Kill or Be Killed

Mystic Fall, Virginia, 1863

Astra couldn't help the possessive and protective nature that took over her at the sight of her fiancé approaching with a beautiful burnet on his arm, her smiling up at him affectionately. She clearly had no class to be longingly looking at one that was promised to another. But what tore her apart in disgust and anger was that Damon was smiling back. That smile was meant for her, the first smile when he comes home from a horrifying experience. She was his fiancée, she was supposed to comfort him and make him smile.

"Katherine," Stefan greeted, only making Astra's ancient blood boil further.

"Stefan, pleasant as always," she greeted back with a smile and offered her hand for him to kiss. Astra wanted to scoff at the act. She acted like she was royalty or something.

"So you're the young lady that I've been hearing so much about," Astra praised loudly as she walked over, offering a fake but very real looking smile to the other woman. "I'm Astra Casca, Damon's fiancé," She introduced, lifting her skirts just slightly to dip a curtsy. Katherine didn't do so right away but curtsied back anyway.

"Katherine," She answered back easily. Damon seemed broken from a trance and slipped away from Katherine's side to Astra's, taking her hand in his and kissing her knuckles without her even having to do anything. Her stomach tightened in happiness as she smiled at him. She watched as Stefan moved up to Katherine's side, bowing at the waist for her in greeting.

"How was your talk with your father?" Astra asked Damon, worry lacing in her tone. She frowned slightly when his mood dampened and he shook his head. He clearly didn't want to talk about it and she respected his wishes.

"Let's head back inside where it's warm," Stefan offered calmly, smiling over to Astra and Damon. Each nodded their head, linking arms. Damon smiled down to her before he moved to escort her inside and Astra didn't both to look back at Katherine, wishing nothing more than for the woman to leave the house or stick to her own man.

Astra lifted her free hand and placed it gently atop of Damon's, his skin just as chilled as her own. She felt his tense muscles relax slightly under the hold before his hand moved to link his fingers with her own in a familiar knot, warming their skin against the other. Astra could feel the tenseness of the rest of his body was yet to disappear but she knew that it would take time.

Damon guided Astra off and away as soon as they were inside the house, leaving Stefan alone with Katherine. Astra was relieved to have the woman away from her, she set her on edge in a way that she hadn't felt in such a long time. She also reminded her of someone greatly, someone that she had never truly met before.

"You do not need to tell me," Astra said once they were alone in the solarium. It was still chilled in the room, but nowhere near as much as the outside was. "I know that all people need their own time to…adjust, and you are no exception."

Damon faintly smiled as he took her hand in his own gently, his thumb stroking and rolling the ring that was on her fourth finger. "Soon, Astra."

Soon for what, she wondered. Soon that he could tell her what had him so troubled, both from the war and his father or soon that they would be married now that he was back. She was still so concerned that something had happened to cause him to regret proposing to her. And then there was this Katherine woman, quickly becoming a rather agitating thorn in the vampire's side.

She just smiled and placed her own hand over his own, looking him in the eye as she spoke, "I know, Damon. You have my faith and trust." He smiled back and turned his hand over to thread their fingers together again, raising her hand up to press a kiss to the back of her palm. She felt her chest tighten as the realized just how much that kiss felt like the farewell one that he had given her the morning of his departure.

Damon invited her to stay the night so that she didn't need to worry about heading home to late in the evening, offering her a room just down the hall from his own. Across the hall from Katherine's. Astra accepted a change of clothing and departed for the night just a couple of minutes after Katherine and Stefan had, Damon saying that he would being staying up a short while longer. Astra stepped quietly into the room that she had been given, seeing the night gown that had been supplied by one of the staff.

"You'll never be able to keep him," Katherine said to the right of her. Astra looked over with a blank look to her eyes, unsurprised to find the other woman there. Katherine stood up from where she had been perched on the seat before the vanity, her dark eyes holding all of the malice that was hidden throughout the day.

"Damon is already mine, I am his fiancé. You should stop trying to flirt with a taken man," Astra said simply as she closed the door behind her. She didn't have any reason to worry about this woman, she wasn't a threat. She had fought animals more threatening than Katherine. Before she had a chance to blink she was pressed against the wall beside the window, a hand clamped around her throat. She looked into the blood red and brown eyes of the vampire before her, finally surprised.

"Not for long, Miss. Casca, I always get what I want. And I want them both," Katherine growled out, her hand tightening on Astra's throat. She was a fairly strong vampire, but her years were still lacking compared to Astra's. She could tell just from the hold on her throat. Katherine looked into her eyes and spoke again, clearly trying to compel her. She flashed her fangs as she spoke in a threatening way, hoping to scare Astra. Probably assuming she was human and would simply flee the town in fear. "You will stay away from Damon, he's to be mine very soon."

Astra shook her head in disbelief, catching Katherine off guard. Astra easily took hold of the younger woman's wrist and twisted, the sickening snap of her bones filling the room. Her other hand covered Katherine's mouth to silence her scream and push her back and around at the same time, swapping their positions. Astra's fangs tore from her gums and her eyes bled red as she grinned sadistically at the younger.

Katherine's features changed back to their human form as she was left gasping in pain and shock from the sight of Astra's fangs in her face, deadly violet and blood red eyes glaring at her in such joyful torture that it was frightening.

"Pathetic little brat, you are. You think that you can intimidate me? I'm older, strong and wiser than you will ever be. Do not tempt me to tear you to pieces, I have done so before for much less than a human male. Now, if you wish to live, you'll leave my human alone." Katherine was released pushed toward the door, cradling her injured wrist and retreating like a wounded animal. Astra rolled her tongue behind one of her fangs, half temped to go and bite the girl just for the hell of it. Katherine Pierce.

Katarina Petrova.

Pompeii, Roman Empire, 78 A.D.

Astraea pulled the wet material of her dress away from her legs, the waters of the baths lapping around her knees as the other woman laughed and played with their children. She smiled at the sight of her own sister playing with her elder children, careful of the newborn that sat in her lap, reaching out with smiles and giggles.

One of her small nieces ran to run over to her in the water, the clear liquid splashing about as she ran. Astra laughed softly and opened her arms to the little girl, welcoming her to jump up and sit on her lap with a smile, beginning to speak excitedly in messy Roman tongue. Astra smiled and listened, looking over to where the others were still occupied.

It had been a month since she had seen Elijah alone, she had spotted him over at the home every now and again, but her mother had been keeping her away from the open areas of the house when company came over. Her sickness was starting to catch up to her on the outside as well, now. Her once tanned skin was paling and she often looked as though she was about to be ill, most of the times she actually was. Elijah had never sought her out, much to her relief, so she was able to rest a bit more easily at night.

She had been feeling better today so her sister insisted that she come to the baths and see her nieces and nephews, spend some time out in the sunlight. She agreed reluctantly, letting herself be pulled from her bed and dressed in one of her lighter gowns and having a second thrown into her hands to change into.

"Mama says that you'll be married soon, true?" The young girl, Abelia, said from her lap. She resembled her name in so many ways that it was amazing. Abelia meant honeysuckle in Latin, and the young child could be so sweat one would think that she was coated in a sweet mixture of honey. Her blond hair also resembled to beautiful colour of the flower that she was named after, shining in the sunlight whenever it touched the strands.

"Does she?"

"Yes, to the rich foreign man."

Astraea was confused slightly, she would admit, since there were many foreign men that her family encountered. Was it the Egyptian writer that her father had been trying to arrange her with? She was about to as who was she speak about when Abelia spoke first.

"But why is he so pale? Where does he come from?"

Elijah. He was one of the few men that came through that were old enough for Astraea to marry with that had pale skin. He had never truly told her where he came from; he always said that he travelled a lot. She felt her own face pale slightly at the thought of her father arranging a marriage to him behind her back and suddenly felt the need to run. But she tried to appear calm and simply smiled down at the child.

"I do not know, he does not come from here, as you know."

Carina called for her daughter from across the baths, the small girl quickly leaping from Astra's lap and rushing to her mother's side, weaving around other woman that had their children with them. Astraea chose that moment to rise from the water, moving over to where the changing area was. She pulled herself behind her screen and changed from her wet bathing gown into the light material tunic that had been picked for her. Suddenly, she wasn't feeling so well.

She was soon following her sister back home, Abelia holding onto her hand and taking adamantly with her. Astraea smiled and spoke back, but wasn't truly there. Her mind was far away from herself, leaving her with a hollow feeling. Her chest was beginning to ache again, as well, and she was sure that it was because of all the activity of the day compared to her usual schedule as of late.

The young child showed no sign that she thought something was wrong with her aunt, just continued on talking. Astra looked down at the gavel and stone pathway that they were walking on as she listened to Abelia's still undeveloped Latin. Would her parents truly be marrying her off to Elijah or was it just Abelia's imagination going off on its own again?

"Astraea, look at who I found!" Carina called from a couple of yards ahead. Abelia stopped talking as Astraea looked up at who her sister was referring to, feeling her heart drop into her stomach at the sight of the pale man at Carina's side.

"Lord Elijah!" Abelia called out, mispronouncing his name in the process. Elijah smiled and nodded to the small child, causing her to burst into girlish giggles and rush to hide behind her mother's skirts. Astraea was glued in place, her feet unable to move as she looked at the man before her. All she could see was the red that had bled into his once beautiful eyes, all she could feel was the ripping pain of his teeth in her throat. She was numb and petrified.

"I wish to speak with Lady Astraea, I can escort her the remainder of the way home afterword," Elijah said as he turned to the elder sibling, seeing her smile and nod before she began to usher her kids along, waving back to Astraea without a single thought of what she could possibly have just done. Astraea looked on in fear as Elijah turned to face her direction once more, taking a single step in her direction. She took a deep breath, feeling the urge to scream, before she turned toward the bathhouse again and took off at a dead run.

Elijah returns! Well, he wasn't gone that long.

He is sexy! I love his new haircut! It puts the part, dear lord, the part, to shame! Damon is sexy too, for all the readers out there that were reading this with the hopes of Damon winning back his ex-fiance(once he finds out she's around). I cannot wait to see what will happen in the next episode, it's a complete mockery that they made us all wait an extra week!

I would like to thank those who wished me luck on the exam, however, I was able to update today for the sole reason that my exam was moved to another day. If there's one thing that Canada is good for it's the snow and the days that it drops just an hour before school starts so that roads are cancelled. Mother nature made many Canadian students happy today ;P

I really like reading long reviews, so to encourage more I'm going to drop a teaser for the next chapter!

Chapter 10 - All The Kings Men

"Missus," She corrected, "Smith," she introduced, holding out her hand. He laughed good naturally, looking at the rings on her left hand as she held it out to him. He shook, but didn't give a name in return. Instead, he turned away and began to make her drink. She took a moment to admire his butt before a scent suddenly had her freezing in her seat. Her blood felt like ice in her veins and every bone joint locked in place. Looking over her shoulder, her jaw locked as she scanned the bar, her heartbeat began to increase.

The dark haired male across the bar made her want to flee more than she ever had before, her body quivering a moment as she looked over his face. The same dark hair, light blue eyes and perfect bone structure that had haunted her for over a hundred years.

Damon Salvatore.

"Fuck," She growled to herself, turning forward again. There went her good mood. Pulling her phone from her back pocket at the same moment her drink was placed in front of her, she grinned her thanks to the bartender, meeting his eyes.

"Whoa," He mumbled, leaning forward slightly, "Wicked eyes. Contacts?"

"Nope, I'm just abnormal," She replied, tossing a half-hearted smirk to him before she hit Elijah's number and held the phone to her ear, watching the bartender walk away. Her face immediately darkened once he had turned away as she listen to the ringing in her ear.

"Dear, what can I help you with?"

Damn, I forgot about Mrs. Lockwood, Astra thought quietly, wincing the slightest bit.

"Tall, dark and cheating is sitting on the other side of the bar I'm in and the mutt is just a couple yards closer," She replied irritably into the phone. She didn't know how she was going to talk to him while he was in the presence of the Mayor's widowed wife.