An: While this starts in Vampire Diaries, I'm mostly focusing on my main character and her interactions with Damon as they get closer. It will also end in The Originals.

The first time Damon noticed the girl was when he saw her with Elena and Bonnie, walking into the veterinarian together. Only Elena and Bonnie left though. He saw this more and more as he was stalking Elena from afar. One or both of them would drop the third girl off and she'd spend hours at the clinic or the library and then walk home. Before Damon realized it, he was stalking her too. Except...this one was decidedly more snack-like than his fixation with Elena. All the volunteer work probably makes her sweet like candy.

He studied her habits for a week and a half before feeling comfortable enough that he had it down, and he made his move Tuesday night. His prey was sitting in a back booth of the Mystic Grill eating a vegetarian grill wrap and sipping a cranberry sprite mocktail. Damon situated himself, preparing for what was to come and watching her last hours alive. This close, all he could see was the differences with Elena. She had blond curls that drifted just past her chin, a big pair of red and black glasses, and blue eyes that looked purple in the dimming lights of the grill as it grew closer to closing time. Her hair looked almost red in the colored light, like blood.

In between bites of food, she was working on her planner; making up next weeks schedule. He could see from he watched how full it was. None of that looks like a job. How does she have such a big house? She lives alone. The girl stood, putting her planner away and Damon slipped out the back.

x

Arienne stopped outside the grill, reaching into her pocket to pull out a handful of kitty kibble to feed the stray tomcat. It gave her a distrustful look waiting for her to leave and Arienne sighed. "I'll get you to come with me eventually." Arienne stood up and continued on her path home, passing by the darkened alley beside the grill. She was about to plug in her earbuds and listen to her favorite horror podcast when a low groan crept through the night and wound into her ears. "Help...me." Arienne felt the familiar tightening in her stomach as she realized she was near someone who was hurting. It had been like this for as long as the young girl could remember.

Arienne had just always felt a sort of drive to help the suffering and weak. If there was a situation where she could help people or animals or lessen said suffering by offering anything, she'd jump in without second thoughts. It was tiring of course, but she loved that her adopted father supported her humanitarian efforts. As long as she kept pursuing an education, he did his best to make sure she had anything she could possibly need. So, about three years ago at the start of her high school career, her father had bought her a house on the outskirts of Mystic Falls. Then she had been enrolled in the nearby private school and gifted one of his cars.

Arienne entered the dark alley, tapping her phone's flashlight and illuminating the heaving shape of a man on his side at the back. He was lying next to the fenced in area that contained the grill's dumpster. Her heart sank into the bottom of her toes, wondering how long this man had been here. She got closer, pulling the miniature first aid kit from her coat pocket. "Sir, I'm going to assess your vitals. Can you tell me what's wrong?" She checked his ribs and spine before gently rolling him over onto his back, only to make direct eye contact with him. "Can you hear me?" Arienne asked, getting over her intitial shock. "Tell me what's wrong while I get an ambulance on the line."

"Thirsty." He rasped, his dark eyes raking over her skin like hot coals. Something uncomfortable squirmed in Arienne's belly. A deep sort of fear. Arienne pushed through it. "So thirsty."

"I have some water. I'll help you with it once I've gotten help on the line." The man with the jagged black hair moved fast, flipping so he was on top and then he-

Arienne tried to scream as the felt the piercing pain of someone biting her where her shoulder and neck met. Weirder, the sensation of blood being drawn out. One of his hands pressed over her mouth and Arienne had another brief moment of panic before the peace from her upbringing near church life settled in and she closed her eyes; bringing her arms up and around to hug her attacker, gently running her hands down his back. I'm still not sure entirely what's happening here, but he said he was thirsty and I'm helping. The same warm feeling of doing good settled over Arienne's being like a plush blanket. Then she drifted away.

x

Damon stared down at the unconcious form on the dirty ground. His lips were still warm with her blood, which was slowly leaking from the wound he'd bitten into her neck. It pooled by one shoulder, making an eerie shape sort of like a wing. She was...mostly unafraid. That's never happened before. Damon weighed his options for one long moment. If she lives now, she could be lots of fun to play with later. She stirred uneasily in her injured sleep and he made up his mind, bending to pick up her wallet. He checked her address and noted it was easily within walking distance for someone like him before he picked her up and started to travel.

In his arms, the girl he knew now was called Arienne Amélie Eulalia Gerard stirred fitfully as he considered her fate. He hadn't yet let one of his catches live, not like this, and here he was taking her home. All without ever getting the chance to compel her first. Arranging Arienne on her front steps so she wouldn't fall the second he left the scene, Damon stared down at her some more. I'm going to leave the bite for now. Sprinkle in some nightmares about dog attacks and that solves that problem.

He left, on his way to finish other business so he could be free to come back and focus on his new game unhindered. Gums tingling, he gently tapped his lips with the fingers on one hand. That taste. It was...rather singular.