Huge shout-out to 'The Charmed Rose', my first reviewer!

Connor and Blaze are on their second meet-up at the grill. Not a lot of action, but Blaze does discover another vampire...

Chapter 2: Reconnaissance

"Where did you get these?" Connor smirked incredulously.

"Sky Mall," Blaze laughed. "They sell all sorts of crazy crap like this. I just altered the design a bit to make it look more discrete."

"It's a hearing aid," he leered dubiously.

"It's as close to vampire hearing as you're going to get, so I suggest you try it out."

"How about this." He slapped the hearing device back in her hand and eyed her seriously. "You can stick to your methods, and I can stick to mine."

"Fine," Blaze grimaced and stuck the device back into her pocket. "Hanging out with you puts a target on my back anyway, so I'm just going to do my thing… But how do you want to contact each other?"

Connor scribbled on a piece of paper and pressed it firmly into her hand. "Here's my number."

"Hey, I just met you…" she teased in a sing-song voice.

Connor just shook his head, glowering slightly, and Blaze fell into sheepish silence. "We'll be in touch," he raised his eyebrows and left the bar.

Matt Donovan eyed Blaze suspiciously from across the grill as Connor made his exit, and he decided to do some investigating of his own.

"Hey, you're Bailey Harris, aren't you?" He sat beside Blaze coolly.

Blaze immediately fell into character, putting on her vulnerable 'my father just passed away' face. "Yeah, you're Matt, right?"

"Yeah. Hey I was just wondering what you and that one dude were talking about." Matt tried to keep it casual.

Blaze's insides rocked with laughter as she hammed up her 'sad and broken' routine. "He was asking me all sorts of questions about the town and my family," her eyes creased with concern, "and my father…" she sniffed like she was about to cry, and Matt rested a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." Matt truly sympathized with her. "I just think you should stay away from that guy. He seems a bit sketchy if you ask me."

"Thanks, you're really sweet." Blaze felt bad for tricking Matt, but she couldn't tell him the truth, and, she realized suddenly, she now had an 'in' with the vampire sympathizers. "Hey, would you like to hang out some time?" She beamed her best sad-but-hopeful smile at the boy and crossed her fingers.

Matt shrugged and smiled, "You know what? I'd like that. And I've got work off tomorrow if you're game."

Blaze suddenly felt a pang of guilt. "Just to be clear… This is just as friends. I'm not into younger guys."

"Oh yeah, sure." Matt looked slightly disappointed. "You wanna just meet up here tomorrow then, around seven?"

"Sounds great," she smiled at him as he went back to work. The seed was planted.

Blaze decided to try out her hearing amplifiers and stuck them in gingerly in her ears. Much to her surprise, the first voice she heard was Matt's. She sipped her ginger ale quietly, so as not to draw attention.

"Trust me, Damon. She didn't know anything. She's just torn up about her dad dying."

"Oh, please. You can't just trust a pretty face, Matt. Now watch the master at work."

"Damon. Come on, man…" Matt called out exasperatedly.

Blaze readied herself for whatever this Damon person would do.

A handsome man with bright blue eyes and dark hair sat beside her and grinned widely. "Nice day, isn't it?"

"I suppose," she sighed in a sad tone.

"Oh, my bad. Totally wasn't thinking. Yesterday's funeral and all…" he shrugged. "I'm Damon Salvatore, by the way."

"Bailey Harris," she smiled a bit more, as if liking his attention. "But my friends call me Blaze."

"Well, that is interesting." Damon tilted his head curiously. "Tell me, have you lived in town long, Blaze?"

She knew something was coming and braced for it behind her smile. "I've been away at college, but after dad died I took a leave of absence to, recover I guess." In reality she'd left school to hunt vampires, but Damon didn't need to know that.

"You know, I like you, Blaze," Damon grinned mischievously, leaning in close.

Here it comes. Blaze was ready.

"And you like me too."

Blaze's eyes grew wide. He was trying to compel her. He was a vampire. She quickly played it off. "I don't know why, but I like you, Damon."

"Kiss me."

Ugh, here goes… Blaze immediately obeyed, pressing her lips to Damon's, but she pulled back quickly, still in character. "Oh my gosh, I don't know why I did that. I'm usually not so forward."

"Don't worry," Damon grinned smugly. "I get it all the time."

Oh my gosh… what an arrogant S.O.B…. Blaze wanted to stake him right then and there, but Connor had instructed her firmly not to. Her job was reconnaissance.

"So, do you want to get out of here, Damon?" she beamed coyly at the vampire.

"Actually, you're not my type, but I want you answer a question for me."

"Okay?..." Egotistical jerk.

Damon leaned in close to compel her again. "What do you know about Connor Jordan?"

Blaze tried to look as monotone as possible as she answered. "He's in environmental clean-up. And he's shown a lot of interest in the fire that killed the town council. He liked me and gave me his phone number."

"Interesting. Now I want you to forget this conversation. I'm just the cute guy you met at the bar."

Blaze blinked a few times and smiled. "Hi, I'm Blaze."

"And I'm leaving," Damon shook his head with a grin and returned to Matt.

"And that, is how you find out the facts."

"You're a jerk, Damon…"

Blaze was happy that Matt was displeased with Damon's behavior, but it also made her feel guiltier. Hopefully she'd be able to get what she needed before someone got hurt.

So, not a lot going on here. Blaze is just trying to weasel her way into the group. Either chapter 3 or chapter 4 will have have a Connor/Blaze lime, so hold onto your hats! Oh, and Review. Always review. ;) Thanks for reading! -Viola