frowns before glancing back at the robot he still couldn't see anything other than for her back, however, what he did see was the figure in a black dress staring at the robot in horror.
The figure covered in dirt and grime lets out a horrifying scream as the bikes speed off separating the robot into parts.
Damon frowns as he glances over at the blonde figure who quickly runs off as the demons begin chasing her only for his eyes to widen as he spots her knock one of them off the bike without breaking a sweat.
Letting out an amused breath he couldn't help but chuckle "Looks like she didn't bite the dust." He whispers to himself before smirking as he walks over to where she had once been stood.
While the demons chased her he took in her scent before heading in the opposite direction to cut her off, Spike was a good friend of sorts but hey he had heard just how delicious a Slayer's blood was.
MYSTIC FALLS: PRESENT DAY
As he and Elena continue to lay side by side only the bars separating them Elena couldn't help but glance over at her boyfriend.
She was curious she had to admit about this mysterious girl, every time she had asked a question Damon merely zoned out, and then when she finally got him to focus again he would change the subject on her.
In the 2 and a half years she had known Damon he had never mentioned anything about Sunnydale or his time there, let alone another woman who wasn't Katherine.
Whoever this girl was that destroyed the town she could tell Damon had buried his memory of her deep down, which only made her more curious.
"So who was she?" She asks only summoning a sigh out of Damon, he didn't want to talk about Sunnydale, and he sure as hell didn't want to talk about her.
He had spent years burying it all down.
"Don't." He hisses sharply causing Elena's eyes to widen in shock, Damon never spoke to her like that but whatever this was, it was clearly pushing his buttons, which only made her even more curious.
"You know you can tell me anything." She argues "Plus we're trapped anyway, what else are we going to do."
Damon clenches his jaw in anger as he pulls himself back up to his feet turning away from the brunette, of all things she could ask...this was something she didn't get to know.
This was a part of his life that was his and his alone.
Buffy was his memory alone.
SUNNYDALE, CALIFORNIA: 2001
Following the scent of the amazing smelling Slayer's blood, Damon strolls into a small alleyway his eyes grazing over the bins and brick walls.
As he scans the area he frowns as he spots a small figure crouched on the ground in the corner shivering in her black dress.
Moving over to the blonde he couldn't help but frown as he spots her fidgeting, tilting his head he couldn't help but scan her, while covered in dirt and filth it was obvious enough that she was beautiful even if she looked traumatized right now.
However, it wasn't her face that made him pause it was the wounds on her hands, her knuckles were ripped open bleeding heavily as though she had been punching something with all of her strength.
That's when it clicks, the black dress, the dirt, the trauma written all over her face, added with those wounds...this was the Slayer Spike had spoken about, the one who had been dead yet here she was back again...and it was clear to see her revival hadn't been pleasant.
Down in his emotionless state, he felt something stir as he stared down at the terrified girl but he kept it buried.
She was nothing more than another blood bag.
"So you're the Slayer."
As she hears his voice her head shoots in his direction before she covers her ears wincing in pain, but it does allow him to finally see her fully, the soft features, the green eyes almost like forest trees, and her pink lips.
Tilting his head he moves to crouch down in front of her a small smirk grazing his lips as he watches her "Geez digging out of your grave what a drag." He taunts causing her to shake her head staring down at the ground.
Rolling his eyes he takes a step towards her only to groan as he hears someone clear their throat behind him "Can't a guy eat in peace." He huffs before glancing over his shoulder just in time to see the biker demons approaching him, their eyes glued to the newly resurrected Slayer.
"Welcome home, Slayer." The head demon Mag chuckles ignoring the vampire "Alive and kicking after all. Well, alive, anyway. Not looking too good though is she?" Pausing the demon glances over at Damon "Sorry vampire but we got plans for the princess, find another meal."
Damon smirks slightly as he glances over at the demon "Yeah...sorry not your average dusty vamp. And I kind of called dibs, if she goes all zombie on me then she's all yours."
Mag merely chuckles as he stares down at the vampire just as the rest of his gang comes out of the shadows glaring at the vampire who sighs in annoyance "You see, that's messy. My boys, they came here for a massacre and that Slayer...she's the best dessert. Just leave, your kind shouldn't be here anyway."
With that Damon groans as Mag backhands him across the face sending him crashing into one of the walls "Go home, vampire."
Damon rolls his eyes in annoyance only to pause as he spots Buffy move from her spot crouched on the floor moving in front of Mag who smirks down at the blonde "This is going to be fun girly."
Damon who had never seen a Slayer in action arches a brow as Mag backhands Buffy causing her head to swing to the side leaving her with a small cut on her lip.
But what shocked him more was the fact that as Mag goes to hit her again she catches his fist in her hand as though it was nothing and punches him so hard in the face that she snaps his neck like a twig.
Pulling himself back up to his feet he scoffs in surprise as Mag's body drops at Buffy's feet before she leaps up kicking another demon in the chest sending him flying.
He was in shock she was ripping apart the demons one by one tossing them around like they were nothing but toys.
He had to admit he was impressed, crossing his arms he leans against the wall watching curiously as she catches a demon's wrist before he could impale her with a blade and used his blade to stab another demon in the gut before snapping his neck with her bare hands.
Letting out a small breath he couldn't help but offer her a slow clap as she drops the last body to the ground with a thud "Well I'm impressed blondie."
Buffy's eyes widen as her head shoots back in his direction before she takes a shaky breath and raises her hand to her lips wiping the blood away. In a panic, she runs shoving him away from her in the process.
Damon groans as he hits the floor before scoffing as he stares up at the night sky, now he was annoyed.