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POV Damon

He strikes forward. I take carefully a step back, minding my steps so I don't crush the girl against the wall. She shivers. I can't figure out if it's because of the vampire in front of us or because of the cold. Doesn't she own a coat? Her small hand holds on to the remains of my jacket so tightly I'm scared she might break her hand. With her safety in mind I try to find us a way out. Jumping on the roof is an option but maybe something without scaring her… I shake my head lightly, why would I care if she got scared? I turn once around to make sure she's still okay. That was a mistake… Her emerald eyes look at me with so much trust in them. I'm doomed. If only Stefan knew that kids bring out the best in me, let's just say he would enjoy just a little too much.

I hope she doesn't see this. I vamp out and growl at him. A soft squeak comes from behind me. Great now she's scared of me. But somehow she doesn't let go of the jacket. And I thought humans had instincts that warned them to run away from danger and not to hide behind it. Well maybe she's right though, hiding behind me is better then giving this guy a chance at killing her. Maybe jumping on the roof isn't such a bad idea if only I could do it without making her scream. No need for more attention.

"Do me a favor will you? Close your eyes and don't open them till I tell you to. Understood?"

She doesn't answer but out of the corner of my eye I see her nod at me. Cat got your tongue? I feel the kick in my stomach before I see it. She crashes into a garbage container. The poor thing falls to the ground and tries her best not the scream. Tough one that girl. He walks toward her as if she's the price of the evening. I grab him by his neck and knock him against the wall.

"children? Are you serious?" I ask through my teeth.

"sweetest blood there is mate…" he says between the gasps.

I need a stake but where do you find one in an alley?

"hey… little one, could you find me a pointy piece of wood?"

She nods and starts searching. She climbs in the container and starts pushing her way through the diapers and other stuff. Poor thing's gonna smell horribly when she gets out. She's so small, she sometimes disappears. Really, why is she alone? Suddenly a hand appears over the edge of the container with in it, a leg of a wooden chair.

"I'll lift you out, just a moment. Turn around please, you don't need to see this."

She nods and covers her eyes with her tiny hands. I turn and kill the scum that dares to call himself a vampire.

"that's for the girl… and my jacket"

I turn away and see her standing in the container. Hands still on her eyes but she's peeking through her fingers. Kids… can't trust them.

"Come here… Ups-a-daisy"

Her arms wind themselves around my neck. She's warm and her blood just under her skin is alluring but she's a child. I admit I'm a bit crazy but I still have some sense of sanity to know that killing a child is just wrong. When I want to put her feet on the ground I hear people running our way. If they would find us this way, we could get in trouble. I hold onto her and run to the other end of the alley onto the street.

"Where's your home little one? It's late and I'm sure your mom will be worried."

She just looks at me as if I've gone crazy. Then she tilts her to one side and looks at me curiously. Her hand reaches to my cheek and strokes it just under my left eye.

"where are the lines?" she asks in a small voice.

I shake my head and walk to my car, slowly like I'm a father who carries his little daughter. Woow, me, a father? That would be one messed up universe if you ask me. Poor kid. The girl looks up at me while I put the seatbelt around her. What? I don't want to explain to the cops if something goes wrong, that I don't know her. I could always compel my way out of it, I guess but still…

"So where do you live, up north or more south?"

She smiles at me and shakes her head. That is actually the first moment I take my time to have a good look at her. Her clothes are too big, old and are almost falling apart. She's dirty to say the least and it wasn't because she had been digging in a garbage container. Her face was adorable but you could see the cheekbones too easily. When was the last time she ate something?

"Do you have a name?" She asks while looking out the window like a new world opened up for her.

Was this the first time she was in a car? Wouldn't surprise me actually. Maybe the street is her home and here I am asking her where her mother lives.

"Damon" I mutter when I realize I didn't answer her.

"Damon Salvatore and you?"

She smiles at me. Apparently happy I showed some interest in her life.

"I'm Sammy. Samantha actually. But I think it's too long…" she grins and looks again out of the window.

This was gonna be a long night…

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