Our Little Cousin the Vampire Hunter (The Vampire Diaries)

Oh, How Time Flies

      Damon continued pouring liquour into his glass, whiskey following right after, and other multitudes of alcohol. He blinked hard after downing it, before drinking more. After three glasses filled to the brim with foul smelling, deep golden liquid, he looked at her. She hadn't changed at all, not really. Her black hair was no longer curly, but straight in that popular wispy style he'd seen a lot with girls around town lately. She had always been petite and he could see that hadn't changed in the slightest. The only thing that really stuck out was the long scar that ran from the bottom of her earlobe all the way down her jawline, to the edge of her chin. And...her eyes. He remembered her having large, hazel eyes. But now they were an odd shade a of grey, a bit stormy even. She did seem paler though, and wrinkles were forming around her eyes.

      She had on a glove that covered up to her elbow. On the bottom was a single, sharpened wooden stake. Her dark skinny jeans had a tear through them, as did her balck hoodie, both on the left side. Her boots were dirty and if he wasn't mistaken, drops of blood dotted them as well. He raised an eyebrow. Alydia noticed this and said, "It's night time. If you're trying to kill something at this time, you don't wear neon colors, Damon."

      "Right...."

      "So...um...you're a vampire now."

      "And...you're a vampire hunter."

      "Yep..."

      Awkward silence filled the space between them as her words hung in the air. Alydia could see that Damon looked exactly the same as he did back 1864. He was tall, lean. His black hair seemed a bit longer, although that could just be because it'd been over a century since she's seen him. His eyes were that bright shade of blue; eyes she could never forget. He was still her cousin, despite the fact that he craved blood and, apparently, from what she had seen so far, alcohol.

      "How did you become--how the hell are even alive?

      "A magic ceremony and an elixir," she answered. Alydia noticed how terribly confused he looked. She sighed. "Okay. Um...I saw you and Stefan get shot that night. I ran away because I figured I had no family left, considering my uncle had killed the both of you. I was in the woods, trying to understand what was going on. A man approached me and we began talking. I told him what had happened--I know, I know, stupid move on my part, but hey, it's what got me here right now--and he offered me a choice. I could die on my own in the woods or I could join him and become a hunter. I figuered 'What the hell. I have no one anymore.' You probably know which one I picked.

      "Next thing I know, I'm in this field and there's a woman before me and the man was holding me down. I remember a lot of fire, more blood, and vervain. Then I passed out. I woke up in an underground place and was officially a hunter."

      That confused look remained on his face. "And...what was the elixir?"

      "Vampire blood mixed with vervain."

      "...that's it?"

      Alydia shrugged. "It only works if you went through the ritual. If you didn't, you're basically drinking vampire blood and vervain."

      More silence followed. Finally, Alydia cleared her throat. "And what about you? You're a vampire now.... What about Stefan?

      "Long story short," he said. "Katherine turned us. Stefan? Tch. You know who Klaus is, right?"

      "Yeah," Alydia nodded. He was responsible for all the hybrids. Every hunter she knew  has been tracking him down for years.

      "For my sake, he went under his rule, lost his freedom. Just got it back tonight actually but I sill haven't figured out how to turn his humanity back on."

      "His humanity is off?"

      "I just said he was under Klaus's rule. Are you sure you know who Klaus is?"

      Alydia rolled her eyes. "Yes, Damon."

      "Just makin' sure."

      "Where is he now?"

      "I don't know," he answered.

      "Great...."

      "How did you get here, anyway?" he asked after a few minutes.

      "Well, um...basically, I ran away. Since I had left the only home I had ever known for the last century and a half, I came here. Wasn't even looking for you two either. Speaking of which, do you think it's possible to Turn his Humanity can get turned back on?"

      "Maybe."

      "Sucks that this is how I find out my cousin's been."

      "It wasn't always this bad. He liked bunny blood for a bit."

      "Niiice," she giggled.

      Damon chuckled along with her. He still couldn't get over the fact that his cousin was still alive. After all these years, she too had become completey immortal, as long as she drank that elixir. He was ecstatic that she was back, however the anger from Klaus and Stefan was still fresh in his mind. He sighed and looked back at Alydia. "I'm guessing you don't have a place to stay?"

      "Right. I came here because I thought I could just try to live here in secret..." she uncomfotably wrapped her hand around the back of her neck. "Lay low...."

      "Do you have a bag? Anything with your stuff in it?"

      "Um...yeah...." Alydia looked towards the windows where she had been perched before Damon had dragged her from it. She raised her hand and used her index and middle finger in a gesture meaning to come towards her. With that flick of her two fingers, a dark figure flew down from the window and landed in her arms. Damon noticed it was a large duffel bag. She turned back to him. He had his eyesbrows raised questioningly.

      "A witch friend of mine back in thirty-seven. Spell gone wrong."

      "Ah," he nodded. "So.... What are you still doing out here? Go find a room upstairs."

      "What?"

      "We never died and neither did you. So, technically, if you really think about it, you kinda still live here, Tiny."

      Alydia stood there staring at his back for a moment, for he had walked in the direction of the bar again. She shook her head at his nickname for her. She was back. In the Salvatore Manor. In Mystic Falls. It had been her home for four months over a hundred years ago. She was ready for it to become home again. Alydia smiled and got up.

      "What--no. What are you---the stairs are that way, Alydia--what the--"

      "Thank you Damon." She hugged him tightly. Though he was hesitant, he hugged her back. She smiled up at him one last time before grabbing her bag and making her way up the familiar staircase she hadn't walked on for a very long time.