Chapter 1

Being one of the founding families of Mystic Falls doesn't seem that special but don't let the seemingly boring and very stereotypical small town fool you. This place is either very unlucky or is in fact, the center of the supernatural world. No, don't roll your eyes, it is quiet obvious if you actually look carefully. We have werewolves, vampires, witches and doppelgangers. Name it and it's probably here somewhere. How do I know all of that? Well I choose not to play oblivious and turn a blind eye to every strange thing occurring. Also, my ancestors have written all about it in their journals. In the beginning, I thought they were all just crazy stories but one day after returning from late practice, I stumbled upon a real vampire that was sucking a girl dry. I was going to run away but said vampire saw me and attacked me.

I was going to die, there was no mistaking it, but I was saved by my uncle who came out of nowhere and pierced the bloodsucker with a wooden stake right trough the heart. I will never forget his empty eyes and how his whole body became ash gray. From that moment on, I was pulled into the world of the supernatural.

It took me a while to get used to all of it. There is still a council that tries to protect the town if there is any danger and my uncle is apart of it, even if he doesn't share their beliefs. I'm sure that if the vampire that tried to kill me had given him a chance, he would have tried to figure out a peaceful outcome of the whole thing. Jack had said that a lot of our ancestors had friends all around the world that were supernatural. Even if most the people in my family are dead, the Castors were known as fair humans. I've read that my grandparents had helped in preventing a grave dispute between some witches and werewolves. and to be honest, it feels amazing to discover something like that.

Jack gave me a ring with our families coat of arms that belonged to my father. He said that it will protect me and make me identifiable in front of supernaturals that know about my family. From that day on, three years ago, I wore it every day. It apperently really has it's perks having your family being in such close proximity with all those creatures, because for one, the information that was stored in the journals was amazing. Some, if not, most of it was given as a tokens of trust, stories of unbelievable things were shared with my ancestors. Just the thought of such powerful beings trusting their secrets was mind blowing. From what I understand, many saw the Castors as advisers that had it in their hearts to keep the balance between all people. Something like the witches in a way, except for the fact they viewed vampires as vermin that polluted the earth. Maybe that could explain why Mystic Falls was a passing point for the supernaturals.

That is unill Katherine Pierce came into the picture. The Castors in that era knew from first glance what she was and became witnesses to the chaos that she created. Not only did she have a whole army of vampires, toy with werewolves and enslave a witch to do her dirty work, but she played with the hearts of the Salvatore brothers – Damon and Stefan. It was thanks to the many photos taken in secret that I know how they look. I was devastated by the outcome of this woman's actions. Numerous vampires and witches were killed or burned alive and the two brothers were shot by their own father. The worst of all, some of the vampires were locked below the church to starve for eternity, Damon and Stefan were turned, and Katherine was able to escape. The last fact is only known by Jack and I.

The Castors had tried to stop the founding families from that madness. They helped some vampires escape but payed with their lives, being killed by Katherine who didn't like being told what to do.

After finishing that particular journal, I also discovered that Bonnie Bennet was a witch still in need of finding her powers and Elena Gilbert is in fact a doppelganger of Katherine but the information there was very vague. Those two have been my friends for as long as I can remember, Caroline Forbes included. I still recall the day I went to Sheila Bennet and told her that I knew about her family heritage. She wasn't that surprised, telling me that she didn't expect anything less from a Castor.

I promised her that I would help Bonnie accept and develop her powers, so from then on, it took me some time, but in the end Bon came to the realization that she was indeed a witch and her Grams wasn't crazy. She then started to practice and I was always there when she trained. She was becoming an amazing witch. For the next two years, her powers grew, with time she found out about the other supernaturals and all of this made us so much closer. She kept it secret from anyone else and I stayed quiet about her secret as well.

I didn't approve of the council keeping secrets from their children, but Jack made me promise that I would say something only if it was necessary. I promised him I would if in return he trained me to fight. It was amazing to tell you the truth, I was already an athletic person in general, but in time I learned how to shoot with a gun, a bow, learned self defense and was fully intending on perfecting taekwondo. After the attack there were no more vampires in Mystic Falls or the near towns, but that didn't stop me. I knew that the Lockwoods had the wolf gene in them and that our mayor was in fact one.

In some moments, it was hard to know all those things, especially when seeing how two of your best friends were only interested in parties and competing between each other for a game of 'who's better'. Bonnie and I knew how dangerous the world is, that at any moment everything could change, and things did change. Three months ago, Elena and Jeremy's parents passed away in a car crash. That night we were all at a party and Bonnie had a very bad feeling so she told Elena to go with us back home, but she refused and stayed longer. Two hours later, cops had came and she called her parents to pick her up. She was the only survivor in the crash that followed.

After that night, the town wasn't the same. Everyone mourned two of the most respected people in Mystic Falls. Elena became closed of and depressed, Jeremy had turned towards drugs and bad company. It was devastating. We tried to help with everything we had. Jeremy's behavior was borderline suicidal, so Sheila gave her approval for Bonnie to meddle a little. I couldn't stand to watch him anymore and Elena was to bussy hiding in her room to see it. So, one day we went to him and Bon did a spell that made him relive every single emotion, every horrible thing that he felt after the death of his parents and then we were there for him. She didn't manipulate him, she only pushed him towards opening up to us about it all. It helped him a lot. It took him so much strength and he showed so much inner power but in the end there was acceptance and the only way left was up.

Jeremy would never fully be okay with his parents being gone, that was never our intention, but with a clear head he saw that he was doing nothing good for himself. You could say that after that he became my best friend as well as a little brother. Bonnie was in my room with me and it came as a shock to us when one morning, he barged in my room with his family journal, exclaiming 'you're a witch?'. After a few hours he knew the truth. We kind of formed a club called 'I-know-about-supernatural-stuff-and-I'm-okay-with-it'.

That is how this summer passed by. The three of us being inseparable, Jer joining me when Jack taught us how to fight, me trying to cheer up Elena and helping Care with any events that she organized. Pretty normal, I know. But who was I? Well, I think that after learning my history it is time to know my name, right? So who's the girl that found herself in the middle of a super strange, dangerous but non the less extremely cool and bad ass story? Well, hello! My name is Emma Castor, I'm 17 years old. I have long wavy reddish brown hair and blue eyes. I'm 5''6 and due to my intense training I have slender and toned body. Just like a true Castor, I was calm and liked to meddle in fights or disputes and tried to solve problems. After finding about the secrets that this world held I don't have much interest in boy drama, so in that department I don't have a lot of experience. I have recently started a journal of my own, so today's phone call that I had with Bonnie and Jer is going there for sure.

It is the last night of our summer, tomorrow we're going back to school. I was downstairs with Jack listening to his animated story about how judgmental the council was and how he wanted to tell them the truth about a lot of their 'facts' that they based off their hatred of vampires. He was extremely passionate about it. But my mind was elsewhere, Bonnie had called to tell me that she had a bad feeling something big was coming. I believed her, Jer and I always encouraged her to follow her senses, so for her to say that it must be really big. It made me worried and excited at the same time, was something supernatural going to show up?

I was so giddy on the inside, I had to take a walk. It was around nine in the evening. I was so lost in my thoughts I didn't notice the figure that was coming my way. In a second I bumped into someone and I would have fallen if two strong hands didn't catch me in time. When I looked up to see who it was, my heart skipped a beat. Right in front of me was Damon Salvatore, I could never mistake him. His piercing blue eyes looked at me with amusement, his strong figure that loomed over me, almost caging me in place. He hasn't aged a bit from the photo over from a century and a half ago.

"Isn't it a little late to be walking around alone in the dark?" his velvet voice brought me back to reality. His hands still holding my arms.

"only for those who don't know what secrets hide in the dark." I replied and from the look of it, my answer had made him curious. He cocked one perfectly defined eyebrow and looked at me amused.

"And you know?" I nodded.

"Like I know that the danger doesn't hide in the dark anymore, it parades in the light as well." I reply surprising him. He stepped a little closer, smirking while seeing that I didn't back down or step away. I didn't carry any stakes, but my vervain necklace was something. I wasn't sure how I found out, but I knew he had turned off his humanity and that was not a good thing for me.

"And yet, you are still here and act so calm in the face of a stranger." he replyed.

"If I was to die, I would do it while facing my end right in the eyes." I answered, staring with no fear into his beautiful irises. I held my own even when those captivating windows to the soul turned red and black veins resurfaced under them.

"And what about now?" the vampire asked showing his sharp fangs on display.

"I would say that you are just as handsome as I thought you were a few seconds ago." I said and he looked at me completely stunned, not understanding my calm reaction.

"Do you know what I am?" he demanded his voice betraying a little of his surprise.

"A vampire."

"A vampire, exactly." he said, now hiding any emotions behind a stone cold expression. "Do you know what I could do to you?"

"Yes, I know." I said keeping my own voice calm. I knew I had to be careful, if not, these could be my last moments. "You could easily snap my neck or suck me dry but you can just as easily keep me alive."

"And why would I do that?" he asked, looking at me with interest, I briefly wondered if it was a good idea to catch the attention of somebody that dangerous.

"Because I don't pose as a threat to you and I have no intention of telling anyone your secret." I said and decided to continue even more. "And I'm sure that you are here for a reason."

"You are quite the unique girl, but I should have expected at least that much from a Castor." he finally said after observing me for a while.

"My ring gave me away I suppose?" I laughed, to which he winked at me in confirmation. "It's nice to meet you, Damon Salvatore. I'm Emma Castor." at that he looked at me once again in surprise, but that quickly vanished being replaced by amusement.

"So you know who I am?" I nodded. "Well, I must say that I am flattered to be mentioned in the journals of your ancestors." he smirked, not knowing how much I really knew about him. All the questions that were bubbling in my mind soon vanished when he took my hand and kissed it while not for a second breaking eye contact with me. I just knew that he was a girl magnet and if he acted so smooth all the time, no surprise there if he got laid all the time.

"This must be very useful when you want it to be, huh?" I asked amused, I just couldn't help *mentioning his devious charms.

"It's never failed me actually." he chuckled a little at his own words.

"It get's the job done." I add and he nods. His eyes sparkling with mischievousness. "You and I both know that I wear vervain. You don't need to flirt with me if you want something, you just have to ask right away." I said, not missing the astonishment that I receive in return. For somebody that has no emotions he sure reacts a lot.

"And what would you want in return, Emma?" Damon asked saying my name for the first time, making my insides shiver for a moment. That was new. "Don't kill anyone? Behave?"

"Don't be stupid." I said before I could stop. He looked at me questioningly, possibly asking himself why hadn't he snapped my head already. "You are a vampire. Vampires need blood, it's in their nature to be predators, some kill more then others, but it's the way things are."

"And you don't mind?" he asked me astonished.

"Of course it bothers me, but we both know that no one can make you do anything that you don't want yourself. I'm just saying that I do understand and I will never expect anyone to be something they are not." I don't know when it happened but he was right in front of me now, I could feel his breath fanning my face and his hand still holding mine.

"You become more interesting by the second, Emma." he finally said. His voice going down by an octave or two, eyes piercing my face like trying to detect a lie. In the end I just shrugged not knowing what to say in return. He finally came out of his own trance, chuckling he bend down so his lips were grazing my neck. They slowly traveled up till they reached my ear and he whispered. "And for that I will be seeing you around, Emma Castor." and he was gone.

Well that was something. Bonnie and Jer will have a fit when I tell them tomorrow. Only I'm going to skip the part where his presence made my insides turn in an unexpected fluttery way and my skin burned where he had previously touched.

Bonnie was right, something big was coming. It's name was Damon Salvatore.

Hey, guys!

This is the new story that I am starting. I hope you don't mind that my take on the TV series will make the characters a bit more OOC then my first story but this is all in the name of the plot. I have to say that a lot of things will change, I will vaguely follow the original line but things will be getting a different turn with the advancement of D.O.C.

Till next chapter,

Felly!