Disclaimer! I do not own Vampire Diaries or it's cast. Alex and her story is mine, so please do not use her or her story!

Present

Alex

"You're family has a lot of stuff." Tyler said, for the fifth time since we had sat down to work. "I mean, I thought we had a lot of historical stuff. But this is like a museum." He sat a few feet away, head buried in an old photo album. I wasn't surprised at all the 'stuff' here. Gran would have kept it. Some part of me said she had kept it for me.

"Yeah." I agreed, crossing my legs lotus style and lifting a box towards me. To say that I was having PTSD issues at the moment would be a severe understatement. I had found an old silver mirror, a doll from my childhood in eighteen sixty-four, a chest of clothes...It was creepy reading letters in my own handwriting from two hundred years ago. The overload of memories was going to drive me 's incessant questions were not helping. Pretending to know less than what I did about all of this was harder here than that trip to town with Damon had been, when everything was calling out to me and asking to be held, to be remembered. I set aside a boxed set of toy soldiers for the museum pile.

I was halfway through sorting sets of silver when Tyler spoke up again. "Wow. She looks just like you." My heart sank at the words.

"Hm?" I arched a brow, scooting towards him. He held an old printed newspaper clipping in one hand, an antique gold picture frame in another. I knew what they were the second I caught sight of them. "An old wedding announcement?" I took the paper in hand, feeling my heart clench. Lockwood-Conner Marriage, the headline read. I glanced at Tyler and at the picture in his hand. "I guess I do look like her." I said quietly, my words hollow. And there I was, with George holding my arm, the two of us smiling in our engagement party clothes. I touched the frame, remembering the smile he would give me, the warmth I would feel. I remembered being happy just then, looking forward to a wedding, and a family, and a future.

"Just like you." Tyler affirmed, setting the picture back into its box. "I didn't know George Lockwood was engaged to a Conner." He said lightly, placing the announcement back as well. He wouldn't, I would guess Benjamin had wiped the town clean of any memory of it, to save the family name. "Were you named after her?" he asked, catching my eyes.

I paused at that question. How was it, that I always had the name Alexandria? Through my past reincarnations, I was always Alexandria. The answer was obvious, if not exasperating and murky; magic. "I don't know. There's always been an Alexandria Conner since the Civil War." I shrugged, sitting back.

He nodded absently, sitting back on his heels. "I wonder why the marriage didn't happen." he mused out loud.

My gaze darkened as I turned back to the boxes, sorting through more photographs of the old household, the gardens, the grounds. "She died." I answered softly, staring at the sketched drawing of the southern side of the mansion grounds I had done ages ago. "No one knows how." Except for myself, Damon, and his brother. My jaw clenched as I replaced the sketch.

"Oh." Tyler ran a hand through his hair, obviously catching my hard reaction to the question. We were quiet for a while, working in silence. Then, he opened his mouth to speak again and inwardly I sighed. "Well. I am sorta glad it didn't happen." He said lightly. I turned to glare at him, taking offense even though I knew I really shouldn't. "Because if it had I might be or, or we'd be related, and then I couldn't ask to take you to dinner."

It hit me a few seconds later. "Dinner?" I repeated. Had I somehow pasted a sign to my forehead that said 'monster wanted' or 'witch in season'? Dinner, with Tyler Lockwood? It was almost humorous. I really wished I could have a long talk with Fate about this stuff. But...What was there really stopping me? It wasn't like he was a bad guy, doggy deal aside. And, well, I was starving and dinner sounded pretty damn good. How long had we been up here?

"Yeah, you know. Food. You eat and talk..." Tyler smirked slightly, closing his box. "How's about it Conner?"

I took a moment to consider it. The decision was mostly already made up for me though. I set aside my box and rose to my feet. "Alright. But I'm warning you, I talk with my mouth full." Grinning, I threw off my gloves and lead the way downstairs.

Damon

Babysitting this town was perhaps one of the most boring jobs I have ever attempted to carry in the span of my life time. And that was a rather short list in general. My phone rang yet again, and again I ignored it. I was not talking to Bonnie anymore tonight. She already was dead set on getting me to talk with Alex, and I wasn't feeling like being pep talked into suicide. Sighing, I opened the bar's door and stepped inside. Alcohol. Alcohol sounded nice.

I made my way through the crowd, exchanging a few nods before the smell hit me. Pine and sage, cinnamon and lavender invaded my senses and I paused, glancing around the bar. I knew that scent. It had been there when magic knocked me on my ass a day ago. My gaze alighted on Alex, and she was sitting with Tyler Lockwood. My eyes slitted. Sitting with Tyler Lockwood? She laughed at something he said, and a hard sensation tugged at my gut.

Mystic Falls, 1862

The garden was beautiful this spring. Not that I cared for gardens, I had ceased caring so much for mediocre, mortal things with Katherine's presence constantly about. But, I suppose it was beautiful. Father had it done up for the garden party. Guests had already invaded the space. I sat in the shade, watching. Katherine had left for business, and so I was alone.

"Thank you for the invitation Giuseppe." The familiar voice of George Lockwood drew my eye. Beside him stood Alexandria, smiling softly at my father, a vision in soft violet. My eyes flashed, thoughts on a similar day, what seemed like ages ago when she met me here, on this stone bench, hidden away from the party. She had smiled then, too. For a moment something touched my heart, angry and hot. I knew this feeling, jealousy.

Present

I had that feeling again. Jealousy? For a woman who wanted me dead sitting with a werewolf I really found a pain in the ass? How the hell did that even make sense?! Then again, when did my love life ever make sense? Pinching the bridge of my nose, I rose and strode towards them. When in doubt, make everyone else miserable. Maybe a healthy dose of sarcasm and insults would stop this whole jealous spiel I had going on.

Alex

"You can't be serious. You actually-"

"Hey Alex."

My smile faded the second that voice touched my ears. I turned, stomach in a tight ball, and glanced up at Damon. "Hey Damon." I said tightly.

"Hi Damon." Tyler didn't look too pleased to see him here either. Maybe I wasn't the only one not in Damon's fan club. Then again, werewolves and vampires usually didn't comingle. I was shocked they had lived together for so long without killing each other, considering Tyler said Damon had been here a few years, and from the feeling Tyler gave off, he was in fact a full blown werewolf.

"Having fun? It's good to see Alex hanging out with other people in town already." Damon smiled lightly. 'Even if it is you.' his eyes seemed to say. My hands tightened into balls, knuckles white. Yeah, actually I had been having fun. Tyler wasn't too big of a pain. He'd been sharing stories about 'Elena, Bonnie, Matt, and Caroline', ranting about high school, and being in general, fairly entertaining. Of course Damon had to come and ruin that.

"Yeah. I was having fun." I said sharply, going back to my drink. It was a good thing our plates had been taken away or I might have smashed my left over potatoes in his face. Tyler seemed to be hiding back a smirk as I blatantly ignored Damon.

"So what are you doing out here Damon?" he asked lightly, taking a sip of his drink. "I thought you were working."

Damon arched a brow. "Who says work and play can't mix?" He flashed me a wink and my stomach rolled, the urge to hit him suddenly almost overpowering. "Besides, I need to keep my eye on a few things in town tonight anyways." His eyes flashed to me again. Was that a threat?

Coming from him? Probably. A small spark of magic left my frame, and suddenly my cellphone rang. I answered, carrying on a conversation with the magically summoned relative in distress. "I need to go." I said lightly, hanging up the phone and standing. "Thanks for the dinner Tyler. Damon." I smiled to Tyler before practically running from the bar. Please, please don't follow me, I thought, racing towards my car.

Damon was waiting for me when I reached the Mustang. "You know he's a werewolf right?" he arched a brow, arms crossed, leaning against the driver side door.

"Yeah. And you're a pain in the ass vampire." I shrugged, features sharp, belying the false sense of comfort I pretended to have.

"Shouldn't you be hanging out with more tasteful people?" He asked, though a smirk played on his lips.

I sighed, "You know. This coming from you is rather depressing." I muttered, shoving him from my door. "Do me a favor and leave me alone."

"Stay away from Tyler, then." Damon said lightly, snagging the door before I could open it all the way.

I turned, my eyes hard. "Why?" I asked snidely, tearing open the door. "Jealous Damon?" He glared at me, eyes hard, and I swallowed what felt like a pound of sand paper. "Just leave me alone." I said quietly, "Or you'll end up on your ass again." I slid into the car, slamming the door shut and peeling out. Damned vampire. I couldn't have a shred of normalcy with him around, could I?

Well. That's this chapter. It's a bit of filler to lead up to the next drama filled session of Forgive and Forget! Comments, constructive criticism, I love them all!

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"Silver Coin"-Angus and Julia Stone

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