A/N; Another update and it's lengthy. When I first wrote this I wrote them separately because so much insanity is waiting to take place but for this update you're getting a 2 for 1. Please leave a review or feel free to PM me, I want feedback - positive or negative - as long as it's constructive and respectful. This may be my favorite even though chapter 3 is really close since of all the Stelena in it.

Chapter 2: The Best Reel Ever: Part One

"No," Katherine answered, "she's not ready and I don't a need a newbie messing this up." The woman yawned and then straightened up in her chair. Elena stood there with her arms crossed. Apparently, she wasn't in attendance in this impromptu meeting since Katherine talked about her in the third person so freely. She thought when she and Bonnie came in unity it was a package deal. She still had a nasty frown on her face.

They had been in there for about 30 minutes, at this rate they needed to start an official debate on the matter. She groaned. All this commotion over a private room. The female superior eyed her fresh manicure and admired the novelty of them. A good 400 dollars spent and no one can tell me I don't deserve it. Her inner thoughts were often self-reflexive and these were of those times where she could drown out nonsense.

Bonnie lightly laughed, "Are you sure y'all aren't sisters or anything? You could be..." She saw Katherine and Elena in a contentious stare down. She looked down, "Never mind. Okay boss lady, if she's not ready what do we do?" Katherine shrugged, "You guys are going to make money regardless why do you need to work with her so badly, Bonnie? You've practically planned this event by yourself." She had a sudden epiphany, the person who had a great hand in planning this should be benefiting. Bonnie officially could work that secluded area now.

"You're working the room because you've been loyal to me all this time and also have experience with it, whereas she," Katherine points to an irritated Elena, "doesn't. You should have been fighting for this prior to her." Elena grounded her teeth in annoyance, her and Bonnie were a pair and Katherine was invalidating that for her sick entertainment. She really didn't care about Bonnie's potential, did she? She smirked and uncrossed her arms, "Why are you encouraging her to do this, now, Katherine? You are nitpicking for no good reason and you know it."

Bonnie was trying to ease tension between the two brunettes throughout the time they stepped in her office. She saw from the corner of her eye that Elena was stepping forward to be directly in front of the lady in her desk. Oh, God. no, Elena stand back, please. She thought rapidly with her mind going a mile a minute seeing what transpired right before her. Elena said, "You don't care Katherine and you're petty by splitting me and Bonnie up by just now seeing what she's capable of."

Bonnie was so close to face-palming. Claiming that the boss woman didn't care about her dancers was not a good counter to say, ever. Elena knew she wasn't working that room for sure and just released her truest feeling on her unfair verdict. She could hear a pin drop, and then an actual pen drop when Katherine stood up. This was the little ones call out and she would rise to the occasion to remind her of place.

"You are not ready, at all. Your entitlement is blinding this isn't ol' sweet home Virginia where we all do favors for each other." Elena started to talk and Bonnie scanned the woman in front of them and pleaded with her eyes. "No," Katherine yelled, "let me finish. Both of you sit." They obeyed her command. Katherine held her hands out, "Now this was cute, the two of you coming to my office demanding this job for such a huge night with top clientele. Bonnie, it is true I overlooked you but you are one of my best girls, I meant that and I care for all my girls. For you to even imply that I don't Elena is beyond me." The brunette looked at her bare hands.

"Look at me, little girl, you were scared to work the floor and the girls told me you ran to the bathroom during your shift-" The emphasis on her petite sized hurt her, she went long periods of time without eating but she had attacked Katherine's management and there was no coming back from back.

"That was weeks ago! I was scared for my life. The type of men that come here are not punished for what they do to us," she sighed, unfumbling her thumbs in her lap. "That's beside the point, I've improved so much." Silently, Bonnie nodded, she had to somewhat agree with her statement, two months ago she would have said a girl like Elena would have quit the minute she saw one of the girls go topless.

Still standing as if she was directing a documentary of the humiliation of Elena Gilbert she proclaimed, "It's not enough, and when I say that you're not ready, that means you lack the confidence, the strength, the allure it takes to work that room. Improvement? Please, you're still in the training phase in my eyes." There was a certain, all-knowing scowl to her voice.

Elena quivered and bit her lip. Katherine took a lengthy, slow breath. What she said was harsh "You two can go, now, I think my hands are sweating and this is supposed to be a stress-free quarter for me." As Bonnie and Elena began to walk out of her office, Katherine said, "And you're still coming to work, this upcoming Saturday. I'm not stopping your bag." They stopped, and Bonnie looked at Elena this message was for her if it wasn't clear. "You have a temporarily bruised ego, but you can still prove me wrong. Second chances are slim in this world and for women, consider it minuscule." In simpler words, don't show up to work, be fired.

Work went by for the past week, and Elena held on to the older woman's words for the upcoming event. Coming into the club those days were not pleasant; she couldn't even stomach to be around Bonnie much. Often times she'd enter through that back door the girl showed her and not even speak. This alarmed Bonnie and the day before the anticipated day, she shut her locker door that was adjacent to Elena's that it alarmed her. Waiting for the brunette to look up at her and disregard her phone, she crossed her arms with a slight frown on her face. Girls in the backroom were like vultures sensing the bad blood between the newbie and her mentor.

"What, Bonnie?" Elena asked, her voice drenched in irritation. There were some hushing and snickering noises from the spectators. Truth be told, a few of the bunch were quite envious of Bonnie's executive role at work, how close she and the boss were. She had a knack that they didn't but were too afraid to challenge but if the brown-haired girl would do it, they'd support her. So, those few individuals plotting on Bonnie's downfall stood behind Elena's back as she was locked in an indignant gaze with her. Coming into her own authority in the club Bonnie ordered, and very icily,

"You need to go home, Treasure, you have said my real name, therefore, making me vulnerable in this establishment and lord knows you might say it again out on that floor." She stepped forward despite being smaller than Elena because power isn't about size, it's about the way you carry yourself. She ended up also using the girl's stage name because when they go low, you go high. The girls surrounding Elena got the memo and quietly left leaving her to be alone then she looked around, seeing that the entire energy of the room changed.

"Fine, I'm leaving." She packed her bag hurriedly and it wasn't really loudly but the mute eyes watching her made it seem like she'd set off a weapon. Her heels clicked as she speed walked out the door letting her intentionally slam behind her. Bonnie couldn't help but smirk and exclaimed, "And if anyone of you bitches tries it with me, you'll be suspended from tomorrow's event." The girls looked fearful, gave silence as a form of respect, and continued to prepare for their shift. After she was done applying lotion to her golden brown skin, Bonnie sauntered out of the room and onto the floor, not hesitating one moment, to get to the dollars.

With gloom presiding over her, she walked home from the bus stop and Elena was humiliated once again, and she was tired of it. Her own friend had made an example out of her just to prove a point. This isn't what this life could bring her, her moving to New York was supposed to change that. To steady her thoughts, she turned on the television, she finally got cable, so it should be put to use. She flipped several channels and found nothing intriguing to her, Throwing the remote at the television, she stood up and started walking in circles around the furniture. It had just occurred to her that she wouldn't be working the private room. All she had to do was act confident and would have gotten a good tip for the night.

The girl once wanted to be a writer and did multiple essays and even wrote short stories and poems outside of class. Her parents supported through and through while her younger brother teased her for it, she kept her passion for it post grade school. She desperately wanted an opportunity to showcase her literary talents so she did, thanks to her dad, and she ended up interned for the Virginia newspaper one summer. Things like that made it hard to believe that he broke the family's heart that very summer. All she did was proofread, annotate and do occasional morning coffee runs but it had been one of the best experiences of her life. That was something worked hard for, bringing drinks to a man did not take as much fire as that did.

Elena's flat screen was now shattered and she stared at the disinformation for a short moment. She knew that she would make enough to replace the now broken and black screen but she still fell to her knees, hands in her face bawling her eyes out. The petite girl was just so tired of feeling embarrassed and ashamed and sad. At the snap at her fingers, she would make it all vanish if she could. Running her hands through her hair she had suddenly remembered a bottle of Cognac in her freezer. She took matters into her own hands and in the next 15 minutes, she was drinking profusely out the bottle.

"Oh crap..I was supposed to have a chaser with this, wasn't I? Right, mom? I mean you're better at his than me." Elena yelled at her ceiling, tears still helplessly falling. 3 months ago, her words would have echoed since her living quarters were bare and she could barely afford furniture working a day job. The brown liquor going down her throat burned the first few chugs before she got used to it. Her hand hit the counter-top several times as she felt a rushing sensation in her stomach. One thing Elena knew for sure is that she did not regret putting that bottle to her lips for that night only.

Since her vision seemed to be blurred in the inebriated state she wobbled, knocking multiple items off her tv stand, her family photos were scattered all over the floor, she laughed at the symbolism once she processed what she did unintentionally. The pieces of her old life could never be remade. Elena saw her phone on the bare floor next to the cracked photo frame and grabbed it and began to look through her contacts. Her dad's number was long gone so she decided to call the only other man she held love for, her ex.

"Hi, Matt." The other line finally clicked. He was worried sick about her and even though their breakup was hurtful on his end it was needed, she was way too lost after the stunt her parents pulled. He breathed, "Elena, how are you, you okay? We were all worried for you." She laughed bitterly. No one had tried finding her or take any action to even contact her. They didn't give a damn frankly put.

"Whatever, buddy," she slurred, taking another swig of Cognac, "I'm a stripper so maybe you guys should put actions behind your concern." Matt removed his phone from his ear and looked at it. This couldn't be his Elena. He chuckled it off and tried to continue the conversation putting his apprehension away.

"You just need to get away, a rehab maybe, wait are you drunk? You don't do good with alcohol." Elena scoffed. "You know what, Matt! Fuck you and your condescending and your annoying do good tendencies! I dance for money so what is that hard to believe? There's no other way to pay for life in New York! Putting 40 hours at a 9 to 5 with a high school diploma isn't going to cover it, all the expenses, my goodness! But sometimes I do reflect if the cash is worth it because the guys are so creepy and powerful. What we do is no different than YOU coming into your work every day, we deserve respect no matter what." He was stunned at honesty, it was delivered emotionally but it was the truth nonetheless. Men were dirty, there had been so many sexual assault scandals covered up at his school and he was very complacent. Matt couldn't help Elena, a girl who lived next door to all his life. His incapability to protect her made him a coward and that's how he ended the phone call.

"Look, Elena, you're drunk and talking crazy, please go lie down, you'll be fine, I'll text you in the morning, okay."

She sniffled and heard the phone hang up as she took off her sweater and her jeans. Drinking made the temperature jump so many degrees and unironically Elena felt like she needed to strip down to be more comfortable and lied down on the couch in her destroyed living room.

Bonnie sighed as she stepped on the gum ridden sidewalks of Elena's upcoming apartment. Yes, it was dead early in the morning, but she needed to make sure her girl was preparing for the day. Last night's events also needed to be talked about between the two. The brown beauty's legs shook, a reaction to the chilly weather outside when she reached the porch. Her shivering stopped when she saw a bearded, unclean man in rags trying to run off with what seemed to be a package she sent to her friend and co-worker. Oh, Bonnie was roaring on the inside and her rage peaked for both Elena's ignorance the thieving homeless man when she chucked her shoe at the back of his head, halting his actions.

The man winced in pain inaudibly, probably from dehydration, and then looked at the woman who hit him in bewilderment and scurried away with her shoe. Bonnie picked up the now damaged box, he must have tried to open it or shook it several times. The box read exactly what she thought it was: her address to this one. She held onto the box as if it were a newborn, just in case she had to repeat her past actions.

"Yeah!" she yelled, "Get the hell outta here." Bonnie buzzed Elena's apartment, angrily and consequently heard a groggy voice telling her to come upstairs. The stairs were very musty and old, Bonnie had this incessant need to rip them all out and put in some new ones; not only her architectural side screamed in discomfort this just couldn't be safe for anyone to use. Especially, for her, since the thieving man took her one shoe so she was naturally barefooted, believing the superstition wearing one lone shoe was bad luck. As she reached Elena's floor, the fifth floor which had a deep red color, she admired it. Now, if only the whole complex had this design..she thought, and by no time she was in Elena's humble abode, watching the girl brush her teeth in the kitchen sink.

The girl quite simply looked a mess. Bonnie felt sorry for her, saving her long story and lecture, set the brown package on the nightstand. She enveloped her in a warm hug, and Elena was shocked, she was the one who initiated their hugs but she silently accepted because she needed it.

The two spent the next hour cleaning her house and laughing. Elena's headache wouldn't stop, her hangover may as well be the end of her if Bonnie had never intervened. She was thankful for her hospitality, but it was time to talk about the events of last night and the importance of tonight. After their cleaning, they sat in the closest thing to a kitchen dining room and Bonnie handed her a warm mug of her homemade honey tea. A drink that she thought was the best anectode for a hard night drinking. She said, "The girls can't know how close we are and that you can challenge me because they will prey on you and then me. I like the hierarchy we have going, it benefits me, but look at me, I'm the most ideal leader." Elena nodded, no one else would have had the patience to deal with newcomers and help the boss plan events on top of also dancing alongside them; that took strength.

"You're right," Elena replied, looking down, feeling stupid for getting blackout drunk, she said, "I think I called my ex last night in a drunken fury." Bonnie felt her embarrassment second hand from experience. She shrugged, "I mean, it's bound to happen when you're at that stage." Bonnie cleared her throat and asked, "So what did you say, were you horny or something?" Elena cringed, she hadn't thought about being close to someone in months. The brunette finally had sex for the first time some short time after her 17th birthday, which was also around the same time of implosion of her picture-perfect family. Everyone around her was having it, so it was only consequential for her to follow suit and she was so sad she wanted to feel the joys of pleasure her friends boasted about. Needless to say, it wasn't that enjoyable, none of her partners really awakened her in that way.

Elena held her finger up, putting a rest to those thoughts, "No, not that. I think I told him I work at the club but he was so far up his knight in shining armor's ass he couldn't even register what I said about it." Bonnie offered a faint smile and put her hand over Elena's, an affectionate, wordless way of hoping it would get better.

Chapter 2: The Best Reel Ever: Part Two, This Night

It was 4 in the afternoon and Elena was now in Bonnie's house, hair being straightened, sitting in a sleek black chair in front of this huge, beautiful mirror. God, she loved Bonnie's style. Bonnie's friend and stylist, Jesse, had been working on her hair for 40 drawn-out minutes. The young man stated his love for her hair that reached way past her neck and wanted to give it the justice it deserves. Time, however, doesn't offer much sympathy to goals and deadlines. She checked her phone in intervals, half-hoping that Matt wouldn't try to contact her but instead another devil rose to the occasion.

Where are you now, future misses Donovan?

We haven't shagged in 4 four months, quite sometime before you left Virginia. I feel used :(

She groaned, turning off her phone, knowing that the last sentence was a faux hurt of his feelings. All that he did was take advantage of her and tease her relationship since he was the means of it ending. Jesse noticed her frustrated disposition and offered advice, "Ooh, girl, been there done that but sometimes I come back crawling back because when the di-" Bonnie wide-eyed interrupting his vulgar language and exclaimed, "We're not here for that, and she definitely isn't." It was true, they were running out of time for his meticulous work on her hair. He threw his hands up, admitting defeat, and rested them on his hips. Jesse just couldn't give up, prying was his God-given talent alongside cosmetics and he was sincerely concerned about her.

"Girl, I'm just worried, dating someone in the life you lead can be dangerous, these men are very slow, controlling and short-fused, and another thing is short while they're trying to control you." She looked in the mirror at his caring gaze on the back of the head. The eccentric hairstylist put a hand on her shoulder to which she interlocked her fingers with. She smiled tightly and thanked him. "That messy chapter is closed in my life," she looked down at her dark red, sparkly get up for the night, "and I opened a new one."

"A new one that offers a good sum." Jesse quipped as he combed her chocolate-colored locks.

Elena grimaced as she stepped into her heels, she loathed because how they made her feet ache, but she couldn't help but admire the accentuation of her legs. And additionally, costing Bonnie another pair of shoes. The young dancer was already tall, so the heels made her look like she was graced with a supermodel's height. She did a 360 spin to which she heard Jesse's snapping in the background, slowing her wave of confidence. He yelled, "Don't stop on account of me, come on bitch, you're serving ' broke model who occasionally dances on the side'." Elena couldn't stop glowing, even if she didn't understand his compliment fully and they hugged, the two had really clicked the entire afternoon in front of that mirror.

Bonnie cleared her throat, "Hello, we have 45 minutes." Jesse held his hands out walking to his longtime friend, preparing her for a hug as well. He said, "Oh, don't think I forgot about my day one bitch because white fish is here." Elena was confused once again but she just kept a warm smile on her face watching the two friends embrace. Bonnie rolled her eyes and welcomed the hug from Jesse, very nonchalantly. After hugging, he whined, "Ugh I wish I could see y'all tonight but," he sighed dreamily, "DAs are priority, and I've canceled on him twice now. " Bonnie laughed, "Knowing you, yo' ass probably waited for pics." Jesse couldn't help but snicker, his little caramel friend knew him so well. He gave them quick hugs and practically sprinted out the door. Then it was time for the two new friends to depart Bonnie's home of preparation. Elena pretty much guessed what the initials DA meant between their lightly suggestive conversation and kept a small chuckle to herself.

Elena and Bonnie were overly late and hurriedly walking into the alley back door of the club and causing a shift in Katherine's semi pep-talk.

"Oh, look who decided come in, late may I add," The curly haired older woman announced and looked at her resembling worker. When Katherine made their arrival clear, the girls in the locker room quieted down and now they were collectively waiting for the fatality on Elena. "You probably held poor old Bonnie up, she's forgiven of course. But did you almost change your mind last minute, Treasure?" She cooed wickedly, with a smirk. Elena shook her head and said a firm and loud enough 'no' and directly headed to her locker, she was not going to let anyone, including her boss, tear down her confidence and she was going to own it.

Stefan, Damon, and Lexi stood outside in a line that was wrapped around the building. Damon was growing annoyed, he came here tonight for two things: booze and partial nudity. Those were things he was not was used to waiting for, especially the nudity part. He groaned rather loudly letting his party of 2 know his impatience. Lexi, a blonde clad in a purple and black outfit, rolled her eyes. Pulling out her phone, she starts looking for Katherine's number and swiped right, she had her on speaker.

"We'll be letting people in 15 minutes, what's the problem?"

Lexi eyed a very annoyed Damon and replied, "Yes, but you have a very upset child out here ready to gorge on all your dancers." Stefan almost laughed until Damon glared, scowling at the two of buds and decided to go with a smirk. The line started moving, she already was allowing people to enter it's just that would have taken them 15 minutes to finally come in. He yelled, "Let us in, you know you invited us here not the way around, Kitty Kat." Hearing some muffling on the other end, Katherine spoke, "Okay, but the bouncer has to double your entrance fee, bye! Please enjoy the show tonight." An abrupt dial tone ended their phone call.

"Double? Okay, I'll take it," he said like he had an actual choice in the matter. The group walked up the line, Damon being in front of them getting to their destination. Lexi and Stefan nodded their head like two parents seeing their kid satisfied with getting their way.

The three were finally in the club and strippers gravitated towards them until Katherine shooed them away. Damon and she shared a gaze.

"Katherine."

"Yes?"

"Why the fuck did you just do that?"

Katherine ignored his vulgar words and tone. "Because," she said, leading them upstairs, "I want you here, away from general population." Before Damon could speak, Lexi did for all three of them, "We want to be danced on and throw money, you know classic strip club experience." Katherine rotated and sighed, "While that sounds great, you two," pointing at Stefan and Damon, "you two are high-profile people and I don't want a mob of my girls and paparazzi fighting over you." Stefan rose his hands in defeat, his night already ruined because of her strict rules. "Fine, Katherine, whatever." He then walked into their assigned room, Lexi soon followed but Damon did not.

"No, I'm not like those two, you're hiding something here Kit Kat. Celebrities go to strip clubs all the time."

"Yes, they do," Katherine agreed and then countered, "And I'm not hiding shit. You knew it was going to be limited for you and you agreed to my general terms. We don't need another scandal from you though. I want the page six to read 'Salvatores enjoyed themselves at the Petrova Fire.' You owe me, Damon." Her exterior was hard and she wasn't breaking their deal no matter how many tantrums the adult man threw. He scowled and walked away, deal still not broken since he walked into the room. Katherine had a small victory, patriarchy had a chance at losing after all.

Stefan had been glued to his phone as were the other two since they thought it would pass time. Checking app after app, seeing people have fun out with their friends sure didn't move the time faster. He yawned, staring at the lights that alternated from red and pink. "Should we take a picture?" He held his phone out for Damon to snatch it with the quickness. He said, "I'll take it because you and her," Lexi giggled, covering her mouth like a school girl. The raven-haired man glared at her and emphasized, "Especially her. Point is, you're terrible at getting my good side."

They all took photos together, Lexi and Stefan, in one, and the brothers alone, and then one altogether. The boredom still didn't cease. Feeling very mischievous, Damon wanted to start a somewhat sensitive conversation, Lexi's sexuality. "So," he began, "Too bad we couldn't make it work." Stefan nearly choked and Lexi looked like she was going to slam his face on the ground. Damon stood up, patting his all-black Gucci outfit of any invisible lint. She crossed her arms, this had no real, happy ending to it.

"I could have secured my full trust, moved away from this nosy ass town, and baby maybe I would have taken you to an island or two. Who knows, I would have made a great beard for you."

She scoffed, "All that damn foundation caked up on your face, no, Damon you would have been my beard." Lexi was not going to take disrespect from Damon, especially since he was the one who outed her in a petty, impulsive rage. The foundation comment was a low blow for him. Damon wished he took his teen and young adult years more seriously and went to school, instead he put his looks first and now at the age of 29, he had to face a disease everyone had - age. Nonetheless, he was very insecure about it.\

Stefan, breaking out of character just laughed hysterically. This was the most fun he had all night, watching someone call out his immature older brother was always humorously therapeutic. Damon scowled, again for the night and stormed out of the room. Lexi ran her fingers through her hair, sighing. She felt her hand being squeezed by her best friend and smiled weakly. "Look," Stefan started, "Damon is a dick, there's no doubt about that but he was drunk that night and-" Immediately, she released her hand from his platonic hold, so as of now he was grabbing air. Damon seemed to be a problem in a majority of his relationships and he loathed him for it. However, they were brothers and he had this incessant need to defend and protect him since he'd looked up to him and respected him so much.

"This isn't a conversation to be had," she pointed around the perimeter, "here. You go so hard for him it's just... anyways I'm leaving. I need a drink and a fat ass to look at."

Elena was being shoved around the floor all night due to the boss's orders. She'd made a great amount just working 3 hours. She was running back to locker because she couldn't carry her cash. As she was leaving the backroom, Bonnie stopped her and told her that she could sneak and do the private room. The next thing she knew that she was putting on a black diamond choker and a platter of champagne glasses. Elena observed them, "What kind of champagne is this?" Bonnie raised an eyebrow not seeing why it mattered but answered anyway to calm the girl's nerves down."

The heels she had on were great for looking absolutely delectable but for carrying, fragile items, not so much. She wobbled, to which Bonnie had to guide her out the room. "Go get em, girl. Woo!" Bonnie cheered as she saw her friend ascend the stairs. As she went upstairs, she saw a young blonde walking very quickly and there was anger deep in her walk. She just slowly moved out the way since the platter combined with heels wouldn't allow a smooth transition. Taking a deep breath, she said slowly, "I am Elena Gilbert and I can handle taking drinks to semi-ish celebrities." She smoothed out her hair and put on her best imperfect walk.

However, Elena was horrible walking in heels so she ended up slipping and it was quite unflattering. When she entered the room, she must have looked right through Stefan because his hands caught her from almost falling. Maybe it was a wrong distribution of confidence. Panting heavily, she felt like she was being held up by air, this was a man she Googled and now she was partially in his arms. How did she end up here, exactly, alone with him? Her hands were sweating under the warmth of his.

"Hi."

She coughed, breaking their hands apart, "Hi, I was just supposed to bring this," they looked on the floor at some of the broken glass. In a 24 hour span, she had two instances of breaking glass, that couldn't be lucky. Stefan noticed a scar on her hand which was very close to her and he held it in his hand again. Elena felt like she was going to pass out at the caring, attentive strokes he gave to her skin. The scar didn't look like it happened just now, it must have happened last night. He apologized, "Sorry, just medical instincts, you should probably get that checked out." Stefan finally got a chance to look at her fully, just making minimal eye contact before did not prepare him for Elena's full beauty.

The burgundy corset she was wearing complimented her well, especially her bosom and she was tall, slender, and her chocolate brown eyes had this skittish flare to them, he was hooked. Elena was counting her breaths one by one because she might not be able to come into work the next if he kept his intense gaze on her. Without thinking, he said, "My God, you're a vision." Elena was blushing crazily, her nerves on an ultimate overload. Internally scolding himself, he changed the subject rather quickly. The medical major pointed to some unscathed glasses of champagne, "Those aren't ruined," he picked them both up, handing her one. They drank, and Elena wondered if drinking on and off the clock was going to be a norm for her.

"Treasure!" The nervous brunette heard a voice call her out. Oh no, not now and not you. She thought rapidly, Bonnie was supposed to keep her busy. Stefan had taken his time drinking the beverage so he didn't quite catch the voice first. Then he looked around and he too heard footsteps, more specifically Jimmy Choo heels from one person's foot. He said, "That must be-"

"Katherine." Elena finished, seeing her boss at the head of the door with a frown sporting on her face.