The New Original

The Damon Went Down To Georgia

After we left the party, Damon and I each grabbed a bag of clothes and headed down to Bree's Bar. By his own demand, Damon was the one to drive while I briefly considered what might become of Delena without this little bonding moment. I had shipped them for a moment in my youth before realizing that both were terrible apart and worse together. Actively separating them wasn't on my agenda though, whatever happened would happen.

~~~~~

" No. No, it can't be. Damon my honeypie." Bree hopped over the bar, grabbed Damon by the cheeks and shoved her tongue down his throat. " Listen up everybody!" She pulled away and shouted as she made her way back to her post. " Here's to the man that broke my heart, crushed my soul, destroyed my life, and ruined any and all chances of finding happiness?" Bree started pouring shots. " Drink up. Ahh. Whoo!" She calmed down and turned to me. " So, how'd he rope you in?"

" Bold of you to assume I'm not the one holding the leash." I held eye contact while downing both my and Damon's second shots.

" Whoo, girl! I like you." She looked between us and leaned in on her elbows, her voice getting more serious. " So, what do the two of you want from me?"

" We have the crystal. Now, all he needs is a witch." I told her upfront, nodding towards my raven faired companion.

" And what do you get out of this?" Bree cocked a brow in suspicion.

I leaned back and started examining my cuticles. " A. I kill the other 20 some vampires, keeping my deal to protect the local baby witch. B. I get to watch Damon come to the damning realization that I was right, and Katherine was never there. And finally, C. Well, that is for me to know."

" I see." She looked around. " You two enjoy your evening, we'll leave after last call."

" Damon?" I decided to get his input.

" That works just fine. How about a couple burgers while we wait?" He agreed, directing the last bit to Bree.

" Comin' right up."

The elder Salvatore and I moved to a table in the corner, not wanting to disrupt Bree's business too much. We got our burgers and Damon looked at me with his best serious face.

" The way you mentioned this place, I had thought the two of you met." He aimed at me.

" Oh, Damon." I shook my head in mock disappointment. " Haven't you realized by now? I know about things and of people." I sipped my tequila and red bull. I just wasn't a beer person and Mystic Falls was going to drown me in bourbon. " Interactions are best reserved for necessity, lest grudges form and weaknesses be unveiled."

" So, you have weaknesses?" Damon tried to charm.

" None that you're capable of exploiting. Besides, I happen to know all of yours too well." I finished with a malicious grin.

Silence creeped between us like it had the day prior. Damon kept forgetting who I was, that just because I was a woman, and just because I was so much younger than him, didn't mean I was one to fall for his tricks. I was in control, and slowly he would realize that what I told Bree was true, I am the one holding the leash.

" Okay..." Damon regained himself. " Say you're telling the truth and Katherine isn't in the tomb. Was she the one who turned you?"

" Hel no." I threw my head back laughing. " But my trap for her is set and her weaknesses are my strengths."

" Bullshit, You're a baby."

" And yet, I know more than you. Possibly even, more about you, than you.

" I doubt that." He glared. " Anyway, what's your grudge with her?"

" It's less a grudge, more a competitive game of survival and power."

She'd be fun to play with, but more than that I hated her. Watching the show I started off loving her, she was much more interesting and likeable than Elena. Unfortunately though, she was an awful person who deserved, maybe not what she had started the game off with but everything after. There's no consent under compulsion, Stefan was right to hate her and to be angry.

~~~~~~~

The evening dwindled on, it got busy, it emptied out, but now it was reaching two in the morning and it was almost time to go.

" So, anything you want to tell us before we get to Mystic Falls and you 'incendia' away this crystal?" I asked Bree as she wiped down the bar.

" I'm not an idiot, I can sense your strength from here." Damon perked up at her words. " The only potential problems I see arising are us needing a full moon this far from the comet, and the possibility of a blood seal meaning we might need a Bennet witch. Betraying you, would be like betraying one of Them, a death wish." The witch told me with conviction and a hint of fear.

" Good." I glanced around. " Anyone who can look after your bar while you're gone? The next full moon is almost two weeks away and I imagine you might want to go over that spell quite carefully."

She looked up apprehensively. " I can call someone."

" Perfect. If everything works out, you'll have paid whatever debt you have to Mr. Salvatore, and earned some very special jewelry for Ms. Lexi and her beau. Don't mess that up."

" Yes ma'am." The witch's voice shook slightly.

The bar closed up and Bree grabbed a go bag. We were on our way back to hell.