A/N: I know you readers are out there, a lot of you subscribed to story alerts, so please review. I want to make the story better for all of you and I can't without your feedback. Hope you enjoy!


Katie's Tuesday shift was always frustratingly slow. The other workers on Tuesday were older and just wanted to get their work done peacefully and get home to their kids, so conversation was limited. Usually, someone from school popped in, but not always. The only one at the bar was a defeated man in a suit who asked her to just leave the bottle of cheap rum, so she pulled out AP Biology book and began to read into the next chapter.

"Geek," a clear voice said suddenly from in front of her.

Katie jumped, unaware that someone had snuck up on her. She scowled upon seeing Damon taking a seat in front of her on the far right of the bar.

"Where'd you come from?" Katie sighed, snapping the book shut.

"Back door," Damon said, nodding behind her.

Katie pulled out a bottle of expensive vodka and poured a double shot. Damon reached for it, but she snatched it up and poured it down her throat before daintily placing the glass back on the bar, clearing her throat to soothe the burn.

"Isn't it frowned upon to drink on the job?" Damon asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No one's looking. Thank you," she smiled innocently at him.

He gave her a distrusting look, "For what…?"

"For buying me an apology shot of our best liquor so that I can put up with your arrogance for however long you're in here." She said with overdone sweetness.

Damon pursed his lips, "Whatever, give me a glass of whiskey on the rocks."

"Nothing like the word 'please,'" She said, filling a wide glass with ice and pouring Damon the liquor.

He grabbed her hand and positioned it so that more liquor poured into the glass. "Please." He said, looking into her eyes. She stared back; pouring more into the glass then was customary.

The bell signaling someone entering the restaurant sounded and Damon glanced behind him and swore softly. Katie looked over and saw and attractive man standing by the door.

Damon laughed a little too loud and whispered anxiously, "That's Klaus, act natural, you don't know me."

Katie nearly dropped the bottle in her hand. It was happening; the dangerous vampire her mother feared was walking into her work place, most likely bent on her destruction.

"And control your heart!" he snapped, trying to keep quiet to avoid the other vampire's sensitive ears.

Act natural, act natural, act natural she repeated in her head, willing her heart to relax. Klaus came over and took a seat at the center of the bar. Katie put on a smile and walked up to him, falling back on the flirty moves she used to get higher tips.

"Hey," she said, curving her full lips while also pouting them out slightly. "Can I get you a drink?"

"Yes," he said with an accent. He looked her up and down. "I'll have a gin and tonic, please."

"Of course," she smiled, bending over seductively as she got out the glass.

"Are you new here?" he asked when she placed the glass in front of him on a napkin.

She leaned over on the counter. "Yeah, I moved here about a month ago."

"I knew I wouldn't just overlook a pretty face like that." He said, gesturing to her as he took a sip of his drink.

She giggled, acting flattered, but inside she was freaking. She wanted to run and hide behind Damon, but she wasn't sure yet if he'd sacrifice her or not. She didn't even want to risk a glance down the bar. She kept her heart relatively calm, but her palms were sweating a little.

"What's your name, love?" he asked her.

"Katherine," she smiled, offering her full name.

"What a pretty name. I had a couple friends who named their daughter Katherine, but everyone just called her Kit." He smiled and her heart dropped.

She hastily but smoothly knocked a glass off the bar, while pretending to fix her hair. She needed another reason for her heart's out of control thumping. Kit was what her mom and, before he died, her dad used to call her.

"Oh!" she gasped, bending to clean up the glass. "Sorry about that, I don't know why I'm so clumsy all of a sudden."

Klaus leaned over to look down at her, "No need to apologize. Tell me, are you close with Damon Salvatore?"

Katie thought quickly, purposely bumping her head on the bar as she stood up, another cover up for her heart skipping a beat.

She rubbed her head, "I'm usually never this clumsy, even around cute guys." She shook her head, biting her lower lip.

Klaus smiled and she could tell it was forced; he was getting frustrated with her ditzy, human act. The human part wasn't an act, but Katie usually wasn't this ridiculous.

"I'm so embarrassed, "she said fanning herself, at least now she didn't have to worry about him mistaking her heartbeat for something else. "What were you saying?"

"Damon Salvatore," he said gesturing down the bar with his cup. "Do you know him well?"

Katie shrugged, "No, not really."

"Funny, I thought a saw a pretty blonde coming out of his house earlier. My mistake," he said, drinking the rest of his drink.

She was in trouble, if he realized she was trying to cover something up she would be a main target. "That was me," she said rolling her eyes.

"Oh?" he asked, leaning forward.

She glanced down the bar at Damon, there eyes met. He looked indifferent, but his eyes were betraying emotion. Acting, Katie let out a growl of annoyance, "He's good looking but he's such a jerk. He texts me, inviting me over to just hang out, and we…you know. And then he just kicks me out? Asshole."

"That's right, you looked a little…irritated." He smiled. "There's something not quiet all there with him, rejecting a pretty girl like you."

Katie giggled, "Your way too sweet. Can I get you another drink?"

"That would be lovely." He answered, watching her. "Have you any idea if there's a White Oak tree around here? I'm doing some research."

Katie spilled a little of the alcohol on purpose, but her heart was already racing so she wasn't sure if he noticed a difference anyway. "Probably, there's a ton of trees around the edge of town. I don't know any of the different kinds but you could ask someone who's been around here longer." Katie shrugged, cleaning up the spilled drink with a rag.

"Katherine." Klaus said, his voice sounded stern. She looked up at him and he stared into her eyes, she kept her wrist with the vervain bracelet under the bar as she'd been doing. "Do you know where the White Oak tree is?"

He was trying to compel her and Katie needed to act the part. She glazed over and stared into his eyes, "No."

Klaus leaned back, and drained the rest of his drink. He threw a bill on the bar and stood up, "Well, it was nice meeting you, Katherine."

"You too, come back soon!" she smiled and called after him.

Katie pretended to be absorbed in cleaning glasses and wiping down the bar until Klaus was out of sight. Then she looked over at Damon. He stood up and looked around the room, the only other man who had been drinking left during Katie and Klaus' conversation. Damon came over and checked around the area Klaus was sitting and then sat down.

"That was good," Damon said approvingly. "How's your head?" he said with a crooked smile.

Katie rubbed her head where a bump was forming. "I've had worse. Do you think he suspected anything?"

"I don't think so. I thought he might smell the vervain but I doubt it. Good job acting compelled." He said, reaching over the bar for another bottle of alcohol.

"I'm glad you approve." Katie laughed, her nerves shot from being so close to Klaus.

"So, want to come home with me and…you know." He mocked, raising an eyebrow.

"Shut up, I was acting." She rolled her eyes, pulling a stool over and sitting across from Damon.

"Come on, a hot blonde like you? And I mean, we both know how good looking I am." He said, not even attempting modesty.

"Shut up, Damon." She warned.

"What, you admitted it yourself." He smirked into his glass before taking a sip.

"Finish that, my shift is over and I want to leave." She said, getting up and collecting the money off the bar. Damon tossed a large bill at her and she began counting out his change.

"Keep it," he said, downing the rest of his drink. "I'll follow you home."

Katie counted the tips for the night into three separate piles for the cook and the waitress on duty. They each made about $84 in tips which was impressive for a Tuesday night.

"You said he isn't on to us." She said, feeling uneasy.

"I don't think he is, but you had a lot to drink. Humans are so vulnerable." He warned, slightly sarcastically.

Katie rolled her eyes, "I'll be fine, besides if he sees you follow me home, he'll know something is up."

"Your right, see you later, Katie." He smirked, standing up.

Katie glared at him, but then smiled. He wasn't always that bad. "Bye, Damon."

The lights were off when Katie got home, her step-father was passed out in front of the TV. She tried to shut the door quietly, but he woke up.

"What the fuck! Can't a man get some sleep without you slamming the damn door! You sneaking in from a night of sleeping around, slut?" he asked, staggering when he stood up.

Katie ignored him and headed into the kitchen. She used the juicer to make fresh strawberry-orange juice that morning so she poured a large glass and grabbed a container of edamame. The Japanese beans were full of nutrients and her go-to food when she didn't feel like making a proper dinner.

"I was talking to you." John growled, coming into the kitchen.

"Not tonight. There's still dinner in the microwave and coffee in the pot, heat it up and go to sleep." She sighed, trying to squeeze past him.

He grabbed her arm, causing her to spill some of the juice over her top. "Where do you think your going?"

Katie pulled her arm away and stood in front of him. Before, he usually left her alone but since moving to Mystic Falls she had run-ins with him almost every night. He glared down at her and dragged a finger across the spilt juice that was dripping between her breasts. He put him finger in his mouth.

Suddenly, he pulled back and slapped her. It wasn't as hard as she was used to, but it still stung. "Get out of my face, tease." He hissed.

Katie ran up the stairs and shut the door behind her, turning the old fashioned key in the lock. She turned around and jumped upon seeing Damon sitting up in her bad.

"Problem?" he asked, his face relatively concerned.

Katie laughed, playing things off as she had learned to do. "Yeah, you scared the shit out of me." She took off her shoes and sat on the other side of the bed with her food. "I told you, you didn't need to follow me." She said, inching some of the beans out of the pod.

"I had to drop this off." He said, taking her moms diary out of his jacket and putting it on the nightstand. "What are you eating?" he asked, with a disgusted face.

"Edamame, they're good for you." She said, waving one in front of his face.

Damon made a face and moved his face away from the sprout. He kicked his shoes off and put his feet up. "What happened to your cheek?" he asked.

He reminded her of the teachers at her old school, condescending and annoying. "I get red when I find random guys in my bed. Are you planning on staying a while or something?"

"Well, Elena and Stefan have been making up, very loudly, all day so I have nothing better to do." He answered, resting his head against her headboard and closing his eyes.

"I thought you didn't like to get to know your prey?" she asked, still annoyed with him, but also kind of flattered that he was staying here rather then going to a random bar.

"You're a little interesting," he said, indicating a small amount with his thumb and index finger.

"Gee thanks," Katie laughed, chugging some of the fruit juice. It was thick, but she wasn't going back downstairs to add water. "I'm sorry about Elena…" she added slowly, looking at him out of the corner of her eye.

Damon looked up at the ceiling and then back forward, "It's happened before, I made my choice when I turned Bonnie's mom." He said simply.

Katie started to pity him, but she hated when people pitied her so she offered him a choice. "I won't pity your situation if you don't pity mine." She said.

He looked at her, and raised his eyebrows. "Deal."

They shook hands and Katie yawned. "I have a test tomorrow, so I need sleep. You can stay here if you want." She added hesitantly.

"You're inviting me to stay the night in your bed?" he smirked suggestively.

"Yeah, but we sleep feet to head with a pillow between us. Or you sleep on the floor."

"I'll just read more of your mom's diary then leave, it should be safe by then." He said, annoyed.

Katie crawled under the covers with her clothes on and turned the way she usually slept, which happened to be facing Damon. "Shut the light off when your done." She said, closing her eyes and falling asleep.