Hey ladies and gents so I'm back! I know it's been a long couple months and I apologize immensely for my absence. The month of February was not kind to me as I was slammed with work and school. So thank you for sticking with me and continuing to read! This is part one of two for my original chapter. I hope you all like it and let me know what you think! Welcome to season 4!

Disclaimer: I do not own the vampire diaries only Alba.

Chapter 23

"Sometimes the right path is not the easiest one." –Grandmother Willow

There's something intoxicating about watching humans lose their inner inhibitions. For one night, they have no morals as they give in to their most primal instincts. The multi-color lights cast shadows over the gyrating bodies on the dance floor shrouding them in red. The music, some techno song, sends the room into a frenzy as the beat rattles the glasses behind the bar. The club is crowded as I stalk around the room looking for one person in particular. After two months of leading me from one nameless town to the next, she's finally slipped up.

I'm in the dark, I'm underwater
Searching for a teardrop in the water
I can feel your shadow over me

I slip into the shadows leaning against the vinyl covered wall as I scan the crowd. I know she's here, despite her best efforts to severe ties, our connection still lingers.

"Hey! Do you want to dance?" I tear my eyes from the mass of bodies to the pretty little redhead standing in front of me. She's wearing little to no clothing and from the way her eyes are hungrily taking me in, she's looking for more than a dance. "My name's Jane, by the way!"

"No thank you love," I turn down her offer, smirking when I hear the pitch in her heartbeat at my accent. I watch as Jane frowns before biting her lip and taking a small step toward me.

"If you don't want to dance, my apartment is just down the street, we could go there." She smiles suggestively as she sways her hips seductively to the beat. I laugh at her persistence shaking my head in amusement.

I can hear your whisper in my ear
The ocean is bleeding, it's taking me down
I'm falling, you're watching me fall

"You drive a hard bargain," I smirk causing her to smile in victory, "but you see I'm a bit tied down at the moment." Jane frowns before leaning in close purposefully brushing her chest against my arm.

"You're girlfriend doesn't have to know," she purrs in my ear trailing her hand down my stomach. It's just as she's about to dip her fingers below my belt that I grab her hand causing a slight pout to turn down her lips.

"Now now sweetheart," I tsk looking her straight in the eyes. I open my mouth with every intention of compelling her to go away when out of the corner of my eye I see a familiar head of midnight black hair. Every word I was going to say catches in my throat when I finally see her. Alba. It's only been two months, but already I can see the changes in her.

Her hair falls in curls to her lower back accentuating her slim waist in the little black dress she's wearing. It's a strapless number that ends mid-thigh showing off her glorious curves that I've come to know like the back of my hand. Heels adorn her feet giving more length to her mile high legs that every man in the room is fixated on. She's moving methodically to the music, her eyes closed as she dances.

By now, I've released the girl and am moving in slow circles around Alba. Her energy is different, darker and it takes me back to just a few months ago in the Lockwood cellar.

I lean against the stone wall shrouded in darkness. My body is somewhere charred to a crisp and I'm stuck here in this less than desirable replacement. I have to say the Lockwood boy is not who I imagined I'd be spending the rest of eternity wearing.

I sigh when I hear the witch start down the steps. I can practically feel her hate all the way from here. I watch amused as she steps into the room looking around her in disdain.

"I know you're here." She sneers looking at the corner I'm in.

"I must say you really did that spell brilliantly. I didn't think you had it in you." I comment walking out of the shadows to stand in front of her.

"I did it to save my friends and my mother, Klaus. Not you." She bites crossing her arms trying to appear more powerful than she is.

"The spirits won't be happy with you," I drawl narrowing my eyes when the little witch doesn't bat an eyelash.

"The spirits don't get to tell me what to do anymore. I'm done getting pushed around by all of you. I did it because I wanted to." She answers confidently making me chuckle dryly in response.

"That's not how it works, sweetheart. You may think you're free, but there are always consequences." I cross my arms wondering when exactly the Bennett witch snapped.

"I can handle whatever they throw at me." She raises her head proudly, her words ringing with strength. However, I don't think she expects the consequence to come in the form of Alba. Before I can blink Alba comes out of nowhere snatching Bonnie by the throat and slamming her violently into the wall. I grimace when I hear the sickening crack the witches head makes when it meets the stone wall afraid that Alba has killed her. But much to my relief I watch as Bonnie wiggles helplessly in the iron grip Alba has on her neck."….Alba…."Bonnie gasps clawing at Alba's wrist as her face turns blue. As much as I would love to watch Bonnie die a slow painful death, I still need her so with that thought I flash across the room and pull Alba off of her.

I quickly pin her to the wall next to Bonnie who has slumped to the floor gasping for breath.

"Let me go!" Alba screams thrashing around in my hold trying desperately to get to Bonnie. The leather jacket she's wearing reeks of Damon Salvatore and her jeans are torn and covered in blood. Obviously I missed something.

"Love, you need to calm down." I answer low and deep still getting used to this voice. I'm hoping she'll relax for me, but after a minute of her still fighting relentlessly I can see she doesn't care.

"She lied to me!" Alba wails grabbing my wrists in a vice grip squeezing until she hears bone crack.

"Alba…" I grit around the pain staring into her eyes dangerously, but she doesn't even notice. She's practically rabid as she does everything she can to get to Bonnie who is slowly climbing to her feet. What in the hell could have happened in the past hour?

"What are you talking about!?" Bonnie, still holding her bruising throat, screams as she stands a good distance behind us.

"You know what I'm talking about! Danny is dead!" She cries, her face pinching up in grief as she tries not to cry. She releases my wrists letting her own hands drop uselessly to her sides as she stops fighting altogether. It's silent for a long while as no one moves or speaks. Danny is dead and from the looks of it Alba is on her way.

"Alba," Bonnie finally speaks up as she takes a measured step forward. I can hear the sorrow in her voice and from the sound of it I think she may be crying. "Damon called me just before I got here. He told me everything. The spell did work Alba…it just didn't work on Danny." Now it's my turn to tense up as I release Alba and take a step back.

"What spell?" I hiss glaring between Alba and Bonnie. Bonnie sends a nervous glance to Alba, but Alba's head is craned toward the floor showing no signs that she's listening. "What spell!?" I yell causing a sigh to escape Bonnie's lips.

"I did a spell a few weeks back tying Alba's life to Danny's; it would have worked except…"Bonnie trails off with tears in her eyes as she looks at Alba. I do the same, the ever-present sting of betrayal spreading like wild-fire in my chest. I finally understand what Alba meant on our last night together. Why she wouldn't say she was mine. It's because she never was.

"Except what?" I persist wanting to hear everything the little witch has to say.

"Except that Alba died before Danny. The spell worked, it just worked on Alba instead of Danny." Bonnie chokes up at the end turning around to hide her cascading tears. I feel my heart clench as I remember the stake being embedded into Alba's abdomen. She died trying to save me and, in turn, she lost her sister. In an instant, a wave of guilt is crashing over me like a tsunami. I've never felt anything quite so potent in my life. "Alba, I'm so so-"

"No, I'm sorry." Alba finally speaks up, cutting bonnie off, as she lifts her head from the ground. Her face is impassive, her glacier like eyes void of emotion, and her voice holds no remnants of the sarcastic girl I've come to adore. She's in a word, a shell of who she used to be. "You did what I asked and I thank you." Alba nods mutely turning towards me.

"Love?" I ask when she does nothing, but stares at me. I catch the flicker of movement out of the corner of my eye noticing Bonnie shuffling to the door. It isn't until I can hear Bonnie's footsteps retreating into the forest that Alba says something.

"I'm sorry to you too. I know that I should have told you from the start about the spell, but I knew you wouldn't understand. It was just something I had to do." She whispers avoiding my eyes. She looks absolutely defeated as she pulls the leather jacket tighter around her.

"You have no need to apologize," I shake my head taking a step toward her wanting nothing more than to wrap my arms around her, but she surprises me when she takes a step back. I freeze cocking my head to the side as I try to figure out what she's thinking.

"But I do," she nods smiling grimly up at me. "I'm sorry for everything," her voice quivers just the slightest bit as she walks over to me. I can only stare as she reaches a hand up to caress my face. She looks so broken and beautiful that I'm left stunned, unsure of how to handle this Alba. However, she doesn't give me much time to figure it out when she stands on her tip toes and places a fleeting kiss on my lips. "I'm yours." I quickly open my eyes when I hear those words, but it's too late. She's already gone.

I'm watching as your body's falling deeper
You're looking for a teardrop, here it is
I remember the way you used to dance

I listen as the song slows down giving me a perfect opportunity to slip behind her. I easily rest my hands against her hips as she moves against me. I don't say a word as she shimmies her way up and down my body before throwing her arms around my neck from behind.

"I thought you were going to sulk in that corner all night," she speaks up causing a slight chuckle to leave my lips. I should have known she would sense me.

"You look smashing tonight, love." I whisper in her ear running my hand up and down her side for added emphasis.

"Hmm, tell me about it." She smirks, confidence rolling off of her as she grinds her behind harder against me. I smile moving in sync with her leaning down to inhale her scent. She always smells like lavender with a hint of honey. It's a heady combination that has me digging my nails into her hips as I yank her flush against me.

"Did you really think you could outrun me, sweetheart?" I ask lowly brushing the hair off the side of her neck leaving it bare. I trace the smooth patch of skin I bit months earlier feeling my fangs elongate at the prospect of doing it again. I trail my hand lower to her shoulder padding my fingertips across the healing skin. I admire the black angel wings imprinted on her shoulder with Danny written clearly under them.

Then I remember that you will never dance again
Now you're fallen, I'm falling with you
And with us, our blood, our love

Alba laughs, a tinkling sound, that doesn't quite fit her personality. Almost like she's teasing me and I have yet to figure it out.

"Maybe I was just waiting for you to catch up," she purrs leaning her head on my shoulder turning her face allowing me to really see her. Blood red lipstick coats her lips as her blue eyes pop against the dark eyeliner she's wearing. She looks lethal as she brings a hand up to tangle in my hair before bringing my head down to crash against her mouth.

I growl when she deepens the kiss her body instantly reacting to mine when I spin her around and crush her to me. I can feel the beat pick up, shaking the floor and the ceiling overhead as everyone in the vicinity reacts. Alba's hands find their way back into my hair as she roughly pulls causing another hiss to leave my lips.

We continue to kiss even when someone bumps into us and yells get a room. After two months of not seeing Alba, one could say I'm a bit on edge. I run my hands down to cup her butt as she moans in my mouth causing a smirk to turn up my lips.

"Miss me, love?" I ask against her lips as she stares at me heatedly. I watch as she opens her mouth to say something, but something over my shoulder makes her snap it shut. I frown turning my head to see what could have caught her attention when I see him. Damon fucking Salvatore is moving through the crowd his eyes narrowed on me. I smirk smugly when he stops in front of me after shoving a few people out of his way.

"Well, Damon, what a surprise!" I grin enjoying his anger. Let's just say I haven't been the only one searching for Alba these past two months. But I was the one to find her hence my utter happiness. Damon just glares at me not finding me amusing.

"Where the hell is she?" He snaps looking at the crowd closely. I raise an eyebrow as I turn around to find the space Alba once occupied empty. I feel my nostrils flare as my temperature spikes when I can't find her among the dancers. I barrel past Damon paying special attention to knocking his ass to the ground as I charge the door. I run outside expecting to find her hidden away in some dark corner waiting for me, but I'm disappointed when I don't find her at all. I yell in rage slamming my fist through the brick wall of the building listening to the ragged breaths leave my body. "So she pulled a quick one on you, huh?" I close my eyes when Damon's arrogant chuckle breaks the silence of my temper tantrum. "That sounds like my girl." I suck in a breath flashing to Damon breaking his neck before he can say another word. I watch in satisfaction as his lifeless body falls to the ground.

"She was never your girl," I glare down at him wishing I could stake him and do the world a favor. But in the end, I start my trek back to my hotel feeling every bit the loss of Alba. But at least, I don't have to feel it alone. I spot a familiar pretty little redhead stumbling her way down the street and what kind of man would I be if I let her walk home alone? You just never know what kind of monsters lurk in the shadows.

Two week later

I am a patient man. I have always been willing to wait for the things I want, I've never judged anyone on their actions because I know all too well the mistakes that can arise, and never once have I went searching for someone who doesn't want to be found. Yet, here I am, on this dreary February morning rifling through Damon's closet in hopes of finding the maps Damon has hidden away.

Damon left on yet another impromptu trip claiming he needed "air." If I'm right and I'm ninety-nine percent sure I am Damon won't be back for another three days as he searches for Alba. Ever since her disappearance, Damon's done nothing, but hole himself up in his room. The only time he leaves is when he has a lead or needs a drink. Of course, he doesn't tell me any of this. He's been hiding behind his wounded animal façade since Elena's turned. She even thinks it's her fault that Damon's this way and blames herself, but I see it for what it really is. Damon's been searching for Alba and by the excessive amount of whiskey and bourbon he's consumed over the past two months he hasn't been having much luck.

"Stefan?" I lift my head when Elena's groggy voice breaks the silence pulling me from my thoughts. I twist my head to find her standing in the doorway wearing one of my shirts as she rubs the sleep from her eyes. She looks unbelievably beautiful in the morning light seeping in through the open window. However, it does nothing to ease the dull ache in my chest I feel every time I see her.

"Hey," I greet giving her a small smile before turning back to the task at hand. "I didn't hear you get up." I say listening as she pads softly across the floor and comes up behind me.

"What are you doing?" Elena asks curiously laying a hand on the small of my back while resting her chin on my shoulder.

"I'm just trying to find something in Damon's things that will help me figure out where he has run off to." I mumble distractedly opening another drawer pushing aside clothes in hope that his research will be in here.

"Do you think he's in trouble?" Elena questions with a wave of worry washing over her words. I glance at her suspiciously out the corner of my eye when I hear the tone her voice has taken.

"Why don't you just ask me?" I sigh closing my eyes briefly when I hear Damon's condescending voice from behind me. Of course, this trip would be shorter than the rest. It's like Damon has a sixth sense for when people are getting into his things.

"Damon," I nod finally turning around to face him. He's leaning casually in the doorway with his arms crossed, a dark gleam in his ice-cold eyes. I notice his black long sleeve shirt is torn in a few places and I can smell blood, most of it his. Bags are beginning to darken under his eyes and his raven locks look like they've been through one too many hand rakes. For the first time in centuries, Damon looks anything, but perfect.

"Damon, what happened to you!?" Elena asks brushing past me to him. However, before she can even lay a finger on him, he holds up his hand stopping her.

"Elena, would you do me a favor and get the hell out of my room." Damon smiles bitterly taking a considerably large step around her so he can enter his quarters. I feel my eyebrows practically disappear in my hairline as I observe the exchange. Elena has tears pooling in her eyes as she watches Damon with a kicked puppy expression and Damon looks like he can't be bothered enough to care.

"Damon!" Elena yells twisting around to face him in anger. Her tears are dried up and she looks fierce. If I was anyone else I would marvel at how fast her mood can change, but I know better than that. "What is your problem!?" She asks, her words dripping with venom and pent-up rage. Damon merely glances at her as he shoulders past me into his closet.

"My problem is that you're still here. Now get out." He barks walking deeper into his closet and bending at the waist. I watch him closely as he removes one of the floorboards near the wall and grabs a long rectangular box from the hide away.

"God, you are such a jackass!" Elena screams her face changing involuntarily as she hasn't yet learned to control her emotions.

"Thank you for stating the obvious, Elena. Real nice detective work," Damon actually glares finally whipping around to face her. I've never seen him look so disinterested in what Elena has to say. It catches me off guard and by the silence plaguing the room, Elena's just as shocked. "Now if you would please leave that would be grand." He gives her another tight-lipped smile before turning to me. "We need to talk."

"Yeah we do." I nod in agreement flicking my eyes to the door, in time to watch Elena leave. Her shoulders are stiff and I can smell the undeniable scent of salt from her tears. "Why do you have to be such a dick to her?" I ask shaking myself out of my stupor. Damon just rolls his eyes walking to his bed where he sets the box down.

"I needed her gone and the only way to do that was to be firm with her. Now do you really want to talk about Elena or do you want to help me find Alba?" Damon asks, opening the box to reveal the rolled up maps inside.

"You've been tracking her all summer without telling me a damn thing. Why do you need my help now?" I question a little angry at being left out of the loop. Alba's just as important to me, if not more important, than she is to Damon.

"Oh I'm sorry that while you were busy catering to Elena's every wish and demand, I was preoccupied trying to find my daughter." Damon snaps unrolling the maps and spreading them out on the bed.

"Elena was turned into a vampire Damon! What was I supposed to do? Leave her to complete the transition by herself?" I ask in disbelief at his complete lack of sympathy for the girl he claims to love. Has he really changed so much over the past few weeks that he doesn't care anymore?

"No, god forbid, Elena does something on her own for a change." Damon quips darkly narrowing his blue eyes at me. "And you could have easily divided you're time between helping Elena and helping me look for Alba, you just chose not to. Now I am one step behind Klaus who happens to be six steps behind Alba. So I need to know where Alba would go if she were in this region?" Damon points along the east coast specifically the Massachusetts/Rhode Island area.

"Damon, why are you so hell-bent on finding her? Don't you think she needs some time?" I ask looking closely over Damon's hard features. He looks older somehow, if that's even possible, dare I say he actually looks like a father.

"She can have all the grieving time she needs when she's home." He grits flashing his eyes back to the map and jabbing his finger in the middle of Massachusetts. "Now where would she go?" I sigh forcing my gaze from him to the map.

"Alba grew up in a town not far from Boston. If she's anywhere it will be there." I tap the map once in the general area listening to the breath Damon exhales.

"Thank you Stefan." He doesn't look at me, but from the way he's holding himself like he's just figured out the remaining piece to the puzzle show's how grateful he is. I nod accepting his thanks as we settle into a thoughtful silence. However, the silence is shortly broken when the doorbell rings.

"I'll get it!" We hear Elena yell followed by her feet pounding down the stairs and to the front door. I wait for Elena or the person at the door to speak but when all I receive are the birds chirping in the tree next to Damon's window I start to get suspicious. I glance at Damon to find he's too busy looking over the map to even notice. I shake my head turning on my heel mutely and head for the door. But I don't make it far before Elena saunters through the door. She's holding a torn envelope in her hands as she reads what was inside.

"What is that?" I ask refusing to peer over Elena's shoulder when she stops next to me. She'll tell me when she's ready.

"I'm not sure, but I think it's an invitation." She mutters eyeing the paper with confusion.

"What?" I ask reaching for the cardboard paper in her hands, but I'm a second too late when all I grab is air. I clench my jaw when Damon snatches the invitation from Elena's hands before I have the chance to read it. I watch his eyes drink in the words before he turns to Elena.

"Who gave this to you?" He questions her with such intensity it makes me wonder why he never tried to be a cop.

"No one did. It was lying on the ground when I opened the door." Elena answers with a hint of hostility. I guess she's still a little heated about earlier.

"What in the hell is it?" I sigh looking between the two of them as they have a mini stare down.

"It looks like we're going out tonight brother." Damon smirks smacking the invitation to my chest as he walks past me. "Wear something nice." I don't even bother watching Damon leave as I look down at the paper in my hands.

The Grill

8:00

Rebecca POV

There are many things I expected to come home to this morning. One was a nice quiet empty house that I wouldn't mind so much because I'm getting used to the silence. Two was a hot bubble bath with my name written all over it and three was the simple fact I didn't have to put up with the diva's.

Unfortunately, I come home to the exact opposite. Before I even pull into the driveway, I can hear the bass thumping through the inside of our mansion. Not to mention, the potent aroma of blood that invades my nostrils the moment I walk through the front door. I drop my plush pink Prada purse on the floor and easily follow the scent to the study which happens to be where the source of the music is coming from.

I'm not surprised when I find Kol and Klaus fang deep in a couple of blonds with several others scattered at their feet. I seem to have arrived at the tail end of their little "party". I watch in disgust as Klaus finishes with his girl first throwing her on top of their pile with a flick of his wrist.

"Well it's about time you showed up, sister." He smirks, his mouth coated with his latest victim's blood as it drips down to stain his shirt. "I thought I was going to have to send a search party."

"Like you've had much luck with your search parties," I quip sauntering into the room well aware of the instant glare I receive from my older brother. "Speaking of complete and utter failure, how's your progress coming Kol?" I ask referring to his inability to step one foot in the Mystic Falls Cemetery. Danny's death was hard on all of us, but it seems it hit Kol and Alba the worst.

"I don't know Rebekah, how does it feel to have no friends since the only person that you cared about abandoned you?" Kol drawls dropping his lunch on the ground without so much as a second glance. I feel the sharp pain in my heart at his words as I can't help but think about my last night with Alba.

It's nearly three o clock in the morning before I find the courage to walk up the steps to Alba's front door. There's a light drizzle falling over the town of Mystic Falls that hasn't stopped since this morning when we lowered Danny into the ground. It's almost like some unseen force is crying for the loss of our friend and sister.

I know I haven't been able to stop crying since her funeral. Kol ditched town the night Alba woke up and Danny didn't. I don't expect to see him for a while. Klaus is dead and Elijah at least stayed for the funeral. I have a feeling he was going to stay longer, but after he saw the empty hole that was Alba, I don't think he had it in him to stay. I want to call them cowards for running away, but I can't. We just lost an important member of our family and we knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that we lost Alba as well.

I stop in front of her door drawing an unnecessary breath before I raise my fist and knock. I can't say I'm surprised when her door swings open like it wasn't even latched to begin with. I don't know what I expected to find when I stepped through her door. Maybe a few pieces of overturned furniture, a couple of holes in the wall or at the very least a broken glass, but I find none of that. The house isn't in shambles as I walk through the rooms not seeing a picture out-of-place.

However, when I walk up the stairs I do find that Alba's room won't be coming back from the damage done inside. I hang my head quietly closing the door so I won't have to see anymore. I've had enough of chaos and destruction to last me the rest of eternity. I brace myself for the next room as I gently push open the door. Its lavender walls that I helped paint on one of Alba's trips away bring tears to my eyes as I remember the fun Danny and I had. Everything in here reminds me of Danny; the smell, the clothes, the pictures, but most importantly the girl lying in her bed.

"Alba?" I call softly to her back as she lays curled in a ball on the bed. I notice she's clutching something to her chest, but from here I can't make out what.

"Did you know Danny wanted to adopt you?" Alba says from the bed remaining in her position facing the wall. Her voice is monotone and I long for the fire and sometimes venom that she always coated her words in.

"I didn't know that." I whisper feeling the break in my words from the pain coursing through my veins. I know that I'm supposed to be this heartless bitch, but what can I say? Danny never brought that side out in me and I can't bring myself to close off.

"She said she wanted you to officially be family so we could all be sisters." Alba laughs humorlessly moving her eyes to the window to watch the rain. I cover my mouth with my hand to refrain from sobbing uncontrollably. My own family barely wants me and here was Danny wanting to adopt me. And now she's gone.

"Alba I am so sorry-"

"No I'm sorry." She cuts me off effectively silencing me. "I have one sister and she's gone. I don't think I have room for anymore." I cringe away from Alba like she's just slapped me. "I think you should go." Her words come out so faint that I barely catch them, but I do. And it's like a knife in my gut.

The wounded animal in me wants to lash out and hurt her as much as she has hurt me. The old Rebekah would have done that in a heartbeat. But looking at Alba and everything she has brought to my life. She showed me friendship when I needed it most, she trusted me when no one else would, and she fought for me and my family when everyone else was against us. She deserves better than that. So with the little strength I have I push the lump down in my throat and speak with force as silent tears roll down my cheeks.

"I'll be here when you're ready, Alba. You are my sister and that means more to me than you know. I will not give up on you and you will not push me away. You may be stubborn, but you haven't seen anything yet." I exhale the breath I've been holding through my nose.

"Get out." Alba says it so casually like she didn't just sit through my heartfelt speech. I shake my head sadly, but do as she asks.

Thinking back on it now I wish I had done things differently. Alba was gone the next day with no one having a clue to where she could be. Then things started going downhill here with Klaus taking over Tyler's body before being put back in his real body. Then his endless search for Alba that has sent him through more than one destructive mood swing. I've been babysitting ever since wondering when she'll show her face, but as the weeks pass I'm starting to lose more and more hope.

"Earth to Rebekah!" Kol snaps his fingers in front of my face with a shit eating grin. "I know you were admiring my beauty and all, but you should probably close your mouth." I roll my eyes opening my mouth to retort, but Klaus beats me to it.

"Oh Kol, we all know the only person that found you beautiful is six feet under." My mouth drops at Klaus's words and the pure hostility behind them. In the blink of an eye, Klaus is thrown into the wall with Kol's elbow shoved against his throat.

"At least my girl didn't leave me willingly." Kol sneers shoving a makeshift stake through Klaus's chest pinning him to the wall. "Face it brother, no one wants you." I can't exactly disagree with Kol on this one, but I still think he deserves it when Klaus lands a fist to the side of his face.

In an instant, the tide has turned as Kol is now being pummeled relentlessly by Klaus. It's a back and forth between these two as they can't decide whether to wallow in their self-pity together or fight to see who can hurt the other worst. In the end, I can't put up with it another minute.

"ENOUGH!" I scream once Kol's head goes through the wall ruining a perfectly good painting. I flash over to the pair catching Klaus off guard as I toss him back stepping in between the two. "I cannot believe how you two are acting right now!" I yell in frustration glaring between the two of them that have yet to take their eyes off each other. "It's pathetic the way you two are constantly at each other's throats. You aren't the only ones that lost someone. We all lost them so stop acting like self-righteous assholes and stop destroying the house. It's annoying!" I huff crossing my arms when all I receive is silence in return. Both have the decency to stop eye killing each other as they look at the ground. "Better." I nod just as the doorbell rings drawing our attention away from the situation at hand.

Without another word, I leave the room and walk to the door. I open it expecting to find someone on the other side, but I'm left confused when there's no one.

"Who's at the door?" Klaus asks none too gently pushing me aside to make way for himself.

"Well obviously no one." I glare crossing my arms when he suddenly bends at the waist to retrieve an envelope I hadn't seen from the ground. I watch as Klaus looks at the envelope in his hands with a closed off expression before he hands the envelope to me and steps outside. I glance down at the lazy loops of the letters in each of our names on the front before looking back at Klaus. He's scanning the woods around the mansion with such intensity that he can only be looking for someone.

"Oh! What do we have here?" Kol appears out of nowhere beside me seizing the envelope from my hands.

"Kol? Seriously?" I growl glowering at him as he sends me a cheeky smile before breaking the seal with one clean swipe of his finger. I don't bother pretending not to read over his shoulder when he pulls out a piece of paper with only two words written on it.

The Grill

8:00

Damon POV

I pull into The Grill at exactly 8:00 surprised to find the place empty save a few cars that I know belong to Stefan and Rebekah. On a Saturday night this place should be overflowing with horny teenagers looking for a fix. It only adds more suspicion to who could have sent the invitation. I know who I want it to be and I'm here strictly on the hope that it is her.

I shut my car off before heaving a deep sigh and resting my head against the back of my seat. So much of my time has gone into finding Alba that I've almost completely forgotten my obsession over Elena and my jealousy towards Stefan for having what I want. It's actually kind of pathetic how one little night changed everything.

I walk through the door of the boarding house after spending several hours at Danny's grave. I don't know how many bottles of whiskey I went through, but I would guess at least three. I was thinking about the events of the past few days specifically the night Alba magically woke up from the dead. I remember my undead heart dying again when I heard hers beating and I remember the look on her face when she saw Danny. It was like a switch was flipped inside her as I watched everything that made Alba unique and human just slip away. I witnessed the downfall of my daughter and there wasn't a damn thing I could do to stop it.

I decide then I need a drink as I make my way into the den. I almost don't notice the other person in the room until she speaks up startling me from my thoughts.

"I thought you were going to be gone forever." Alba remarks as my eyes flash to her hunched form on the couch. I take in her haggard state realizing for the first time how worn she looks even with the fresh pair of clothes and wet hair that's still dripping water.

"Alba," I breathe briskly walking over to her as I take the seat beside her on the couch. I don't know what else to say as I attempt to reach a hand out to grasp her elbow, but she with drawls from me quickly. I furrow my brow refusing to let the hurt show on my face at her distance.

"Did you know I made Bonnie do the linking spell?" Alba suddenly asks staring blankly at the fire crackling beside us. She clutches the white tiger in her hands closer to her chest appearing, for the first time, like a little girl. "She did a wonderful job on the spell. I thought it was really going to work." Alba nods her lip beginning to tremble in the glow of the firelight. "Danny was going to live a long happy life and I was going to be worm bait. That was the plan." I feel my stomach twist at the thought and I can't stop my mind from replaying Alba on that hospital table.

"Alba, what happened to Danny wasn't your fault-"

"But it was!" She suddenly screams shattering every window in the den causing pieces of glass to rain down on us. I cover my face to refrain from going blind, but it seems Alba doesn't have to worry about that as not one piece of glass touches her. "Danny is dead because of me! The spell was meant to take my life, but I died before Danny. I-I killed her, Damon." Alba whispers finally turning to face me. Her blue eyes are glistening with tears and her mouth is open in horror. "I killed my little sister." She gasps looking into my eyes with complete helplessness. "Damon, what did I do!?" She wails, her tears finally escaping as they flow down her cheeks drenching the tiger in her hands.

I don't think twice about grabbing Alba by the arms and crushing her to my chest. I set her on my lap as she curls into a ball burying her face in my neck. I wrap my arms around her protectively as uncontrollable sobs rack her petite frame. I want to tell her so many things, that what happened wasn't her fault and Danny wouldn't blame her. But all of it gets caught in my throat when Alba releases the stuffed animal in her hands to wrap her arms around my shoulders and clutch me to her.

I know it's wrong of me to find joy in this moment but I do.

"Shhh," I whisper comforting nonsense kissing her on the forehead but I only make her cry harder. She's squeezing me so tight that she's liable to snap my spine but I don't care. She can break whatever she wants just as long as its me she comes to.

"I-I c-can't live w-with m-m-myself," she weeps into my neck her cries so heartbreaking and full of grief that I have to clench my jaw to keep from joining her. I had no idea one girl could have so much sway with my emotions, but Alba does. I don't say anything choosing to wait until she's a sniffling mess in my arms. "I can't live without her, Damon." Alba whispers her arms loosening around my neck.

"Then don't live without her." I sigh pulling back to gently grab Alba's chin and lift her face from my neck. Her eyes are red and blotchy and she's biting her lip to keep the rest of her tears from falling, but she's holding it together. "Don't live without her, Alba. Live for Danny. We both know it's what she would want. She wouldn't want you to do this to yourself just like I don't want you to do this to yourself. You didn't kill Danny, Alba. You were given a second chance." I say my words never ringing truer or more sincere. "Don't waste it on guilt." I finish not expecting her to say anything. And she doesn't as she lays her head on my shoulder.

We sit in silence until she falls asleep. Then with my daughter in my arms I fall asleep too.

I push the memory aside before I enter The Grill. Upon arrival, I'm met with eleven other faces that all mirror my confusion.

"You're late." Klaus drawls with a smirk from his place at the bar. It seems everybody has found a stool with Tyler, Caroline, Bonnie, Jeremy, Matt, Elena, and Stefan on one side of the bar. While Kol, Rebekah, Elijah, and Klaus occupy the other half and wouldn't you know there is one seat left sandwiched between my brother and Klaus.

"You know what they say. It isn't a party until I arrive." I smirk taking my seat noticing for the first time the shots of whiskey in front of everyone. No one is talking as they look at their shots puzzled by who put them there. But it doesn't take any of us long to find out.

"Actually," a voice booms to the left drawing everyone's attention to the kitchen doors where Alba now stands with her hands on her hips. "The party doesn't start until the guest of honor arrives." She smirks making eye contact with each of us before she makes her way behind the bar. The only sound filing the room are the claque of her thigh high leather boots that cover the legs of her dark blue skinny jeans. A blood red halter top covers her torso accompanied with a leather jacket.

"Alba?" Caroline, of course, is the first to speak as she stares wide-eyed at the girl standing in front of all us. "W-Wha-"

"Use your words, Caroline." Alba scolds adjusting the black beanie on her head before looking at Caroline expectantly.

"Where have you been?" Tyler asks seeing as Caroline can't find the words to finish her sentence. Alba shrugs with a secretive smile and twinkle in her eye.

"Around."

"You left without even so much as a note and were gone for two months!" Stefan shakes his head crossing his arms. "You expect us to act like you never left?" He asks with disbelief layering his words as he waits for an answer. Alba just stares at him before pouring herself a shot.

"No I expect you all to take this shot with me." She smiles sardonically at Stefan holding up her glass. "Because it's going to be a long night and we have half the liquor supply to go through so put on your big girl panties and slam it down, Salvatore." She mocks downing her own shot before slamming her glass down with a wry grin. "Who's next?"

Seriously, thank you for reading and if you review! Check out Alba's outfits on my polyvore page, there's a link through my profile! Thank you!