Okay, so, now I know that I said this would be a oneshot… and technically, it still is.

But I found that my muse still wasn't satisfied, and so there is more. The first chapter still stand on it's own, as does this one. I think this is gonna be a collection of oneshots. Every "chapter" will have an end on it's own, no cliffhanger or "tbc".

But when you read them from chap one to two (and so on) they will add up to a longer story. I hope that makes sense o.O….

AH, and for THIS chapter, I actually had a beta reader. Thanks to the AMAZING Avecia.

And before I forget it: The Vampire diaries don't belong to me, and I don't get anything for writing this.

So… enjoy (hopefully^^)

Spoiler warning: Founders Day

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Pain.

That was the dominating thought in his mind, shortly followed by a son of a bitch, directed at the bastard looming over him.

And, for a while, those were the last coherent thoughts he had.

Everything in his brain was muddled – as if he was looking at the happenings around him through a wine glass. Reality was distorted and bent into odd shapes. Voices and sounds had an edge to them, and his limbs just wouldn't do what he wanted them to.

So he let himself float on this feeling, trying to shut out the pain, coursing like fire through his veins (And if it wasn't for that damn feeling, he could happily pretend to just be drunk, and maybe surrounded by a few beautiful women).

Somewhere inside the mess that were his thoughts, he registered that a pair of arms heaved him over a shoulder – it was painfully digging into his stomach – before the same arms mindlessly tossed him on a hard, concrete floor.

Then, nothing, as everything, finally, went black.

The first thing that returned to him was his sense of smell.

And what a pity that was. Because, really, gasoline was a nasty thing when he had to make a pit stop to refuel his car. But to have the stuff poured all around (and over) him? Not his cup of tea… and wait, what? Poured over him? ( Elena, with her fearful eyes, rambling, pleading for his life. Speaking all those beautiful words, just for him; to save his life. Elena, who made everything alright again.

But this time, Elena was nowhere near. The only Gilbert in sight was that damn Bastard, with his damn ring and his damn attitude.

Oh, how he hated that guy. )

The council's henchmen were done emptying the gasoline canisters, and John waved them off, sent them on their merry way.

With his eyesight finally improving, he could see John leaning over a prone figure.

He blinked a few times, trying to get his vision clear… and wished a second later he hadn't succeeded. There on the floor was Anna (little Annabelle, with her cute little smiles and shy ways… she was never made to be pulled into this kind of crap) weak as a kitten, pleading with her eyes and her words.

But the only thing it got her was a stake straight through the heart.

Damon bunched his fists, tried to find even an ounce of strength, but it just wasn't going to happen. And he hated it. This one time he wanted to help someone, he couldn't. It just wasn't fair.

The only thing the girl wanted was to free her mother and live a peaceful life (And when the hell had he started to think about what was fair and what people wanted?).

He saw John ascend the stairs on the opposite side of the room, and could hear a door close.

Only after the sounds of his footsteps were gone, did he register the crackling of fire, and the occasional screaming around him. He rolled around, trying to get up, and saw another, unsuspected companion in this damn misfortune.

It was a fleeting thrill to see the shock on the Mayors face as he told him that, yes, he actually was a vampire.

Not even the cracking of his neck did anything for him.

As the fire slowly swallowed more of the basement (more of the vampires all around him – swallowed the last remnants of the still form of Anna), all he could think about was, how he never would be able to see her again.

Granted, he was planning on skipping town, but at least he would've been able to return and see her – if he wanted to.

But now? Now he would never get to see her laugh again, or see how her eyes sparkled when she got mad.

No. He thought, refusing to let his life end like this.

It couldn't end like this. Not now, not as he finally found his way back to his humanity.

Finally, he could just forget about Katherine, spent eternity for himself.

But he couldn't help it. The vervain still had him weak, and the fire, the heat made it difficult to even think straight.

And just as he was about to give up (not that he would admit it, later, when the rollercoaster that was life would slow down again) Stefan was there.

The brother whom he left behind those many decades ago. The brother whom he threatened to torment for all eternity – and who would throw the threats right back into his face.

He was there, and he got him up and out, out of the fire, out of the heat, and into the beautiful, fresh, cool night air.

And then there was Elena, with her worried face, and her gentle hands, and he knew he could never, for his life, leave this town.

He could never leave her (or his damn, holier-than-though brother) behind.

-end-

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Sooo… done. If you liked it, please click on the little button below and let me know^^.

So long

Zora