"It really is beautiful."

Elena smiled as she and Damon walked through the rose garden, with its hedges of roses taller than both of them combined. "My mother loved roses. Just flowers in general, really. We never even had a gardener until she... passed. She always loved to do it herself."

Elena listened to him intently as they walked. "Did she ever teach you?"

Damon bit his lip, "She tried a few times, but I was always too busy playing with my friends to really give her a fair shot."

She could sense that he felt awful about this, and she stopped walking, causing him to glance at her in confusion. "Don't feel bad, Damon. You were only young. I'm sure she understood."

He smiled at her, "Oh, she did. She understood everything. My father, on the other hand, has always been much more pro-Stefan. He never gives me the time of day; I always disappoint him."

Elena frowned as they began to walk again, "What do you mean?"

Damon sighed, "I just can't live up to what he wants me to be! I can't stand the idea of staying here forever to run the estate, and I took a swing at the army for a while, but that wasn't for me, either..."

"Well, I'm sure you'll find something that you want to do. Surely he'll support you in it."

Damon laughed harshly, "My father? Support me? Not in this lifetime."

Elena frowned, "It doesn't sound like you two talk much. Surely if you told him how you feel about all this, he'd understand."

Damon shook his head. "He's too pompous to listen to anything I have to say. Stefan, on the other hand, is God's gift to him. He always does everything he's told, and Father doesn't even notice if he does something wrong. It always gets blamed on me. Either I did it, or I was the bad influence on him that invoked him into doing it."

Elena grinned, "Oh, I can sympathize with that. Katherine is always everyone's favorite. I don't know what it is, but they always flock to her, as if she's wine, and I'm apple cider; we look practically identical, but there's just something about her that draws people to her instead."

Damon gave her a small smile, "Well, if it makes you feel any better, I'd take a glass of apple cider over a glass of wine any day."

She raised an eyebrow, "Really?"

He shrugged, "Well, metaphorically."

She laughed, and he smiled. "I'm serious, though. I would much rather spend my time with you than Katherine."

She smiled as they walked out into the cobblestone center of the maze of rose hedges, with its fountain and marble benches. They sat down on one by the fountain, and Elena smiled at him. "What makes you choose me over Katherine?"

He reached for her hand, and she took his, allowing him to play with her fingers lightly.

"Well, you're definitely more fun to be around."

Elena shook her head, "I'm really not. Katherine is always the life of the party. I'm just the wallflower who spends time with the other stragglers that no one wants to dance with."

"Well, I find that hard to believe."

"It's true."

"Well, I also find you much sweeter than your," he lowered his voice, grinning, "Vixen of a sister."

Her eyes widened in shock, but she was smiling, "Damon! You shouldn't say that."

For a moment, he feared he had offended her, but she leaned closer and whispered, "She may be listening."

Damon laughed, "You're also much funnier than she is."

"Funnier than whom?"

Damon and Elena looked up to see Katherine and Stefan enter the clearing as well, Katherine with a grey parasol in hand.

"I see you beat us here, brother. How do you like the gardens, Elena?" Stefan asked as they walked over to the other pair.

"They're lovely," Elena answered politely.

"Oh, I hope we weren't interrupting anything," Katherine said, catching sight of Elena's hand in Damon's.

"Oh," Elena blushed, gently withdrawing her hand from his. But, in order to make sure he knew it wasn't because she wanted to, she brushed his leg almost unnoticeably with her gloved finger tips as she drew away, "Of course not. Aren't the gardens lovely?"

Katherine nodded, "Stefan was telling me about how his mother had quite the green thumb in her day." She turned to face Damon, "Our mother couldn't keep a plant alive if she had all the tools in the world. In fact, it's a miracle she kept us alive. She couldn't even keep herself alive, for heaven's sake!"

Katherine gave a dismissive laugh, but Elena looked as though someone had just punched her in the stomach, "Excuse me, please. I have to go." She stood and walked swiftly away, back into the maze.

Damon whipped his head around to glare at Katherine, "How could you say something like that?" he snapped, before standing and hurrying after Elena.

Stefan seemed a bit confused, as well, "Why did you say that?" he asked.

Katherine shrugged, smoothing her skirts, "It was true. If our mother hadn't been such a fool, she may still be alive. It isn't my fault that Elena is more sensitive about it than I am. If you ask me, she needs to grow up."

Stefan bit his lip, "Maybe you should be a bit more sensitive toward her..."

Katherine stared deeply into his hazel eyes, "No, I shouldn't."

Stefan's eyes glazed over a bit, before going back into focus, "Of course not. What was I saying?"

Katherine smiled, "You were going to show me the lilacs just on the other side of the maze."

"Oh! Right; shall we?" he asked, extending his arm.

Katherine smiled, taking it, "We shall."

VvvvV

"Elena? Elena, please wait."

Damon chased after her, finally catching up with her as she was exiting the maze. He caught her hand in his, concern shining in his blue eyes.

"I'm sorry. I wish to be alone."

"She shouldn't have said that. It was cruel."

A tear slid down Elena's cheek, "Yes, it was. But she's Katherine, so she doesn't even know it's cruel. It's just the way she speaks to people. Now, if you'll excuse me-"

"Elena." Damon gave her hand a small squeeze. "Do you really want to be alone right now?"

She went silent, staring at their joined hands, "No," she said quietly, as more tears slid down her face, "I don't."

He entwined their fingers, holding her hand tightly, "You don't have to be."

She looked into his blue eyes, and she fell apart, "I... I just miss them so much...! But Katherine... she doesn't even care...! She only makes it... makes it worse...!" she sobbed, hot tears pouring down her cheeks. She fell into Damon's arms, sobbing into his chest.

He led her over to a bench in the shade of a large oak tree, helping her sit down beside him, "It's going to be okay." He promised her, stroking her hair, "It gets easier. I promise."

"I-I'm sorry...! This is so... so rude of me...! You hardly even know me... and I'm... ruining your shirt with me tears...!"

He gave her a small smile, "It's alright. You can cry on my shoulder whenever you need to. I really don't mind."

She gave a tiny laugh, pulling away from him, blushing, "That's sweet of you."

He shrugged, smiling. They were interrupted when a black girl roughly Elena and Katherine's age rushed by them. Elena frowned, "Emily!" she called after her.

Damon frowned in confusion, "Emily?" he asked.

Elena nodded, "Emily Bennett; she's our hand maid."

Damon nodded as the girl rushed back over to them. "Yes, Miss Elena?"

"Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

Emily bit her lip, "Miss Katherine; I was supposed to bring her... lunch."

Elena frowned, "You do realize she's with Stefan Salvatore, don't you?"

Emily's eyes widened, "Oh. No, no I hadn't; I was just told I was to take her food to her in the gardens. I had no idea she was with Mr. Salvatore; oh! How rude of me..."

She curtsied when she realized who Elena was with, "Mr. Salvatore, sir," she said, clearly embarrassed.

Damon nodded. "I'm sure Stefan wouldn't mind if you took Katherine her lunch in the gardens," he assured Emily.

"But Katherine would," Elena said.

Damon frowned, turning to her, "Why?"

"Emily, would you go lay out my dress for supper tonight, please?" Elena asked.

Emily nodded, "Of course, Miss Elena. Mr. Salvatore, sir," she repeated, curtsying again before she rushed off to enter the house through the back door.

"What's the big deal about Katherine eating in front of Stefan?" Damon asked in confusion.

"Oh. Well, Katherine is... picky. She doesn't like to eat in front of other people unless she has to."

Damon still looked confused, "Why-?"

"It doesn't really matter, does it?" Elena asked, seeming a bit nervous.

Damon shook his head, "No; no, not really."

Elena smiled, "I would love to see more of the estate before supper. Would you mind showing me?"

Damon grinned, "Of course. We could go see the horses if you would like."

She nodded with her eyes bright, "I would love to."