Author's Note: My Girl, Chrissy and I felt that you guys deserved the best and whats better than Dean and Sam Chasing Damon Salvatore whille BFF's Brooke Davis and Haley James Scott lye at the very center of it all. Seriously, you will love our ideas. We are keeping the same title but making our girls as bad ass as possible. Dont forget Rachel and Peyton going at it... This is our finished product!

I. Love's Bloodier Than Hell

"You wanna shut out the pain?"

Even as he spoke the words, Damon Salvatore knew they were a lie. Struggling beneath his grip, Jeremy Gilbert breathed heavily as the enraged vampire slammed him against the wooden doorframe. "It's the easiest thing in the world, and the part of you that cares, it just goes away…"

Malted whiskey resonated from Damon's breath, striking the youth's nostrils followed by the faint echoes of his sister crying out for the raven-haired vamp to stop. Fear permeated from Jeremy's eyes like a deer stalked by prey - a look the centuries old vampire was familiar with, and relished. It sent a surge of power through the older Salvatore brother whom itched to release the pain that consumed him. From beneath his unyielding grip, Damon could feel the life slipping from Jeremy's neck.

The young Gilbert was NOW afraid of the very thing he had longed for after Anna's death. Damon watched as Jeremy squirmed under his tight hold, tiny beads of sweat forming on his pale forehead as he battled futilely against his captor. The feeling of dominance he had abandoned for the sake of Elena now returned to Damon in full-force. Yet, her unheard pleas rang throughout the tiny bedroom he had often come to for solace. It was now a place of anguish and rejection.

As he listened to her begging for her brother's life, all he could hear were the words that taunted him with every step he took: IT WAS ALWAS GONNA BE STEFAN!

"It's always gonna be Stefan…"

Fury burned beneath his skin. Desperate, angry phrase landed on Jeremy's frightened ears, threatening of revenge. Retribution - for loving Katherine for over a century when she never loved him in return. Punishment - for watching Elena keep him at arm's length in spite of his love for her. Vindication for walking this Earth in complete isolation and watching love from the outside.

In the split second that he held the insolent human in his grasp, he thought of Katherine, Elena, and the unbearable pain they had caused him for making him love them and loving only his brother in return. Why should he deny who he was anymore? What was the point of being the good guy when the 'good guy' always finished last? Why be anything to anyone anymore?

Blue eyes inflamed black -all logic and reasoning dissolved in the ashes that remained of his broken heart. "All you have to do is flip the switch, and SNAP!"

Suddenly, arms as fast as lightening overtook Jeremy's head. Demonic hands yanked in opposite directions. CLAP! Brittle bones shattered in a death-curdling explosion of sound. The warm corpse fell to the floor. With a thump, Jeremy's lifeless body went limp and Damon once again felt the powerful sensation of taking a life.

"NOOOO!"

Elena. Death. Hatred. Pain.

She felt the pain.

Damon watched as she experienced the heartbreak that had encompassed him from the sting of her rejection. Sprawled across the callous hardwood floorboards, Elena reached out to touch her brother in utter disbelief. Delicate hands grasped his black t-shirt, shaking Jeremy's unmoving chest. Her whole being trembled at the sight of him, and she choked back the sobs that forced themselves up her hoarse throat.

"No! NO!" Tears, so hot they burnt, streamed down her chest. Unadulterated hatred slashed at her being. Russet strands draped over the corpse as she screamed. "Jeremy! NO!"

Victorious? He waited to feel that glow he'd expected to revel in from witnessing her in pain. Standing in the doorway of the old Victorian bedroom though, he felt no such surge. His darkened clothes still reflected the feeling he had carried with him since the moment entered the room. Except now, there was disgust!

Disgust so fierce his skin sizzled as if unprotected from the sun. And her eyes - wishing him a greater hell than death. If her pain was like a stab through the heart than her hatred was something else entirely. He wanted to go to her, to erase the act he had unleashed on her. He wanted to take her in his arms and comfort her - make all the pain go away.

But watching her, he knew this was impossible.

The rage that he had longed for, the rage that was supposed to relieve him of the guttered mess he felt within had been the one thing that would destroy him. He realized that the humanity his brother had often spoken of had captured him without his knowledge. That deep within the hardened confines of his broken heart and shattered soul, he was capable of feeling. And now all he wanted was to erase the past and start again.

He wanted to make it right… for her.

Had it not been for the strong presence that surrounded him in that moment, he would have gone to her, but time and luck were not on his side. He felt the familiar witch's aura wash over him as he stepped back without a sound and retreated from the scene of destruction. Elena's sobs echoed from the top of the stairwell as Damon emerged from the house, closing the door gently behind him as his eyes met with chocolate orbs.

"Damon?"

Tentative confusion swept through Bonnie Bennett when she took in Damon's cool exterior on the Gilbert's front porch. To the normal eye, he seemed the same as he did every time they had met. But tonight, something seemed different about him. In the time that she had been subjected to him, Bonnie's intense distrust regarding Damon had long been placed aside out of respect for her best friend. Although it wasn't uncommon to see the older Salvatore leaving Elena's house in the dead of the night…

Something his aura at this very moment sent a shiver straight to her core. Instinctively, Bonnie glanced up to see Elena's room lit through the window. That fact did little to quell the feeling burning within her. Her gaze strayed back over Damon's usual calm stance as darkened eyes lifted to meet hers again. He stepped beyond her and down the front steps.

"DAMON!"

This time her voice was more adamant, the older vampire stopping in his tracks but refusing to turn and face her. All he needed was for Bonnie Bennett, the powerful vampire-hating witch, to be given one MORE reason to try take him out. Turning, he shot her a formidable grin, lips curling up at the corners as he tilted his head and gazed at her.

"Have you come for that truce I offered before, or were you just in a voyeuristic mood tonight?"

"Humph!" Bonnie sniggered, folding her arms across her chest as the heels of her boots clicked down the steps in a hypnotic rhythm. "You know what still manages to amaze me about you, Damon? The fact that you think you still have a chance with Elena."

"Jealousy doesn't become you, Bonnie." Damon's black irises wavered as Bonnie stepped closer, her whole body tingling anxiously. "Or didn't they teach you that at Hogwarts?"

She stopped in her tracks. Cool breezes whipped loosely curled locks from her shoulders. The cool night air picked up on the mood permeating between them. Leaves rustled on the uneven sidewalk and tickled the graying cement. The moon peeped out from behind fluffy translucent clouds to bathe them in its glow. The light that shone down ignited Damon's darkened features and Bonnie knew in one single glance that something was wrong.

Terribly wrong.

She strained her ears for Elena's usual steady sound, searching desperately for her soft voice to fill her senses. Fear tore through Bonnie's chest as she pushed herself to find her best friend, dying inside when she heard the unmistakable sound of heartbreaking sobs and whimpers. Fury burned through her veins as she looked up at Damon with utter resentment.

"What have you done?"

His callous look said it all. Raising a brow, he lowered his chin as if to challenge her to ask the question. "Oh this and that little witch. Nothing to bother your innocent little mind with."

"This isn't a joke." The dark skinned beauty narrowed her eyes on the handsome vampire. "Or do I need to set you on fire to prove it." She didn't disappoint him. "Now, what have you done to Elena?"

"What I always do. You and I, we're very predictable."

She could anticipate his move before he'd even thought it. Fleeing from the scene, Damon raced for the nearby cemetery in an effort to be as far away from the vengeful witch as possible. He had felt the force of hatred that permeated from Bonnie and he knew she had seen what he had done. Before he even understood what was happening himself, her angered form stood before him and forced him to the ground with a quick flick of the wrist, a furious scream erupting from her trembling lips.

"Why Jeremy? Why?"

Furious hands dug into the jet-black shirt like the claws of a tiger. Twisting in, they grabbed at the material and pulled. Fuelled by rage, she lifted the vampire as if he weighed nothing, hurling him across the scattered tombstones and into a nearby elm tree. The wood groaned upon impact, Damon's back splintering the tree before he dropped to the ground. Twigs crunched beneath her feet as Bonnie stalked towards his fallen body.

"WHY JEREMY?" Her words hit the now icy air as dark clouds gathered above them. Thunder roared as lightening flashes hissed across the night sky with vehement hostility. The wind whipped her hair in frenzied movements as Bonnie reached down for Damon with the intention to kill. "YOU ARE PURE EVIL!"

"Nothing about me is Pure…" He uttered as the witch approached. He felt her skin inches from his own, her heat unmistakable as she uttered her final words. "This is for Elena…"

Her name recharged him like no other.

As if reignited, the dying flame within him burned with the will to fight. Fury pulsed through his lifeless body and burned in his fingertips. In a blur, Damon was up again, standing beside her. Speedy legs thrust the soulless cad into the witch's path. Zooming blur, sharp nails caught her by the throat before she could even react.

"Bad, bad Witchy." Firm fingers dug into her trachea. Barely a breath had escaped her lips as Damon pulled Bonnie towards him. "You want to bat your broom at a monster. Well welcome to Hell."

Her veins called to him as he fought the urge, his mind overcome shortly with carnal bloodlust. Pointed fangs pushed forth in hunger. Darkening, his eyes seemed lost in a wave of black mist and suddenly her feet were no longer on the ground. Oxygen became a struggle and wide orbs glanced in horror as she witnessed his internal struggle.

"Uh, Ughh!" Throbbing sliced her thought, pain too undeniable. POW! POW! Tiny feet kicked into Damon's shins in an attempt to escape. However, the male was unaffected. Struggling for air, Bonnie forced her burning throat to screech out the words she knew would affect him. "Elena…"

It was as if the mention of her was a beacon of hope. Emerging from the misty darkness, pained irises that belonged to the older Salvatore returned. His hold wavered and weakened instantaneously. Brief hesitation was all she needed, and soon Damon was reaching for his head and calling out in sheer agony as Bonnie fell to the ground, released.

Standing to her feet, the young witch concentrated on the vampire's mind. Fury and determination etched across her calm features as she gathered her strength. Bonnie probed deeper and deeper into his mind, splitting apart the very fabric that had been stitched together to make his demonic mind the way it was. Falling to his knees, the vampire's body contorted in impossible twists.

Leaves crunched beneath ballet slips as Bonnie inched closer, forcing the pain into his mind.

"For Jeremy, may you rot in hell for this."

"He's already there." Stefan's voice filtered through the air as he emerged from the shadows. "Let him go, Bonnie."

Misty air fell from quivering lips in a puff of silence. Unmoved by his words, Bonnie forced herself further into the realms of Damon's cognizance with vigor. Writhing on the ground, the older Salvatore fell silent as the pain exploded throughout his head. Heavy air escaped his lungs like a rush of water down a mountainside.

"Bonnie…"

Stefan edged further from his entrance point toward the enraged Wiccan. Hands outstretched in peace - more than aware of how precarious the situation had become. Kneeling on the darkened earth, his brother gazed up at him with unfeeling eyes. Every ounce of the older Salvatore's energy faded into the distance. In spite of the fury he felt for what Damon had done, in spite of the many unfathomable acts he subjected Stefan to time and time again, one fact remained…

As undeniable as the sun setting and the moon rising – Damon Salvatore would always be Stefan Salvatore's older brother.

Until his dying day, he would do whatever it took to save the shred of humanity that lingered within him.

With unparalleled speed, Stefan suddenly stood between Bonnie and Damon. The witch's concentration shattered a little and Damon felt the slight release of pressure on his temple. Tears welled in her eyes like cascading droplets, edging to the brim of weakened lids. She stared at Stefan incredulously, angered by his sudden defense of his brother.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Stefan? He killed…"

"Jeremy isn't dead," Stefan breathed, stepping towards Bonnie with an outstretched hand. "He is going to be fine; he had enough of Anna's blood and his father's ring…"

"Argh," Bonnie roared, fury taking over as she forced pain upon Damon again. He fell back to the ground, growling as the force hit his head. "This is what our life has become. Pain, sacrifice, death. He should have never come here! It has to end…"

Throwing her hands to her side, Bonnie threw her head up to the night sky. Open palms went stiff as she channeled all her strength. Fire erupted all around in a hiss of blazing glory, cutting a path to encircle them. Still Stefan moved closer, the smoke starting to crawl its way into his unmoving lungs. He reached for Bonnie, to bring her back from the edge, to reason with her.

"Don't touch me Stefan." She glared down at him with eyes that had succumbed to darkness. "You might wear a Mr. Nice Guy Mask, you are still as damned as he is."

Green eyes flicked black for a brief second before insisting. "Bonnie I know you're hurting but-"

"Save it, ughm Stefan…" Damon groaned. "Our Little Witch here puts the B in BITCH!"

"GRRR!" Roaring, she tossed Stefan aside and moved towards Damon. Forcing herself into his mind, she witnessed the scene so clearly as if she were standing there herself. Elena's words hit her ears like an explosion of fireworks, and as she probed Damon's mind, she found the same words circulating in an endless spiral.

"I care about you, I do, but I love Stefan .It's always gonna be Stefan."

Bonnie felt the pain encompassing Damon's heart like thick, impenetrable oil. She laughed bitterly at his suffering, enjoying it. Flames licked at his feet and she brought them closer, Damon moving himself to a sitting position as if he accepted his fiery fate. Tired beyond belief, he succumbed and allowed her into his mind, giving her exactly what she wanted.

"No, no STOP!"

Damon smiled devilishly as he forced her to witness Jeremy's neck snap, Bonnie bringing her hands to her head as if the force the memory away. It was almost as if she felt each bone popping. SNAP! CLAP! SNAP! She felt Jeremy's throat in her hands, the feeling of bones shattering beneath her softened skin. She screamed out in agony as Damon forced himself to repeat the memory of that night, Jeremy's neck snapping repeatedly as a tortured Bonnie wept and fell to her knees.

Tears cascaded down her cheeks as she heard Elena's desperate pleas.

"Damon, enough!" Stefan wrapped his arms around Bonnie and pulled her into an embrace.

Shivering, she wept into his hold like a distraught child. Damon propped himself up against the shattered oak and shut down the memory, breathing heavily as Stefan glared at him. He turned away, not in the mood for one of his brother's self-righteous speeches right now.

"Bonnie," Stefan whispered, placing his hands on either side of her cheeks to force her to look at him. "You need to go to Elena. She needs you now."

Bonnie sniffled as she tried to comprehend what the vampire was saying. Turning, she glanced at Damon, the raven-haired enemy glaring back with an emptiness that sent shivers down her spine. She began to turn toward him but Stefan held her in his grasp, bring her attention back to him with pleading eyes.

"Leave him to me, I'll handle Damon. Go to Elena."

Bonnie stood and threw one last contemptuous look at Damon, a snarl leaving her lips. "Next time, I WILL kill you."

"Ha! You can try." Damon waved her off as she made her way back across the cemetery, the older Salvatore bringing himself to his feet as he looked at his brother in confusion. "Why did you come here?"

Stefan moved before his brother in a blur, gazing into his eyes as he searched for answers. "Because you're my brother… why else?"

Damon stepped to the side and watched Stefan with suspicious eyes. After a brief hesitation, he scoffed, holding his head a little higher and planting his stance firmly in place. "And here I am, almost believing you, brother."

Stefan shook his head, unwilling to let his brother slide out of the conversation. "Damon, don't do this. Not now. I can see you're hurting. What did Katherine do to you?"

Teeth flared as her name hit Damon's ears, a grumbling deep in his chest resounding in the silent night air. Stefan took no notice, grabbing his brother by the arm and forcing the angered vampire to answer him. Angered, Damon glared at him and hissed.

"What she always does, Stefan. She played with me. This is all just a game, you see. Katherine's game. We play the way she wants to play, we follow her rules, and we let her win…"

"Then stop letting her win, Damon. Stop it!" Stefan countered, throwing his hands in the air in annoyance. "You are playing right into her hands and we both know why… you still love her."

Damon smirked, eyes closing as he thought back to the eyes of both pity and hatred that had been thrown his way that evening. Outrage burned beneath his pale skin like a spreading disease, the image of Katherine's big, round eyes staring at him with mock sympathy as she tore out his heart and savored the hollowness that remained within him.

He would not let his brother see him as weak.

"You confuse me with someone who is capable of feeling, Stefan."

Stefan's grip on Damon's arm tightened as the brother's continued to face off against one another.

"Don't try to pull that bullshit with me, Damon. I know you. Your heart… there is good there and I won't let Katherine destroy that."

Damon stared at his brother incredulously. How did his brother have such faith in his supposed goodness when everything pointed to the opposite?

"My heart doesn't even beat! It's a wretched, long forgotten stain on my existence! As far as I'm concerned, Katherine can burn in hell. That bitch can play her little games all she wants. I'm done caring, it's a wasted emotion."

Damon turned and walked from his brother, fixing his black shirt now saturated in the smell of smoke. In a flash, Stefan was before him, Damon rolling his eyes like an older sibling annoyed at his pest of a younger brother.

"Your heart doesn't beat... yeah, but if I stake you, you die. It's there brother. I swear. And I know you care. You care so much that it's driven you almost insane. But we can fight this, you and me."

Tired of this banter, Damon shook his head at Stefan and smiled. His voice dropped to a low hush as he whispered the words he felt sure to rattle the younger Salvatore into defeat.

"I kissed Elena, again. You see, there is no you and me. There is only me. Now leave before you suffer the same fate as the witch."

Stefan's jaw tightened at the confession, his words coming out tortured and strained as he fought the urge to mess up his brother's arrogant face.

" You. Kissed. Elena?" The second word was growled, steam clearly hissing from Stefan's ears. However, he shook his head silently whilst Damon's words washed over him, forcing himself to remain cool and collected. He would not be beaten into submission. "You know, I don't care how badly you hurt me. I love you."

Disbelief funneled its way through the older Salvatore's body and shocked him to his very core. Anger flared within, the hypocrisy of such a statement causing a retaliation of words laced with bitterness. "You love me? YOU love me?"

The Younger nodded and his elder snickered.

"Ha-ha, does anyone else-" Arms lifting outstretched as if speaking to the corpses in the cemetery. "Anyone else not see the magnificent irony playing out before us? You, the person who took away the only thing I ever cared about... you love me?"

Stefan was not deterred. He stepped closer to his brother in defiance and cocked his head to the side. A newfound power surged through his veins. His own inward anger began to boil, centuries of Damon's unwavering torture toward him seemingly forgotten as his brother damned him for taking Katherine from him.

For having Elena.

Handsome lips curled into a snarl at Stefan, "Excuse me for not finding any solace in your proclamation, little brother."

"Find solace, find comfort, throw out irony, Damon. The fact is that I love you and you love me. Otherwise you'd have killed me a long time ago. But you haven't so..."

"So what? So let's join hands and sing some Rihanna?" Blue gazes rolled in sarcasm. "No thanks little brother, I don't do incest or share my Umbrella-ella-ella."

A staunch look clouded over Stefan's features as a silent bravado took over. "Forgive my immediate reaction to roll my EYES... but your sarcasm is not a great deflection. I will not let her destroy you."

Darkened orbs glared down at identical irises, the two Salvatore's watching one another as an owl hooted triumphantly in the distance. There, amongst the alabaster tombstones of lives past, an understanding so undeniable was finally reached between the two brothers.

Damon pursed his lips in anger, trying to ignore his brother's words. But his eyes had betrayed him. Stefan had watched as Bonnie went after his brother and instead of a determined will to fight the weak witch he could have easily slaughtered, he had allowed himself to feel her wrath.

He had allowed himself to be overcome with pain.

He had allowed himself to be punished.

Damon shoved Stefan in anger, the younger brother grabbing his arm in the process. Anger roared from Damon's lips as he tried to fend his brother off. "SHUT UP STEFAN!"

It was to no avail.

Stefan forced his brother to listen, to hear the truth that spewed from his lips. "Everything you've done, it can be forgiven. Hurting Elena, almost killing Bonnie, trying to rip Jeremy's head off... it can be forgiven. Erased. I will help you. I will show you that humanity can be obtained."

Stefan loosened his grip on Damon and he stumbled back.

His eyes scanned the cemetery in desperation as he considered Stefan's words. For decades he had maneuvered his way through the world in contempt and distrust after the death of Katherine's corruption. Now, as poetic justice would have it, it was Katherine all along who had been playing him against his brother.

Moreover his romantic rival for said bitch stood before him now desperate to salvage some small piece of his soul. Looking up, he stared at Stefan with mute recognition of his words and a deep-pitted resolve to fix the error of his ways.

For her.

"Give me the chance to prove myself to you, Brother."

"And how do you propose to do that?"

"THIS!" Stefan growled, stepping forward and placing an old, velvet-covered book in Damon's hands.

With an arched eyebrow he flipped it open, a silver bookmark holding the page securely in place. The image sprung out at him, a look of utter perplexity shadowing his features. He toyed with the fraying edges for a moment before slamming the book shut between his thumb and fingers. He held it up and glanced at Stefan, feeling his strength already returning to him. "Stefan, I'm not in the mood for riddles…"

Stefan scowled and nodded towards the book. His no-nonsense tone ordered his brother onward. "Read it."

"And how much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a…"

"Read. Your lame attempt at humor can wait."

Stefan stepped forward and reopened the book, the image of a sundial, locket and boat staring back at him. He thrust into Damon's face and forced his brother to read. Stepping back, he lifted his thumb to his mouth and held it there as his brother took in the information.

"Saint Jude… hell's gate sundial… yadda yadda… blood spilt… holds the key… yadda yadda… burning of the boat… yadda yadda."

Damon rolled his eyes and looked over at Stefan. Annoyance crept over the younger Salvatore at the look on Damon's face.

"A simple fucking request…"

Reaching out, he ripped the book from his brother's hands and read through the pages with unparalleled speed. Finally, darkened irises landed on the passage he needed and he read the words aloud in a stern, determined voice.

"And Saint Jude had spoken, promising safety from the evil spirits that threatened the village. And as the heavens opened and light rained down on the machine of time, the boat sailed into the path and set alight. The floating fire warned off the evil that surrounded them, and closed the gateway to the past. Its flames rose up into the night sky, condemning the machine to lay dormant for all eternity, but for the key, that was hidden amongst the villagers for safe keeping."

Damon watched Stefan as he spoke, but shook his head when the younger Salvatore looked at him for understanding.

"I fail to see what this has to do with me?"

"For once in your miserable life could you drop the sarcasm please and hear me out." He pointed to the images as he held the book up to Damon's line of sight. "You can do this!"

Damon replayed the words of the passage over in his mind, deciphering them. He turned to Stefan and tilted his head, acknowledgement slowly invading his eyes.

"All we have to do is find the key."

"We?" Stefan shook his head as he stepped back from his brother. "Damon, Elena needs me here. With Katherine on the loose, I'm not going to leave her here unprotected."

Damon hummed a little as he breathed out, nodding his head in understanding. He turned to his brother and smiled.

"Then I'll go, because Elena needs ME there!"

Damon took the book and slid it inside his leather jacket. He watched Stefan for a moment before turning and walking between the tombstones that lay strewn across the old cemetery. Growling, Stefan called lout to his retreating brother.

"She may need you, but she WANTS me."

"Maybe you're right, little brother. Elena does WANT you. But you said it yourself, she NEEDS me. We both know that between a want and a need, only one is paramount to survival. I'll enjoy watching your face as we prove that to you."

As Damon watched him, Stefan sighed and threw his hands up in the air. He was done sparring and he could sense Damon had reached his quota of brotherly advice for one night.

"Fine, do what you must. But try to avoid killing someone whilst trying to ruin my eternity, would you?"

Damon smiled, his lips curling up into a mischievous grin. Acknowledgement permeated between the two brothers as dark irises bore into one another. Black smoke swirled around to be replaced by the rush of wings, the black crow calling out into the endless night before disappearing from sight.

xox-+-xox

"Run!"

Survival instincts took over as the command entered her raging mind. The brunette pushed herself through the dampened maze of broad trunks, dangling vines and scattered leaves with determination. Thick mist whistled through the open forest like an eerie nursery rhyme, taunting her. The howled voices inspired an inexplicable dread within her, but she pushed herself forward.

Devious branches reached out and slapped at her face, a sting forming on her right cheek as she screamed out in frustration. The eighteen-year-old could feel the hair ripped from her scalp as twigs tangled in the loose tendrils of her chocolate-colored locks. Holding up her forearms, she defended herself against the hazards that threatened to halt her progress.

She would not die here tonight!

Surging forward, she drew upon the newfound strength she had been trained to use. Her feet hit the mossy ground in thunderous stomps, lunging over fallen branches and hardened boulders. Up ahead she could see the clearing that would lead her to the town center, and for a brief moment, she felt a surge of relief. The moon peeked its head out from behind the clouds and lit up the opening with a magnificent sporadic white glow.

She forced her legs to move faster in spite of the burn that was now forming in her tightening calves. In that brief moment, when any normal person would have fallen down from weakened legs and the expiration of breath in their body, she silently thanked her ability to draw on a strength unbeknownst in any other human. She smiled as she felt the power surge through her, sailing through the air as she leapt over yet another fallen tree trunk with ease.

With one final push, she broke free from the forest and its deadly mist, the voices dying down as she found herself now clearly in the open and with options. Nevertheless, she had to think quickly. She thanked the GOD for deserting the town on such a night. She wondered to herself if it as the doing of Saint Jude himself? The thought of him inspired action – she needed to get as far away from the sundial as possible!

Clutching the necklace with her left hand, she turned to her right and stepped forward.

BAM!

It felt like stone had hit her. Falling to the ground, she looked up to find two slightly amused eyes peering back down at her. Scurrying backwards on her hands and feet, she got to her feet and ran only to be blocked once more. This time the block was fiercer, two hands reaching out and connecting with her chest. They pushed her backwards and she sailed through the air, landing on the cemented footpath with a thud.

Pain shot through her body upon impact, and she could feel the unmistakable burn of broken flesh.

"Brooke. I believe you have something of mine and it's time to hand it over!"

Turning to face her enemy, Brooke Davis stood to her feet and clutched at the necklace once more. She breathed in deeply and tried to regain her composure. A resolute determination crossed her face as she stared indignantly at the woman before her.

"I would rather die than let a monster like you get her hands on this, Katherine."

Anger flickered in Katherine's eyes as she hissed at Brooke's words. Her child-like features glazed over in annoyance, stepping towards the insolent girl with determined strides. She stopped when Brooke clutched at her side, eyes narrowing in on the chiseled wood that lay pointing from her denim jeans' pocket.

This brat was prepared.

"That can most certainly be arranged!"

Deviant, charcoal eyes turned upward and stared at Brooke with a mixture of curiosity and sheer annoyance. She stepped to the right and waited, testing to see her opponent's reaction. Brooke stood still, her thoughts obviously similar. She was unlike anything Katherine had countered before, yet she was at a distinct disadvantage. She was young, Katherine sensed, which meant she was new to this game.

"Just hand it over, little girl. This isn't a game you want to play, unless you like to lose?"

Holding out an outstretched hand, Katherine moved forward with more determination. Her voice held the tiniest hint of annoyance as she spoke. Crisp winds blew perfect hair across slender, leather-clad shoulders with the softest of touches. When Brooke failed to react, cobalt orbs ignited with insistence and rested on the younger girl.

"Are people not born with the survival instinct in this modern era?" Katherine moved forward yet again, the most graceful of strides. "You seem to be having trouble grasping the concept laid out before you."

To an outsider's eye, she was a picture of astounding, unparalleled beauty. This alluring atmosphere that surrounded Katherine went beyond her beautiful face and body. It was in the way she walked, the hint of sweetness to her voice and the way her innocent, childlike eyes were so round and inviting. Everything about her seemed like it had been manufactured from gold. However, of course, this was the point.

As if speed and inhuman strength weren't enough – she maintained an unbreakable pull that simply drew her prey to her, male or female. Watching Katherine was like watching a scene from an olden-style theatre production play out before you. You couldn't drag your eyes away. It was this very allure that had saved her many times in the past, and better yet, to have allowed her to procure almost anything she desired.

Except in this particular instance.

Brooke could see the puzzled expression hiding under Katherine's cool exterior. She felt her heartbeat quicken a little as the vixen stepped forward and continued to hold out her hand.

"I will kill you, there is no two ways about it. However, if you hand me the locket, I'll make sure your death is quick and painless, for the most part."

Brooke stood still, trailing her eyes up Katherine's body and resting on her gaze. She was scared, that was a given, but it was when the nerves pumped through her body that she thought best.

It was when the courage began to filter in.

"Listen, are you going to stand here all day and threaten me? I mean, all talk, no action makes Katherine a rather boring piece of…"

Katherine was at Brooke's side in seconds, hissing as she reached for the brunette's throat. She could see the human's vein throbbing under her grip, and for a moment, she was hypnotized by its power over her. It was just enough time for Brooke to turn her body and throw out her arm. Katherine felt the swoosh of air from Brooke's fist and stepped back, maneuvering so that she was standing directly in front of her challenger.

"Someone needs to teach you some manners."

Turning her body, Katherine kicked out her leg and hit Brooke's stomach, the younger brunette flinching from the impact. It took her only seconds to recover though, and she charged at Katherine with a swinging fist. Heavy knuckles hit the woman's nose with brute force. A loud cracking sound rang through the air, and Katherine stood, a low growl resonating within her chest.

"Really? Not sure a homicidal maniac like you is the right person for the job."

Reaching up, Katherine felt for her nose, now considerably shifted to the left. With a look of annoyance, she placed her delicate fingers on either side of her nostrils and twisted, snapping them back into place. Renewed anger boiled beneath her translucent skin with undeniable heat.

"I think you're beyond being educated at this point, infant."

Katherine moved again, charging at her enemy from the right. Brooke read her movements as she closed in, and her fist came in contact with the brunette's face in an explosion of force. Spinning around, Brooke reached for her stake and pulled it out, Katherine licking at her lips where an unmistakable lead-like taste of blood reached her tongue.

"And for that, you're going to pay."

Brooke clenched her fists and waited for retaliation. Stalking from the left this time, Katherine watched and waited for her chance to strike. Her eyes never left Brooke's, although she was more than aware of the wooden death stick that resided in her fragile palm. But time was wasting, and as she glanced up at the blackened sky, she could see the clouds beginning to dissipate. Brooke didn't move her eyes from the enemy, although she knew why Katherine was monitoring the skies.

She was running out of time.

Smiling, Brooke's eyes gleamed as she dipped her chin and held out her hand. Curling her fingers, she taunted her opponent as she urged her forward. "Here, Kitty Kitty Kat."

Rage pulsed through Katherine's entire being. She snarled a little, feeing her fangs surge forward as darkened veins circled her eyes. In a blur, she sailed past Brooke and threw out her fist, connecting with Brooke's jaw. The young girl's head snapped to the side, bruised by the forceful blow. It was but moments before another thunderous hit rattled her.

This time she was hit from the right side and straight into her exposed ribs. Sinking to the floor, Brooke rolled her body onto her back, and threw her legs into the air. In a swift movement, she propped herself back on her feet and raised her fists once more. Katherine smiled, clapping her hands appreciatively as she spoke. "Impressive. But it will never be enough."

Again, she attacked Brooke, choosing the left side in an attempt to throw the girl off balance. Talons sprang from Katherine's fingertips and she lashed out at her victim. The undeniable feeling of ripped flesh resonated through the young girl's body and she cried out in surprised pain. Thick, red liquid oozed from the brunette's arm in a warm, sticky stream.

Katherine smiled at her handy work, punching Brooke in the face and watching as she fell to the ground in a miserable heap. Blood splattered on the cobblestone beneath her as Brooke coughed. Tiny hands hit the pavement and pushed upward in desperation. She could feel the pain in her forearm, but pushed it to the back of her mind as she returned to her feet and turned to face the enemy once more.

Katherine was already moving in, her actions decidedly slower than before. She ducked when Brooke threw out another swinging arm, grabbing it and twisting it behind her back. She breathed in Brooke's scent, whispering in her ear as she twisted her arm further still and released the stake from her weakened grip.

"I'm going to enjoy draining your blood!" The Fierce Vixen taunted. "Oh yes. The perfect appetizer before I slaughter your beloved paramour."

Fear began to grip Brooke as Katherine carelessly grabbed her wrist and pitched her through the air. She slammed onto the hardened ground, tumbling across it as an indescribable pain soared up her leg. Oxygen spewed from her mouth in painful, labored breaths. Groggily, Brooke turned and pulled herself backward across the grey stone beneath her, Katherine's taunting laugh ringing out from behind.

Her eyes searched desperately for some kind of weapon, but the stake lay to the side of her enemy, and there was no conceivable way she would get to it in time.

Not with Katherine's speed.

Breathing heavily, Brooke pushed herself to her knees, and finally, her feet. All she needed was a few seconds of Katherine distracted to turn and retreat back into the forest. She could figure out a new plan once under the cover of the mossy undergrowth. Her hands fell to the side as she faced Katherine head on, the laughter from before now replaced with silence and a look of utter disbelief. Rolling her eyes in annoyance, she marched forward and threw her arm out, a shocked gasp escaping her lips when Brooke blocked her throw and sent her flying backwards across the ground.

Now or never!

Brooke used what was left of her dwindling strength to turn and run. Hobbling on her leg, she surged forward in sheer desperation. Her heart sank when she heard the familiar sound of rustling wind, and as the blur move before her, she tightened her fist and prepared for battle.

What she hadn't prepared for, however, was the image that materialized before her.

He stood before her like a perfectly carved marble statue.

Hardened muscles protruded from his black cotton shirt and raven hair tickled the edge of neck as he gazed at her. She could feel his eyes penetrating her soul, a warm glow spreading like wildfire throughout her entire body. The painful throbbing from her injuries seemed to lessen as she hobbled toward him. A familiar calming feeling washed over her now, and the dread that had encapsulated her mere moments ago was already evaporating into nothingness.

"You've come at just the right time. I was beginning to think you had abandoned me." Katherine's jubilant voice sang through the air as she gazed upon the new addition to the scene. "I was just about to finish her off, but I think I'll let you do the honors, lover."

Confusion surged through Brooke as she took it all in, stopping mid-stride as the feeling of uneasiness began to creep over her again. Uncertainty washed over his features instantaneously at the murmured pet name. Brooke watched as his coal orbs scrolled down her form and landed on her bleeding arm. He flinched at the sight, swallowing deeply as she watched him fight the urge that she knew was growing within.

The scent of her blood was already working its magic on his reflexes, fuelling his insatiable appetite. The back of his throat began to burn and he inhaled deeply as Katherine took her place by his side. Stepping back, Brooke watched as she leaned into his ear, her whispers powerfully seductive. "Taste her."

He hesitated as she urged him to give in to the hunger. Fists clenched into tight balls, knuckles turning white.

"Her blood will renew you. She is the only thing that stops us from being together…"

His eyes darted between her and Katherine, torn between them. Brooke shook her head from side to side as she watched the pained look on his face, fighting the demons within.

"No. Nah-no, you don't want to do this." Raspy pleads. "She, she is only using you, you know this…"

"Shut up," Katherine ordered, eyes glaring at Brooke as she hissed at her vehemently.

She was by her side in an instant, grabbing her by her hair and dragging her across the ground. Brooke cried out in anguish, kicking her legs out in a desperate attempt to stop her attacker. Katherine pulled her across the ground as if she weighed nothing, dropping her at his feet with a careless toss. Brooke looked up and gasped, the familiar dark circles beginning to form around his irises.

Clutching at her arm, she tried frantically to stop the bleeding, begging him to regain his composure. "Stop, this isn't you. You don't want to hurt me!"

Katherine laughed, her chuckles carrying a hint of hysteria as they filtered through the silent night air. Stepping forward, she grasped Brooke's hair in a tight hold and dragged her to her feet so that she was inches from him. Hunger welled deep in his throat, and Brooke heard the unmistakable growl of the monster within fighting its way out.

"Fight, damn it. I know you can do this! You DON'T want to hurt me!"

He closed his eyes and swallowed hard. A sense of calmness permeated from him and he unclenched his fists. He felt his canine fangs retract and go blunt. Opening his eyes, he returned his gaze to Brooke and smiled, the darkened circles beneath his eyes evaporating into the controlled, porcelain tone they had been earlier. Brooke smiled at him, scoffing for a moment as she heard Katherine's displeased snarl.

"Stop fighting it! TAKE HER!"

He turned away from the sight and closed his eyes. Katherine sighed like an annoyed child and moaned loudly, grabbing at Brooke's wounded arm and digging her claws in.

"Ugh, you always were the weaker one!"

She pushed her captive to the ground, the younger brunette crying out in pain as her elbow collided with the hardened stone beneath her. Brooke grabbed at her arm and stood once more, eyes opening in surprise as she saw Katherine standing directly in front of him. He turned to stare at her and she gasped, sharp breaths expelling from her lips in fear.

"No, please. You don't want to do this."

Her blood saturated his lips. Looking over at Katherine, Brooke could see the same blood, her blood, had coated the vampire's hand. In a move too quick for the human eye to see, Katherine had taken Brooke's blood and smeared it over his lips, and now any chance he had of resisting the urge to drain her had evaporated. She stumbled back as the darkened veins stretched out from underneath his eyes and spread across his ivory skin.

The handsome male stepped toward her, lips parting to elicit a terrifying hiss. Sharp fangs protruded from his opened mouth in hunger. His arm darted out and grabbed at her throat, powerful fingers clasping around her weakened neck in a tight hold. Gasping for air, she felt him draw her close, his hot breath kissing her neck as he yanked her head to the side.

"No," Screaming. "NO! PLEASE!"

Katherine stood tall in stature with a cruel smile. The vampire nodded her head as if giving the command, a wave with her tiny hand a goodbye not for the weaker human. Without a sound, he touched Brooke's soft neck with his mouth and parted his lips. She could smell the faint hint of cologne that was his familiar scent and she struggled in his grip.

And then it happened. She felt his teeth plunge into her skin with such force that it rattled her to her core. Reaching up, she grabbed at his hair and tangled her fingers in it, yanking at the strands in pain. She could feel the joy her blood brought to him, the renewed life it sent coursing through his veins.

The life that drained from hers.

Death was only a heartbeat away…

-xOx-

A scream of horror filtered through the darkened room as Brooke sat upright in her bed. Cotton sheets lay strewn across her bare legs like a scene from a massacre, clinging to her creamy thighs. Heavy breaths laced with fear expelled into the air in rushed exhalations. Her mid raced with the images of the dark eyes that hungered for her blood, the pain of the teeth at her neck and the undeniable smell of death.

Suddenly, two hands clutched at her shoulders and she jumped, another scream escaping her lips as her eyes locked with familiar misty blue orbs. Lucas looked down at her with stark concern, sliding on to the bed to grip her fully. His laptop lying humming on the desk across the room, its white glow illuminating the tiny dorm sanctuary Brooke and Peyton shared.

"Brooke. Brooke… it's okay."

He shook her back and forth gently, trying to break her from the fear of the nightmare. "It's okay."

Brooke glanced over at the blonde-haired boy, the terror still evident in her eyes. Her whole body tensed in his hold, still trembling from the vivid memory.

"Lucas?"

Her words came out more like a question than a statement. Lucas watched as Brooke fumbled to make sense of the situation she was in. Her wide, emerald eyes glanced around the room as if to mentally propel herself into remembering where she was. Whatever she had seen when she closed her eyes had certainly taken a lot out of her.

"Brooke… Brooke?"

Lucas reached out and pulled her into a tight embrace, rocking her back and forth to calm the erratically beating heart that threatened to burst out of her chest at any given moment. He ran a soothing hand through her chocolate locks to calm her, pulling her closer to him.

"It's okay! What's wrong? What happened?"

Even Brooke couldn't quite answer that question for herself. The images still clung to her memory and she fought to keep them at bay. She knew she was back in her room, her bed with her friend. She knew the arms around her were ones of peace, comfort and solace. Yet she could also feel the cold arms that brought her to her death, and the thought made her shiver once more.

"It was so real," she breathed fingers clutching to Lucas' arms as they weaved their way more comfortably around her. Tortured sobs escaped her lips as she tried to regain her composure. "It felt so real."

"Brooke," Lucas repeated, releasing his hold around her and sliding his hands upwards to capture her face. "I don't know what happened, but it was a nightmare, I promise."

Shaking her head, Brooke tried to force the image of him from her mind. His dark eyes, his raven hair, and his sharp teeth. The way he moved toward her…

"He killed me!" she blurted out, Lucas watching her as she cried. "I trusted him, and he killed me…"

Even as she spoke the words, she knew how they sounded. Who was he? It was a question she already had the answer to – he was nobody. Here, held by Lucas in her tiny dorm room, there was no monster. There was no terrifying death. There was only the two of them. Closing her eyes, Brooke let out a long sigh, a slight red flush coloring her alabaster cheeks.

"I think I'm losing my mind…"

"You're not," Lucas insisted, eyes infused with understanding staring down upon her. "Just breathe, okay? Breathe slowly. Calm down and tell me what happened."

Brooke bit her bottom lip in hesitation. She knew her outburst was borderline ridiculous. No, scratch that. There was no 'borderline' about it. She was sounding more and more like a raving lunatic. But somehow, there was no disbelief in Lucas' eyes, only understanding.

"I was running. No, I was being chased because I had something that she wanted. I don't know why, but I couldn't give it to her. And then he came, and I thought I was safe but..."

Brooke reached up to her neck, sliding delicate fingertips over her creamy skin as if to search for something.

"Then he bit me. And he killed me..."

"He…? She…?" Lucas shook his head as he tried to grasp where her head was at. His head dipped towards her slowly, and she felt the cool touch of his skin as he placed his forehead against hers. "No one is going to hurt you. I wouldn't let them. Okay? I think that maybe this is just first-day-of-college jitters."

Brooke laughed a little, leaning into his calming hold and sighing deeply. She felt the fear wash away a little, thankful it was only a dream. As much as the dream had terrified her, as bad as it had felt… as real as it had felt, she knew Lucas was right. College started tomorrow. It was a new chapter in her life, a time for new beginnings. It was possible her nerves had gotten the best of her and fabricated themselves into a nightmare.

Either that or she needed to purchase a one-way ticket to the funny farm.

"Maybe you're right. Perhaps I should have taken a creative writing class with this overactive imagination of mine?"

Lucas laughed and pulled Brooke down onto the bed, allowing her to snuggle into his hold. He shrugged his shoulders at her remark, placing the covers over her gently as she looked up at him.

"Maybe. But for now Brooke, get some sleep. You've got class in the morning."

"What about you?" Brooke asked him, closing her eyes as fatigue began to sink in. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm gonna stay right here," Lucas replied casually, grabbing the remote and flicking on the small television before him. "Just in case the monster comes back. A promise is a promise, after all."

Brooke smiled as Lucas gave her a wink, a yawn escaping her lips. She giggled a little when Lucas followed suit, both closing their eyes and snuggling down onto the bed. She was glad he had been there, the nightmare suddenly becoming a distance memory as reality returned.

Soon, they both drifted off into a peaceful sleep only to be left with a warning whisper.

"We're coming for you, slayer."

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