A/N: This story was originally a oneshot with a different first chapter. For right now it is a two-shot, but only because I can't stand to start another story and not finish it. If its liked and I have enough creative stamina I will add more, as this was originally supposed to be a full story. This chapter is a background to the original and I think the story makes much more sense this way. Hope you like the revision. R&R
Elena Gilbert was not the marrying type, certainly not at 17 years old. Not that she hadn't dreamed of the big day of course. Like every little girl she had cuddled into her mother's arms as the woman mused about flowers and the perfect white dress. After her mom died though, Elena thought she might never think of those things again. So it was a surprise when the teenager announced her upcoming nuptials to the mysterious newcomer of her town, Damon Salvatore. No one in their right mind could blame her, what with his bright blue eyes and chiseled physique, but the suddenness of it all took Elena's friends by surprise, deeply concerned her aunt Jenna and would have troubled her brother Jeremy had he been in any condition to pay attention to his sister. Elena had no idea that the marriage also was on the mind of her fiancés' brother, a man she had never met and had heard very little about, Stefan Salvatore. She could hardly know that Stefan had been looking out for her since he had become aware of his brother's arrival, or that he cursed himself for getting to her just a little too late. Of course, if she had known any of this Damon would have compelled her to forget. He had already used the trick on her before, so that sometimes when she came back from a date her memories of the hours would be vague and clouded. As was always the case with compulsion however, Elena didn't notice anything amiss and never would as long as her future husband had his way.
Elena stood in her kitchen, leaning her stomach against the island and examining her flattened palm against the counter. There, glinting against the lazy light of the setting sun was the engagement ring that Damon had given her the night before. She had always supposed that the young man was rich because of his house, his car, and his clothes, but if there had been any lingering uncertainty about the size of the Salvatore bank accounts, it vanished at the sight of the gigantic diamond on her finger. Such a sign of status shouldn't have made her happy, but Damon had suggested that it should, and why not? Why not be proud? She grinned at the ring before lifting her gaze back to her best friend, Bonnie. The pretty girl's features were fixed in a resigned sort of way, a look only exacerbated by the fact that she had her hands pressed against her hips. Elena sighed and rolled her eyes, letting her impatience get the best of her. They had been through this mistrust so much during her short relationship with Damon that she could play this conversation out in her head despite the new factor of the engagement.
"What now?" she let out her breath in a huff.
"See? It's right there." Bonnie moved one of her hands so that she could point at her friend, "he's changing you."
"That's ridiculous." Elena dismissed the accusation with a wave of the hand.
"Is it? You don't ask questions about him, Elena. It's like you don't care. What does he do with his time, Elena? How does he make his money? What happened to his parents? Or his 'uncle'" she threw up infuriating air quotes at the title for the man who had lived in the house before Damon's appearance. Her suspicion was not the only one among the town. The fact that the secretive recluse of a man had disappeared right after the newcomer had burst onto the scene had not gone unnoticed, and rumors flew that the man hadn't been family at all, but rather some sort of hostage who then had to be murdered because he got in the way. Of what? Elena had no clue, but she didn't put much stock in rumors to begin with, and even less where Damon was concerned. It was all because he was tall dark and handsome. They were jealous of him, and of her she guessed.
"You don't understand. You don't know him like I do." Was all she could manage to answer without losing her temper. She pushed herself away from the counter and rummaged in the cabinet for some snacks. They needed a movie night, anything that would keep them from talking about Damon. Angry tears stung at Elena's eyes as she searched. She had been so excited to share the amazing news with Bonnie and all she had were warnings and chastising words. She wiped her eyes with the back of her ringed hand and heard Bonnie sigh behind her.
"You're right. I don't." She conceded, coming around the island to wrap her friend in a hug. Elena's fury melted almost instantly. She could never stay mad at Bonnie, and with her best friend at her side she felt she could take anything, "I'm so happy for you." It was a lie and Elena knew it, but it was enough for now. She would see when she spent time with him. Elena was sure. For a moment the two stood locked in the forgiving embrace, and then the door bell rang.
"I should get that." Elena extricated herself and made her way to the house's entry room.
Damon knew that Stefan was in the house without even looking, though his brother had long vowed that they would be separated for as long as they could manage in eternity. He imagined that he could smell the stench of judgment wafting from his younger brother, and he turned to where he knew he would find Stefan standing near the bookcases.
"Hello brother." He offered the greeting lazily to the shadows. Evidently Stefan was trying to be menacing by skulking out of the shadows, but giving up he stepped slowly into the orange glow the dancing fire provided.
"You proposed to her." Damon smirked. He liked when his brother skipped to the chase. It meant he was getting to him.
"Well, Stefan, I'm not getting any younger…or older for that matter." He shrugged as though the matter had just occurred to him and took a slow sip of his drink.
"You can't toy with her; make her into your play thing. She is not Katherine."
Damon snorted sardonically, "You say that like you know her, brother. Have you been stalking?" he raised his eyebrows.
"Just keeping an eye on things." He amended.
"Well, don't. I've got things under control here."
"You mean you have Elena under your control." Stefan's words were like acid as he stepped closer to Damon, but the older vampire didn't even flinch. He knew that Stefan's diet prevented him from winning any fight they might have, even if he was allowed to get the first move in.
Again Damon scoffed, "Stefan, I am perfectly capable of getting a teenager to love me without compulsion."
"But you do compel her." Stefan reminded him, his hands in his pockets, circling slowly.
There was no remorse when Damon spoke, "only so she doesn't go blabbing. She came to me all on her own."
"Only because you insinuated yourself into her life!"
"And what would you have done? Enlighten me, Stefan."
When he answered his voice was low, "let her make the choice for herself."
"Only when you made sure she got a good look at that brooding face of yours." Damon mocked his brother's tense features and constantly furrowed brow that was in such contrast to his own relaxed countenance.
Stefan ignored the quip, "She doesn't know what you're capable of"
"Obviously neither do you, or you wouldn't still be standing there."
"You wouldn't hurt me, Damon, not now, not after all these years."
The vampire's eyes flashed dangerously, "try me."
"Leave Elena alone and I won't have to. Give me your word and you won't hear from me again. But I'm warning you now, as long you're with her, I will be here to keep her safe."
"Wanna bet?" Damon's confident tone set his brother on edge almost instantly, trying to decipher what plan he could possibly have, "We'll see what Elena has to say about that." He set down his drink and strode to the door with the ultimate air of ease. Stefan's threat obviously hadn't caused him a bit of hesitation.
"Where are you going?" Stefan asked, but he was sure he already knew the answer, and almost wished he didn't have to hear it.
"To my fiancé's house, of course." Damon smirked as he opened the door to the night and stepped out into it.
"Damon." Elena couldn't help but smile at the sight of her fiancé at the other side of her door, despite the surprise of his arrival. Automatically she found herself on her toes to kiss him, and Damon leaned in to allow it. She rested her hands against his sturdy chest and touched her lips to his, but it was only as she pulled back that she noticed his grave expression.
"What's wrong?" her brow furrowed.
He caught her left hand as it slid from his chest, fingering the diamond that rested on her ring finger for a moment before he looked up at her. He had decided that it would be best if he looked reluctant and pensive before this particular news. Damon Salvatore was a good actor, you had to be when you had lived as many lifetimes as he had, and he made sure that his voice held the right amount of trepidation infused in it before he spoke, especially with Bonnie watching from the doorway of the kitchen, "My brother is here." He met her eyes and found confusion.
"Brother?" Elena led him into the house and shut the door, "I didn't know you had a brother."
"That's because I've tried to keep him from you." That was at least a truth, likely the only one he would tell in this story.
"Why?" she asked cautiously.
"Because Stefan is not a good man."
"And?" she waited.
"I was afraid he'd hurt you, like he did Katherine."
"Your ex?" Elena stared at him, perplexed. Why would Damon's brother hurt his ex girlfriend? How?
"I can't prove anything," Damon prefaced, "but pretty soon after Katherine started dating my brother, she got herself killed in a mysterious fire. He's charming, Elena, and he stole Katherine away with his act. Don't trust him. I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to you. History will not repeat itself." Damon smirked internally as he used the very words that Stefan had called out to him as he was leaving the boarding house.
"Damon, you need to call the police. You need to tell them. If he's that dangerous he—"
"Is my brother, Elena." Damon interrupted.
"Why would he want to hurt Elena?" Bonnie intoned as she came into the room. Her friend had quite forgotten she was there, and jumped at the sound of her voice.
Damon let out a loaded sigh. That little bitch was always questioning, always wondering, checking his stories for holes. In the short time that he had spent with Bonnie, he already loathed her. Inquisitive little snit.
"Because he's unstable." He growled in a way that was harsher than he had intended.
Elena placed a restraining hand on Damon's shoulder, "hey." She shot a glance at her friend and her fiancé in turn, determined to show that she was not taking sides when it came to them.
"You should have told me." She admonished, "But I get it. I'll stay away from…Stefan."
Damon smiled down at Elena, amazed, not for the first time, at how she took everything in stride. He was almost convinced that he could let her remember he was a vampire, and she wouldn't even bat an eye, but she was human, and it was of course, not an option. He settled for cupping her cheek and kissing her swiftly before turning to Bonnie, "I can see I've interrupted girl's night."
"Yeah." Was Bonnie's clipped response, which earned a roll of Elena's eyes.
"You can stay." She assured, "there's plenty of room on the couch. I could sit on your lap." She threw him a mischievous smile that almost made him stay, but he did still have Stefan to contend with, and some gloating to do.
"Chick flicks aren't really my style." Damon said as he made his way to the door, waving at Bonnie if only because he knew it would anger her.
Elena crossed to the door to bid him goodnight, "see you later then?"
"soon." Damon promised as she shut the door.
She bit her lip against a smile. He really was swoon worthy. She leaned her back against the door and sighed, watching as Bonnie rolled her eyes and went back to looking for snacks in the kitchen, "what?" she asked in mock insult, joining her friend, but she knew that Bonnie was only teasing her this time, and she couldn't quite blame her.
"So you're marrying that guy?" Bonnie asked as they settled into the couch. There was a smile on her face, but her words betrayed the concern she feared would never quite go away.
"Yes, yes I am." Elena couldn't help but giggle. She was marrying Damon Salvatore.