• Part One:
    Mystic Falls, 1862

    "Sit up straight Alexandria." The words rang clear and cutting through the humid spring air. A sigh was pulled from my lips. The corset was pulling tight on my ribcage and breathing was once more difficult.

    "Yes Grandmother." I murmured meekly, eyes downcast as the carriage rattled down the well-traveled road to the Salvatore Household. It was shaded here within the cabin, but outside the noon day sun pounded the forest with its harsh light. Once more I wished that the garden party could have taken place in the evening. But no, high noon it was to be. It was to be my reintroduction to the Mystic Falls society. To be gone the duration of four years in the countryside of Virginia may as well have been a time of banishment.

    The carriage came to a stop, ending my moments in the blessed shade. The door opened, a prim footman bowing with a hand extended. Grandmother exited first, her burgundy skirts rustling as she alighted on the ground. It was a graceful descent worthy of any matriarch. Mine was decidedly less so. The violet skirts were only a hindrance as I slipped to the dusty road, nearly stumbling to my face as the hem caught. Grandmother only watched with contempt and disappointment. I was too busy staring at the mansion to care.

    It was beautiful, the Georgian expanse that sprawled in a decadent array of brick and marble. Lush lawns, well-manicured and lined with flowers graced the drive and oaks draped thin shadows across estate. What I would give to hide beneath their eaves. "Come Alexandria." Grandmother snapped. I followed behind her as she glided to the entryway. The doors swung open, the wigged doorman bowing politely. A man detached himself from the parlor doors and smiled graciously.

    "Madame o'Conner." He took my Grandmother's gloved hand in his, kissing it lightly.

    "Master Salvatore." Grandmother attempted a smile. It failed abysmally.

    The man raised his head and caught my gaze. "And this must be the young Miss Alexandria returned from Antietam." His eyes sparkled with some kindness, brown and warm.

    I curtsied and gave a small smile as any lady should. "A pleasure."

    He nodded in kind and gestured towards another door. "Please, enjoy the party outside." Another smile and then he turned to the next set of guests. Grandmother gripped her parasol close and continued on. She immediately found her sewing group of ladies and waved me to the social circles surrounding the white lawn tables set around a small pond. I chose to escape down a path of woodchips. No doubt a scolding would follow later.

    A small clearing was the reward of my curiosity. Two stone benches lay in the shadow of an ash tree. It was there I took my reprieve. The sun had raised the humidity to levels that most aquatic creatures could survive in; no doubt my mass of scarlet waves was already curling out of their wrapped bun, the horror! A laugh bubbled from my lips at the thought.

    "What are you laughing at?" A voice asked. I jumped to my feet, skirts rustling and hand flying to my throat. "I did not mean to frighten you." It was a young man, dark waves of black hair and cool blue eyes standing out in the bright light. I had not seen him in four years. "Alexandria?" he gaped.

    The small smile returned, genuine this time. "Hullo Damon."

    -*-
    Now...

    I blinked, staring down at the ink blot that marred the diary's page. The family shrink told me that writing down my emotions and memories would help the nightmares go away. It hadn't worked yet, but the writing had become a habit over the last few years. Outside the moon glowed, casting shadows over the library. I should be asleep, jet lag and all that. Apparently after the multitude of plane rides my body no longer reacted to the time change. So at three in the morning I could only write and listen to the nighttime sounds of Mystic Falls. Da would have told me to unpack. I refused to. It was stupid, but I hoped eventually we would just leave this town again. I wasn't here because I wanted to be.
    The grandfather clock chimed the half hour, another reminder that it was time for me to crash. If only I could. I sighed, turning once more the diary. The pen scratched against the thick paper, mingling with the ticking of the clock. Soon I slipped into a haze of writing and turning off my thoughts.

    "Alex." The pen had stopped scratching five hours ago. Somehow it had rolled under my chin…"Alex." A familiar voice tickled at my conscious. "Alexandria!" the voice snapped.
    My eyes shot open, "Yes Grandmother!" I gasped.

    "Grandmother?" My father blinked, laughing slightly. "Gran is off at the keep girl. What're you dreaming of?" he chortled.

    I yawned, shaking my head. "Mornin' da." Somehow I had managed to sleep. It was a miracle.
    "You ready for the day?" he asked, grinning ever wider.

    No. I was not. Today we visited the Lockwood household and I got to meet the Founders. I could only guess that the old families still had their stupid council running too. Not something I was looking forward to. At least I'd be heading to Duke for college in the fall. Then Mystic Falls would be far away for most of the year. But that was three months away. Three months spent in this historic town where the memories would cause my Gran to begin muttering some proverbial spell or something. But I smiled anyways, because Da was already feeling bad enough for his actions. "Yeah. Ought to be fun." Yeah, it should be about as fun as the time Seamus threw me into the loch during October.

    At this he nodded, bouncing on the balls of his feet. He was excited. It was about time the O'Conner had returned to their American household. That was his idea anyways. "A chance to redeem the American market on herbal remedies…" was how my Da had explained it. Like anyone in America beside the remainder of the Woodstock generation would want herbal foot scrub. But it paid the bills on my car collection so I couldn't complain, yet anyways. I said nothing more and my Da began to look uncomfortable. "I'll go get dressed." I muttered, shutting the diary and leaving the library.

    The bedroom I had chosen was in the West Wing of the house, far away from the original wing where the Civil War era household had lived. I had my reasons. Still, it was pretty enough. The bed was a four poster, dresser and desk traditional oak. I had put up my ACDC and Chris Young posters already but otherwise it remained the room of a young woman's. I needed to work on that.

    Humming a Flogging Molly tune under my breath I rummaged through my suitcase, still thrown on the floor where I had left it last night. I pulled the dark jeans, tunic, and flats from the balled up mix of clothes and dressed, mildly annoyed that Slipknot was not an accepted shirt choice at this tea thing.
    Da was brewing coffee in the kitchen as I stomped down the staircase. My eyes felt heavy and lined with dirt. It wasn't just the mascara either. Yawning again, I poured a mug of the caffeinated beverage and began to sip at the murky black substance. It wasn't too tasty. "No cream?" Da asked, green eyes wrinkled with concern.

    "Working on the jet lag." I supplied, grabbing an apple from the grocery bag on the table and biting into the deep red skin. He made a gesture of understanding and ran a hand through his fading brown hair. I could tell you one thing, I did not get my looks from Da. Gran pinned the red hair and hazel eyes down to genetic skips. I blamed karma and magic.
    "We ready to go?" Da asked, car keys in hand. I nodded, munching on the apple. He grinned and headed to the drive way. "Do you want to take the bike?"

    Yes. Of course I did! Smiling the first real grin the whole day, I chugged the remains of the coffee and grabbed my own keys. "See ya over there." I tossed over my shoulder and ran to the garage. My beautiful Ninja waited. Silver and black, the sportsbike could outrun any Harley out there. It was my birthday gift from Gran. I was not supposed to crash it, under any circumstances.

    The engine started with a deep purr, eliciting a grin of appreciation. This would be the best part of my entire day. I slid the helmet over my pony tail and gunned the engine. With a spurt of speed I was out of the garage and following Da's Camry out of the drive. Behind us the gates to the house swung shut with a sharp clanging. With a growing sense of unease, I followed the car North to town. For some reason…I just knew this was not going to end well.