CHAPTER 1

"Well, here we go." Damon sighed, taking Elena's hand as they made their way up the stairs of Lockwood Mansion. "Yet another, Mystic Falls ball…"

Elena smiled, admiring the twinkling light that hung from the windows of the mansion. "I think it's beautiful, all the lights and water fountain."

Damon glanced at Elena, her eyes glowing with excitement. That look reminded him why he attended such events. "You would." He smirked, as the approached the open large oak doors. "Oh look, and there's the wolf to greet us." He gritted his teeth, feeling Elena tugged on his hand.

Elena grinned nervously at Tyler, her cheeks growing warm knowing very well that Damon was glaring at him. "Hey Tyler."

"Elena…Damon." Tyler nodded slightly, his eyes following Damon closely.

"Please stay away from him…" Elena whispered, as Damon glanced back at Tyler. "The last thing we need is to add Tyler to the list of our problems right now. Besides, it wouldn't hurt to be normal for once."

"There's a werewolf greeting people as they walk in the door, Elena." Damon met with her smile, "That is not even close to normal."

"Do you remember the three rules?" Elena ignored him, waving at some of her friends across the room.

"If I say yes, are you still going to tell me anyway?" Damon scanned the growing crowd, looking for familiar faces – his brother in particular.

"Rule one…" Elena spoke through her smile, "No blood, drinking or otherwise."

Damon inhaled, "And two…"

"No booze." She shot him a playful glare, "Sober Damon is a good Damon, in theory anyway."

"You're really sucking the fun out of this, and there wasn't much to begin with." He pouted, stopping in the middle of the crowd, the music blaring around them.

Elena rolled her eyes, straightening the collar of his suit. "Finally, rule number three…" She leaned against him, inhaling his cologne. "No biting…" She mouthed, moving in slowly, until their lips met.

"Least no innocent bystanders anyway," He brushed a strand of hair from her face. "Just try to have a good time...at least one of us should."

"Ooh there's Bonnie." Elena waved excitedly as Bonnie came down the stairs in a lavish gold gown. "I think that's your cue." She frowned, as Damon nodded, looking at her hands in his.

While Damon and Elena were not afraid to hide their love, they did so with the lack of support of many that they cared for. "You know it makes her uncomfortable."

"Right," Damon looked to Bonnie as she approached them. "I'll be around…" Damon took a few steps back, before letting Elena's hand fall from his. He was not like Elena in that aspect; he did not care what anyone thought about them together. He knew what he wanted, and like usual, no one was going to stand in his way. Elena looked at her hand where Damon's fingers had been. She knew Damon was hurt and becoming increasingly irritated by her desperate need to please her friends and family. She struggled to find a balance.

"Did I interrupt? I didn't mean to interrupt." Bonnie rambled, playing nervously with her fingers, "Because I can -." She pointed behind her.

"No, no…it's fine." Elena forced a half-smile, "Look at you…and that dress. You definitely came to impress. But for who?" She tapped her chin curiously.

In typical Damon fashion, Damon strutted across the crowded room as if he owned the place. He could sense the supernatural among him, now a common occurrence since the Originals started lurking in the shadows of Mystic Falls; the town had become a breeding ground for the paranormal.

Out of the corner of his eye, Stefan stood by the open bar, a drink already in hand.

"A little early to start throwing them back isn't it Stefan?" Damon came behind him, "That's very un-Stefan like."

"People change…out of the both of us, you should know that well." Stefan avoided his brother's eyes; while they were no longer at each other's throats, Stefan struggled to find the brotherly alliance that they once had.

"Bourbon, neat," Damon gave the bartender the nod, "Everyone can change, even Saint Stefan, believe it or not."

"Don't you have somewhere else to be?"

"Elena's is around here somewhere…" Damon took a verbal shot at him.

Stefan narrowed his eyes, "Enough with the mind games Damon, just come out with it."

"Where's the fun in that?" He swirled the bourbon in his glass, "You can at least make it a challenge…I could use a good fight for once. I think you're losing your groove."

"I've lost a lot of things." Stefan told him flatly, "What's one more thing."

"On that bright side, that broodiness of yours is perfectly in tacked." Damon patted his brother on the shoulder, "You know…we live under the same roof Stefan, and even if we didn't, it's written all over your face."

Stefan huffed, "You got it all figured out huh?" He shook his head, "and I bet you're going to tell me what that is, aren't you?"

"It's something that even I know very well," Damon sipped his bourbon, "A good friend of mine actually, called guilt."