Love is a Wonderful, Painful Monster... And I'm a Vampire

Chapter 9: Bittersweet Memories; Get By With a Little Help from My Friends

Sorry, this is gonna be kinda short, It's just a filler until I get to chapter 10 :/

Enjoy!

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(June 30, 2013; 12:45 p.m.)

"So, what you're saying is that we have to go back to Mystic Falls because there are demons trying to slaughter like all the people there," Damon asked sarcastically, reading the headline of a newspaper Billy had printed out.

People had been experiencing strange blackouts, none of them remembering anything. Some had been convicted of murder, arson, and theft yet they didn't remember doing anything. A few had reported smelling rotten eggs, which meant sulfur, and Alex suspected that the others had smelt it too, and just didn't want to mention it.

"Damon, it's just a quick job. We find the black-eyed bitches, exorcise 'em, and them we can leave. You won't even have to talk to anyone," Alex assured him, hoping that was enough.

The troubled vampire sighed before nodded and grabbing his pre-packed bag and heading out to the '67 Ford Mustang convertible in the driveway. They had decided that only Alex, Stefan, Jeremy, and Damon were to go back, leaving Mike, Caroline, Sarah and Billy to watch their temporary hideout.

The five of them climbed into the car; Alex driving, Damon in shotgun, Jeremy behind Damon, and Stefan behind Alex. Alex pulled out of the driveway and twenty minutes later they were on the main highway heading toward Mystic Falls.

"You think the others will be happy to see us?" Stefan was the first to break the silence after half an hour of silent driving.

Alex opened her mouth, but Damon interrupted glumly before she could answer. "You two, maybe; me, not so much."

"Damon, come on, man. I'm sure once the demons are gone they'll welcome you back with open arms and a fresh bottle of bourbon," Jeremy assured him.

Damon shook his head, but silently made it obvious he didn't want to continue the conversation. Alex sighed slightly as she leaned back into her seat, resting her left arm on the door of her car in front of the window and keeping her other on the wheel.

She let herself get lost in her mind, something she hadn't done in a while, but she'd lost anything else to focus on. She recalled the day she had met the Salvatore family; they had seemed so happy together, but then her own family had seemed the same as well.

She had thought Giuseppe was a gentlemanly Italian businessman who was raising two boys, but then she saw the bruises on Damon's body.

**Flashback (Billy isn't born yet, by the way)**

It was April 12, 1864, and the Moonscars had been in Mystic Falls for a month now. Sarah had become friends with a few local girls and was out of the house almost all day every day, only returning while her friends went home for meals. Mike was busy with housework; fixing things around their mini mansion, walking the horses, cleaning the barn, hiding the bodies of their victims. Alex had been spending time with the eldest Salvatore boy, Damon.

She found that she related most to him; his wild nature, the rebellion in his heart, his need to stay just on the line of the rules. Alex had been the rebellious one as a human, although that meant mostly learning school subjects from Mike or their half-brother Niklaus.

That day the two friends were walking along the shore of the falls, silently enjoying each others' company. Suddenly, Alex no longer felt the ground beneath her feet and a cold, wet feeling covered her entire body.

Resurfacing, she saw a laughing Damon, standing watching her from where he had shoved her into the water. She dragged herself back to the shore and began to work on drying her maroon dress. Damon sunk down next to her, still chuckling, and smirked at her.