**********************************Damon's POV************************************

"Boys, so nice of you to join me. Just in time for the show."

I smile wickedly to Ella. "By all means doll face, carry on." I can feel Stefan turn to me and glare with a condescending look on his face. Which was, let's face it, not doing anything for my buzz. "Damon, if this vampire is working with Katherine then we need to question him. He's no good to us dead."

I shake my head at him, "Sorry brother but once Ella gets her sights set on a kill there is no getting between that. Trust me, I learned the hard way." I remembered the time I got between her and a hunt, took me days to recover. I was hard pressed to not shudder at the memory. He turned his gaze back to Ella and started stomping like a child towards her.

"Oh well, your funeral" I mumble under my breath.

"Daniella. Just let me take him. You don't have to kill him. We both know you are better than this." She gave him a look like he was crazy. "You're kidding me right Stefan? You of all people telling me I'm better than this? You know what I'm capable of to a degree. I mean, come on, you weren't just any ripper. You were 'The Ripper' for Christ's sake. Now you've gone all soft and I don't like it."

The distraction from my brother caused her to lose her hold on the vampire and he lunged at her. I could make out the last few pumps of his heart before she dropped it on the ground. That doesn't make sense. She's a wolf. Sure she's stronger than you average human but not that strong. I can see her approaching Stefan with anger clearly written on her face but he, surprisingly, doesn't back down.

"You've proved your point Dani. You're a bad ass. But tell me, did you learn anything from him? If there are more of them? What are they after? What Katherine's motive is?"

With each rhetorical question I can see her eyes glowing brighter and a growl building in her chest. At a speed I can barely comprehend, I see her raise her gun to the right and the loud crack was the only indication of the approaching vampire. He drops with a bullet to his head and I had to resist the urge to clap.

"You want to ask your questions Stefan? Then by all means." She gestures to the downed vampire with her gun. "Have at it."

I see a faint smile on my brothers face. I know that face. That's not a good face. "Dani, you have always been my favorite." He kisses her forehead and walks towards the vampire that is laying unmoving on the ground. The mood swing in my brother left me completely shaken. What the hell just happened and why do I feel like I just stepped into an episode of the Twilight Zone?

She looks at me with her eyes back to normal and just shrugs her shoulders, "What?" I could only stand there confused.

Did my brother really just do that? Ella likes her personal space and she didn't seem the least bit bothered by his sign of affection. She wouldn't have? Surely she has better taste than that. "You didn't...you know...with Stefan did you?" She starts laughing. God when did I become such a bitch?

"The word you are looking for is sex, Damon." I couldn't help but feel restless under the condescending laugh. "I've never slept with your brother. He's too broody for my tastes and I don't keep things in the family."

I look over to Stefan dragging the vampire over towards us whistling Dixie. "Really Stefan? Dixie?" He just smiles at her and keeps going.

The longer I'm with these two the more unsettling this situation becomes. Not so much with my brother because let's face it, everyone knows he's got a few screws loose. Especially since his time off the wagon, but Ella? There was once a time where she would feel conflicted about a kill. Something isn't right at all.

"Ella, doll face, is everything okay?" She looks at me like I grew another head. "Uh...yeah. Why?" I put both hands up in defense. "No reason. Just. Once upon a time you would have felt some guilt or remorse over something like this. I've never really seen you enjoy it."

She shrugs her shoulders and begins walking towards the forest that her uncle and cousin left through. "Things are going to come to a head Damon. Soon you're going to see sides of me that may question whether you've ever known me at all." As if her cryptic statement wasn't bad enough, it was like she just disappeared. "What the hell?" Fuck my life. I'm really getting too old for this shit.

***********************************Elena POV**************************************

It didn't make any sense. How did Daniella know about Katherine? How did she know about Tatia? Does she know I'm the Petrova doppelganger? Is that really why she is here? No that couldn't be right. I'm good at reading people but something isn't adding up.

"Hey Elena. What are doing home? I figured you would be at the boarding house." I smile at Jenna. "Stefan said he had some things to take care of tonight so I won't be going over there. Can I help with dinner?" She nods her head and we make our way into the kitchen. She pops open a bottle of wine while I start preheating the oven. "So, how are things between you and Alaric?" She stops mid pour and gets a wistful look on her face.

"Amazing. You would think him being into history so much that we wouldn't have anything to talk about but actually we never run out of things to talk about." I smiled and nodded my head. "I know what you mean. Stefan is such an old soul you would think we wouldn't have anything to talk about either but we always do."

Jenna reaches into the cupboard and pulls down another wine glass. "We are going to have a toast." She fills my glass and hands it to me. "To the men in our lives. May we never run out of things to talk about."

"Jenna, not that I don't appreciate the sentiment, but why are you giving me wine?" She smiles, "I've tried the controlling and overbearing approach to you and Jeremy, and that totally blew up in my face. I'm hoping that maybe a more laid back approach will work."

I could tell she was more trying to convince herself than me but hell, I wasn't going to argue. I told her about Daniella and she seemed genuinely excited about it. "That's great Elena. What's she like?"

I found myself hard pressed to answer that question. I barely knew her and now knowing she may be a threat, I figured just the basics would be best. "She seems nice and just as excited about the prospect of having more family. I think you'll like her."

"As long as she isn't anything like Renee. Your aunt was a real piece of work. Total space case and poor Bella didn't have much of a childhood because of her. We all cried the day she got custody of Bella."

Conversation slowly moved from the Swans to what was going on in our everyday lives. We ate dinner, and although we both agreed we shouldn't be allowed near a stove or oven, we managed to eat it. Sat some point we found ourselves moving onto our second bottle and sprawling out in the living room. I couldn't help but feel happy about this time with Jenna. Where the supernatural seemed to disappear and I was back to just being a seventeen-year-old girl.

Jenna and I were on our third bottle, laughing at the stupidest of things, when Jer comes home. "Do I even want to know how much you two have had to drink? Better yet, Aunt Jenna why did you give Elena alcohol?" She mumbles something about parenting and I just shook my head at her.

"Well I am heading up to bed. You two have fun." I jump up and throw my arms around Jeremy. "Jer, do you have any idea how happy I am to have you for my brother?" He just looks at me like I'm nuts and removes my arms from his shoulders. "Elena, you're drunk and I'm still pissed at you. When you decide to stop wiping my mind and controlling my life, then maybe I'll consider forgiving you. Until then, don't talk to me." He then makes a break for the stairs, stomping as he goes.

I pout and head back to the couch only to see Aunt Jenna passed out. Covering her with a throw that was on the back of the couch, I start heading for the stairs when there is a knock on the door.

I open it to reveal Damon and to say he looked a bit frazzled would be an understatement. "Damon, what are you doing here?" He walks in and blurs upstairs. Closing the door, I follow him upstairs only to find him pacing in my bedroom. "Damon, what the hell is going on?" He stops and runs his hands through his hair.

"It's Daniella. Something isn't right."

"Is she okay?" I can feel the nagging fear of loss creeping its way into my heart. "She's physically fine. But mentally, I'm not so sure."

"What do you mean? Can you, I don't know, maybe give me some context? Cause right now you aren't making a whole lot of sense." He stops and lets out a sigh. I can see the weight of whatever this is to cause his shoulders to drop.

"If I have to give you context then you probably don't know everything yet and unfortunately it's not my place to tell you. Hell, I don't think I even know everything. Just, keep an eye on her and let me know if anything seems not right. No matter how small it is." I start to feel the panic creeping back in. "Is she dangerous? Is she going to hurt someone?" He nods his head. "She is but you have nothing to worry about. From what Stefan told me, you are her family and that is one of the best places you can find yourself with her." With that, he was gone.

What the hell was that all about? I gave up after an hour trying to figure out what all the cryptic things Damon was saying meant and fell into a dreamless sleep. Too bad the next morning I was going to wake up with one hell of a hangover.

***********************************Daniella's POV**********************************

"What the hell do you mean she got away?" I yell out as I put my fist through a tree. "There were others. I'm not sure where the hell they came from but there were too many." I let out a sigh.

"This is why you should have just let me kill her, but no!" I say tossing my hands up in the air, "You've always had a soft spot for that whore and I'll never understand why!" My uncle puts his head down. It was clear he was ashamed of that fact.

"I know. It's just. I know everything she ever said and did was a lie. I've loved that woman for over three hundred years and I hate myself for it every day. Every time I am convinced I have the willpower to put her down something stops me."

"Well there's not shit we can do about it now. Where's Mat?"

"He went home. He's not exactly happy with me either." He says pushing himself away from the tree he was propped up against. He lights the pile of vampire bodies on fire to cover our tracks and looks away into the forest. "I'll meet you back at the house. I'm going for a run." I nod my head and watch him disappear into the woods.

I start heading towards home when my phone starts vibrating. I pull it out and can't help but smile. "Paul, how's my favorite shifter?" He lets out a chuckle. "I'm good. I just wanted to touch base with you and see how your first day of school went and how things are turning out."

I let out a sigh and stop walking to kick at the ground. "Well, I became reunited with family I didn't even know I had and I've made some friends." He's quiet for a minute, "There's something you are leaving out. I know you girl. What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into?" I let out a dry laugh. I hate how well he knows me sometimes.

"Nothing for you to worry yourself with. How are things on the rez? Things still quiet?"

"Yeah. Things have been boring since the Volturi came here. It's like the entire state has become a no leech zone." I smile to myself at the memory of the Volturi tucking tail and running away. "Yeah that was a close call but, since everyone was left alive, I guess others figure it's a protected area. If they only knew."

"Yeah. The pack is starting to get a bit restless because of it. Everyone's itching for some action, which leads me to the reason I'm calling. If anything goes down and you need the pack, you let me know. We owe you."

"I'll let you know if I need you guys. Listen, I'll give you a call later. Gotta call it a night. You know, school and all that." He lets out another sigh. "Alright baby girl." With that he hung up leaving me to the quiet woods around me.

I continue my walk towards home and quickly found myself falling into memories that should have been forgotten. It's never good for me to be left to my thoughts seeing as it gives me too much time to remember when all I wish I could do was forget.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Flashback~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Come out, come out where ever you are."

I start tiptoeing away from the voice of my best friend. I could hear him getting closer and feeling the excitement building, I start climbing a tree to hide. Not moments later I see a head of blonde curls pass under the tree and stop. It takes all of my restraint not to fall into a fit of giggles. Using my magic, I cause some bushes closer to the base of the tree I was in to rustle. He turns his head and moves towards them only to become disappointed when I am not there.

"Come on Daniella. You cannot hide from me forever." I smile to myself. Jumping down, I tackle him to the ground. "You know Nik; you really should learn to look up." He rolls me off of him and I can't help but giggle.

"And you, should act more like a lady. Ladies do not climb trees my dear." I cannot help but blush at the endearment. His hand cups my face to tilt my head up to look at him. And then I am lost in the endless depths of blue and green. "Allow me to court you." I feel my eyes widen and my breath catch itself.

"Do you truly mean that? What of Tatia?" His eyes darken and he looks away.

"She loves Elijah. Not me." I couldn't believe the words that just left his mouth. I stand up and brush off the leaves from my red dress. "So Tatia chooses your brother and you then have an epiphany that I am who you want?" He stands and takes my face in his hands. "No my little dove. It's as if I have been released from some spell and now I can see you clearly."

"Do you still love her?" He looks away from me with a broken and sad look on his face. "I would be lying if I said I did not." I shake my head refusing to let my tears fall. "I will not be second to any woman. I am either first or none at all. You do know Kol has already asked to court me? I told him I would give it consideration because I was holding out hope for you. But now, I guess I will be your sister instead of your wife." With that and my tears; I turn and run.

By the time I approach their village, my tears have dried and my swollen eyes have gone down almost completely. Making my way slowly to the Mickaelson's home, I knock on the door to see Finn open the door to greet me. "Aww Daniella. What brings you by today?"

I smile my best at Finn to try and happier than I was. "I was hoping to see Kol. Is he at home?" He nods his head and Kol comes to the door moments later giving me the brightest grin he could. "My dear Ellie. Have you given it consideration?"

"I have. I would very much like to start our courtship if you would still have me." I never thought Kol could look happier than that moment. He pulls me into a hug and spins me around laughing in sheer happiness. "We are to be married then! I will have our fathers meet and we will settle your dowry and then we will be wed." I could not help but feel the excitement, but at the same time there was a part of me that held out hope that maybe one day Nik will be mine.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~End Flashback~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I make my way towards the front door of my home and feel the very real tears sliding down my face. Here I am. Thousand years later still in love with one of the men who destroyed my village. Slaughtered my parents and left me an orphan. The man who cursed me to this half-life. Walking into my home, I immediately make my way up the stairs. Upon entering my room, I begin stripping on my way to the bathroom. Turning the water as hot as I can handle, I climb into the shower and sit down. Mentally willing the hot to water wash away the guilt. The guilt for loving a man I am going to have to kill.