Well howdy stranger! *hides* I know, I know! It's been over two months. But January to early February I had a major family-friend crisis going on which not only incapacitated me, but also sucked my muse right out of me. I did regain it though, and when I went to finish off this chapter, I gained a new source of inspiration and since then have been re-working this story. I now know exactly how and where everything is headed in further chapters! So I shall stop yapping and let y'all enjoy!

The extremely acute gap in the curtains, allowed the tiniest of slithers of light into the dark room. Cobalt blue eyes squinted open at the intrusion of the harmful sunshine. What time was it? He barely remembered much of the previous night's events, though he could thank a healthy tumbler of Bourbon mixed with the exquisite taste of a pretty little thing in a red velvet dress. Every once in a while he liked to escape to the city, of course discreetly, and dine in Norfolk or Richmond.

Surrendering to such a desire is only natural. Nobody likes a martyr. Vampires will be Vampires. Blood bags are a stable diet, but every so often one surrenders to that need for fine dining.

The mouth-watering memories of that tantalizingly pale neck, and the rich liquid which coursed through those veins, was brought to a halt, kisses, soft kisses were being placed on his shoulder blades, the back of his neck and his arms from behind him. That rage inducing, disgustingly sucrose dripping voice sent violent tremors into his ear drums. "Mmm Good Morning."

Three. Two. One. Yup, Damon squeezed his eyes shut, tighter than a boa constrictor's hold on his unfortunate prey, that fucking giggle! When Damon was eventually sent to hell, he could bet that for the rest of his days, the devil himself will stick him in a room where all he can hear is that disgustingly infuriating laugh, for all eternity.

Unfortunately for Damon, this was not the delectable thing that he had picked up in the city, whose luscious curves were accentuated perfectly by the tight fabric of the halter neck, sweetheart line styled dress.

This was Charlotte.

A love stricken vampire, whose desperate need for love and company made her easily compliable, and extremely accommodating in tending to his lustful urges. Though every time he lets her back in, he experiences the same, not too sound too cliché, morning after regret. That high pitched squawking was fine when he was in happy, bourbon induced Drunk-as-a Skunk city.

Here in sober town.. It was pure torture.

'Someone, please, put a stake in me! … Or her, preferably her. '

Groggily sitting up, Damon swatted away Charlotte's wandering hands, removing the sheet currently covering his naked bottom half, and made his way out of the warm bed and trudged over to his dresser, pulling on the old style chestnut handles, opening up a drawer which contained multiple pairs of black jeans and belts. Disregarding the notion to put on underwear, he climbed into a pair of pants.

"Ooh I like it when you go commando." Ugh there's that hideously annoying voice again! It was getting closer and closer as Charlotte had extracted herself from his sheets too (though she will no doubt be back there soon because as he previous said, she was way too easy and on many nights he was way too bored.) Wearing a matching black lingerie set, that Damon had very aggressively, removed from her body with his teeth last night. Ugh drinking her in, Damon thought that she may return sooner than he would like.

"I'm surprised you're still feeling up to going, I'm pretty exhausted after last night, aren't you?" a flirtatious grin accompanied the over exaggerative batting of those eye lashes which were clumped together with that disgusting black gluey substance which girls constantly wear because they believe it attracts men.. Though in hear in modern times, it is most commonly referred to as mascara or something ludicrous like that.

"Last night was hardly that tiring Char." Damon replied bluntly, patting her on the shoulder patronisingly not caring at all for the ridiculous pout that formed on her mouth. Although he would indeed concur that listening to her pathetic jibber jabber during and after their little rendezvous between the sheets, was most definitely the key to cracking his insomnia, and was truly, exhausting. Which is one of the main reasons Damon keeps her around. Fishing out a dark navy shirt, he tossed it over his head, realising that the day was in fact, slipping away from him. If he was to remain under the approval of treacherous townies, he best be on his way.

"Mmm fine then maybe I could try and tire you out for the day… "The suggestion an attempt to distract him, to seduce him back to her But even she knew that it wouldn't work. That it never did. Not on this most important of dates. There came a time when a vampire must put other's needs above his own, a time when he must rise to the occasion, must step up and be a selfless man.

Alright, alright since we are down the rabbit hole, why not get it all out in the open now to spare a bombardment of meaningless questions later, maybe it wasn't so much about being selfless as it was about having a strong aversion to going against Julian's wishes…him and a fuck load of easily pissed off, hungry vampires.

"It's delivery day"

The sun had inevitably said goodbye for the time being. It was a dark, serene night as the luminous moon gleamed and the white twinkling stars gave harmony to the endless bounds of black which covered a never-ending distance above them. Not that they could see it, squatting behind a silver Mercedes car, two figures glanced around at the large white van currently unloading crates of healthy blood deposited into bags for transfusions for needy patients.

"Elena, are you sure about this?" the words evaporating in a whisper thin cloud in the cold night air. Aaron had always been a worrier, and in his current state, that was magnified, greatly. But he was her oldest and dearest friend, and of course it can't be neglected that he was the fittest comrade a girl like her could ask for. Though the criteria for such a position shouldn't be too difficult: can you control the hunger? For most aged old vampires this was a refined skill, acquired from decades of practise. However, these days, such an attribute is only found on the other side of the tracks. Where the likes of her and Aaron could never venture.

"Yes Aaron, we've done this plenty of times before." However it was their first time to do it in Norfolk, usually delivery days were a cinch but after their previous stock raid had been an extremely close call. "Yeah and we all know how swimmingly that went down the last two times, count 'em two" raising up his fingers for emphasis that they have been getting weaker and weaker as the delivery days have come and gone. "Elena we're not strong enough for this, not fast enough, we are not vampires, we're just about drained us of all the power, agility and stamina we once revelled with! Let's just go back to The Falls and come another day. "

"And what let all of our friends, those poor creatures whom have helped us since we were both infected, desiccate until they are nothing but ash..?! We don't have another day, every day that we…they don't feed, equates to one more of our friends leaving us. One more victim that this fucking disease will have claimed! " Elena's big brown eyes stared at him incredulously. How could he even think of doing such a thing? The Falls was her home, a place where they were banished to, where a community had formed due to a collective inevitable time limit, where they banded together to ensure each other's survival for as long as they could. Where they stopped one another from entering Mystic Town or anywhere else. Because one glimpse of a 'Fallsian' and a townie would have your heart on a platter in seconds, whereas one too many gulps of delicious human blood would have you on your back, gasping for the sweet inhalation of air. "No! We are not fucking going back to the Falls, not without that blood."

Thankfully whatever answer was about to come from Aaron's pessimistic mouth was rendered mute by the arrival of the glorious transport van. I mean really, why the hell would a hospital think it's a good idea to deliver at night? I know they don't necessarily believe vampires exist, but better safe than sorry! Then again, she shouldn't question it, because it's thanks to this naivety that she has survived this long.

Two strapping young men exited the van, and made their way to the back. Aaron looked questioningly at Elena, as if unsure about when they were to make their move. Hopefully, through her eyes, she conveyed the correct message. This would be a piece of cake for a normal vampire, who could simply rely on their vampirific abilities to easily grab the lot and compel, however as Aaron had so kindly aforementioned, with the way they fed, and by that it means-if they fed at all, their powers were not cut out for such an endeavour.

So here they were, perched behind a car, waiting like a pair of juvenile delinquents attempting to rob a liquor store. Though what these men were carrying was something much sweeter than alcohol, something more delicious than anything she had ever tasted as a human, something that made her feel better than any man had ever made her feel between the sheets…better-

"Elena?.. Umm you're drooling" Pulled from her thoughts, by the amused voice from beside her, his finger reaching out to swipe at the imaginary drool that was supposedly coming from her mouth. Half-heartedly Elena swatted his hand away from her.

"It's just.. been a while ok." Aaron nodded his head at her understandingly, they were both two of the youngest over their neck of the woods, so they weren't as affected as the others. So when the time came for the dispersal of blood on such a days as this, Elena tended to scarcely drink, if only enough to keep her going. However with the amount of code blacks in their humble abode, the last couple of times she has gotten even less than normal.

… There it was. The unmistakable jingle of keys, the rattling of the metal against the ring in which they found themselves bound. That's their cue. Aaron placed his hand on top of Elena's for a moment, their silent good luck to each other. Then both of them were gone their separate ways in a flash. Elena got over to her side hurriedly, not wanting to waste any more time than needed, and not wanting to risk exposure. The gentleman whom was deemed her responsibility was knocked out in a second, luckily it didn't take too much because she had the element of surprise alongside her tonight.

Thank god for that!

Turning around and opening the large box filled with hundreds of bllod bags, filled to the brim, and she unloaded a few of these precious pouches into her small bag. Though as she looked down, that mighty ravenous side of her took over. Screw it if she would feel like hell for about four hours, she needed this. Just a few sips… Tearing it open greedily and raising it to her parched lips…

It seemed that the universe was not on her side.

"Hmmm well, well, well.. boys lookie lookie what I found. The common street rats out to try and scavenge some grub. It's almost like we're part of a Disney movie" The blood bad falls from her hand instantaneously as a tight hand gripping her throat, his strength was such that he feet were felt dangling off the ground, as she was pushed up against the cold hard wall, the concrete piercing her spine, causing her to hiss in pain. If she were human the hold on her alone would have been enough to cause strangulation, but instead it just kept her growls at bay, though the stubborn girl that she was, and defiant right until the end, she struggled to huff out words. Turning her head away slightly, facing away from her aggressor.

"Guess that makes you Princess Jasmine."

The chuckle that she heard sent a wave of relief through her system, though when she looked she did not see Aaron's lips smirking, or his eyes laughing in that ridiculous way they often did when she made a joke. Instead the miniscule smile comes from the man whose eyes were hard, cold as ice, whose current stance and posture disguised any sign of humanity, dark raven hair and electric eyes, dressed all in black and currently leaning against the delivery van, seemingly bored by the invasion. Though that rich chuckle which escaped him was warm, how very hypocritical of his demeanour. What complicated creates vampires are.

"Enzo, C'mon there's no point in starting something. " That's Stefan Salvatore, Elena would put money on it. Then if that was right the other one must be Damien? Devon? Although she had never met the Salvatore brothers, and their disgusting Julian Caesar like father figure, as folks of the Falls refer to him, word spreads and sometimes she saw him or his older brother through the clearing. Stefan has a slightly wider build, and his ridiculous dirty blonde hair was always gelled up to an inexplicable height, no doubt an attempt to make himself taller, more intimidating, because with sandy hair like that and green eyes, he would be lucky to scare away squirrels!

"Hmm looks like we have ourselves an Artful Dodger here boys. Trying to pick our pockets. " Enzo's free hand finding its way into the tattered cloth bag which Aaron had managed to sneakily store half a dozen blood bags. It may not seem like a lot, but for vampires with a condition such as theirs, the less blood the better. However they still needed some, even if it was just a drop. But most of the chains for blood were stocked by the likes of these cronies.

Selfish, ignorant, bastards.

Despite best efforts when the hand squeezed tighter around her throat, a slight whimper found ti's way out of her mouth. Then in the blink of an eye, the hand was ripped off her, incredibly, and Aaron squeezed himself into the impossibly small gap between Enzo and Elena. Veins prudent under his glaringly bloodthirsty eyes, however Elena knew that it was a one off.

"Well you know what they say, large amounts don't grow on trees.." Aaron quipped back.

Idiot is gonna get himself killed! Because, if she was a gambling gal, she would put all her money on the bet that Enzo isn't going to step away from a fight. It took a minute as both waited, and Elena watched anxiously with baited breath as they sized one another up. Though, strangely she found her eyes straying to the other male vampire over Enzo's shoulder. The one beside Stefan, who had laughed at her joke. Once more his eyes were focused on.. wait..crap! He was looking at her.

Break the contact Elena! Damn it!

Suddenly she found the pavement below her feet extremely stimulating. However it took no time at all for her eyes were drawn up once more as the sounds of the commecning brawl caught her ears.

Elena had to hand it to him, during the first blows Aaron played smart, concentrated on his defence and let Enzo be the aggressor. Moronic move, Aaron had barely enough strength to take her on, Enzo had probably more years on either of them, and he was fit as a fiddle.

After several minutes pretending to take this fight at all seriously, and wasting energy in blocking off Aaron's potential hits or attacks Enzo lost his temper and began to batter at him as if to pound him into the ground. Each punch hit Elena right in the heart, the blood flowing from multiple wounds on Aaron's body felt like her own. When Aaron's knees gave way, her own felt like buckling and letting her own body hit the cool ground, just like his did.

Enzo glanced toward Elena who stood white and silent, her hands clinched in painful distress at the scene before her. Gruesome blue-black bruises covered Aaron's face, his lungs struggling to retain the efficient amount of oxygen to keep himself conscious, which is the most stupidest thing ever because vampires don't even need to fucking breathe. After that it was as if time had moved slower than before, when each devastating kick connected with the now barely moving body, it was as if she then moved in slow motion.

Turns out when a vampire is angry, no matter how weak they are, they will be stronger than ever before. The wave of fierce adrenaline kicked in, and warmed…no boiled up in Elena's veins quicker than a forest fire catches flames. The heat in her eyes as she puts the pain, the lack of energy, the nagging part of her brain telling her to stop being an idiot, aside.

She becomes a true monster in her own right.

Damon watched on as this young woman moved rapidly to where his friend was currently playing with his rag doll. Never a fan of playing around too much, he very nearly told Enzo to hurry up and get it over with, however he knew that Enzo would simply ignore him. He was a dick like that. But it seemed that this woman was a paradigm of misinterpretations because somewhere in that, quite appealing figure he must admit, were nerves of steel. Though where she was storing them he had no idea, she was a skeleton. Though that skeleton currently had her forceful little hand jammed into the chest of a vampire twice her size, speed and strength, and she was winning.

Enzo was paralysed as an iron grip was eclipsing around his heart. As a reflex his foot ceased their frenzied attack on Aaron. Escaping his lips were gasps, his eyes were widening with fear, one doesn't need that much strength to remove a heart once they already got the vampire at their mercy, the trouble is usually getting in a position in which Elena orchestrated herself by using his attack as an element to her advantage.

It began to rip away, the warm blood oozing around her fingers. She pulled a little harder, feeling the regular beat begin to falter. It was still beating as it tore, harder and harder, desperately, clinging to life. The blood was really pouring out now, running over her hands to drip onto the ground. It was cooling slightly now; the blood; becoming a concealed mess below them. However the exertion and effort that was required to use her super strength was making her grip diminish greatly. It wasn't as simple as one would imagine, for a barely surviving vampire to kill another.

However before she could vindictively pull the final trigger, a strong arm wrapped around her waist and the impact of such an action was enough to throw her weak body across the parking lot crashing painfully against the far wall. Elena blinked, feeling at least twelve different bones in her bones shatter, but then even more horrendously, she felt them put themselves back together. The pin was almost so bad that she felt like she was about to hurl, except little good that would do, with all the contents in her stomach she would more than likely cough up a lung!

But it was worth it.

"Too late jackass" Elena could barely twitch her lips upwards in a smile, but the only satisfaction she needed was the image of what was lying in her palm right now. The heart gave one last beat and finally gave up, now ripped almost completely out, snagging on the jagged edges of broken ribs. The blood flow was faltering, the body was almost drained. And then, with a final pull, the bloody mess that had been a living heart slipped out into her hands, separated at last from its body.

It had stopped beating; blood no longer ran through it, but dripped off of it, in a steady beat against the floor. Her hands were covered on a gruesome mask of half dried blood; red and rusty.

"Guess I should say thanks, couldn't have done it without you." Realising that when that blue eyes bastard had attempted to stop her, wat he had actually done was help her successfully gain enough strength for the extraction.

This had been a mistake. She had been too cocky, too arrogant…to much like on of them, when she could never label herself as such. "E-Elena" the words being choked back by the oozing of blood pouring out like a water faucet from Aaron's mouth. Perhaps then, her brain truly aligned with the raven haired vampire before her, because she knew exactly what was about to happen.

He was about to get even.

"Damon!" the voice aired on the side of caution, though even Elena knew it was a stupid sentiment. Though she guesses now the name game was sorted out. Damon Salvatore.

She would never forget that name.

She couldn't watch, and so she didn't. But that didn't mean she couldn't hear what was going on. That she couldn't feel what was happening to her friend. Because she had just instigated such an action herself mere moment ago.

Then silence, and her eyes opened involuntarily.

Damon's head rising slowly, those dazzlingly cruel blue eyes focused on the rich chocolate ones which were looking, not at him, but at the mangled body of her dearest friend. A hole in his chest, and a hole now metaphorically in hers. Though she could sense his stare, she could tell that he wanted to see her cry, to see how hurt she was that she now had no one.

She was truly alone now. Set to carry on living this life of perpetual death. But you know what, Damon wanted this from her. He wanted to break her, wanted to see that realisation cross her eyes, to see how she felt being left here to suffer through all this.

Ha. Like hell was Elena going to give him the satisfaction of seeing her break down, like hell was she going to expose a weakness to someone whom clearly was hell bent on perpetrating that he was beyond caring for anyone. That he killed Aaron, because he killed hers. An eye for an eye so it seems

"Fine! Go ahead! Kill me now. I'm already halfway there, you pathetic coward! You know, there's so spell to keep us away from the town, just empty threats from your master. We don't go over to your side of the tracks, because we have seen what one bite can do, we're all living through it. I was a compassionate human being, and as a vampire, I hate to watch those around me slowly fade away, descend into madness brought on by disease and hunger! I always thought that I would never wish harm on anyone, that there is no one out there whom deserves to suffer as I, and so many others are. Your family are truly the worst vampires in the entirety of our species existence! You could help us, but instead you ignore the pain, misery and suffering around you! When it's you who should be forced to suffer. "

That voice, that strong yet passionate voice, echoing throughout the car lot, the breaths, which are few, are viably dissipating into the air, she can't feel the cold. All she can feel is hate and anger, despair and grief all festering inside her skinny little body. Because inside that meagre structure are nerves of steel.

A heartbroken friend stands before her best friend's murder, and all she can do is stay strong. All she can do is try to hurt him just as much as he hurt her.

But she can't.

This monster was beyond feeling anything. There was no punch mighty enough to cause him any harm, he would go untouched. But he shouldn't. There should be justice.

"You are deserve this! You deserve to die,." She whispered, though she knew they could all hear her. She counted on that.

Crossing the small space between them he blurred closer to Elena, just far enough so that the makeshift stake was the only thing separating them. Damon could see in his peripheral vision, Enzo's body. Which fuelled the rage for this girl. Like a lion stalking his pray he abandons his weapon, and his terrific yet terrifying fangs appear from his gums, the veins under his eyes black as death itself.

"I deserve it huh? Well maybe I do.. But I suppose you believe that you don't huh? And you know what, for that reason … I'm not going to stop it for you I'm not going to end your life for you, I won't end the pain, the suffering. You don't get an easy way out like your little friend over there."

The soft tone in which he articulated with the uttermost precision, made the menacing words which were at its core words of hatred, words laced with fury and an unquenchable need for revenge. "When the time is right, I'll step over onto your side of the tracks, and I'll watch as you gasp for air, as the colour drains from those pretty little cheeks. "

The glimmer in his eyes, as he stroked her cheek with his thumb. It made Elena's diseased ridden blood boil. She ripped his hand away from her, and due to his focus on making sure his monologue was laced with the correct amount of poison and maliciousness, he failed to react in time to avoid Elena's hand from touching his own cheek.

Except this wasn't a touch per say. More like a tremendous slap with enough force to surrender a mere mortal onto his death bed, however it did in fact send a tremor of pain onto Damon's cheekbone. Damn.

Okay, perhaps a slight dose of pain could be felt, when the appliance is given with enough force. It would be a downright lie to say that this didn't cause Elena's lips to curl upwards slightly. Just slightly though. For a young woman whose vampire abilities were weakened greatly, she sure possessed one hell of a backhand.

Growling, Damon recomposed himself, and they were suddenly in such close proximity that he could count each of her eye lashes if he wanted to. "I'll watch as your life is finally taken from you, just like you took his away. I'll be there to see you lose the fight. I'll watch as you, indeed suffer." A defeated Elena, stayed there motionless, knowing that attempting to bargain a few blood bags off Damon and his brother would be pointless. They don't care if a bunch of sick vampires die In fact they would probably be glad.

Glaring at her, Damon crudely shoved Aaron's diseased heart into her spare hand. Now she held the hearts of two vampires, two very distinctly damaged hearts. Staring at the organ, watching as she came to terms with what that man had just done, he had handed her a heart on a silver platter, in hate, in loathing. The heart of a friend, of someone whom she'd cared about deeply, and yet she desperately wished that it was his heart she was holding.

Damon Salvatore was the foulest creature to ever walk this earth, and Elena Gilbert would continue to hate him with a passion that consumed her for the rest of the limited life this disease had granted her.

Funny how things turn out, for Elena may have thought it was a mere fantasy, but Damon would, one day, hand her his own heart and she would indeed hold his most vital of organs in her palm. Although it's probably not quite in the way she expected…

Phew! So there we go, we are well and truly underway! Don't worry I shall be giving y'all a proper insight into this mystical disease in which Elena and others and inflicted with! Until next time..and I promise it will NOT be two month until the next chapter! I promise you!

Please review and lemme know what you think!

Hugs & Kisses