For What You Are

I may be the slayer, Jayne thought to herself, but I am also Jayne Perrin.

“I think in another life you could’ve been an alcoholic,” Damon said, suddenly next to her.

“Unfortunately I’ve never had another life,” she replied. “I’m not dead like you.”

“Ooo,” a voice came from behind her. “I like her.”

“You’re not supposed to like her!” Damon continued as Jayne turned around in a split second to face the guy behind her – recognisable as Damon’s forever younger brother Stefan.

“Stefan Salvatore,” he said, holding out his hand.

Jayne looked from Damon to Stefan’s hand quickly before staring suspiciously at him. “If he hasn’t already told you my name then I expect it to stay that way.”

“I’m the one who found it,” Stefan replied, lowering his hand. “But if you want to go that way…Good evening Slayer.”

“Hello Stefan.”

Damon looked between them in astonishment. “You’re perfectly civil to him!”

“That’s because he lives a perfectly civil vampire life unlike you,” Jayne responded. “Don’t you have somebody else to go off and annoy?”

“No, we need to talk to you,” he said, stepping in closer so that we stood in a close-knit triangle.

“I do need to breathe,” Jayne sighed and they each took a step back.

“X,” Damon said to the guy behind the bar. “I’ll take over for a while.”

“Thanks bro.”

He slipped out of the bar and Damon took his place. “This is absolutely tiny!” he exclaimed.

“Are you going to start drying those glasses?” Jayne asked.

“No,” he said taken aback. “But I’d prefer a private conversation.”

“Fine,” she said sliding back around to face him as Stefan took a seat next to her. “What are we talking about?”

“Damon said that you came here tonight to find who was trying to kill you.”

“Oh God, it’s not you two is it?”

“No,” Damon said, “Never mind the fact that I would absolutely love to.”

“Damon,” Stefan chastised, “Get serious, please.”

“All right,” he finished, taking Jayne’s drink from under her glaring eyes and drinking it quickly before running out of the room in a dark blur.

“Has he been annoying you?” Stefan asked.

“Incredibly so,” Jayne responded. “You may want to warn him that drinking doesn’t even put a dent in my reflexes. And also, I always have a stake on my person. Even now.”

“All right,” Stefan said, catching the warning for himself as well. “Well down to business. There’s this group within the alliance who aren’t content with just hiding. They want to make sure that any threat to their existence is killed – human or not.”

“So…are you a part of the alliance?”

“No,” he said. “Damon is, but only because he has to be in on everything. I don’t want Elena getting too involved. She’s been hurt too much before.”

“Then why are you and Elena even at this party?”

“I’m keeping an eye on Damon to make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid.”

“Like trying to kill Katherine?”

Stefan’s head spun around but Jayne simply kept looking at the blank room.

“How do you know about Katherine?”

“Not much,” she admitted. “But enough to know that she’s back after she was assumed dead in that burning church. And she wants you. Word of advice, break up with Elena. But if you guys ever want to go on a crusade to try and kill her, I’m willing to help.”

“We might take you up on that. But Damon seems to be under the impression that he can do it himself.”

“Of course he does,” Jayne said. “He’s Damon.”

“True,” Stefan replied. “Anyway, I couldn’t figure out many of the people who are trying to kill you, but I did get one. Sarah Hart.”

“But I’m supposed to be NOT killing her,” Jayne said with a frown. “Kale said he wanted her kept safe.”

“Hey, I could’ve been wrong.”

“Maybe,” she murmured. “I’ll catch you later?”

“’Kay,” Stefan said as Jayne got up and walked out of the room, down the hallway and through the main room faster than blinking before winding up outside the front door holding a flailing Sarah Hart with an iron grip on her upper arm. She’s seriously weak for a vampire, was all Jayne thought.

“Are you trying to kill me?” Jayne asked Sarah as they sped down the road.

“No,” Sarah whimpered. “No, I swear.”

“Cut the crap,” Jayne said let go of her arm and pulling out the stake. “I have a reliable source telling me that you will do whatever it takes to protect yourselves. AKA – kill me. So,” she slid the stake down Sarah's arm, hearing her scream out in pain. A twinge of regret shocked through her but it was immediately replaced by something else. The exact same feeling she’d felt when she’d been close to Damon – except ten times stronger now that the blood was visible.

Vampire bloodlust.

She hated admitting to herself that she even felt it – but that couldn’t deny the fact that she did. Jayne couldn’t take her eyes off the blood seeping down Sarah’s arm until Sarah said, “Fine, maybe I do have a part in it.”

“Then, promise or no promise, you’re dead.”

A minute later Jayne was sitting in her tree halfway across town watching the smoke rise from the spot where she had set Sarah’s corpse alight.

Now all she had to do was wait for Damon Salvatore to meet her. Because tonight she had to fulfil her end of the bargain. Kara’s memories were gone – now Damon got to ask as many questions as he wanted.

And regrettably Jayne had to answer them.