Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries

Thanks to Sabine Christensen, Hayden, VampirePrincess11, and Ritsikas for reviewing.

Ritsikas: I'm glad you liked it and I wanted Elouise to be kind of out of the gang because I wanted more original scenes if that makes sense, they're more fun. Also I was thinking the same about her relationship with Caroline. I'm glad you like Daniel, you pictured him perfectly. I love him, he wasn't meant to be a big apart of this as he's turned out but I love him to much now! As for Elouise's story line I can promise you that she is not related to Elena and she will hopefully never be Mary-Sue like. I don't want a perfect character :) I've never read a story that has done what I'm planning so hopefully I don't disappoint!

Chapter 4

Family Ties

I stare at the tv blankly as mum confirms that it was a mountain lion who had killed Tanner and the others. "It doesn't make sense," I comment quietly taking a bite out of my toast.

"Why?" Caroline questions me as she fixes her scarf around her neck.

"Mountain lions don't normally attack humans, prey recognition is a learned behavior it would have had to be starving," I inform her, knowing she had absolutely no interest in what I was saying.

Caroline picks up her bag taking a gulp out of the coffee I had made for myself, "So it was starved," she declares.

I glare at her looking mournfully at my coffee as she places it back down, "What's up with the scarves, you don't even like them. You told me that last year when I tried to wear one."

Caroline shrugs, "That's because you can't wear one, it's a gift which you unfortunately didn't inherit from your mother," she tells me.

"Right of course," I mutter leaving the comment even if it did hurt. I let my toast fall back to my plate in shock, Damon and Elena was right I let Caroline walk all over me, I always had. There was a part of me that felt this need for her to like me, no matter where it left me.

"Where are you going?" I ask her, trying to change the thought pattern of my mind. The truth of it hurt because I would never stop wanting Caroline's approval, even if I was never going to get it.

"To see Damon," she informs in a voice that seem to tease me over the fact he was hers. Bonnie's warning flashes through my mind, I couldn't shake the feeling that she was right Damon was dangerous.

"Is that a good idea?" I blurt out before I could hold back the words.

Caroline clicks her tongue, "Why wouldn't it be?" she questions.

"Just cause of mum and how much older he you know is," I stutter, knowing she wouldn't take that excuse. Caroline places both hand on the back of the chair in front of her, making her look kind of scary.

"She's not going to find out, unless," she says leaving the word hanging in the hair.

"Because I would totally tell her," I snap at Caroline annoyed she would even go there, grumpily I stand up slamming the chair back into the table, "if you haven't actually noticed I've never told on you ever, it's a sister thing but by your theory we're not even sisters so maybe I will tell her." Which of course was a total bluff because I never could and Caroline knew that as well.

"Whatever Elouise," Caroline says, walking away.

"What is the point?" I murmur to myself.

"I have a question," I tell Daniel as we take our places at the Grill.

"Okay," Daniel says cautiously looking slightly afraid.

"Its not bad," I promise him quickly before pausing, "okay its kind of bad."

"What?" Daniel questions looking kind of annoyed already, this was not how I wanted him to be.

"Umm well can you please come to the Founder's party with me? I know you don't want to, but mum says I have to come and I can bring someone and you're the only person who will make it slightly bearable," I beg him.

Daniel considers it for a few seconds his face already telling me he's going to say no, "Elouise I hate those things, I'm not really founder material."

I stare at him, "So you don't have to be a founder to go," I whine, "please," I add.

Daniel glares at me, "Fine, I'll go but I don't even own a suit."

"Yeah well I don't own a dress, actually I seriously don't own a dress," I muse realizing for the first time unless I wanted to show up in jeans I was going to have to do something. I search around the room looking for a familiar face my eyes landing on Caroline, internally I groan.

"She'll never let me borrow a dress and I'm not going to buy one that'll I never wear," I mutter more to myself than Daniel.

"Maybe you should ask your new friend Elena," Daniel jokes, making fun of our former fight.

However in my mind it doesn't exactly register as a joke, "Daniel every so often you come up with something good," I tell him. After all Elena was nice enough and we looked about the same size.

"I was joking," Daniel deadpans looking at me as if I've gone crazy, "you would never have asked Elena for a dress before you'd be too scared." I knew he was right and he was still right, I really didn't want to, but for some reason I wanted to make a good impression at this thing.

"Hey Elouise," Elena greets me as she opens the door. I nervously twist my feet realizing now how bad an idea this was.

"Hey," I mutter looking up at her.

"Do you want to come in?" Elena offers moving to the side so her house becomes open to me.

I smile thankfully, "Yeah you don't mind?" I question, stepping through to the Gilbert house. I look around I hadn't been here since I was really young and to my surprise it hadn't changed at all.

"Are you going to the Founders party?" Elena questions me.

I turn my attention back to her, "Yeah I have to, which is why I'm here this is totally inappropriate but do you happen to have a dress I can borrow?" I ask her wondering if it was even remotely possible to look as nervous as I felt.

Elena laughs lightly, "Seriously you have a warped perception of inappropriate, and of course you can. Why didn't you ask Caroline?" she says leading me up the stairs.

"Have you met Caroline?" I reply.

Elena laughs again, "Okay I get your point," she agrees.

"So how are things with you and Stefan?" I question taking a seat as Elena scours her closet.

"Great he's taking me to the Founder's party," Elena says excitement present in her voice.

"Found it," she declares, pulling out a bunch of black material. Carefully she set it on her wardrobe door and I gasped it was beautiful.

Elena grins, "Thought you might like it," she comments.

"I love it and that's a lot coming from me considering I'm not a clothing person," I tell her, the dress in itself was black but the top half was covered in diamond like spots and the dress flowed out at the bottom.

Elena laughs just as Bonnie walks in the door, "Hey," she calls looking over to Elena and the dress, "and that's not what you were wearing."

"No Elouise is borrowing it," Elena says pointing her head over to me. I wave as Bonnie's eyes find me once again my mind reminding me how I shouldn't have done this, hadn't I basically given up on being friends with these girls.

"Anyway I should go," I say to them picking myself up.

"Wait you should stay and get ready with us," Elena proposes.

"Yeah totally," Bonnie agrees even though it doesn't sound as sincere as Elena.

I shake my head, "Honestly I can't," I tell them, all I could think was that Caroline was going to show up and hate me forever.

"Caroline won't be here," Elena informs me as if reading my mind.

I shift uncomfortably unsure how to say no, "Come on Elouise it'll be fun," Bonnie adds effectively winning me over.

"Okay fine," I agree.

"So question," I murmur turning to face Bonnie. Elena had gone to get the door and I figured this was going to be the only time I got to talk to Bonnie about the Damon thing.

Bonnie sighs, "Figured it was coming," she says in a voice that seems to declare it's the last thing she wants to talk about. I gently grip Elena's duvet cover half of me wanting to not say a word for fear of what Bonnie might say but the other half was stronger.

"Why do I have to stay away from Damon?" I ask her.

Bonnie seems to take forever to consider her answer, "I don't know, I don't know anything anymore," she admits truthfully.

I stare at her, "What? That's like the worse answer in the world," I tell her in disbelief.

"What answer?" Elena questions as walking back in.

"Nothing," Bonnie and I say at the exact same time.

Elena looks between the two of us her eyes suspicious, "Okay fine don't tell but," she begins turning to Bonnie, "how about you tell me what it is you've wanted to tell me since you walked through the door."

I look at Bonnie, "What if I tell you in the morning? I don't want to ruin your night," Bonnie tries but by the look on Elena's face it isn't going to work.

"Bonnie, out with it," Elena says sternly.

"Ok but it has to go in the vault, because Caroline will kill me if it gets back to Damon that she squealed," Bonnie says to us, looking especially at me.

I realized for the first time Bonnie was hesitant to say it because I was around, "I'm not going to say anything," I promise.

Bonnie nods before continuing, "Do you know what happened with Stefan's ex Katherine?" she questions Elena.

"I know that they both dated her and that's why they have issues," my eyes widen at this knowledge, "they both dated her," I exclaim in disbelief.

"Yeah they both dated her," Bonnie confirms, "but she chose Damon. And that drove Stefan mad so he did horrible things to try and break them up. He manipulated Katherine. Filled her head with all these lies until it finally worked and she turned against him."

I stare at Bonnie in shock she could not believe that, "Stefan, Stefan Salvatore that's the most stupid thing I ever heard." Bonnie glares at me causing me to look away and regret my words.

"Elouise is right, that sounds like Damon's side of the story," Elena tells her backing me up.

Bonnie shrugs, "I just wanted you to know," she says.

Elena shakes her head, "Stefan's past relationships are none of my business," she tells Bonnie firmly.

"Unless hes a calculating manipulative liar, then its your business," Bonnie argues.

I couldn't sit here listening to this I had to say something, "Bonnie you're taking Damon's side, Damon we don't trust Damon remember. If anyone is the manipulative liar its him."

Elena and Bonnie look at me in surprise, "How do you know?" Bonnie questions me.

I look at her, "Because I just do and you felt it to remember," I remind her.

"Yeah but Elouise you don't really know him I get you're taking Stefan's side but turning Damon into a villain isn't really fair," Elena says to me, her voice gentle.

I couldn't believe they were making me out to be unfair, "Come on he's a liar everything he does is kind of sinister, he seems to have an ulterior motive for everything," I argue, almost pleading with them to agree with me.

"Maybe a little but not as bad as your making it out," Elena says to me, "I haven't," Bonnie adds.

I sink back down to the bed in defeat, "Maybe it's me, maybe I just hate him for no good reason."

"Hey Elouise," mom calls as I walk into the Lockwood mansion.

She grins when she see me, "You look beautiful honey, I've never seen you like this," she comments her face covered with a well-known parental pride.

I blushed I couldn't help it, "Thanks Elena and Bonnie helped," I mutter looking over her attire, "you're working," I accuse.

Mum sighs, "You and Caroline, I have to."

I shake my head, "I know I'm sorry," I apologize.

"Speaking of Caroline, the new boyfriend have you met him?" she asks me. I gulp this was exactly what I didn't want, why had Caroline even brought him to this thing?

"Yeah, mum you don't have to worry about a thing Damon is great," I lie even if I didn't want to.

"You're sure," mum questions me.

"Aha," I say, "I have to find Daniel he was annoyed enough we didn't come together," I tell her, needing to get out of this conversation as soon as possible.

"Hey Daniel," I greet him as I come up behind him.

"Hey," the greeting stops when he turns around to see me, "Elouise," he finishes. I laugh at his reaction, "You're wearing a dress," he adds confused.

"I kind of had to," I remind him raising an eyebrow, "and you're wearing a suit so I think we're equal," I claim.

Daniel looks down at himself as if for the first time realizing what he's wearing, "I guess," he mutters unconvinced.

I pout, "Come on don't be like that, lets have fun," I say looking around me, "if its at all possible."

"Waiting for someone?" Damon questions me as I sit alone outside the Lockwood mansion. Daniel had gone to get us a drink and I wish he would hurry up and get back so I didn't have to be alone with Damon.

"Not you," I tell him harshly.

"I'm sorry if I've done something to offend you," he says taking the seat beside me.

I laugh at the thought of it, "You're not at all sorry."

Damon smiles, "Your right I'm not, but come on," he says bumping my shoulder, "I haven't done anything that bad, nothing that you should hate me for."

I roll my eyes standing up to get away from him, "I don't hate you, I just don't trust you. There's something about you that isn't right," I say to him, wondering why my gut feeling was so set against him. Damon stands up so we're mere inches away from each other; my heart begins to bound a fear taking over my body that I can't quite understand.

Damon smirks as if he can possible sense what I'm feeling, "I like the look, it suits you," he finally comments striding away from me. I let out my breath unaware that I had even been holding it, slowly I turn to find Daniel holding our drinks in his hand.

"What was that?" he questions me.

"I don't know," I answer honestly, "I really don't know."

"Elouise," Elena calls out to me, running up to meet me where I stand on the grass.

"Elena what's up?" I question, instantly fearing the worse by the look on her face.

"It's Caroline, Damon, Elouise her body is covered in bruises and bite marks," Elena struggles to explain what's going on.

"What, Damon hurt her, I told you we should never have trusted him, I" I say words coming out before I can think about them.

Elena grabs my arm, "Elouise, let's just find her Stefan says he's taking care of Damon," she promises me.

"He better be," I snap. We manage to find Caroline wandering around on the lawn. "Caroline, thank god," I exclaim, running over to hug her as soon as I laid eyes on her. Caroline to my surprise actually returns the hug.

"Elouise, I'm fine," she says quietly.

I step back looking at her, "Caroline you're not fine." She looked like something horrible had just happened she was literally shaking.

"You're shaking," Elena says pointing out my observation.

"I'm fine!" Caroline repeats shouting at us.

"Caroline," Elena murmurs as the tears begin to pour.

"We need to get her home," I declare as Elena pulls her into a hug.