Melanie was standing in front of her closet with a thoughtful look on her face. She pulled out a blue flannel plaid shirt but after a little while placed it back. "Not this, definitely not," she was mumbling while tossing out clothes after clothes. 

Finally she settled on a heart red silk wrap blouse with layered crossover V neckline and an endless self tie wrap over a black tiered mini skirt. She took out black Mary Jane pumps to go along with the outfit and accessorized with a crimson red maple leaf drop pendant. At last satisfied with her look she went to change. 

This was going to be a big night for her. It was officially her and Jeremy's first date. They had picked up the Grill to meet and despite herself Melanie wanted to put in a little effort. Giving herself the once over she took her clutch and went downstairs.

"And where do you exactly think are you going, Miss I-wanna-set-the-Grill-on-Fire-tonight?" 

Melanie paused while unlocking the backdoor and turned around to see Damon smirking at her as usual. "Is that a compliment or an insult?" she asked. 

He shrugged, "dunno. You look too... how should I put it...? Yes, flamboyant." 

She raised an eyebrow skeptically, "okay... I'll take that as a compliment. Still I won't allow you to call me Miss Flamingo afterwards." 

He let out a low rumble of a laugh, "the thought is tempting but fine I won't call you Miss Flamboyant or Flamingo whatever. Just make sure you don't catch a cold. Take your jacket." 

She rolled her eyes, "I'm gonna be fine, Dad. And thank you for the concern." 

He looked at her surprised, "Dad? Do I even look like your Dad? Oh wait... Yes I do." 

She was amused, "funny that you didn't tell me off for calling you Dad to your face." 

His smirk dropped, "Melanie I don't have any problem being your Dad but it's just that I'm not used to it. I get scared of the responsibility sometimes. And being just your adoptive brother apparently makes the job a lot easier." 

She nodded, "I get it. Now can I go? I think I'm getting late."

At the Grill, Jeremy was waiting for her. He too was dressed formally and soon as she approached him, his characteristic boyish smile spread over his face. For a second he was speechless. Mesmerized, no doubt. 

She was looking at him with a small smile that made her appear a lot like the little girl, who she had buried deep inside her long ago, and her eyes were wide as if waiting patiently for his reaction. 

"You look... Stunning," he completed the sentence and finally blinked. 

Her smile widened, "good. You look great too." 

He offered his arm to her, "shall we?" 

She laughed a little, "of course we shall." 

The date at the Grill was more than just perfect. Jeremy was always casual in a funny sort of way and seeing the both of them together laughing and joking would have given the impression of the cutest and most down to earth couple present there. 

They had a formal dinner but other than that everything was relaxed and casual. They played pool and then when the music band had played the last single of the night, they took the stage to themselves and thus the audience was given another fifteen minutes to sway to the casual yet beautiful songs they sung together. 

Jeremy dropped her home (well not exactly at the Salvatore House but a few blocks away on her insistence) and while he was leaving she instinctively kissed him on the cheek and thanked him for letting her have the time of her life that night.

She walked the short distance to the Boarding House enjoying the feeling of the cold wind as it swept by her. She was still humming the song they had sung together at the Grill as she hugged her jacket closer since it was chilly like Damon had predicted earlier, "And now... It all turns sour, come sweeten every afternoon." 

Taking out her key she unlocked the back door and stepped inside. She had known it wouldn't have been much use to come through the front gate since Stefan won't be at home and Damon would either be asleep or too drunk to answer the door, so she came from the back as per her usual routine. 

Though she had to cross the living room first in order to get to her bedroom but it seemed as if she was uninvited at the moment. She saw what she wasn't expecting in the least. 

Damon and Elena. Sharing an intimate moment. Actually it was more than just an intimate moment and could be appropriately called as passionate. Instead of being shocked at witnessing Damon kiss his own brother's girlfriend, a smirk formed on her face. 

One of those crazy wild smirks which she had inherited from Damon and that showed something mischievous was going on in her mind at the moment. To make her presence known she began to cap slowly and sarcastically.

Both of them turned around to see her leaning slightly against the wall and clapping as if rather amused. "That was pretty impressive," she spoke and her voice was laced with irony, "I had never known you were such a hypnotic kisser that wouldn't even spare dear brother's girlfriend". 

"What are you doing here?" Damon asked careful of the selection of his words since he knew Melanie was very sensitive to whatever he said to her. 

"Oh, I forgot to say hi to the lovely lovebirds so here I am. Looks like I wasn't invited anyway," she replied. 

Elena looked at Damon, "you know her?" 

Of course it was dark in the living room and as she had human senses she couldn't see clearly who was standing. Melanie had used the dimmed surroundings to her advantage and was perfectly sure that she won't recognize her as Alyssa Grace. 

"I do and basically that's why she's here at this instant. I don't give the spare key to strangers," he answered but sounded somewhat irritated. 

Melanie widened her eyes, "excuse me if you don't know; I live here too and I can't allow indecent activities going on under my roof. P.S if you really have to do something, keep the noise down. I don't like getting disturbed when I sleep." 

She was about to go up the stairs to her room when he stopped her, "Mel, look I'll explain everything. Just don't..." 

She cut him short and completed the sentence for him, "let Stefan know? Okay, I won't." 

Damon knew that was precisely what she would do. So he quickly went up to her and gripping her hand in his, he forcefully brought her down the stairs, "you better come down here where I can see what you're up to. And don't make me force you." 

Elena was looking very uncomfortable now. 

"Damon?" Melanie remarked as if rather annoyed at him, "I was simply going up so as not to disturb you two. You can easily carry on when I'm gone but please don't make me watch. It's disgusting, you know." 

Elena asked, "who are you?" 

The familiar smirk registered on her face, "I'm Damon's fiance and Stefan's soon to be sister-in-law." 

Damon looked extremely pissed off, "Melanie, are you in your senses?" 

She shook her head, "I guess not." 

Elena was taken aback, "you're getting married to Damon?" 

Damon fired up, "hell no!" 

Melanie collapsed laughing, "look at your face! It seems like you just saw purple llamas stealing your beloved car. Priceless expression, brother." 

He sighed wearily shaking his head in disappointment, "I guess you've had more alcohol than you're allowed to." 

Elena spoke after assessing the situation and realizing that all that fiance thing was a joke, "so, you are their sister... And you're definitely angry at me." 

She controlled her laughter and now there was a straight no nonsense expression on her face, "wow, looks like you've definitely got more brains than I gave you credit for. If you had two brothers and found out that they're both infatuated with the same girl and that girl is toying with them both you'd be angry too." 

Melanie came closer to her staring right in her eyes, "for instance, if I was Jeremy's girlfriend and you caught me snogging Matt, what would you do?" 

Damon immediately pushed Melanie backwards. "Damon, what's wrong with you? We were so enjoying this little chat," she scowled. 

Damon looked down at her meaningfully, "what if she saw..." He left the sentence incomplete. 

He had pushed her back because he didn't want Elena to figure out the mystery link between Alyssa Grace and Melanie Salvatore. 

"Oh yes I forgot, what if she saw my face?" Melanie played along, her satirical instincts had gripped hold if her completely by now, then turning to Elena she resumed, "know what, my face is scarred. So bad that it would give you nightmares. And I'd love that." 

Elena looked guilty now, "I... I think I should leave." Damon opened the door for her to step out. 

"Bye Elena," she called after her, "and tell Stefan that Melanie says hi!"

When she was gone and the door was locked, Damon turned to face her, "are you insane?" 

She shrugged, "for starters, I never had any sanity. Living with you for so long does leave an impact." 

Damon sighed as if quite weary, "Mel, it's not what you think." 

She looked up at him, "I just caught you and Elena red handed and now you're saying that I might be mistaken? Honestly, I know you're sometimes a bit dumb but to this extent..."

He spoke in a low voice, "I think I have fallen in love with her." He massaged his temples as if stressed, "I always knew it would happen. I feared it. But I couldn't stop myself from falling in love with her. I couldn't resist."

She sighed wearily then walking over to him, she gave his hand a tender squeeze, "do you know how much Stef will be hurt when he finds out?" 

He spoke, "I don't care. Maybe I can't help loving her or maybe I just love torturing Stefan." 

She sighed wearily, "both your ideas are wrong. Hasn't it once occurred to you that there must be a reason behind you not being able to have love in your life?" 

He stated bitterly, "I don't deserve being loved." 

She shook her head, "no. There are some people who are better without any love in their life. You and I are not made for loving anything. Because we just can't. We are both restless, we can't settle down, to some extent we're dangerous but mostly to our own selves. Self destructive if provoked. Both of us are going to be perfectly fine if we stay away from it. Love is pain, Damon, anyone who tells you differently is selling something. We can be really happy, you know, both of us can have a life of our own. Everything would be back to normal. Just like it was before you saw Elena." 

He was still struggling within himself, "I see no reason for all this... I can't stay apart anymore." He grabbed her by the shoulders trying to make her understand, "Melanie, I love her!" 

She bit her lip knowing the outcome was probably going to be much worse than she had initially expected, "but for her it's always gonna be Stefan. From time to time, she'll come to you but she won't pick one of you. She can't. I don't want to hurt you, Damon, but this is the truth. I've looked in her eyes; she might be obsessed with you but that's not love. It's unhealthy both for you and her as well." 

Pain was reflected in his eyes, "but what the hell is wrong with me? Why can it not be me? Just because she met Stefan first doesn't mean that..." 

She tried to give him comfort, "nothing is wrong with you. And precisely that's what has made it impossible for her to choose between you and Stefan. She can't let go of him and she can't let go of you either." 

Damon choked out, "I need a drink." 

She stopped him, "no you don't." 

He was resolute, "yes I do." 

Within a second he was back holding the bourbon in his hands. He spoke, "good night, Mel. And tell me all about how your date went tomorrow morning at breakfast." 

And with that he went to his room and slammed the door shut.