The True Hybrid

Family Banter

"Damon?" I ask, seeing my twin, my son, and my love all standing and staring at one another. "Are you okay?" He looks over at me and smiles.

"I'm okay. Just dealing with some vampire jerks here." He responds. I roll my eyes and walk over to him. I pull his attention from my other family members, and kiss him.

There's a cough after a few seconds, so Damon and I pull away from one another and look at the others.

"What's going on?" I ask. They all look at me and I roll my eyes. I flash my hybrid eyes at Marcellus and a slight ounce of fear lights his eyes.

"Well, Tanya. Marcellus and I were just having a... conversation, when your mate showed up and disrupted us. Really I think this is all his fault, Marcellus and I are innocent." Nik speaks up. I cut a look at him and he sulks into himself.

"Marcellus, Davina is looking for you. She's worried, go to her." I say to the man that was once my son. He rolls his eyes, but does it either way. I then turn to Nik and Damon.

"You two are going to play nice, or I am ditching both of you pain in the butts and moving to Europe." I say, then grab Damon by the arm and vamp speed us away from the compound and to my apartment I now reside in.

"I missed you! You worried me the last time we talked, are you okay?" Damon showers me with statements and questions as we make our way inside, but all I do is kiss him. Not one of lust, but one of love. I then pull away and hug him.

It feels good to be back in the arms of the man I love.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

"Damon, we need to talk. I don't think we should do this. My family, they're going to kill you. Maybe not intentionally, but at some point you're going to get caught up in all of our family banter, and it's gonna end in your death. I can't... I can't do that." Damon looks at me shocked as I pour my dead heart out to him.

We sit on the couch, whiskey bottles and blood bags surrounding us, some Chinese takeout boxes scattered around the couch. It's been five hours since the family standoff, and I've been thinking about it nonstop.

I can't lose Damon. He means everything to me, more than any of my pst lovers ever did. He is my everything, but I can't be with him. Everybody that ever gets close to our family dies. My family has a long line of enemies, and at some point, one of those enemies is going to take Damon from me.

"Tanya, no. I don't care how much danger I'm in, you are my everything. You are the first person I have ever felt something real with. I've been on this earth for almost two hundred years, and I've never found someone like you. You can't kick me out." I pull him into my arms as a tear falls from my eye.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry! I have to do this. I have to!" I feel more tears start to fall, and then I look into Damon's eyes, compelling him. "Forget me, Damon. Forget everything about me. You went to New Orleans for a fun time, got drunk and high off of blood, went home with a girl, and she was gone when you woke up." I watch the compulsion desire his brain, and take this as my last chance to say this ever again.

"I love you, Damon Salvatore."