Promo for Season 2

I hope this posts cause this promo is HOOOOOOOOOT!!!
Ian Somerhalder doesnt need compulsion like a vampire, just his look makes me melt and want to do as he says lmao.
I could drown in those eyes *sigh*
Enjoy!

Chapter 12 ~ The Cabin and the Tomb

There was an uncomfortable silence between everyone the next morning.

The ladies, Elena, Bonnie and Vella made breakfast in almost complete silence, only speaking to each other out of necessity. In fact, Vella hadn't really spoke to anyone since she had woken up from her nap the day before. They ate in near silence as well.
When they were finished, they went into the livingroom to see if Damon and Stefan were ready. The two brothers had already been out of the house and back that morning with some items they needed to destroy the vampires in the tomb.
Before they left the house for the cabin, Vella decided she didn't like the plan. "I don't think Elena or Bonnie should come with us."
While Stefan whole-heartedly agreed, Damon didn't and either did Elena or Bonnie. They all wanted to make sure these vampires would be destroyed also, so they weren't staying behind.


It had been years since Vella had been to her family cabin. It was always taken care of with her father's money, his will had seen to that, so she had no need to visit it, unless she had wanted to.
On the drive to the cabin, Vella was going through so many emotions. The cabin was the place she had been the happiest growing up. The place where her parents would take her fishing, swimming and even water skiing. The place where her family went to get away from the rest of the world. It was hard for her to face being there in so long, especially after all her new memories had surfaced.
As they drove up the long laneway to where the cabin was, silent tears began to roll down Vella's face. They were both happy and sad tears. She was finally resigned to the fact she was going to die and didn't think she could have picked a better place to have her life end.
The cabin wasn't big or fancy. It was a one storey cabin, with white siding and a forest green wooden door. There was a flower garden with a path through it leading up to the front porch.
The five of them walked up the laneway, up the path through the garden and onto the porch.
Vella took the keys from out of her purse and unlocked the door.
Vella, Bonnie and Elena all walked through the door, while the brothers stood at the entranceway, not sure if they would be able to go in.
"Oops, sorry," Vella snickered. "Damon and Stefan you are welcome here."
Damon and Stefan came in and closed the door and they all walked into the main room.
Vella saw the painting she needed to take apart to get the parchment, it was a painting of a happy family playing at the beach.
Tears began to flow down her face, but she didn't let it stop her. She pulled down the painting and flipped it over to see where she could begin to take it apart. There was a loose spot on one corner, which she tugged at until the backing began to rip. When she had ripped about half of the backing, she found what she was looking for, the parchment.
Vella pulled the piece of parchment out and began to unfurl it. It was what she had been searching for, the spell and the directions to the huge underground tomb.
Damon and Stefan went out to gather the fuel and torches to kill the vampires in the tomb, and Gabriel and Lilith as well if they tried to intervene. They brought the stuff out to where the tomb door was supposed to be according to the map, though they couldn't actually see a door.
Vella, Elena and Bonnie joined them out there a few minutes later, carrying the map and a bunch of wooden stakes, just to be safe.
Even with the map, it was difficult to find the actual door to the tomb. It was covered with rock, grass and weeds.
After Damon and Stefan had moved all the rock and brush away, it was already mid afternoon.
It was time for Vella to do what needed to be done to open the tomb. She thought back to the words her mother spoke to her in her dream.
Vella first took the gemstone out of her pocket and threw it to the ground as hard as she could, where it broke into many many pieces.She then started a small fire and sprinkled some water on the tomb and on the broken shards of the gemstone and began to recite the spell on the parchment, but nothing seemed to happen.
"I don't think I can do this," Vella uttered to the group.
Stefan was the first to say something. "You can do it."
And Damon said, "We believe in you."
Elena and Bonnie nodded in agreement.
Vella breathed a few deep breaths and began to try the spell again, but again nothing happened. Vella was becoming frustrated.
"Do you need me to help?" Bonnie offered.
Vella gave her a grateful look, but declined, she knew she had to do this alone, she just had to have faith in herself.
Vella cupped her hands as if she was about to pray and brought them up to her face and with her eyes closed. She breathed some more deep breaths and said a silent prayer.
Once Vella was relaxed again, she began to recite the spell. This time the door of the tomb began to open.
It took about thirty minutes before the door was completely open, or at least open enough that Stefan and Damon could get down. By this time it was beginning to get dark, so Vella, Bonnie and Elena went back to the cabin to wait for Stefan and Damon. They would be back once they were done eliminating all the vampires in the tomb.
The three of them made something to eat and then they played some cards to kill time.
As it got darker, the mood in the cabin began to change to one of anxiety. None of them said it out loud, but they were all worried about Stefan and Damon. None was afraid more than Vella though. She knew that Gabriel and Lilith would be out and about now that it was dark, she just hoped they wouldn't find Stefan and Damon until all the vampires had been killed.
After a short while, Vella's anxiety got the best of her. She couldn't play cards anymore, even at the insistence of Elena and Bonnie. Instead she paced around the front door of the cabin unable to relax.
At one point Vella thought she saw movement outside, so she watched out the door intently, until she figured she had imagined it. As she was about to turn around to walk away, she saw movement again, but this time she knew it was real. Without thinking, Vella opened the door and ran outside.
Bonnie and Elena ran to the open door and yelled for Vella to come back.
Vella turned back to the girls and yelled, "Don't leave the cabin no matter what happens. Promise me."
Bonnie and Elena promised Vella they wouldn't leave and then shut the door.
Vella ran in the direction of the figure she had seen run by the cabin. She had a suspicion about who it was and she needed to find out. She had ran as far as the clearance to where the tomb is before she stopped suddenly. Standing in front of Vella was a girl, a girl who looked very much like her when she was a teenager.
"Violet," Vella uttered in disbelief.
Violet stared at her sister with cold eyes. "Yes, sister, it's me."
Vella went to take a step forward, but the look on her sister's face made her back up instead.
Violet started walking towards Vella, while Vella was trying to run, but Violet was too fast. She ran right into Vella and knocked her on the ground and stood over her.
Vella looked up at her sister in disbelief. "What's got in to you, Vi?"
Violet looked at her sister with a look of hatred. "You did this to me! You did this!"
"Did what?" Vella asked confused.
"Look at me! Look at what I am!" Violet yelled while grabbing her sister by the hair, lifting her up slightly and forcing her head back.
Vella had tears running down her face from the physical and mental pain. She wasn't sure what was going on, until she saw her sister's face change, change into the face of a hungry vampire. Vella tried to let out a scream, but Violet grabbed her around the neck to stifle the sound.
Violet looked right into Vella's eyes, with the same look of hatred. "If you promise not to scream I will give you a chance to ask what it is you want to know...before I kill you that is."
All Vella could do was shake her head slightly in agreement, then Violet threw her backwards.
Vella fell back and hit her head off the ground, which stunned her momentarily. She sat up and looked at her sister, who's face now seemed normal. "Where have you been?"
Violet gave her a menacing look. "You know the answer to that, don't you?"
"No!"
"Yes you do, Vella. You remember, I know you do"
"No, i don't. Please tell me?"
"Fine!" Violet yelled and then smacked her sister across the face.
The smack was so violent, it knocked Vella back a couple of feet. Vella tried fighting off the feeling of unconciousness that was trying to over take her. Her head was spinning and she couldn't make it stop.
Violet walked up to her and stomped on Vella's ankle, which cracked it in two.
Vella screamed out in agony, unable to conceal how much pain she was in. She didn't understand why her sister was so angry with her. How could it be her fault she was a vampire? And how did she become one so recently? She was ten when she disappeared but she looked about sixteen now.
Violet squatted down beside Vella. The look on her face now was one of pleasure and fury. "Gabriel and Lilith, they took me that night sister. All you had to do was give them what they wanted, but you couldn't do that. So they kept me as a renewable food source for six years...until they accidentally killed me. That was two years ago. Now I am what you see before you."
Her sister's words overwhelmed her. Vella wasn't quite sure what to say, what to think. What a horrible existence she must have led. But how was it her fault?
"I didn't know, Vi. I swear to you. It was the Founder's Council, they told me you died. They brainwashed me into believing you were dead."
"Liar!"
Vella looked at her sister with pleading eyes, tears running down her face. "Please believe me. If I had known I would have done something, anything"
Violet looked into Vella's eyes, probing, to see if she was lying. All she could see was the truth. Vella had no idea what had happened to her.
Violet's face suddenly changed from hatred, to one of sadness. All these years she had been convinced that her sister didn't care.
Suddenly, out of the darkness, Gabriel and Lilith appeared. They both had ominous looks on their face, which frightened Vella deep down.
Violet ran to confront them about what she had learned.
"Why did you lie to me?!"
Before Violet could react, Gabriel grabbed a long piece of wood that was on the ground and stabbed Violet right through the heart.
"NOOOOO!" Vella screamed.
Violet fell to the ground in a heap and ceased moving. She was dead.
Vella began to sob heavily. She hadn't got the chance to tell her sister she loved her and her heart was now heavy with regret.
Lilith ran over to Vella, grabbed her by the arm and began to drag her towards the tomb. "You are coming with us into the tomb. I couldn't have asked for a better meal for my family."
Vella looked towards the tomb and back to Lilith. She couldn't let them drag her into that tomb to be a vampire feast. She had to do something. Before she could think of anything, Damon appeared at the doorway of the tomb.
"Get away from her right now!" Damon yelled furiously.
Gabriel turned to face Damon with a look of enjoyment on his face. "She's coming with us into that tomb and you aren't going to stop us."
Damon stood at the doorway to the tomb thinking. He couldn't let anything happen to Vella, but he couldn't allow them in the tomb.
"She's going to die one way or the other, Damon Salvatore," Lilith mocked him with an evil smile. "Only you get to choose how that will happen."
Damon looked at Vella. He was desperate to save her but he didn't know how he could. He was strong and quick, but there were two of them.
As Damon thought this, his brother appeared behind him in the doorway of the tomb. "This is only going to end badly for you two," Stefan said directed towards Gabriel and Lilith.
Silence came over the clearing. The only sounds that could be heard were Vella's labored breathing and occasional whimper of pain.
"Don't let them win Damon, Stefan," Vella said bravely. "Whatever you do, don't let them in that tomb."
Damon and Stefan moved away from the doorway to the tomb towards Gabriel and Lilith, which momentarily distracted them.
It was the only chance Vella would get. Vella picked up one of the wooden stakes from the ground that they had dropped here earlier in the day. She then acted as if she was going to drag herself away from Lilith.
Lilith turned around to grab her, but Vella surprised her by stabbing the wooden stake right through her heart.
Gabriel yelled, "NO!" and ran over to try and stop Vella, but it was too late to save Lilith, so he snapped Vella's neck, where she fell down, dead.
Damon and Stefan were horrified, but it didn't stop either of them from reacting quickly. Damon ran up behind Gabriel to grab him, while Stefan grabbed the stake Vella had used to kill Lilith, and put it through Gabriel's heart, he died instantly.
Damon crouched on the ground beside Vella, tears streaming down his face. "This can't be, this can't be," he cried.
Stefan walked up beside his brother, crouched down and put his ear against Vella's chest. He couldn't hear a heartbeat, she was dead. He looked at his brother with regret, which sent Damon into a rage.
"I promised her, I promised I would protect her, Stefan," Damon cried desperately.
Stefan put his arm around his brother, trying to comfort him, but Damon shrugged it off.
"NO! She can't be dead!" Damon yelled with rage and pounded his fists on the ground, tears still streaming down his face.
Stefan knew there wasn't anything he could do or say for his brother, so he just stayed there to lend his support.
Damon turned to look at his brother with a confused and painful look on his face. "I don't understand. Why was she out here? Why did she leave the cabin?"
Stefan looked back at his brother with sympathy. "I don't know."
Damon stood up and began to pace, fists clenched, tears running down his face. It was a minute later when he noticed another body lying in the field.
He walked up to it to examine it. It had been a vampire, that he could tell, but who was it?
Stefan walked over to where his brother was to examine the body as well.
Damon began to think back to things Vella had said, when he realized who the dead vampire looked like, Vella. "I think this is, or was, Vella's sister."
Stefan looked at Damon with astonishment, but understood. That must have been the reason Vella had left the cabin and now they were both dead.
Damon walked back over to Vella's body and began to stroke her face. "I am so sorry, my love. I hope you will forgive me for breaking my promise."
The tears Stefan had been trying to hold back began to trickle down while listening to his brother. He had never seen him so distraught or heartbroken in a very long time. He hated to think how this was going to affect him.
Damon turned to Stefan, tears glistening his face. "I'm taking her back to the cabin. Can you clean up this mess?"
Stefan nodded his head slightly in agreement, he would allow his brother the time to be alone and grieve.

Chapter 11 ~ Best Laid Plans

Vella called the mayor's office early the next morning to make an appointment to see him. His office had said he wasn't available at first, but Vella told the secretary exactly what she wanted from him. After a minute she came back to the phone and said he would be available at noon.

Damon accompanied Vella to her meeting with the mayor.
Mayor Lockwood had been apprehensive at first, but the sheriff had told the mayor how helpful Damon had been in the past, so he reluctantly let him stay.
Vella kept her calm through the meeting, even though she felt like jumping out of her skin. She made Damon promise to compel her if she became too emotional during the meeting.
The mayor didn't tell Vella much that she didn't already know. He did however, have a journal that was her mother's, which he gave to her.
Vella wanted more, but it seemed like that's all the mayor was going to tell her.
Damon would have liked to have helped Vella, but the mayor was wearing vervain, just like all the members of the Founder's Council.
Before heading home, Vella dropped by the hospital to ask for a leave of absence. She had never taken vacation before, so her superiors didn't have much of an issue with it, especially after Damon compelled various staff members into agreeing with her.
Vella found it highly amusing to watch Damon compelling people, though she wasn't sure why.


When they arrived back at the boarding house after running a few more errands, Damon and Vella went up to Damon's room to read the journal that once belonged to her mother, Vivian. They read it from front to back, but found no useful information.
Vella could sense there was more to the journal, but she didn't know what or why she felt that way.
Vella allowed Stefan and Elena to read the journal as well, but they didn't find anything either.
It wasn't until later that night, that Vella remembered something. She remembered about their family cabin, which she hadn't been to in a few years.
She wasn't sure what made her think of the cabin, or what the significance was, but she intended on finding out.
Vella was upstairs looking through some bags of her belongings that her and Damon had brought back from her house earlier that day, when she noticed something odd. Her jewelry box that her mother had given to her when she turned 16, was slightly cracked, which she assumed was the work of Lilith.
When Vella examined it more closely. she noticed an amber colored gemstone inside that she had never seen before.
Vella instantly knew what it was, it was the gemstone the vampires had been looking for.
Vella was ecstatic, it was one step closer to finding this tomb and ridding themselves of a vampire problem.
If only I had the parchment with the spell and directions, Vella thought.
The gemstone would be the only thing she found that night, however.




The next day, Vella, Damon, Stefan and Elena discussed what they thought they should do next. None of them wanted to jump into this blindly, it was too dangerous. So they all kept looking through Vella's belongings to see if anything else mysteriously showed up.
Vella spent the day reading spells in her mom's spell book. She had only ever cast one spell in her life, the spell to make Damon very interested in her. She even toyed with the thought of telling Damon about that, but she decided on waiting for a better time to tell him. It's not like the spell was still working, so what harm would it do to keep it a secret from him for a little while longer?
Vella wasn't a witch, but she had it in her blood. If she had really wanted to study, she would be able to cast the spells in her mom's book, but she had no inclination or desire.
After speaking with Elena about the spell book, Elena offered to take the book to her friend Bonnie, since she was a witch.
Vella didn't feel comfortable handing the book over to someone she didn't know, so instead Bonnie came over to the boarding house to look at it.
Bonnie couldn't find anything special with the book, but she did find an interesting spell inside. It was a spell that could cause someone to speak to a family member who had passed on in their dreams.
Bonnie had never heard of the spell before and was reluctant to try it, but Vella just felt that this was the right thing to do.
The girls didn't bother to tell Damon or Stefan what they were doing beforehand, they kept it between themselves.
They found a room in the boarding house that would serve their purpose and Bonnie cast the spell on Vella.
None of them were sure it worked, but they would know by the morning.
It was late when Damon and Stefan had returned home that night, so Bonnie and Elena stayed there overnight.


Vella was standing in a small room with a few doors. She looked around but had no idea where she was. Normally she might have panicked not knowing where she was, but she felt safe and peaceful in this room.
Suddenly her mother appeared in front of her. She moved closer but realized she couldn't touch her.
"Sweet Vella I don't have much time," her mother began to say. "You must find the parchment before the vampires do."
"But where is it mom?" Vella asked.
"It's in the family cabin, behind the painting in the main room," her mom answered.
"What do I need to do?"
"You must destroy the gemstone and then cast the spell to open the door to the tomb. Then you must destory all the vampires within, it will be the only way the town will ever be safe. Too many family members of those trapped in the tomb still walk among you," her mom replied with a sense of foreboding.
"But I can't cast any spells mom, I'm not a witch," Vella replied in desperation
"You may not have been taught any magic, but it IS in you. If you must, you will be able to, you just have to believe in yourself."
Vella's mother began to slowly fade away from sight.
Vella cried out, "Mom, please don't go. You can't leave me"
As the image of her mother disappeared, she could hear her say.
"I must go now, I believe in you. Be careful and stay safe, my baby"
As Vella stood there in hopes that her mother would come back she heard her whisper, "I will love you no matter who you are with or what you become. Never forget that."




Vella sat straight up in her bed gasping, suddenly wide awake. Could I have imagined that?
She looked around the room in the dim light of early morning, but everything seemed normal.
Vella startled Damon awake when she jolted upright. He looked at her with a confused but concerned look. "Are you okay?"
Vella grinned at him happily, "Yup. Sorry for waking you up."
Damon shook his head a little with a raised brow. "Why did you jump like that than?"
"Oh, that," Vella said. "I had a strange dream, it just surprised me is all."
Damon watched Vella jump out of the bed and run out of the room acting strangely.
Damon couldn't help but snicker at Vella before he followed her out of the room, she was only wearing her bra and underwear.
When Damon caught up to Vella, she was in the bathroom and seemed to have noticed she wasn't wearing much because she had put on the robe that was usually hanging in the bathroom.
"Seriously Vella, what's going on? Damon asked impatiently.
Vella turned around to face him. She was smiling but at the same time she had tears running down her face. "I will tell you in a bit, I promise."
Damon raised his eyebrow and was about to say something, than changed his mind. He figured Vella would tell him eventually. Instead, he went back to his bedroom to find some clean clothes to wear.
The sun was almost fully up when Vella came back into Damon's room. She still hadn't gotten dressed which excited Damon, he was feeling a bit frisky.
Damon walked up to Vella and brushed the hair away from her neck. He then leaned in to gently kiss at her exposed neck, which brought goosebumps to Vella's skin. Damon suddenly realized how thirsty he was and how bad he wanted to bite Vella right now, so he pulled away quickly.
"What's wrong, Damon?" Vella asked hurtfully. "Did I do something wrong?"
Damon gave her a weak smile. "No my dear, you did everything right, thats the problem."
Vella's look turned from hurt to shocked and then began to blush a little. "Oh!"
Damon didn't want anything more than Vella right now. He picked her up, laid her carefully on the bed and began to kiss her passionately.
Vella was shocked at Damon's loss of self control, it almost scared her. She knew he would be hungry right now.
As Damon's kissing went back to Vella's neck, she pushed him away.
Damon looked right into Vella's eyes, he could see the fear inside her, which was all it took for him to regain control. "I'm so sorry," he whispered.
Vella looked at him with a forgiving smile. "It's okay, Damon. It just happened so fast I wasn't really ready."
"No, it's not okay," Damon said with regret. "I could have hurt you or even kill you, this isn't right."
Damon tried to get up from the bed but Vella kept a hold of him. "But you didn't hurt me. That's all that matters."
Damon's face suddenly turned to one of frustration. "You really don't realize how easy it would be for me to kill you, do you?"
Vella closed her eyes and then opened them before speaking. "I am completely aware of that fact, Mr Salvatore The thing is...it doesn't matter."
Damon opened his mouth to say something, but Vella hushed him.
"I mean it, Damon. I know you will never understand but if that's how I died then I would die happily, instead of...." Vella stopped herself before finishing the sentence.
Damon watched as tears began to spill from Vella's eyes. He really hated doing this to her, she was too good for him.
Damon lifted up her chin so he could look deep into her eyes. "I don't want you to speak of dying because I'm not going to let that happen."
Vella wanted to believe him, but she didn't. There were too many wicked forces at work to believe that. She had already resigned herself to the fact that she would be dying soon, all she wanted was to die happy and not alone.
Damon seemed to know exactly what she had been thinking, because he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. "We have each other Vella and I'm not going to give that up so easily."
More tears began to spill from Vella's eyes, but this time happy ones. She knew he was no match for her destiny, but she wasn't going to argue.
They held each other for a short time, until Vella finally broke the silence. "I want you to take some blood from me, Damon. I can tell you are thirsty and you need it."
Damon looked at her about to refuse, but she added, "And I'm not taking no for an answer."
As strong willed as Damon was, he wasn't any match for Vella. She seemed to know exactly what to say and do to influence Damon.
As Damon brushed the hair from Vella's neck, he could feel her shudder. Before he could go any further, Vella begged him to share his blood with her as well.
Damon wanted to refuse, but he wasn't thinking clearly any more. He bit his wrist and offered it to her.
As Vella took Damon's wrist, he pierced the skin in her neck with his razor sharp teeth.
What only took a few minutes, felt like hours to Vella, but the sun gave the time away. It had finally came all the way up and was shining into the room.
Vella and Damon laid in bed for a short while, until they heard someone walking down the hallway.
They both got out of bed, got dressed and headed downstairs.
Stefan was in the livingroom when they walked in. He was reading the newspaper with a look of disdain.
Vella figured there must have been more attacks.
This has to end now. I can't allow more innocent people to get hurt.
Damon sat down beside his brother to see what was up, while Vella walked into the kitchen. She could already smell some food cooking.
Elena and Bonnie were busy making breakfast.
Vella felt guilty for not coming down sooner to help, which made her blush at the thought of why she hadn't.
When the food was done, the three of them sat down at the table and began to eat their breakfast.
Vella was famished, but found it hard to eat knowing what she needed to tell them all.
After they had finished eating, they cleaned up the dishes and decided to head into the livingroom to see what Stefan and Damon were up to.
When the three of them walked in the room, Stefan and Damon were huddled together using hushed voices, which suddenly stopped.
Elena and Bonnie sat down at the loveseat that was across from the couch that Stefan and Damon were sitting at, while Vella sat on a chair beside the couch, trying to avoid Damon's gaze.
Stefan let out a sigh and said, "There was another attack last night. This time there were five victims."
Vella felt a wave of guilt course through her. She had to stop this now.
Vella gathered up all the courage she could muster before she spoke.
"I have some more info." was all Vella managed to get out before she began to shake uncontrollably.
Damon got up from his seat and crouched in front of her. He lifted her chin and looked into her eyes.
Almost instantly Vella felt calm and was able to go on.
"I had a dream last night that my mother came to me," Vella began.
Bonnie and Elena exchanged knowing looks, while Stefan and Damon looked confused.
Vella explained to all of them what her mother had told her in the dream, making sure to mention the part about the spell Bonnie had cast for the benefit of Stefan and Damon, who didn't know anything about the spell.
After she was done, Vella added, "This has to be done right away, I can't live my life in fear anymore. I also can't allow more people in town to die."
The five of them began to discuss various plans, while each one made Vella's stomach feel more upset.
Vella tried real hard to be brave but she wasn't. She knew she was probably living the last day of her life and she wasn't ready for it to end, especially now.
It wasn't long before Vella felt physically ill. She ran from the livingroom, up the stairs, down the hall to the bathroom and began to vomit.
She heard someone coming down the hallway towards the bathroom and yelled, "Don't come in!"
The door swung open and Damon was beside Vella before she could even blink. She tried pushing him away but he wasn't going to move.
Damon grabbed a hold of her, looked her in the eyes and said, "Vella, this isn't helping. I told you I would protect you and I will."
Vella was shaking, crying, screaming and trying to get out of his grip. She was far beyond upset this time, she was inconsolable.
Damon did what he had to do to calm her down. He grabbed her more forcefully, forced her to open her eyes and compelled her.
By this time, Stefan had made it to the bathroom door. He ran in and grabbed Vella's unconcious body from Damon's arms.
"Damon!" Stefan yelled, "What the hell were you thinking?
Damon was squatting down with his head in his hands and he looked as if he was in pain.
Stefan ran quickly and placed Vella in Damon's bed and asked Elena and Bonnie to stay with her, while he went to talk to his brother.
When Stefan entered the bathroom, Damon was still in the same position.
Stefan walked over to his brother and put his hand on his shoulder.
"Damon, what's wrong?" Stefan enquired delicately.
Damon took his hands off his face and flopped himself to the floor. He was staring as if he didn't notice Stefan was there.
Stefan did the only thing he thought might help and slapped Damon hard across the face.
The slap seemed to wake Damon up. He turned his head to face his brother. who had angry tears running down his face.
Stefan had never ever seen Damon so distraught. He wasn't even sure what to say to him.
Damon wiped the tears out of his eyes and turned to face his brother again. "It's Vella, she's so afraid of what's going to happen that I couldn't even compel her to relax. I think I tried too hard cause she passed out."
Stefan patted Damon on the back and tried to reassure him Vella would be okay.
"You don't know that for sure, Stefan!" Damon yelled.
"You're right I don't, but you need to stay strong for her...and for you."
Damon closed his eyes, he knew his brother was right, but he couldn't help himself.
After a quiet minute, Damon turned to his brother and asked, "How do you do it, Stefan?"
Stefan look at his brother with concern, "Do what?"
Damon looked at his brother with a mixture of doubt and gratefulness on his face. "Love. I love her Stefan and it's making me crazy. I have fought for so many years to keep these emotions from doing this to me again. And my humanity, I fought to keep that away too and now look at me!"
Stefan gave his brother a nod of understanding. After all, this is how he felt all the time with Elena.
Damon was afraid of something happening to Vella more than anything. He would never wish a vampire life on her, but he also hated how fragile a mortal's life could be. As much as he gloated about being able to protect her from anything, he knew it wasn't true and feared Vella saw through the act.
Stefan stood by his brother until he knew Damon was okay. As he was about to walk out of the room, Stefan turned around to ask his brother a question. "Damon, have the two of you shared blood again?
Damon looked at his brother shrewdly, which told Stefan all he needed to know. Stefan shook his head disapprovingly and walked out of the bathroom without another word.
Damon got up from the bathroom floor and splashed some cold water on his face. He wasn't quite sure what had gotten into him, but he was going to make it stop now.
Damon walked down the hall to his bedroom, to find Stefan, Elena and Bonnie all there in the room beside Vella's bed. She seemed to be resting peacefully, which made Damon feel a bit better. Bonnie and Elena turned and left the room quickly as Damon walked in, but Stefan stayed.
Damon gave his brother a look of irritation, but Stefan didn't leave. "What is it brother?"
Stefan wanted to say what he had to say to Damon as delicately as possible, but he didn't think he could. "You did this Damon. Obviously your bond with Vella is very strong, maybe too strong. I wouldn't advise doing it again, at least not until the danger has passed. Unless you intend on changing her."
As Stefan was speaking, Damon's face became contorted by rage. He knew his brother was right, but he sure didn't want to be told off like he was a child. He wanted to hit his brother, make him pay, but he wasn't really mad at Stefan, he was mad at himself.
Stefan left the room to give his brother some privacy and to think over their plans for the tomb now that they knew how to get to it.


It was some time later, when Vella came down the stairs escorted by Damon. Everyone pretended that earlier had never happened, which seemed easier on everyone, and they went on making plans.
Vella was a little apprehensive about it all, but she trusted Damon and Stefan would be able to pull it off. She was feeling better after her freak out and subsequent nap, but not well enough to contribute much to the conversation.
They hatched out a final plan, and then the three ladies had some dinner since it was getting late. They had all decided to start early the next morning, so they all went to bed early, except the two brothers.
Stefan and Damon stayed up for a while talking, planning and then they went out hunting. Stefan for his usual diet of animal blood and Damon for his usual diet of human blood.
Damon tried convincing his brother to drink some human blood too, so he would be strong enough to fight these other vampires, but he refused.
After the brother's were finished hunting, they went back to the boarding house and got some sleep.

Chapter 10 ~ Regrets

Vella was waiting until she knew Damon was gone and Stefan was busy so he wouldn't hear her. She walked down the stairs, through the livingroom and out the front door without being noticed.

Vella was fishing the keys to her car out of her purse. Damon had kindly brought her car to the boarding house for her the day before.
When she found the keys she started the car and began to drive away from the boarding house.
Vella had no clue where she was going. All she knew for sure was she was going there alone. She didn't think she deserved anyone's help because the whole situation was her fault. Why didn't I let my mom teach me witchcraft? Why did I have to be so stubborn? Why couldn't the vampires have killed me instead of my little sister? Her thoughts we all toxic to her well being, but she was too distraught to realize it.
Vella had only got half a mile from the boarding house when all of a sudden there was something in the middle of the road. She had been going too quickly to stop so she tried to swerve, but her car hit the ditch on the other side of the road, rolled over and came to a stop on the passenger side.
Vella was hurt, but alive. She was thinking how grateful she was for her seat belt, when suddenly she was being yanked out of it and thrown on the grass in the ditch.
Vella was stunned from the landing. It felt as if she had a cut on her right shoulder. She tried to prop herself up on her left side, when something grabbed her right arm suddenly.
Vella screamed out in agony from the searing pain. When her eyes came back in to focus, she realized it was Gabriel.
"Did you really think you could hide from me?" he uttered in an ominous voice.
Vella tried to scream for help, but Gabriel dug his fingers deep into the large gash on her right shoulder which caused her to whimper instead.
"I wouldn't bother trying that again, it's just going to hurt you more," Gabriel whispered in her ear.
Vella shuddered. She couldn't think straight, she was in too much pain. She tried to move away from him, but that only caused him to push his fingers deeper into her shoulder.
"It must be horrible being so weak," Gabriel chided. "If you would only give me what I want I would leave you alone."
Vella gave him an evil look. "You must think I'm really stupid. The moment you get what you want you will either kill me, or turn me into a vampire."
Gabriel narrowed his eyes. "You are correct, but you are forgetting one thing."
"What's that?" Vella asked, though afraid of the answer.
Gabriel began to cackle. "If you give me what I want, I will kill you quickly. But if you don't, than I will take my time torturing you as painfully as I possibly can."
Vella knew this was it. She wouldn't give the vampire what he wanted no matter what. She wasn't about to let them release over 100 super hungry vampires into the world. But first, she wanted to know something.
"If you want to know you have to answer a question for me."
"Well I don't have to do anything since I am the one who has the upper hand, but you amuse me, so ask me what you will, " Gabriel replied with an amused smile.
"What happened to my sister?"
Gabriel's eyes narrowed again. He was trying to decide if he should tell her, or if he would wait until he got what he wanted. He decided on the latter.
"I will tell you once I have what I came for."
Vella felt defeated. This was how her life was going to end and she didn't have the answer she needed.
Gabriel didn't give her a chance to think. He dug his fingers in a bit deeper and than bit her in the neck.
The sudden pain incapacitated Vella. She couldn't move or breathe. She felt like her whole body was on fire and she couldn't move. Her last thought before she sank into unconsciousness was of her sister.




Damon was out hunting in the woods close to town. Since the moon was so bright, he had to be careful not to be spotted by anyone. The only thing he sensed was a giant male deer. It wasn't his usual diet but it would do in a pinch.
He stalked the deer and drained it of all its blood, then cut a huge hole in it so other animals would clean up the body quickly.
Damon was disgusted by the taste, but he was too worried about Vella's state of mind to continue to hunt for more suitable prey at the moment. He figured he could visit the blood bank when he had a chance. Before he would head home though, he did a quick sweep of the forest in case the vampires after Vella were nearby.
While Damon was sweeping the west side of the forest, he felt a burst of energy, which was obviously a vampire. He had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He took off as fast as he could go in the direction of the energy burst.
As Damon approached the area where Gabriel was torturing Vella, he could hear her cry out in pain and then silence.
Damon didn't even bother to think of the possibility Lilith was around also, instead he ran super speed to where Gabriel was perched over Vella and stuck out his arm.
Damon's arm connected with Gabriel's head and sent him flying onto the road.
Gabriel got up and stared angrily at Damon, but instead of fighting he took off into the night.
Damon paused to listen and make sure Gabriel was gone before he ran over to Vella.
She was bleeding profusely from a wound in her shoulder and another in her neck.
Damon picked her up and ran towards the boarding house.
When Damon arrived at home, he yelled for his brother to help him.
Stefan came running down the hall to see what had happened. He was shocked to see Damon carrying Vella's limp, bloody body.
"Weren't you supposed to be watching her, Stefan?" Damon screamed.
Stefan didn't defend himself, there was no time. Vella needed help now.
Damon and Stefan did their best to stymie the bleeding, but the wound on her shoulder kept bleeding. The only thing Damon could do was bite his wrist, and try to get Vella to drink his blood and hope it would work fast enough before she lost too much of her own blood.
Stefan did not agree with this, but he didn't protest.
What else could they do? Definitely not take her to the hospital.
After what seemed like forever, the bleeding stopped and the two brothers relaxed...a little.
Stefan apologized profusely to his brother for not hearing her leave. But Damon was too sick with worry to care about his brother's stupidity, he would make him pay later.
Damon took her up to his bedroom once again and sat vigil. He didn't move again until she woke up the next afternoon.


Vella opened her eyes slowly, taking time to let them focus. Her head hurt and she didn't quite remember where she was at first.
Damon was instantly at her side, looking her over to make sure she was still healing.
Vella smiled weakly at Damon. She was beginning to remember what had happened and was grateful to be alive, or was she dead?
Damon made her promise not to move and grabbed her a glass of water, which she took willingly.
Damon helped her sit up so she could drink it.
Vella drank the whole glass which made her feel a bit better. All she really wanted was something for her headache though, but she didn't tell Damon. She figured she deserved to suffer through a little pain after the stupid thing she had done.
After Damon was sure she was going to be okay, he questioned her about leaving the house.
Vella just told him she didn't remember why she left, but she remembered.
Damon could sense she was lying, which incensed him.
Why did she not trust me? After all that I have done for her, how could she still not trust me?
He thought about it for a minute, than called her on her lie. He decided he would compel her if she wasn't going to be honest, but he didn't tell her that.
Vella began to sob a little. "I'm sorry, Damon. I don't want to lie to you."
Damon looked at her shrewdly. "Then why did you? I thought we trusted each other."
Vella wasn't sure what to say, she knew he was right and it hurt. "I do trust you."
Damon snorted a little. "It sure doesn't seem that way from my position."
Vella was suddenly feeling more regrets. She had failed her sister, she had failed herself and now she was failing the one person who had tried to help her. What was wrong with her?
Damon was angry and disappointed but most of all he felt hurt. After all they had gone through, after all they had shared, how could she do this?
Damon decided the best thing was to leave her alone for awhile. She needed her rest any way.
He decided to do something unlike him and find his brother. He needed help to make sense of this before he did something he regretted.
Stefan did his best to council Damon, but since he knew little of what they had been through, he couldn't say much. He did remind Damon of all that Vella had remembered in the past few days and how it was probably weighing heavily in her mind.
Stefan tried to assured Damon that it probably had nothing to do with him, he was positive of that. He could tell how Vella felt about him by the looks she gave his brother when she knew he wasn't watching. Stefan didn't need compulsion to tell him that.
Stefan actually made him feel better, which relieved Damon. Asking for his brother's help was not good for his ego, but he would do just about anything for Vella. If only she knew that, he thought, maybe that's the problem.
Damon went back to his room to check on Vella, who was sleeping soundly, so he sat by her bedside until she awoke an hour later.



When Vella opened her eyes from her nap, she saw Damon sitting in a chair beside the bed with his eyes closed, but she could tell he wasn't sleeping.
She felt a wave of guilt and regret wash over her. She was surprised Damon was even waiting for her after what she had done.
Vella sat herself up in the bed with her back on the headboard. She was feeling much stronger and she noticed her shoulder was healing quickly.
Damon got up from his chair and sat down beside her on the bed. He took a hold of her hand, wrapped his fingers between hers and gently squeezed.
Vella squeezed her hand in return and turned to Damon, who looked like he had lost his best friend.
"Damon, I'm so sorry," Vella apologized. " I never meant to hurt you."
Damon turned and looked into her eyes and frowned. "I know you're sorry, Vella. That's not why I am upset."
Vella frowned, she wasn't sure she wanted to hear what he might say.
"I'm upset because I wasn't thinking about your state of mind last night. I should have known you weren't thinking clearly. Instead I left you alone."
Damon went to look away from her, but Vella put her hand on his face and forced him to look at her again.
Vella had a few silent tears running down her face. She wasn't sure which emotion was responsible however. It could be the guilt, the shame, the regret or maybe, love?
"It wasn't your fault, Damon," Vella whispered.
Damon leaned closer until his lips were brushing the side of Vella's face close to her ear. He whispered, "That doesn't matter now. What does matter is..."
Damon couldn't finish his sentence. What he wanted to say was 'us', but he didnt think he could actually admit his feelings out loud to himself and Vella. There were very few things in this world that could frighten Damon, but love was one of them.
Vella nuzzled her face up against his, hoping he would finish his sentence. The suspense was killing her. She just had to know what he was going to say.
Damon opened his lips and whispered, "I love you, Vella."
Vella pulled her head back a bit and turned Damon's head so she could look him in the eyes. She wasn't sure how long she stared into his eyes, it seemed forever. Vella had to know if he was telling the truth, his eyes told her everything. She began to breath a little heavier, she was scared but exhilarated at the same time.
Vella finally got the courage to whisper, "I love you too," while a happy tear rolled down her face.
Damon and Vella embraced each other tightly, neither of them uttering a word. They had been alone in the world for a long time, but now they had each other.




It was many hours later, when Vella and Damon left Damon's bedroom.
Vella grabbed herself something to eat in the kitchen, while Damon searched the house for his brother, but didnt find him.
They sat on the couch making plans about their next moves against the vampires.
Vella was feeling much braver than she ever had thanks to Damon, but she was still terribly frightened.
When Stefan arrived home later that night, Damon and Vella discussed their plans.
Stefan wasn't thrilled with their plan, but he didn't object. He knew they had to do anything and everything they could do to stop the massive tomb from being opened, but that

Chapter 9 ~ Lies and False Memories

Vella and Damon woke up early the next morning to the sun shining in their eyes.
Damon normally kept the curtains closed but he had been too preoccupied to remember trivial things like that lately.
The two of them cleaned up and went down into the kitchen so Vella could have some breakfast.
Vella wondered why Stefan and Damon bothered to keep food in the house when they didn't eat, but she figured it was for Elena, since she practically lived there nowadays.
After Vella finished eating, her and Damon went outside for some fresh air and then came back and sat in the livingroom until the sherriff showed up.


When Sheriff Forbes arrived, she asked to talk to Vella privately.
Damon gave her a shrewd look but relented to her request. Instead he went upstairs to tidy up his room.
Vella told the sheriff exactly what Damon had told her the day before. Her house had been ransacked and she left to find somewhere safe.
The sheriff wanted Vella to explain why she hadn't called the police.
Vella studied the sheriff's face, before answering. "Because I don't trust anyone in this town anymore."
Sheriff Forbes was shocked by this statement and wanted to know why that was. The town had taken care of her when her parents were murdered.
Vella snorted incredulously at this statement. She knew that wasn't entirely true. After she had shared blood with Damon, she had began to discover memories she didn't know were there before. The vampire attack just intensified the memories that had been dormant for so long.
Vella began to feel angry towards the sheriff for her false concern. She wanted to throttle her senseless but she kept a calm exterior
The memories Vella had began to remember, involved many members of the Founder's Council, including the sheriff. What she really wanted to know was why they lied to her about what happened to her and her parents.
When Vella confronted the sheriff about this, she denied knowing anything about her new found memories. Instead she was adamant that the events happened just like she had always known.
Vella knew the sheriff was lying but didn't press her. She knew Sheriff Forbes would go back to the mayor and the Founder's Council and tell them what was going on. Maybe she would get some answers now.
Vella walked the sheriff to the door and closed it behind her. She was standing behind the door with her hand on the knob when tears starting flowing.
Damon had heard the door close and came downstairs to see if Vella was okay after her encounter with the sheriff. When he noticed she was crying again, he took Vella into the livingroom and sat her on the couch.
Vella leaned on Damon for support. She buried her face into his chest and began to sob heavily.
Damon was distressed by all the crying Vella had been doing. He wished she would open up so he would know how to help her. He was considering using his compulsion but he couldn't justify it to himself. He would just wait until she was ready.
After about ten minutes, Vella's sobs became little more than the occasional whimper and then stopped altogether.
Damon lifted her head up gently and kissed her forehead. "Are you okay?"
Vella stared into Damon's eyes, which made her feel more relaxed. She wasn't sure whether she felt relaxed because she felt safe with him, or because he was compelling her to relax, but she decided it didn't matter either way at this point.
"I'm fine, Damon," Vella whispered.
Damon smiled at her, then leaned in and kissed her gently on the lips.
Vella kissed him back as gently as he had kissed her. She was surprised at how he could make her feel.
Vella felt safe with him like she had never felt safe before, at least not since her parents were murdered. She laughed to herself when she thought of how crazy she sounded. Damon? Safe? She never would have guessed things would have turned out like this.
Even though it hadn't been long since Vella had known Damon, she knew he was more sensitive then he ever let on. She felt herself falling deeply in love with him, but she couldn't think about that right now. She didn't need anymore distractions. She had to concentrate on her memories and figure out what these vampires wanted with her.
Damon and Vella cuddled up on the couch, each dwelling on their own thoughts.
Damon was well aware of his feelings for Vella and how dangerous they were. He knew if he wasn't careful something bad could happen to Vella and he knew he would never forgive himself if it did. He never went back on a promise, ever.
Is this how Stefan felt? Damon wondered. Is this why he is always brooding?
Damon never imagined he would ever be able to sympathize with his brother, even if they lived a million years. What a strange turn of events.




Stefan arrived home later after school with Elena in tow.
While Elena and Vella cooked some food in the kitchen for themselves, Damon and Stefan spent some time talking about the meeting with the sheriff.
Stefan reminded Damon that they needed to be careful where the Founder's Council was concerned.
Damon rolled his eyes at his brother. It's not like he needed to be reminded of this fact.


After they were finished eating, Elena and Vella joined the brothers in the livingroom.
Vella decided that this was the time she needed to tell them all what was really going on.
Vella summoned up all the courage she could muster before she spoke.
All eyes were on Vella. They all wanted to know what was going on, but no one more than Damon.
Vella tried her best to keep her eyes on Damon while she spoke so she could keep calm because the memories were still too painful.
"My mom was a witch, but she was much more than that. She was also the town protector," Vella started.
"For 125 years there has always been a witch protecting the town and a very important, but dangerous secret."
Vella choked back a few tears and went on explaining.
"Since the trouble they had in 1864 with vampires, the town decided they needed to stay vigilant. So their decision was to build a huge underground tomb, bigger than the tomb underneath Fell's church."
With this Damon and Stefan exchanged glances, while Vella went on explaining.
"It took them until 1884 to completely finish building it. Their plan was when they caught a vampire, they would lock it in the tomb so they couldn't create anymore vampires.This way they knew where they were and could ensure the town's safety. The only problem was they needed a witch to protect the seal."
Vella took a drink of water from a glass she had gotten earlier. She was starting to shake a little and almost dropped the glass, but Damon caught it before it fell onto the floor.
Vella looked into Damon's eyes apologetically. She was relieved to see a supportive smile from him.
"The Founder's Council are the ones who have kept the secret through the years. They have passed it down from generation to generation. That's how my mother became the town protector, from her mother and eventually it was supposed to be me."
It was hard enough for Vella to know this, but harder for her to say it out loud. It was what she had fought about with her mother they day she died and she couldn't forgive herself. Suddenly, she couldn't hold back the tears anymore. She let the tears fall and breathed a few deep breaths.
After she got herself under control she went on with her story.
"For the last 125 years, the Founder's council have been locking vampires up in the tomb. For some reason, unbeknownst to anyone, vampires like to frequent this town."
Vella had a hard time saying the last part without slightly grinning.
Stefan interrupted. "So how many vampires are we talking about Vella?"
"I'm not quite sure Stefan, that memory is still a little fuzzy but I know that it is in excess of 100."
Elena and the brothers gasped.
"Are you serious?" Elena asked.
"Unfortunately, yes. No vampire has been entombed in over 30 years though. My mother was the last person alive who knew the exact location of the tomb and who had the spell to break the seal.:
"So this is what these vampires must be after then," stated Stefan. "A way into the tomb."
"Yes, they have many family members in there and they want them all out. That's what they were after the night they killed my parents."
Vella took a few deep breaths so she could go on. "It seems they were after some gemstone and the spell for the seal. The spell is on a piece of parchment with a map to the tomb."
Damon, Stefan and Elena began talking amongst themselves for a few seconds, while Vella calmed down.
"The night my parents were killed I had come home to the door open and ran in without thinking. After the vampires killed my parents, they grabbed my sister and told me I needed to tell them what they needed to know," Vella closed her eyes. "But I didn't have a clue, because I had told my mom I wasn't interested in becoming a witch. That was what we had been fighting about earlier that night."
Vella didn't think she could go on with the story. She blamed herself for everything, especially for her sister. Her sister had only been ten years old and it was all her fault. Those words kept running through Vella's head.
Damon got up off the couch, walked over to Vella and held her close to him. She was shaking and sobbing but Damon's touch calmed her down a little.
Damon whispered in Vella's ear, "It's okay," then kissed her on the forehead and hugged her tightly.
When Vella was finally able to go on again, Damon sat back down on the couch.
"The male vampire, who I now know as Gabriel, held my sister, while the female vampire, Lilith came over to me and tried to compel me. She was livid when she realized I was wearing vervain too. Instead, she decided to take a bite out of me. She told me she would be torturing my sister until she got what she wanted."
Vella had silent tears running down her cheeks while she spoke. "I passed out at some point and woke up in the hospital surrounded by members of the Founder's council. I heard them discussing my mom's possessions and how they were unhappy they couldn't find something. I pretended to be asleep for awhile. It's all I pretty much remember. At some point they must have brainwashed me somehow to believe what they wanted me to."
Stefan, Damon and Elena all looked at each other with stunned looks on their faces.
Vella excused herself and went up to Damon's bedroom and laid on the bed face down. She began banging her fists on the bed with anger, which brought a new wave of tears. All she really wanted to know was what happened to her sister. Did the vampires kill her? Did they turn her? The unknown was more painful than any answer could be.
This is all my fault!
Damon came upstairs to see how Vella was a few minutes later. He had been speaking to his brother and Elena about all the new information.
When Damon entered his room, Vella was standing at the bedroom window looking out into the night sky.
The moon was full that night. It shined so brightly, it illuminated the forest surrounding the boarding house as if it was daytime.
Damon walked over to Vella and laid his hands on her shoulders. Neither of them moved or made a sound for a short time.
Finally, a few minutes later, Vella turned around and nearly passed out.
Damon scooped her up and laid her gently onto his bed.
"I'm sorry, Damon," Vella whispered to him.
Damon gave her a questioning look. "For what?"
"For everything," she replied. "For getting you involved in this mess. For being needy."
Damon placed his fingers on her lips to hush her. "Vella, you are not being needy. You just need someone right now and that person is me."
Vella gave him a weak smile. "It's kind of you to say but I know it isn't true."
Damon looked into her eyes sadly, "Why would you say that?"
"Oh, come on, Damon. Wouldn't you rather be doing something else, anything else than taking care of me, if I hadn't made you promise to help me?" Vella asked.
Without hesitation, Damon replied, "No, absolutely not."
Vella rolled over on the bed so she was laying on her side, facing away from Damon. She was feeling pitiful and she didn't want Damon taking pity over her. She would take care of her problems by herself. She was used to doing things alone. No one else needed to be hurt in the process.
Damon crawled onto the bed behind her and gently turned her over so she could look into his eyes. "Vella, please don't shut me out now. You can't do this alone. You need friends at a time like this."
Why couldn't she do this alone? Isn't that what she's been doing for eight years now? Having trouble keeping close friends? Having trouble confiding in people? Keeping everything to herself? These were all thoughts running through Vella's head.
Was Damon her friend? Vella thought there might be more between them, but maybe he was just pitying her. Yup, that was it, she decided, pity and the promise he had made her. Well Vella didn't want to be pitied, nor was she going to hold Damon to a promise he made before he knew what was going on.
Vella rolled over and mumbled something about being exhausted so Damon would leave her alone.
Damon kissed her on the back of her head and left the room. He knew she needed some alone time, so he decided this would be a good time to go hunting. Before he left though, he asked Stefan to listen out for her in case she needed something.