Oh My Gosh! It's finally here! I've wanted to get this up for almost a month now and now it's finally here. The Sequel to What Doesn't Kill You, Lose Myself! Woot Woot! Ten cookies for me! :p

Anywho, I hope you all like it. It's only the first chapter so please keep that in mind while reading if you think nothing exciting enough happened or you didn't think it covered enough.

And please, please review. Reviews are what keep me going and I would like a lot of them this go around.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OC's sadly.

Chapter 1: The Birthday

His lips brush across the back of her shoulder and she reaches back to swat at his head causing him to laugh, the noise vibrating through her back and making her giggle. "Come on Damon, we're supposed to be watching this."

"Why?" He groans out his head falling back to hit the head board of the bed. "We've both seen it more than once. It's so long." His arms tighten around her and she tilts her head up to look at him.

"If you're forgetting, this was your idea." She reminds him and he huffs sending her a small pout that if she's willing to attempt is pretty adorable.

"It was your idea actually."

"Yeah like 2 months ago and I was sleep deprived." She tells him and he sends her a grin that has her thinking she shouldn't of said that.

"Are you saying you're don't want to watch the movie?" He leans forward in an attempt to kiss her but she places a finger to his lips making him raise his eye brows at her.

"That's not what I'm saying. I happen to like this movie. It's an epic romance as tragic as it ends." He nods slowly and she shirks when he flips her over, she lands on her stomach and makes a quick attempt to crawl away before he's hovering above her, pinning her down.

"Damon…" She scolds throwing her arm out reaching for the remote to the DVD player. "When I get that remote I'm going to hit you with it." She warns and he chuckles darkly, running his fingertips across the skin of her lower back, her tank top having lifted in her attempts to wiggle away.

Her phone rings and she successfully wiggles away crawling across the bed to the bedside table where she picks it up and slides the bar across to answer it. She places it to her ear only to shirk as Damon wraps a hand around her ankle and yanks her back to him. She flips over onto her back as he moves over her.

"Adele?" The voice on the other end calls and Adele turns her head away from Damon as he tries to kiss her making him kiss her cheek instead.

"Hey Elena." She says loudly in hopes that Damon would quit instead he looks down at her a smirk playing on his lips and she almost groans.

"Is everything okay?" Elena asks her voice hesitant.

"Yeah." She breathes as he bends his head down to brush his lips against her neck. "What's up?"

"I was just wondering if you'd be home tonight. Well Alaric was wondering I volunteered to ask." Adele pulls her phone away to glance at the clock. It's close to 8:30. She squeaks biting back a moan as Damon's hand skims up under her tank up and a long her side his thumb brushing against the underside of her breast as he scraps his teeth against a sensitive spot on her neck.

"Uh…No." She says as he begins to lift her tank top. "Probably not."

~x~

Adele places the blow dryer down and pulls a brush through her hair to get out the tangles before picking up the curler she had turned on next to it as she watches Damon pour the little bit of champagne he has left into his glass while he leans back in the bathtub with bubbles up to his shoulders. She rolls her eyes as he pouts placing the bottle back down in the ice.

"We're out of champagne." He calls out drinking what little bit he has.

"No. You are out of champagne, I don't drink that stuff. You know that." She says curling a piece of her hair.

"Well would you be a dear and…"

"Nope." She cuts him off sending him a grin through the mirror. "I'm doing my hair, you can do it yourself." It's his turn to roll his eyes as he leans his head back trying to decide whether or not it's worth getting up.

He decides it is and pushes himself to stand up, glancing up at Adele and meeting her eyes through the mirror she merely smirks at him. He leaves the tub, letting himself drip all over the bathroom floor causing the blonde to sigh. "There's a towel right there." She mentions to the white towel hanging up near the tub. "You're dripping everywhere." She says as he's walking out of the bathroom and he sends her a lazy smirk. "I just cleaned these floors asshole." She calls as he's leaving the room and his laugh echoes down the hall.

She shakes her head and finishes her hair before a thought pops into her head and she leaves the bathroom with the towel he refused to take. She jogs down the stairs and makes her way into the living room where she stops looking between her sister and Damon who has a blanket wrapped around his waist. "I forgot to mention," She says to Damon as the two are staring at her. "Elena might be here."

"Thank you for the warning Kitten, it's greatly appreciated." He remarks causing her to grin as she enters the area coming up to stand beside him. "Elena was just telling me that Liz has given her another lead." He tells her causing Adele's blue eyes to regard her sister carefully.

"Yeah, in Memphis." She says shifting under her piercing eyes. "I was thinking Damon could go out there and check it out."

"Today?" Adele mummers and Elena nods. "Really Elena? It's our birthday."

"Yes and I had plans for your sister today none which include Memphis, Tennessee." He remarks causing Adele to narrow her eyes up at him. She'd told him no surprises but his eyes are so full of mischief as he looks back at her that she rolls her eyes and turns back to Elena with a shake of her head.

"Fine." Elena huffs. "I'll go myself." She stomps her foot like a child and makes her way past them but Adele quickly reaches out snatching the piece of paper from her.

"Now, now" She scolds her and Elena crosses her arms and rolls her eyes. "No need to throw a tantrum. He'll go." She passes the paper to Damon who rolls his own eyes in frustration while taking it from her. "Klaus thinks you're dead." She points out. "Let's keep it that way." Elena sighs nodding. "If he finds anything he'll call." That was Elena's cue to leave but she doesn't seem to take the hint as she opens her mouth to say something so Adele pushes Damon lightly to the side and he begins his way back to the stairs with her following closely behind him.

~x~

Damon opens a closet door once there back in his room. "So he's moved on to Tennessee." He mummers as she comes up behind him placing her hands on his shoulder and her head on her hands as she gazes at the marked up US map hung up on the back of the door. He pins the note up on the map as she looks it over thoughtfully.

"Didn't Andie say something to you about that victim in Florida having family in Tennessee?" She voices her thoughts causing Damon to tilt his head slightly.

"The one in Pensacola?" She mummers a yes and he smirks tilting his head slightly to look at her. "Are you up for a road trip?"

"You know it." She smirks leaning up and kissing him gently before pushing off of him and skipping away towards the bed. He turns watching her closely. "You should call Andie; see if she can't get you an address."

"You know I was reluctant when you said to pretend to keep seeing her but now I see your motive behind it. You are a twisted little bitch Adele Gilbert." She laughs sitting on the edge of the bed and crossing her leg over the other. She sends him an innocent smile. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You know I'm surprised she hasn't caught on yet." He mummers as he moves to his dresser. "She used to come over almost every night and now she never comes over, I just take her out every so often and call her when I need information. You'd think she'd wonder what was going on." He thinks out loud.

"Are you sure she hasn't said anything to you and you've just compelled her to think you guys are the happiest couple around?" Adele teases but Damon freezes looking over to her his expression blank.

"You know…that might've actually happened." He mutters and Adele snorts. "But I know everyone around town's noticed the shirking relationship between Andie and I and the growing relationship between us. Someone must be putting facts in her head."

"Isn't it thoughts? Someone must be putting thoughts in her head?" Adele asks sending him a narrowed glance.

"Not in this case." He mummers moving onto his closet to pick out something to wear.

"She's probably in denial." Adele calls out as he moves into the bathroom. "She doesn't want to face the fact that she knows your relationship is coming to an end, she's going to try and drag it out, it'll be better when you guys break up. Just make sure you stay friends."

"Why is that?"

"Because you care about her, maybe not in the way you care about me…"

"I don't care about you Adele, I love you there's a huge difference." He peeks around the corner at her and she rolls her eyes at him ignoring the butterflies that arise at his declaration.

"You care about her as a friend which means you need to keep her as a friend. I'm sorry to break this to you Damon but you don't have many friends that actually like you for you."

"What a way to sugar coat it Kitten." He jokes coming back into the room completely dressed and looking ready to leave.

"You're an evil bastard," She teases as he comes to stand between her legs. He cups her face in his hands. "And you know it." He leans down, kissing her softly. "But I love you anyways." She mummers against his lips causing him to grin, she pulls away from him as he tries to deepen the kiss. "We don't have time for that. We need to go."

~x~

She's lying back on the seat in the back of Alaric's Sliver Chevy Tahoe, after prying herself away from Damon he had made the brilliant decision to involve Alaric in his plans for a road trip as well like they had done every other chance they got. It had become sort of retinue for them, they'd get a lead whether it would be a dead end or not and they'd call up Alaric and the three would set out on an amazing adventure.

"He's doing good; you know I think he's getting the hang of everything. He's adjusted really well so far." Jasmine is telling her over the phone, she'd called wishing her a happy birthday and Adele made sure to ask about Michael since she wouldn't be able to go and see him today. Not with this sudden road trip and the huge party Caroline was deciding to throw later. She's been really good about getting over to see him once a day.

"No more accidents?" Adele was referring to a night a couple weeks ago where Jasmine had cut her hand making dinner and he had almost attacked her and it was an almost only because with Jasmine being a witch she was able to fend him off, if it wasn't for her special aneurism power she'd probably be dead. "He's getting better with his urge to rip your throat out?"

"Yes. I think. He doesn't stop breathing when I lean against him or hug him anymore so I think he's getting the hang of his self-control. You know I wasn't sure about Nate at first but I really do like him. He's been amazing you know? A really big help."

"Yeah," Adele huffs. "He's a really big pain in the ass is what he is." Jasmine can't help but laugh. The two had been at each other's throats since they met it would seem. Nate just loved to make her mad. He seemed to get the biggest kick out of it and his calling her Princess really helped him out. She hated the nickname.

"Have you heard from Justin?" Adele sighs, running a hand over her forehead. She can feel the car slowing down but it hasn't stopped just yet.

"Briefly, he's obsessing. I guess I can't blame him, James must be livid. He has to be planning to come after him. He's not just going to let him go. Justin wants to beat him; he wants to be one step ahead. He just…he needs to take a deep breath. I've tried talking to him but he won't listen to me."

"Well if Nate can't get through to him I don't think anyone can." Jasmine points out and Adele knows it to be true. Nate was the closest thing Justin had to family and even he couldn't get him to slow down. The SUV stops and she props herself up, glancing at the ranch style home that they've stopped at. "Alright Jazzy, I got to go. I'll talk to you later.

"Yeah, okay and hey Happy Birthday again. I'm sorry you don't get to spend it alone with Damon, making up for lost time and all." Adele laughs at her suggestive tone casting her eyes over to Damon who is exiting the SUV. "Believe me Damon and I are making up for lost time just fine, one day won't hurt us." Jasmine laugh rings through before she hangs up. Her door opens as she's sliding towards it and she lets Damon take her hand to help her down like the gentlemen he was raised to be. He just didn't seem to be able to shake that part of his past.

He laces their fingers together pulling her toward Alaric who is staring up at the two story house. Her phone buzzes softly in her free hand and she looks down at it, ignoring the call before slipping it into her back pocket. "Elena?" She looks up toward Alaric and nods. "I don't know why you just don't come clean and tell her where we are."

"Because this could just be another dead end or a half lead, we don't need to get her hopes up and I don't need her bitching at me because she wanted to come." Adele explains.

"Yeah, well they're all half leads or dead ends, and I'm your guy's accomplice. What do you want me to say to her, I'm practically living at you're house." Adele rolls her eyes at him, he didn't have to stay not that she didn't like having him there because she did. Actually she felt a lot better knowing he was there but nobody was forcing him to stay and she knows that he doesn't want to leave. He likes being there with them.

"Still sleeping on the couch?" Damon asks softly.

"Yeah." He turns back to Adele. "You know, I keep waiting for you guys to kick me out but you don't. I don't know why, it's not like I'm helping or anything."

"It's because we love you Ric." She tells him truthfully. "Elena and I just turned 18 today so yes technically you don't need to stay with us but we like having you there. We feel better with you there and we know that you like being there. We're not going to kick you out; you can leave as you please." She explains to him and he shrugs a shoulder leaving the three to look around the empty yard.

"It's quiet." Adele observes.

"Too quiet." Damon agrees pulling her forward by the hand and she follows after him towards the front porch of the house. She swings the door open stepping in before Damon but keeping a tight grip on his hand. Damon sticks one foot in and wiggles it around before a small barely noticeable smirk crosses his face. "Oh yeah." He mutters and Adele understands that whoever owns this house must be dead.

They slowly make their way further into the front hall, Adele taking in the smeared blood across the walls and the floor. She scrunches her nose. "I feel like I just stepped into a gore fest, like some twisted vampire horror flick."

"Our whole life is one big twisted vampire horror flick Kitten, get used to it." Damon remarks and Adele smirks over to him.

"But all great twisted vampire horror flicks have to include a romance of some kind." She says and he grins.

"You know, unless it ends tragically." Alaric mummers causing the couple to look over at him, he shrugs in a non-apologetic way.

They come to the living room, stopping just outside the doorway looking in. Adele's eyes widen, her mouth falling open slightly at the two dead girls sitting perfectly on the couch, blood everywhere. Adele wasn't even sure where the majority of it was coming from.

"Ugh. Vampire, for sure." Alaric says coming up behind them. Damon lets her hand go to enter the room slowly looking between the two bodies.

"Stefan, for sure." He counters.

"How do you know?" Adele asks softly following him slowly.

"It's his signature; there's a reason they call him the ripper." He glances back at her for a moment, he's actually regretting his desire to have her there, he wasn't fond of the idea of her seeing this side of his little brother. The two are close after all. "He feeds so hard he blacks out and rips them apart, but then when he's done, he feels remorse. It's the damndest thing," He can't help but chuckle slightly as he lifts a foot and pushes it against the knee of the dead blonde girl. "He puts the bodies back together."

Adele's eyebrows raise as her head falls completely off her shoulders, dropping to the floor. Damon glances back at them and she nods a small sarcastic smile crossing her pretty face. "How poetic, disgusting but poetic." She mutters and he shifts his eyes to Alaric who looks disgusted, in fact he looks ready to faint.

Alaric lifts his eyes to meet those of Damon's. "Back together?"

"Definitely Stefan." Damon nods.

~x~

Adele watches from the doorway of the living room as Damon begins pouring gasoline he'd found out back in a shed on and around the now covered bodies. While he was out looking for something to clean up the mess Adele had grabbed a few sheets and thrown them over the bodies for both her sake and Alaric's. Alaric still looked like he was going to be sick and Adele found the whole scene slightly disturbing.

"What are you doing?" Alaric asks from leaning a hand against the wall next to the door on the inside of the room.

"Covering their tracks." Damon answers, continuing to pour the gas around. "Clearly they have no interest staying in the dark, but I do."

Alaric moves away from the wall, further into the room but stops when the floor beneath him creaks loudly. Adele's eyes move to the floor before lifting to meet Damon's seeing the same curiosity burning through her as he looks back at her.

She moves forward, bending down and moving the rug out of the way revealing to them a trap door in the wooden floor. Adele smirks. "Oh, trap door." She sings gleefully. Traps doors always meant secrets and this was probably a secret they needed to know. She pulls it open peering down at the many different chains anchored to the cement wall.

Damon who is slightly behind her see them as well and of course draws the same conclusion as she does, she can see it reflected in the excitement that fills his icy eyes as she gazes back at him. "Well what do you know…" They look back down into what they can assume is the basement. "Werewolves."

Alaric closes the trap door with a thud rolling his eyes at the two as he pushes himself up. He lays a hand on the middle of Adele's back and pushes her along with him out of the room and into the hall to the point where she can't see much of the room and she frowns wondering what was up when the roar of a fire makes her jump, the glow illuminating on the walls and the side of Alaric's face. She swallows back the urge to run moving closer to Alaric's side without realizing it. He has no problem wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her into his side her fear of fire a well-known fact between her friends and family.

~x~

She swallows, her eyes roaming over her white dress once more as she decides that while earlier in the day the party that was in full swing down stairs sounded like an amazing idea to her, she wasn't actually in the mood. She didn't feel like celebrating. What was there to celebrate really? That she had survived another year…barely? She could name a handful of people who hadn't.

"You look beautiful." She lifts her blue eyes meeting his gaze through the mirror as he stands behind her. "So why are you still standing up here?"

"Just trying to work up the will power to get moving." She mutters adjusting the clips in her hair though they are already set perfectly. She was stalling, stretching out the time until she knew she'd have to leave the room. He sees this and moves forward, where he wraps his arms around her midsection and loving the way she melts into him.

"There is a house full of high school students down there waiting for you to make your arrival. Elena's already down there." She meets his gaze in the mirror. She tilts her head and he sighs reaching behind him to pull something from back pocket. "I have something for you."

"Damon, I told you no presents." She scolds a small scowl on her face.

"What kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn't get my girlfriend something for her birthday?" She continues to scowl and he blows out a breath of air. "I love you okay? Let me do this."

"Fine." She grins. "What is it?" Excitement brightens her eyes and he grins back. Holding the small case out in front of her, Adele inspects it closely before taking it. It's a Jewelry case just big enough to hold a bracelet. She opens it her eyes widening at the simple diamond bracelet. "Wow…Damon, it's beautiful." She swallows. "How much did this cost? I mean seriously? This is like…"

"No, no, no." Damon cuts her off taking the case from her and pulling out the bracelet. He unlatches it, grabbing her right wrist and wrapping it around where he latches it back up holding her wrist out for them to look at it. "It doesn't matter how much it cost, all that matters is that you love it."

"I do, thank you." She smiles softly before it turns suggestive and he narrows his eyes at her. "You know, we could always skip the party, we could stay up here and have our own personal party. Just the two of us." Her eyes are gleaming darkly at him. She looked positively alluring and dangerous and his breath catches slightly.

To suppress his sudden desire he nestles his nose into her hair inhaling deeply which is probably his worst idea ever. "You know we can't." His voice is rough, deepened and he winches slightly. He didn't need her knowing how much she was affecting him, she'd use it to her advantage and they'd never make it out of the room. She was manipulative that way; he knew that all too well. "You have to appear to your party guests and I have a "Girlfriend" I have to go pick up and woo."

Her smile falls slowly and her eyes narrow slightly. "Really? She's coming tonight?"

He inhales again and her sweet intoxicating smell over rides all his senses as he mummers a yes into her neck as he feels that all to familiar burn starting at the back of his throat. With a jolt he realizes that his K-9's are poking at his bottom lip, as his hunger sets in. He hates when this happens, being with her made his self-control slip on many occasions, it had been a long time since he's found himself fighting so hard to hang on to what little self-control he could master up.

"Damon…" She mutters frowning at their reflection. His breathing has deepened going rigid and he's refusing to look up at her. It's hard to ignore his tense posture behind her and the way his fingers dig into her hips almost painfully. "Damon." She pries herself away from him with difficulty and turns, her concern expression turning into one of understanding before it turns slightly mocking as he's staring back at her all veiny eyed and extended fangs.

The first night they'd spent together, she'd been surprised by how quickly he was to pull away from her and turn his head. She'd learned why quickly when she pulled him back. She'd been awed by his "vampire" face. He'd looked every bit the monster he portrayed himself to be and she had realized that no, she wasn't normal because instead of thinking he looked terrifying, she thought because he was Damon he was just beautiful.

She steps up, lifting her hands and pushing them into his over grown hair. She presses a soft kiss to his lips being extra careful not to touch his fangs in anyway, her bleeding wouldn't help him much. She had thought about suggesting he bite her but knew he wouldn't. He wanted to, that she was sure of but he wouldn't because he wouldn't hurt her in any way possible. She pulls away from him and smiles, the veins under his eyes pulsing as he opens his bloodshot eyes to look at her as well.

"You should probably compose yourself before going back down there. Though it would be the highlight of my night to see some of those people down there run screaming for the hills I don't think Elena would apprentice it." His eyes narrow on her, her grin mocking. He turns her around pushing her out of the bathroom and she can hear him taking a deep breath causing her to laugh. "Your smell is everywhere." He groans out and she sits on the edge of the bed to wait for him. "Well I did just spend almost 2 hours in there getting ready." She points out. "It takes time to look this good Damon."

"The white dress looks amazing but I prefer you…"

"Damon…" She sings cutting him off because she just knows where he's going with that. "Is that imagery really helping your situation right now?"

"Screw you Kitten."

"Unfortunately I have Party guest I need to appear to." She mocks him once more and Damon appears in the bathrooms doorway, his eyes narrowed in on her. "You'll just have to take a rain check."

His face completely back to normal she sees the way his eyes flash dangerously and his motives hang clear in the air around them. She shirks bolting from the bed and crossing the room to the closed door. She gets it cracked open before it's slammed shut and she's lifted into the air with another small shirk. She's left feeling a bit winded when she hits the bed, Damon having tossed her through the air and used his speed to get to her before she could get up. He hovers over her, flashing her a wicked grin as he grips her upper thighs pulling them to wrap around his hips and he presses down into her as his lips meet hers in a hard kiss.

His lips leave hers momentarily to trace along her jaw. "Damon…" She moans, one hand fisting into the back of his shirt, the other tangling itself into his hair. "We can't do this." And yet she's pulling him closer, yanking lightly at his hair causing a deep growl to rumble through his chest as his lips move to meet hers again in a bruising kiss. Her fingers leave his hair trailing down to the first button of his shirt and popping it open easily. She gets three buttons undone before he's stopping her, pinning her hands above her head.

He pulls away from her and her eyes flutter open slowly. She's met with that smirk, the one that tells her he's got something on his mind, something she knows she's not going to enjoy. "You said it yourself…" She closes her eyes letting her head fall back against the mattress suppressing a groan as he stands. "We can't do this."

"You're a bastard." She mutters pushing herself up to a sitting position and he sends her a wolfish grin in return. She pulls herself up, steading herself carefully on her feet, her knees felt weak and she had a pair of 5 inch heels to slip into so with a couple deep breaths she calms her rapidly beating heart and meets his icy eyes which haven't left her since she's sat up.

She strolls over to the closet with an air of indifference disappearing from sight only to return to the doorway of the closet with a pair of white heels in her hands. She slips on one with ease and uses the doorframe to slip on the other. With her heels in place she walks back towards him and he notes her perfect runway worthy walk. He's seen so many try and fail to pull off heels that high.

She comes to a stop in front of him; her eyes now level with his being as tall if not just a hint taller now that she's added the extra height. She hooks a finger from each hand through two of his belt loops and pulls herself forward, pressing lightly against him. "You look flushed Kitten." He points out the smug tone not going unnoticed. She sends him a bright smile that has his grin wavering. "Don't worry babe." She whispers leaning up so her lips brush his. "Revenge is sweet." She lets him go brushing past him as she starts for the door.

"Are you coming?" She calls over her shoulder having noticed him standing there in the middle of his room as still as a statue. He jerks turning around and hurrying over to her. Her grin is wide as he lets her take his arm, avoiding her eyes at all cost.

~x~

"I just noticed how extremely short that dress is." Adele grins, casting her eyes over to Damon for a second before focusing back on the stairs. Damon sends a glare to the group of high school boys gathered along the stairs who stop talking to stare at Adele as they walk by.

"It's no shorter than the shorts I wore earlier or the dress I wore the other day." She points out to him. She calls out a thank you to a few students who call out a happy birthday to her.

"But the difference is you weren't surrounded by a house full of hormonally driven high school boys." He defends.

"No I was around a hormonally driven and bloodthirsty vampire." She smirks as he glares playfully.

"Happy Birthday Gilbert!" Adele flashes a smile towards Jason who is standing in a corner full of jocks and cheerleaders. "Thanks Smallwood." She calls back, he sends her a wink to which she laughs before turning back to Damon as they stop walking in the entrance to the living room looking out over a sea of high school students, a lot of which Adele knew, some of which she didn't.

"You know if anyone touches you there dead right?" He asks his blue eyes serious, his lips pressed into a thin line.

"Possessive much?" She raises an eyebrow at him as he turns stopping a girl who was walking by with an unopened bottle of alcohol. He reaches out taking it from her. "You don't want that. You want the cheap young stuff over by the cheap young people." He turns back with the bottle in hand.

"Of you? Of course. I don't have any plans of losing you to anyone else especially not someone in high school." She smiles having the sudden urge to lean over and kiss him. She holds back, knowing it wouldn't be the wisest decision. "You're not going to lose me Damon. I'm yours, completely."

"Not completely." Damon looks away from her, glaring down at the blonde a head of them. Caroline steps forward, taking Adele's free arm in hers. "As of right now she's mine." She begins pulling her away but Adele stops turning back to look at Damon.

"I'll meet you in the room after the party." He sends her a smirk before he takes a swig out of the bottle in his hand. She turns to Caroline. "I love your idea of small Care." Caroline giggles pulling Adele into the crowd of people.

~x~

"Adele Gilbert." With her red cup full of coke and vodka up to her lips she turns her head to the left and chokes on the liquid as it's going down. She coughs hitting a hand against her chest as she hands her cup off to Jason who is standing next to her. "Hanna!" She calls pulling the laughing girl into a tight hug. "What are you doing here?" She asks as she pulls away.

"I'm down for a few weeks now that it's summer. I thought the first thing I'd do is come to a birthday party for one of my favorite girls. After all you did come down and see me." Adele laughs recalling her small trip to North Carolina and how mad everyone had been when she got back. "How's it going Smallwood?" Hanna turns her Hazel eyes to Jason.

"Awesome Cruz." Jason replies with a smirk.

"Where's Caitlyn? I thought you guys we're like attached at the hip?" Hanna glances around them not spotting the auburn haired girl anywhere. Jason shifts uncomfortably. "I was just about to ask him that." Adele says turning her bright eyes back to him.

"We broke up." He mutters.

"What?" Adele and Hanna exclaim causing Jason to flinch. "So in other words you just lied to me." Hanna points out to him. "Because if you and Caitlyn broke up you are definitely not awesome."

"Come on, I don't want to talk about this." He sighs running a hand though his short brunette hair. Adele sends him a sympathetic smile. "I'm going to go get something to drink." He mummers and they wave him off before Hanna turns to Adele with bright eyes.

"So whose house is this? I know it has to be someone you know. Nobody with this nice of a house would loan it to Caroline of all people to throw a party." Adele laughs lightly.

"It's Damon's."

"Oh! The older guy that came between you and Bruce, is he here?"

"Yeah. Somewhere around here." She nods looking around trying to spot him amongst the crowd though she figures he's not actually in the house. She has a feeling he's out on the back porch with Alaric. "Let's go find Caitlyn." She says. "I want to talk to her. She's probably with Lucy."

"You think she's here? I mean if they just broke up…."

"Oh no, she's here. I know she is."

~x~

They find Caitlyn and Lucy by the fire place in the Study. After talking a few minutes to catch up with Hanna Adele clears the Study of the very few people that we're actually in there and closes the door blocking the room off to the rest of the party.

She fills four glasses with a small amount of Bourbon and brings them over to the three other girls as they sit around the empty fire place. "God this place is huge. This is Stefan's place right? Him and his brother Damon live here?" Lucy asks glancing around and Adele nods taking a seat beside Caitlyn as she hands her the glass. "This is the good stuff." She assures her as she scrunches her nose at the glass. "It's not like the cheap stuff out there."

"Are you sure it's okay if we're drinking it?" Caitlyn asks.

"Damon has enough of this stuff to last us the next ten years I think he can spare some." Adele assures her.

"Oh." Hanna smirks in her direction. "You just said us. Does that mean you plan on sticking around for the next ten years here with this Damon guy?"

"Yeah, I thought you said nothing was going on between you two." Lucy speaks up taking a small sip from her glass and coughing. "Oh god, this stuff is strong."

"It's…it's complicated. You know he has a girlfriend and I'm only in high school…" Though it really wasn't as complicated as it used to be, Adele doesn't need them to know that.

"Your 18 now which means your free game plus from what I've seen when you two are together like when you came down the stairs, he doesn't feel half of what he feels for you with Andie Starr. The way he looks at you, it's like no woman in the world could compare. He looks at you like you're his world." Caitlyn explains.

"Are you serious? That's so sweet. I've got to meet this guy." Hanna exclaims drowning the Bourbon in one shot.

"Okay enough about my relationships, what about yours? What happened?" The three girls turn their complete attention to Caitlyn who bites her bottom lip softly.

"I don't know." She whispers with a huff pushing Auburn hair from her eyes. "We just got into a fight two weeks ago and the next thing I know I'm picking up my stuff from his house and giving him back his Jersey. I guess it's for the best I mean he wants to go to either Texas or California to go to school and I got a scholarship to Duke so we're going to be in two separate places after senior year anyways. If we'd stayed together I fear it just would hurt worse come graduation."

"Okay but let me ask you a question." Adele downs her drink before standing up and moving over to refill her glass. "Do you love him?"

"Well…yeah. I do but…"

"There shouldn't be a but okay? Recently I've learned that if you love someone you can't let something like fear stand in your way because when the time comes that you get the guts to act on your feelings it might just be too late."

"That's really insightful Adele." Hanna laughs and Adele sends her a grin as the door to the Study opens. The four girls turn in the direction and Adele holds her glass up to the new comer.

"Damon. Come to have a drink with us?" He looks between the unknown three before his eyes land on her and his smirk turns into a grin.

"There's nothing I want more then to stay and have drinks with four lovely ladies but I have a girlfriend I need to go pick up. I was just coming to look for you, noticed you disappeared on me."

"I closed off the study as you can see and I'm stealing your alcohol and I know you don't mind."

"I can't say that I do Kitten. Just don't get drunk without me. I'm leaving Ric here to look after the house while I'm gone. Have fun with my alcohol ladies. I'll see you later tonight Kitten." She tips her glass to him as she leans back against the table watching him leave quickly.

"Oh my god." Hanna exclaims after the door closed. "That was Damon? Okay now I understand why you would leave Bruce. If I had a boyfriend or a husband for that matter I'd leave him for that guy too." Adele downs her glass once more before sending a small smirk in their direction.

~x~

Adele can feel the effects of the alcohol stirring in her system as she listens to a story that Hanna is telling about one of her classes back at Duke. The study door opens again and Hanna pauses in her story as they glance up finding Elena peeking her head in, letting in the sounds of the party still in full swing around them. "Adele…can I talk to you for a minute?" Adele downs her drink setting it on the table as she pushes herself up.

"I will be right back girls." She says before following her sister out. Elena turns abruptly moving through the crowd of people towards the stairs and Adele freezes glancing between her disappearing figure and the study door. She sighs before quickly catching up to her sister.

Elena leads her into Damon's room where Caroline is standing in the middle of the room shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot. She narrows her blue eyes at her best friend before gazing back at Elena who has walked up to the closet door and is now standing there with her arms crossed over her chest. "Okay…I'll bite." Adele smirks. "What's this about?"

Elena unfolds her arms and twist the handle of the closet door before quickly flinging it open revealing to them Damon's hidden map full of newspaper clippings and sticky notes. "Oh." Adele mummers. "That."

"So you do know about it? What is that?" Adele walks forward and closes the closet door softly before turning to her sister.

"Don't ask questions you already know the answers to. You're smarter than that." She says.

"You and Damon have been tracking Stefan without me. All summer from the looks of it." Adele runs a hand across her forehead closing her eyes briefly. "Why didn't you tell me? Why would you keep this from me?"

"Because Elena, you're obsessive and reckless." Elena opens her mouth only to close it again. "Damon and I haven't had one goddamn day without you coming in here and ranting about Stefan. Where is he? Is he okay? We have to find him! Yes Elena! We know. We have to find him. I couldn't even enjoy my birthday with the man I love because of this shit! You come in here with a lead that could have very well waited until tomorrow and then throw a fit when we tell you so threatening to go and do it by yourself like a child but what you don't seem to understand Elena is that Klaus thinks you're dead. We risked our own lives making sure you we're saved, Damon almost died!"

"Which is exactly why we're in this mess!" Elena exclaims cutting her off and Adele freezes. Caroline's mouth opens in shock as Elena seems to realize what she just said.

"What was he supposed to do Elena? Let him die?" Elena goes to answer but Adele cuts her off. "Shut up!" She snaps. "All we're trying to do is keep you safe, if Klaus knew you we're still alive who's to say he wouldn't come back and finish you off and then maybe even kill us for the part we played?" Adele laughs softly. "That's all we're trying to do Elena."

Adele begins her way to the door wanting nothing else to do with this conversion or her sister. "So I should be thankful that you kept the fact that you're tracking Klaus's victims from me?" Elena calls and Adele opens the bedroom door before turning back.

"That's just it Elena. They're not Klaus's victims. They're Stefan's."

~x~

Adele makes it back into the Study where the three girls are still sitting around laughing. Hanna stands as Adele enters holding up a piece of paper. Adele frowns as she walks forward. It's a drawn picture of a Raven standing on top of a skull with roses all around. In the corner in bold letters she sees the words Happy Birthday and smiles taking it, her bad mood lifted.

"Jeremy asked us to give it to you. Said he was leaving but he couldn't find you." She thanks them and quickly takes out her phone sending a quick text to Jeremy to thank him as well. As she's getting ready to put the phone away when it rings, she glances down at it and excuses herself to the other side of the room to answer it.

"Justin." She breathes a sigh of relief into the phone.

"Yeah, I'm sorry I didn't mean to hang up on you so abruptly the last time I called." She leans back against the wall.

"It's fine. Really, I'm just glad you're okay. Where are you?"

"Illinois. Chicago to be exact." He answers.

"Chicago?" She sends a small reassuring smile to the group of girls who stop to look at her at her small outburst. "You went home?"

"Not exactly, I'm following a lead and it led me here. James has a few guys out here, I think he may even be here himself but I'm not sure." Adele visibly cringes at the name, it send a huge amount of anger and dread through her. Anger because the guy was a total bastard of a hunter claiming he was the good guy, yet he was the one who made Michael into a vampire and dread because one day she will have to face him and take him down before he can hurt anyone else. She's accepted it but hasn't quite moved on.

"Please be careful Justin. If James figures out you're following his tracks…"

"He's not going to find out. I learned how to track someone from my father before he died and he was a ten times better hunter then James could ever wish to be. I'll be fine. I just called to wish you a Happy Birthday."

"Okay. Thank you. Just please be safe." She whispers.

"I will. I'll keep you updated."

~x~

The party was still in effect as Adele makes her way up the stairs after Caroline forced her and her sister to play nice and blow out the candles on the massive cake she managed to get. She wasn't sure how long the party was going to go on but she didn't want to be a part of it any longer.

She walks into Damon's bedroom to find he's not there and she frowns. She knows he's back, the way Elena came busting into the room looking ready to cry gave that away and the fact that Damon actually made her cry made her suspect something happened, that and the fact Andie isn't there all pointed to disaster.

She jumps whirling around back into the hallway at the sound of a crash from further down the hall, towards Stefan's room. She glances back into the room debating on whether or not she should go look or wait in the room. She decides on the former as she moves forward.

She stops in the door way, her mouth falling open slightly as she blinks taking in the scene around her. Damon is standing bent over a table, his breathing rigid, the room was almost completely destroyed, tables broken and turned over, book shelves knocked over, book scattered everywhere.

"Damon…" Her voice is barely a whisper but he hears her as his head snaps up, his icy eyes burn into her and she barely has the chance to take a step back before he's in front of her knocking her back into a wall as his hands reach up to cup her face and his lips connect to hers almost instantly so hard she's sure her lips were going to bruise.

He lifts her up, wrapping her legs around his waist causing the hem of her dress to rise and bunch around her waist. She gasps against his lips as the air rushes past them. A door slams and Damon drops her onto a bed causing her to open her eyes, there back in his room and he's standing above her all rigid breath and wild eyed looking every bit the predator he is causing a deep shutter to run through her body as she pushes herself onto her knees reaching up to help him unbutton his shirt buttons. She pushes it off his shoulders roughly and it hits the flour as his lips meet hers once again.

That's it. That's the end. (:

Did you like it? Was it everything you hoped it would be? Are you asking yourself why there wasn't more to it? What happened to the action right? Don't worry, it'll come. Let the story get going, I swear it'll get good.

Next Chapter:

Adele, Jasmine, Michael and Nate get a very unexpected and slightly unwelcomed surprise.

Elena goes running off to the Smoky Mountains.

And

We welcome everyone's favorite Hybrid into the story.

That is all I shall give you for now. –Evil Laugh- Until next time. (: