What Lies Beneath

Chapter 49: Asphyxia

There never seemed to be a lack of deathly mystery and intrigue when it came to Mystic Falls. Usually it was of the supernatural variety but unlike some, Damon could appreciate a good old fashioned murder spree by a salt of the Earth human. However as luck would have it, that human was apparently Alaric. Naturally there were signs if you counted his cache of weapons and his general willingness to put himself into danger killing vampires, but he just had never came off as the type of guy to go people hunting. After all he wasn't a vampire or a werewolf.

Of course that didn't really matter considering all the other normal non-supernaturals who butchered innocent people for the fun of it. But Alaric was different. He wasn't evil or fucked up in the head…or at least he hadn't been, not at first. The Gilbert ring he wore; not only did it keep him alive but it also shattered his mind or something. Gave him a split personality like it did one of the original wearers years and years ago—caused him to start killing members of the Council. He'd even stabbed himself so that he wouldn't be implicated in the other murders.

Alaric would have been a lot of fun back in the day in my BB period. Before Bonnie.

Anyway long story short, Meredith Fell—cutie vampire blood stealing doctor extraordinaire had framed him and cleared him all in the same breath with the Sheriff. She was kinda insane that way though anyone who looked out for Alaric couldn't be thathorrible.

Damon did not have friends because he was basically hard to get along with and dangerous. Yet somehow he and Alaric had formed a shaky friendship from the ashes of their mutual hatred. For all of his posturing, when Damon brought someone into his inner circle he went to bat for them if they got into trouble. He had been totally willing to help prove Alaric's innocence by any means necessary. Now they just had to make sure he didn't stab anyone to death.

Oddly enough though all the talk about who was killing Council members made Damon and Stefan think back years before when it had happened. Damon remembered himself as calm and controlled, and wanting to stay as far away from his brother as he could. Not because he didn't trust him but because he still blamed him for Katherine's incarceration and for getting him to transition into a vampire. A far cry from the creature he eventually turned out to be.

Sage helped with that though. For a strong vampire chick she sure had a lot of weird thoughts when it came to women. Bet had she been involved she'd have set the feminist movement back several years.

'Women are not just for food. They're for pleasure.' But when you were a vampire that was true of everyone and he had never passed over food or the chance to fuck with someone just because they had a dick. People came in so many interesting shapes, sizes, colors and genders; it would be stupid to deny himself any of that.

Now though he mostly only sipped from blood bags or Bonnie. Sometimes he missed being able to prowl and destroy as he pleased, but he figured what he'd gained was so much better than anything he'd given up. Seriously he was with a hot as hell witch who could move the earth with a single thought, who looked at him like he was the most important man in the world and who was not scared to risk her life to save him. Murder just didn't compare.

Moving on to other thoughts, Bonnie's mother planned to become a vampire which sort of blew Damon's mind. He was just happy that he had nothing to do with it…unlike that unfortunate mess with Isobel. He'd offered to help but Bonnie felt Caroline would be an easier fit in the grand scheme of things. Yes he had more experience but Abby also wasn't that fond of him. In trying to be a normal mother she'd decided looking out for her daughter's love life was the way to go.

Whatever. As long as she learned to control herself. However it seemed a pity that she wasn't going to have her kill everything in my path phase. Those were awesome.