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William's POV

I drummed my hands on my phone waiting on the waitress to return. I was in the Mystic Fall's café for over 15 minutes waiting to be served. Earlier the waitress dumped me at a table beside the toilet. A few minutes later she placed an attractive couple near the window framed by trees.

It didn't surprise me; this was my usual placement over the years. Unlike most vampires I wasn't stunningly good looking. Being a predatory species my kind tended to sire people with sex appeal, including the rich and powerful.

I couldn't blame them. It is a lot easier to hunt humans who turn off self-preservation for money, power or sexual partners out of their league. The number of guys who'd followed an attractive female vampire into darkened alleys didn't surprise me anymore.

However I wasn't in Mystic Fall's looking for prey, I was here to help Damon. Damon's call set in motion the plan to resurrect Katherine. I just hoped I was up to the job. Damon was counting on me and I wouldn't let him down. I owed the snarky vampire my life.

I smiled in memory of meeting my best friend Damon. That was decades ago and it still felt like it was only yesterday. Before meeting Damon, I was prepared to die rather than spend eternity chasing rodents. Damon showed me that becoming a vampire was better than my formally dull life. He taught me how to control my vampire nature.

I was abandoned by my sire in Chicago in 1945. She woke up from her rest looking horrified when she found me sitting on my floor too weak to move. I had her blood in my mouth and a healing broken neck. When someone knocked on my door she dressed quicker than humanly possible and ran out the room via the window.

I don't know how I survived the first week. Once strong enough to move I fled my apartment. I was sure the vampire would return to kill me. I spent my time hiding in alley's feeding on dogs and rats. I quit my job over the phone and got a night job as a cleaner. I wanted human blood but refused to risk hurting anyone, so I avoid humans.

I constantly feared discovery as I struggled with hunger. To protect myself I refused to contact family and friends, I even moved without telling anyone. I had nobody to help me; I was crippled by a loneliness that followed my every waking moment.

Not that it saved me in the end, after a month a coworker badly cut his hand at work. The smell of the blood pulled at me like a taunt cord. I felt my face shifting and fangs starting to appear. I was going to kill the man and he couldn't stop it.

"Hey, less noise when eating your dinner. I heard him yell 'VAMPIRE' from the street." I turned around to see a young man whose face mirrored my own; he had fangs and tiny facial veins.

I backed into a corner afraid the stranger would kill me. Not that I would object because I knew I was dead anyway. Suddenly the man shook his head, "Great another vampire orphan dumped on my doorstep. You clearly have no idea what you're doing. Fine I'll fix this mess."

The man walked over to the watchman and forced him to meet his eyes,

"You cut yourself at work so went home early nothing else interesting happened today. Clean and bandage your wounds at home."

He reverted back to human form and told me to do the same,

"Follow my lead, and stay human until he's gone. I don't want to compel him again."

Suddenly the watchman looked over at me. "Will, I'm a mess, cut myself in the grinder. I'm heading home see you tomorrow."

I stared at the door after my coworker left. The dark haired stranger smiled at me, "My name is Damon Salvatore, I'm guessing your sire had buyer's remorse and left you?"

Swallowing the lump in my throat I nodded at Damon,

"My name is Will and I owe you my life. I have little to offer but please if you need anything I'm happy to help."

Damon grinned, looking decidedly cheerful, "I am happy to hear you say that, have you ever heard of a place named Mystic Falls."

I think about that day often, the day Damon gave me back my life.

I waited a few more minutes for the waitress before giving up and drifted down the street. I wondered past the town council building listening to conversations as Damon requested. I overheard a topic that made me pause. I wasn't sure who was speaking but it was a conversation I needed to tell Demon about as soon as possible.

"We need to call the council now. We found Caroline Forbes and Andrew Wilson dead in the woods drained of blood. We delayed telling their parents, so we could clean up the area. I can't believe the vampires are back" A female voice said.

After a pause I heard a man speaking near her,

"We can control the boy's parents by claiming it was an animal attack. However Caroline's mother is on the council. She'll want war and I'm not sure we could win at this stage."

I heard the sound of guns being loaded before the woman spoke again.

"It's our duty as councilors to make sure the trash is picked up. The vampires are back and we'll handle them the way our ancestors always did, zero tolerance and 100 percent extermination."

I moved as quickly as a human can naturally walk, I reached my car in seconds. As I drove towards the Salvatore estate I only had one thought, getting them safely out of town.