Elena tried to keep focus on the task, but with Damon watching her so intently, it would be hard to focus on anything, she mused.

"You told Andrew about us, about what I help with." Not a question, but a statement, and one Damon fully intended to defend himself. He met her dark eyes with an unapologetic look of his face.

"I'm not ashamed that even the legendary whiz Damon Salvatore needs a second pair of eyes, Elena." He reached in another drawer and pulled out more files. She hated his condescending tone, even though he meant no harm.

Elena was frustrated. Either he honestly did not understand that her goal was to protect him, or he really was the ultra-confident executive that the public saw. "I don't want my scandal hurting you or your business, that's all."

Damon got his knees and closed all of the drawers he had been rifling through. He leaned against his dark mahogany desk. "We're in that mess together. And it's not because of you. It's because you have a vile uncle who forgets what it means to be family or to be a human. Don't forget…"

He trailed off, and Elena wondered why he was about to change the topic.

"Don't forget what?" She spun around his plush office chair, enjoying the cool breeze that touched her cheeks when she did.

She felt the chair suddenly come to a halt, and peered over her left shoulder. Damon's lean arms were holding it in place. He gently twirled the chair back to facing him. His eyes were remorseful.

"Your mom and dad were my godparents. I grew up with them…and after my mom, after my dad spun out of control, they took Stefan and me in. They were always there for all us- Caroline, Matt, even Tyler when he was screwing around- which was all the time. I lost them too, Elena."

Elena fidgeted in her previously comfortable position, now squirming with all of the emotions that he was drawing out from dwelling on the past.

"And then when my parents die in a plane crash, your dad spirals out of control again. Except now Damon, he just takes out on you. Not Stefan. And my parents aren't there to protect you anymore."

Her voice was soft. Caring. Elena did not want to be mean. She would never willingly hurt Damon. But this was the truth, and every now and then Damon did need a dose of reality that usually came in the form of Elena.

"He doesn't take it out on Stefan, because I protect Stefan, Elena. I'm not sixteen anymore. I fund Stefan, I help him pursue his dreams and keep him hidden from Dad. I'm the son that followed in his footsteps. Only where he traveled a foot, I've gone a mile. And you know something? I hate that I love business and investments and I hate that I loved law so much that I went to law school also, I hate that everyone thinks I'm just doing my duty by following in my father's footsteps. But I'm not."

Damon's tone was icy- a defense mechanism he had used since they were old enough to talk. His eyes betrayed a different emotion. Anguish.

"You aren't your father Damon. Don't roll your eyes, I know it's cliché, but you aren't. It sucks that you've gone down a vaguely similar professional path. It really does. But what matters is that the people you love know the truth, and they do. Your dad was successful, he is successful," Elena corrected, "He had a nice sized company and was crafty with investments. Then you came along," she teased, "And blew people away with your knack for the business. They call you the triple-threat you know."

Damon rolled his eyes, pretending not to know what she was referring to.

"Care to tell me what that means?"

"Well for starters, in business, you're one of the top five most successful earners under thirty, not to mention in general. Then you went even farther and got your law degree, so you'll never be roped into bad deals or insane lawsuits, and if you…well let's just say we both know who the winner will be."

She gave him a warm smile, visibly able to see the effect her kind and truthful words having on him. Damon sighed, mulling over everything and calming down.

"Wait, what's the third thing?"

He grinned at her, making Elena scowl in defeat.

"You are pretty good looking-"

"Pretty good? I'm not sure that's quite the phrase the articles have used…"

Here it was, a classic example of what made them best friends, and how they had gotten this point. Elena challenging Damon, and Damon not holding back. Not trying to shield each other from the realities of life, but helping one another get through it alive.

"The most devilishly handsome, charming man in the business world. Raven black hair…icy blue eyes," Elena quoted in her best news reporter impersonation.

Damon smirked, looking amused at both Elena's mimicking and at the unusual blush fanning across her beautiful face.

"Damn. Sounds like they're describing Snow White, princess."

Elena studied him hard. It was the first time he had used his childhood nickname for her in six months. She hadn't realized how much she missed hearing it, even if it was childish. There. Together in his office they had thawed the frozen barrier they had kept been eating at their relationship since she had returned and left him wounded in the process. She laughed lightly. Music to Damon's ears. Though it did remind him of the brief period of time where he thought he might had never heard it again.

"Or Prince Charming," she countered effortlessly, twirling her long hair and laughing at his reaction.

"This sure isn't a fairy tale Elena, we both found that out the hard way."

What Damon was saying was completely true. They had both been tested repeatedly, brutally, by the trials of life. At times, Elena longed for the simpler days of exploring the woods with their childhood group. Damon, Elena, Stefan, Caroline, Matt, Tyler, and even little Jeremy would spend all of their free time exploring new places in their individual family mansions, and would have secret excursions into the unforgiving woods- full of secrets and firsts.

To some degree, they the group was still together in high school, but once Damon had left for college the group had drifted somewhat, unable and not wanting to fill the huge void his absence had left. They still hung out, and got into trouble, but without Damon there was always something missing.

Elena nearly laughed out loud remembering how they were constantly together all arguing over who got to talk to him on the phone and ask questions or give him updates.

Now they were scattered. Even though they all resided in the same city, at times it was if they were all on a different continent. Elena was always warmed at the knowledge that they would always drift back together, they would always all be connected even if they couldn't be physically present.

"We have," she agreed. "But we also have discovered that the only way to survive in this world is to make your own fairy tales."

"It's getting harder and harder to do that," Damon got a faraway look in his eyes. " I've got to figure out a way to get my dad out of this empire without destroying anything in the process, and I've got to protect you and all of them really. He's nuts. He'll strike me where it hurts."

Damon's head hung low.

"Why are you smiling?" Damon had an eyebrow raised, looking at her very suspiciously.

"You just gave me and idea, that's all. What you said about protecting all of us…what if we got everyone back together? It's been at least a month and so much has been happening for everyone."

"The group text just isn't cutting it, is it?" Damon teased her, wagging his phone in front of her face.

Elena stuck out her tongue. To keep their support system enact and readily available, Elena had established a group text for the seven friends, and it proved to be a great decision.

"You know you love it, Damon."

"Yeah, well it can have its shining moments I guess. I can get Stefan here under the radar. I'll send a plane in the morning to pick him up. You are on Barbie duty," Damon said almost gleefully.

"Yeah but she's hasn't been there. She's been in Europe but she's getting back in either late tonight or early tomorrow."

Damon gestured for her to get up. He flicked off the lights, both forgetting about the accounts and files trapped in his office. Those could wait.

"How are Tyler and Matt doing?"

"Actually, pretty well. I'm surprised they haven't blown up on one another. What they're doing is risky, I warned them, but they're convinced."

"I don't know, I thought it was ingenious. I'm happy for them."

Matt and Tyler were in the process of combining both of their family corporations into something bigger than their parents could have ever imagined. Damon slid Elena a glass of bourbon. The glass jingled as he set the bottle back on the tray.

Elena's feet dangled off of the barstool she was sitting in. She pulled out the other stool with her foot for Damon to sit. He looked as if he was debating something.

"And Jeremy?"

That was a tough question. Elena sucked in air as if she'd been punched. He always knew what to ask, he forced her to figure things out and not let them become overwhelmingly. Still, he had a wary expression on his face, ready for a fight. But she wasn't going to lash out, he didn't deserve that.

Elena threw her hands in the air. "What can I say? He's in Virginia. Away from this, from my mess and that bastard who's our uncle. It's not ideal, but he's there and says he's happy. I need him to concentrate on school and grades, and he wants to Damon, he does, and you know that here that's wouldn't be possible until this all blows over. Or explodes."

Damon hated seeing Elena looking as though she had already been defeated. Dutifully, he didn't allow her the ponder these thoughts for long.

"Still with Bonnie?"

"Ugh. Yes. I can't figure out who followed who down there. He's living with her, Damon."

"He's in college Elena. Let him get some while he can."

"Damon!"

Damon wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, and became very interested when Elena refused to meet his gaze.

"I just pray to God they're being safe. Oh don't pretend to be a prude Elena; you know exactly what's happening in that house."

"I really did not need those mental images, you ass."

"Blame yourself for that one sweetheart. I just can't stand the thought of little Bonnies running around. It's a recurring nightmare I have."

She couldn't help but laugh as he pretended to shudder.

"I'm sure you do, Damon. But I plan on getting him back here, if he wants, as soon as I win against John. With Bonnie, of all people?"

Elena groaned at Damon's amusement.

He smirked, and swirled his drink around. "How could I forget? It's Bonnie we're talking about."

"She did a lot of bad things, Damon," Elena defended her feelings.

"I'm sure she regrets the day she tried to steal the Junior Prom Queen Election from you, Elena. I can still see her humiliated face when they realized what she was up to. And don't forget, she almost got Caroline seriously hurt when she rigged the cheerleading equipment. She went after Stefan and Matt and Tyler too at different times. She was jealous. But she never tried anything on you…"

It wasn't surprising. Damon was intimidating to men and women alike. His looks, his manner of speaking, everything. He was an imposing figure both literally and mentally.

"Or you."

"Prom Queen?" Elena reminded him of the near disaster.

"Only once. She never tried again." Damon neglected to tell Elena how he had had a nice little…chat…with Bonnie regarding Elena. Obviously, he had been successful.

He chuckled, reminiscing on their high school days.

"You were Senior Prom King the same year!" Elena shouted, the memories coming back to her.

Damon cringed, not wanting to relive that night. Not that Elena knew, which made him feel very guilty.

"We completely pissed off the faculty and the committee. Tyler didn't mind at all, we weren't even dates. Besides, he had his eye on Caroline."

Damon looked at her with a brow raised. "Are you saying our rebellious decision led to Caroline and Tyler's epic romance?"

Elena nudged him softly, "That's exactly what I'm saying. Remember? He was left standing on the stage after you and I started dancing, and instead of going to Katherine he found Caroline in the crowd. Both 'Kings' left that Senior Prom Queen-"

"Bitch," Damon corrected.

"On the stage. And boy did she deserve it! I've never seen Stefan laugh so hard."

Damon eyes narrowed, ready to challenge that statement with multiple embarrassing memories he had stored.

"Why would I want to dance with that bitch when I could dance with my best friend?" He reiterated the very same question he had asked about eight years ago.

"It was perfect logic. I still have the pictures."

When the time had come for the Junior Prom King and Queens and their senior equivalents to dance, Damon and Elena had broken tradition by not dancing with their counterparts in the same grade, causing a few shouts, but mostly lots of cheering.

"And Katherine was still pissed for the whole rest of the year. She wasn't even my girlfriend."

"But she was your date…and the Senior Prom Queen," Elena giggled, giving him a slightly drunken high five.

"It's two in the morning!" Damon looked at his watch in disbelief.

"Tomorrow's Saturday silly. We can sleep in!"

"And then you will tell me what John's up to," Damon told her firmly.

He took her glass, and along with his own placed them in the sink.

"I can't forget to text Stefan. Everyone's going to be so excited, Elena. This was a good idea."

Elena couldn't help but admire the effortless way he hoisted himself onto the counter opposite where she was sitting. He had rolled up his sleeves, giving her a clear view of his well-defined muscles. She tried not to stare.

His voice shook her out her trance. "Thanks Damon. What?"

He was looking at her curiously. A very Damon thing to do. Elena used to joke that curious could be defined as Damon.

"I'm just wondering, and you probably told me this, but you and Stefan…after I left? That year we were all separated…"

Elena felt her heart rip in to two parts, especially because of the uncharacteristic nervous look on his face.

"Why are you asking me this?"

Damon shrugged resuming his mask of indifference, "You've always kept me up to date and filled me in on your experiences during Senior year, I just thought that maybe you and Stefan would…"

He jumped off the counter and walked around back to where she was sitting, looking dumbfounded and not amused.

"It was just a year Damon," Elena said lightly, scooting the chair back and standing in front of him, "nothing serious- just having fun senior year, all of us," Elena reiterated. "We missed you so much."

Damon could tell from her eyes that was she was saying was no lie, but wondered why she couldn't just tell him that she missed him so much. She nearly jumped when he reached out and delicately placed a lock of hair behind her ear.

Elena rubbed her temples, trying to get rid of the pain induced from the alcohol and the stress.

"What did you do, break his heart?" Damon smiled, but she could tell his mind was racing.

This was not the direction she wanted the conversation to go. Not when they were finally healing after her "stint" five months ago, as Damon called it.

Elena intertwined her fingers on top of her head, giving him an odd look. "Different story for another time Damon. Just know…I love Stefan. Like a friend, a brother. High school may have caused some lines to blur or to be broken but I'm not looking for any romance with Stefan, and I'm glad you're sending for him."

He was shocked. How was she able to do that? To turn around a question and not give a real answer, but somehow make all of his fears wash away. It was her special talent. He trusted her, and so Damon dropped the subject completely.

"I'll hold you to that."

"You always do."

"Really Damon?"

"I'm taking my shirt off, Elena. Not stripping. Unless you wanted a show?" He taunted her.

Damon threw his shirt at her, laughing at how uncomfortable she looked, even in the dark.

"See you in the morning. Don't forget to text the rest of them," he reminded her.

"Night, Damon."

She heard him still chuckling as he walked down the hallway to his huge suite.

He never noticed that she as she walked in the opposite direction to her own suite, his shirt, tucked under her arm.