I honestly thought Matt would catch me with Vicki, especially when I entered the room with all that blood...

What the hell was Damon thinking?

Attacking Vicki and leaving her alive?!

Why did he come back?

What are his plans?

And how did they involve Elena Gilbert and me?

I crawled into bed, closed my eyes, and was nearly asleep when a weak voice cried out, 'Bella.'

I rushed downstairs, only nearly falling twice. 'Gran!'

I found Gran standing in the doorway; a man stood in front of her holding her by the neck.

From the top of the stairs, he looked as if he was kissing her, but as I got closer, I could see the blood.

A guy about 24 or 25 years old: he was very handsome, standing in at 5'11 with a well-built, toned physique.

He had a light complexion with olive undertones, a strong bone structure with high cheekbones, and a solid jawline.

His dark brown hair looked black and hung just over his ears looked disheveled.

His striking blue eyes wonderfully clashed against his dark hair and eyebrows.

He wore a black leather jacket, a John Varvatos original, a dark blue shirt, black boots, and dark jeans.

He wore a large lapis lazuli on his right pinky; it looked familiar to me.

He seemed familiar to me; it was the man from earlier. He let of Gran, and she dropped like a stone. He stepped over her and inside the house, a bloody smile spread across his handsome face.

'I've been looking for you.'

I stumbled into the stairs, falling back into them as he crept towards me.

His fangs extended as he stood over me, grinning from ear to ear as his bloody hand caressed my ivory skin.

'Hello, Bella.'

My eyes flew open as I heard Gran call, 'Bella, dinner.'

'Comming!'

I sat up and realized I was still sitting at my computer; I looked at the monitor.

I saw the word elenawgfhfhgvbgyjgjbghgdjjjtumhfbvdjngdbfzk

Keynesianism was typed in the search bar.

I fell asleep on the keyboard board. I thought as I hit the backspace button.

I stopped at the letter A.

Elena.

I stared at the word for an eternity, then typed in the word's meaning.

Elena a Greek form of Helen. Elena means shining light.

Of course, it does; Elena Gilbert lights up every room she's in.

An absolute joy to behold.

I sound bitter and envious of a girl I barely know.

A greek form of Helen.

Helen Of Troy, the face that launched a thousand ships.

An elegance that inspired war.

Daughter of Zeus and Leda (or Nemesis), the latter was seduced while the former was in the guise of a swan. She laid two eggs, one containing Polydeuces and the other Helen of Troy.

Stupid Swan girl whose loveliness promoted conflict and discord. Isabella Swan doesn't encourage warfare or blood.

Isabella means God is my oath or beauty.

God is my oath swan or beautiful swan.

Confessing your commitment to an omnipotent being in front of a swan or telling a swan it's beautiful; that's what my name means.

No one would go to war for a brilliant swan, but they would for a coruscating, bright swan girl whose face provoked crusade and extinction.

Beautiful Swan incites peace.

I sighed and grabbed my keys.

'Stefan? Stefan?' Elena whirled around and saw me standing there. 'I... I'm sorry for barging in. The door was... open.'

She was identical to Katherine except for the eyes; her's were full of innocence.

'You must be Elena. I'm Damon, Stefan's brother.'

The shock was evident. 'He didn't tell me he had a brother.'

'Well, Stefan's not one to brag. Please, come. I'm sure Stefan be along any second.'

'Is this your living room?'

'Living room, parlor, Sotheby's auction. It's a little kitschy for my taste. I see why my brother's so smitten. It's about time. For a while there, I never thought he'd get over the last one. Nearly destroyed him.'

A dumbfound gaze across her features. 'The last one?'

'Yeah. Katherine, his girlfriend? Oh, you two haven't had the awkward exes conversation yet.'

'Nope.'

'Oops. Well, I'm sure it'll come up now. Or maybe he didn't want to tell you because he didn't want you to think he was on the rebound. We all know how those relationships end.'

'I'm a fatalist. Hello, Stefan.

'Elena. I didn't know you were coming over.'

She jumped at the sound of his voice. 'I know. I should have called; I just...'

'Oh, don't be silly. You're welcome anytime. Isn't she, Stefan? You know, I should break out the family photo albums or some home movies. But...I have to warn you. He wasn't always such a

looker.'

'Thank you for stopping by, Elena. Nice to see you.'

She backed away from me. 'Yeah, I should probably go. It was nice to meet you, Damon.'

I grinned. 'Great meeting you, too, Elena.'

'Stefan...Stefan?'

As Elena approached the door, a gust of wind threw my senses into overdrive. I turned to Elena and found her staring at another girl, the one from earlier.

I looked over Elena's shoulder and found myself trapped in the gaze of her wide chocolate human orbs. I didn't really look at her earlier, but now...

Now I could see that she was rather pretty, in an unusual way, better than beautiful; her face was interesting.

Not quite symmetrical- her narrow chin out of equilibrium with her wide cheekbones, extreme coloring- the light and dark contrast of her hair and skin, and then there were the eyes, brimming over with grief and anxiety...

She pouted- at least, I think she did- her warm and soft-looking lips as the wind threw her long thick mahogany tresses in my direction.

Her scent hit me like a battering ram, like an exploding grenade. There was no image violent enough to encompass the force of what happened to me at that moment.

I wanted to drain her dry.

I eyed Stefan; he looked immobilized by her scent.

'Bella.' Breathed Elena.

Bella, the name suited her.

'I thought that was you.' She bit her full lips as her heart began to race.

Her gaze wouldn't release mine, but I couldn't read it.

'So that's your name.' I said.

'You know her?!' Stefan and Elena said together.

Stefan looked predictably worried, while Elena looked surprisingly irritated.

'We met earlier.' I said indifferently.

'We did not.' She disputed stubbornly.

Fire, I like that.

'How?' Stefan looked between us, worried. 'Do you remember, Isabella?'

Isabella?

Even better, though it sounds familiar...

'Of course, I remember.' She threw him an irritated glance, finally releasing me. 'He was talking to Caroline. He told me that he dropped you off.'

Elena glanced at Stefan, then at me; her stare was not as arresting as Bella's.

'What brings you by?' Stefan asked.

'I came to see you.' Elena answered.

Stefan blinked at her response then I realized he wasn't talking to her; I think Elena realized it, too, because she turned to Bella impatiently.

'I was driving home when I saw Elena come inside, then I saw,' she locked her gaze on me again, 'you.'

I had the sense to look away this time.

'Everything's fine, Isabella.' Stefan assured her; I heard Elena scoff. 'Nothing to worry about.'

I felt her gaze turn into a glare. 'Ok.'

'Uh, would you mind getting Elena a ride home for me?'

'Alright.'

'Oh, no. I couldn't-'

'You must.' Isabella grumbled. 'Safety in numbers.'

'I don't want to put you out-'

'You live a house away.'

'You probably have to get back to your grandmother.'

'I do.'

'I don't want to hold you up-'

'I don't remember how to get back home.'

Elena lamented as she walked towards Isabella. 'Fine.'

The two girls walked out, with Isabella looking back at us, eyes full of apprehension.

Bye bye school girl.

'Great gal. Whoo. She's got spunk. You, on the other hand, look pooped. Did you over-exert yourself today? Let me guess...hospital.'

'Someone had to clean up your mess.'

'Well, were you successful? Did the powers of persuasion work? Remember, if you don't feed properly, none of those little tricks work right.'

'How long was Elena here?'

'Were you worried, Stefan? Scared we may be doomed to repeat the past? Isn't that why you play your little game, "I'm a high school human"?'

'I'm not playing any game.'

'Of course, you are. We both know the closest you'll ever get to humanity is when you rip it open and feed on it.'

'What kind of game are you playing, Damon?'

'Guess you'll just have to wait and see, won't you?'

We drove in silence; neither of us looked at the other. The tension was so thick they would need to use a chainsaw to cut it.

When I thought the silence would go on forever, Elena finally said, 'You didn't need my help, did you?'

'Not at all.'

'Then why did you say that?' She scoffed as if my lie was an inconvenience to her perfect existence.

'That guy is a creep.'

'You can't mean Stefan because you've been ogling him since the first time you saw him.'

So she wasn't completely ignorant of the reaction Stefan had over me.

'Not that it's any of your business, but he doesn't even see me. Besides, I didn't know he was already marked as yours.'

'Why do you think Damon is a creep?' Elena scoffed.

'He was preving on Caroline.'

'How do you know it wasn't the other way around?'

'If that's how you think of your friends, then what do you think of your enemies?'

'Caroline can handle herself; what's wrong with innocent flirting?'

'Guy in his 30's flirting with underage girls, you're right; what's wrong with that?'

'He is not in his 30's, and I don't think Damon is stupid enough to prev on the sheriff's daughter.'

But a vampire with the power of compulsion would be, I thought.

'You don't even know him.' Elena flared.

'And you do?! Did Stefan even tell you he had a brother?'

When we reached our street, Elena jumped out at the stop sign and stomped the rest way home; she didn't even thank me for the ride. I turned around and headed to the bookstore.

I guess he didn't.