Hi guys! Thank you so much for your patience with this update, I have started working full-time (43 hours a week! yowza!) and blah blah blah, all the usual excuses. If you are still reading this story then I adore you. This chapter was originally like nearly 8000 words, and then I decided to cut it down to around 4200, so the other half will be coming soon!

For anyone wondering about the line of authority on the TV station, Klaus is the CEO of the station but has no say in the show itself, he is more of a silent entity. Pearl is the executive producer, and Rebekah is the lead writer (Elena is her assistant). Damon, Stefan, Katherine and various other characters are actors in the show. Hope that clears it up a little!

Also some people have been saying they are guessing I don't like Klaus/ship Klaroline or whatever because of my characterisation of him, but that really isn't true. I see the potential in KC and although I don't ship it/don't have it planned for my story, it doesn't mean I don't like them. I simply chose Klaus to characterise as Katherine's husband/abuser because in my mind his character is the most likely to lash out in anger (which despite his good qualities, he often does.)

Enough ranting for now. Enjoy the chapter :)

Have you no idea that you're in deep?

I dreamt about you nearly every night this week,

How many secrets can you keep?

Since before she could remember, Elena had been obsessed with television shows. Her high school years had been consumed with her screaming at her TV screen and crying when her favourite characters broke up. She had realised she wanted to work in television for the first time when she spent a week in the darkness of her room after one half of her favourite couple died. She decided then and there that she wanted to write something that made someone care as much as that - something so powerful it could reduce someone to tears.

She had spent the better part of her Friday night watching re-runs of One Tree Hill, one of her favourite shows (god, Lucas was hot in season five). But despite the eye-candy, her busy working week carried her off to sleep quickly, and she was woken up only by Bonnie crashing through the door at 3am. One look at the TV screen told her she was now watching MMA fighting - not her first choice of programming. She found it so inhumane that a person could be held down for so long that they had no choice but to tap out. For that person, it was either be humiliated and lose, or choose to suffer further. Either way they lost.

"You're watching this crap?" Bonnie wrinkled her nose at the TV screen, throwing her keys on the kitchen bench.

Elena rubbed her eyes and sat up. "That would be a no," she yawned.

When Elena had left the office earlier that night, she felt a considerable weight lifting off her shoulders - she had made it. She had gotten though the first week of her new job, and had come out practically unscathed. Sure, there was the secret of Damon and Katherine's affair, not to mention Stefan asking her out despite her purely platonic feelings for him - but she had come out of her first working week alive, nonetheless.

She had been told today by Pearl that her script writing was going really well and Rebekah even mentioned giving her an important writing task in the near future, so it was with a happy heart that she had thrown her bag down on the ageing wooden chair in her living room and settled down to some Chad Michael Murray in his younger days.

"Bon?"

Bonnie had already gone into her room; she turned her blaring music down slightly by way of reply.

"Will you come shopping with me tomorrow? I have nothing to wear to this office thing," she grumbled. Elena knew Bonnie wasn't really into shopping, but she also knew if she whined enough, her housemate would cave helplessly. It was approximately T minus 16 hours until the Start of Season launch party, and as of the current moment, Elena would be turning up butt-naked.

Bonnie stuck her head out of her bedroom door and raised one dark eyebrow at Elena.

"This wouldn't be a dress to impress Damon, now, would it?" She had turned the music all the way down and had perched herself on one of the bar stools behind Elena.

Elena cursed her blushing skin. "Of course not. I told you that is never, EVER happening, Bonnie. He is so far out of my league, we aren't even playing the same game." "Besides, I am going with someone else," she continued briskly.

Bonnie swept her chocolate brown hair over her bare shoulder and shot Elena a meaningful look that clearly said she wasn't buying it.

Elena just raised her eyebrows in response and watched her as she marched back into her room, shooting her one last wearied look.

"Wait, so what time are we going shopping?" she yelled at the closed door.

Saturday night came before anyone knew it. Pearl's assistant Mikah had spent the day instructing the catering on exactly how the ballroom was to be set up for evening. It was to be held at The Grayson Centre, one of the most popular places for functions in LA, and many reputable members of the network and other television networks would to be attending. As the flagship show of the network, it was more than just a start of season launch party, but rather a veritable plethora of industry talent. Not to mention a perfect platform to meet high-up exec's and people they would otherwise not get a chance to meet.

Damon had spent the day following around a very busy Katherine who had insisted on getting every beauty treatment in the known universe before the party. After six hours of manicures, foils, face masks and foot massages, she had rushed home to Klaus in the late afternoon, leaving Damon bitter and alone. While he was fully aware it was no-one's fault but his own that he had been a personal taxi for the day, a little appreciation wouldn't have gone astray.

"God, I need a drink," he muttered to himself as he swept his piercing blue eyes around the ballroom. Mikah and her team had done an amazing job setting everything up, and he had to admit the venue was perfect. The glittering light from the grand chandeliers lit up the room beautifully, accentuating the classy decor and sparkling patrons. Covering the walls were photos of the cast with thousands of fans: at conventions, at signings, at events, even just hanging out. He couldn't help but notice the huge smiles on his and Katherine's faces as they sat with Stefan in between them, happier than ever. The picture that had caught his eye had been taken over a year ago, during their first press tour. Katherine hadn't married Klaus yet. Damon hadn't fallen in love with her yet.

He shook the memory out of his head as the large silk banner above the door caught his eye.

"Congratulations on Season 2!" it read, fluttering above them all. He grimaced. Congratu-fucking-lations.

A blonde lady in a red dress flushed as his gaze met hers and Damon made a mental note to find her later if this night went the way it seemed to be headed. If he wasn't the star of the show, he wouldn't have turned up at all, preferring to resume the passed out position he had adopted for most of the afternoon. Anything was better watching pretentious people float around pretending to like each other. He was just cursing himself for bothering to turn up early when the queen of pretension herself- Katherine- caught his eye. She was hanging off Klaus' right arm, smiling jovially and rubbing her husband's bicep occasionally like everything was fucking fine and dandy in the world.

The whole situation was making him resentful and he knew it. A year ago he was happier than he had ever been, his social life was thriving, he had just gotten a job at a great new TV show and was actually starting to be recognised for his acting, something he had been trying to do for ten years to no avail. In the past six months he had watched everyone he had known from his old life step away from him and he had thrown himself into his work as a result. Katherine's problems had become his problems when he fell for her and before he knew it, the darkness of her life had engulfed him.

He fiddled with the cufflinks of his suit smiling at Pearl and Rebekah as they passed him in deep conversation. He noticed Katherine was now telling a gentleman a story as Klaus nodded approvingly, her smile lighting up her usually shadowed face. He tried to think of the last time he had seen her genuinely smile…

"How you doing, man?" came a voice to his right. Damon dragged himself out of the depths of his mind and glanced beside him to see Stefan leaning against the bar next to him. He nodded slightly in reply. Damon loved Stefan like a brother, but he didn't feel like banter right now.

Raising his eyebrows and following Damon's line of sight, Stefan let out a low whistle. "How does she do it?" Stefan gestured towards Katherine and Klaus, distaste in his voice. "How does she pretend to be happy with him?"

Damon spun around so he couldn't see them. "I think the better question is 'why'?" he murmured.

Stefan nodded in agreement. "You should talk to her, man. She listens to you."

Damon let out a short laugh that was devoid of any real humour. Katherine had stopped listening to him long ago. The fact that she was being treated like a decoration on Klaus' arm right now was proof of that. "Don't you think I've tried? The only thing standing between his face and my closed fist is her right now."

"And me," Stefan added. "No way am I letting you punch your way out of this job."

Damon's heart swelled with appreciation for his friend. "Thanks, brother."

Damon thought that Stefan probably knew about his affair with Katherine. The three of them spent twelve hour days together on set and although they thought they were being subtle, Damon gathered they probably weren't. But despite the occasional meaningful gaze, Stefan had never mentioned it to him. Damon had never had a brother in real life but over the last few months he had begun to feel closer to Stefan than ever. In the whirlwind of fame that had sideswiped them, Stefan was one of the only real things around him - besides Katherine, and even that was becoming dubious. But through all of his terrible ideas, Stefan was there, smiling and saying, "You okay, bro?" If that wasn't real brotherhood then Damon didn't want a real brother.

After a sobering pause Damon looked back at Stefan and noticed he wasn't paying attention anymore; rather, he was transfixed at something across the room. He was fiddling with the cufflinks on his suit distractedly and as Damon looked at him he held up a fork to check his reflection.

"How do I look?"

Damon raised a dark eyebrow "Seriously?"

Stefan spun his head back around to the door, ignoring Damon's remark. "My date's here," he gushed, practically flying to the doorway away from where Damon was left dumbfounded.

He watched Stefan cross the colossal room with impressive speed and smiled to himself. It must be some girl to have him all riled up. Damon was just thinking 'Good for him' as a stunning olive-skinned brunette - an almond-eyed brunette - walked in the door and embraced Stefan warmly. She was the kind of beautiful that turned heads, and in this industry, in this room full of beautiful people, that was saying something. She was the kind of beautiful that made men question their partners and women question their sexuality. How had he not seen that she was this kind of beautiful? But there was no doubting it now; Elena Gilbert was a knock-out.

As she walked further into the room, Damon saw she was wearing a magenta coloured dress that hugged her chest and hips perfectly and accentuated features Damon had definitely not seen in the office. Her chocolate hair was tied in a knot at the nape of her neck but one or two curls had escaped, framing her face perfectly.

But most of all, Damon noticed her smile: two rows of perfect teeth, beaming at Stefan, her eyes lighting up in excitement as she gazed around. The lights of the room made their normal dark brown hue turn a fantastic molten and he couldn't help scold himself for not noticing her in this way before. True, he had only known her week, but he was usually so good at this kind of thing.

He spent the next hour alone, watching Katherine with Klaus and Elena with Stefan. Both couples made their way happily around the room, chatting merrily with producers, writers and executives before heading to the dance floor. He scowled as Katherine and Klaus started dancing closely and several people around them 'Awww'ed. His scowl deepened as Stefan grasped Elena's hand tightly and led her to the dance-floor, where the spotlights perfectly cascaded around the two of them. She was as beguiling as ever as Stefan spun her around into his chest and Damon followed suit and spun around the face the bar.

"Are you going to be spending the entire evening at the bar, handsome?" came a voice from next to him.

He turned his head slowly; he almost didn't have the energy to be hit on. "Who's asking?" he said, giving her a quick once-over. It was the blonde in the red dress from before, the one that blushed when he had swept his gaze from her eyes to her tits.

"Andie," she replied with a coy smile. He had to admit it, she had guts coming up to him when he was evidently drunk and in a mood. Either she was extremely desperate or he was looking better than expected after eight bourbons. Regardless, Damon noticed she had great lips, which she had accentuated with some killer red lipstick. That was always a bonus.

He didn't bother telling her his name. He knew she knew exactly who he was.

She leaned over to whisper in his ear. "I heard this place has an amazing garden," she giggled. If Damon was a little more modest, he would have blushed, but as it was, he was Damon Salvatore - so he shrugged and let her take him by the hand. Her hand was small but firm in his - this was a woman on a serious mission. With one last glance over to the dance floor of happy couples, he reached over the bar and grabbed the bottle of Jack he had been getting his bourbon poured from.

"Happy season two, Damon," he murmured darkly as he downed the last of his glass.

"A vodka soda, please?" Elena asked wearily. After spending the last hour tripping over her own feet dancing with Stefan, she had left him behind on the dance floor with Rebekah. They seemed a good match somehow - despite the fact that Stefan's crush on her was still going strong. She couldn't shake the feeling that Damon had seen them enter together, and that it was part of the reason he had been acting surly all evening, leaning all over the bar and downing drink after drink. She knew he hadn't just seen her, he had looked at her, with those crystal eyes that pierced souls. And she had certainly noticed him - the epitome of tall, dark and handsome and looking like he just stepped out of a Hugo Boss runway show.

For the most part, the night had gone smoothly. She was extremely grateful to have been asked to attend the party with Stefan, who actually scrubbed up pretty well, all muscles and gelled hair. He had been the perfect gentleman all night, from taking her coat, to grabbing her drinks, to even introducing her to some of the top writers of the network. She had nearly screamed when a team comprised of mainly ex-Gossip Girl writers had introduced themselves to her politely. Despite her best probing, they hadn't gone so far so to confide in her what they were working on, but Elena knew it was something big, a great new show for the network. She made a mental note to ask Rebekah about it on Monday.

The bartender placed her drink on a coaster and as if on cue, Rebekah walked over to her quickly and placed a hand on Elena's elbow. She could immediately feel the tension radiating through her boss and she snapped her eyes to her face.

"Where's Stefan?" Elena asked.

"Never mind that, I left him with Pearl - damn that guy can dance," she said frowning thoughtfully. "I need to ask an extremely annoying favour since I can't find Pearl's assistant." She took a deep breath. "Can you please go check on Damon? Someone just told me he has had a little too much to drink; I don't want him doing or saying anything stupid," Rebekah sighed. "I don't know what's gotten into him lately."

Seeing the concern in her boss' face, Elena pushed away every reservation that was fighting its way to the surface. She could do this, even if it meant facing down with drunk Damon. She could handle normal Damon pretty well - how bad could he really be with a bourbon or two in him?

"Of course, I will find him," she nodded. Forgetting about her drink, she got up off the bar stool quickly and glanced around the room. If there was one thing she knew about Damon Salvatore, it was the fact that you knew when he was in the room because you could feel him everywhere. At least she could - and he wasn't in here. Her eyes were caught by Katherine and Klaus who were arguing quietly across the room to the right of the dance floor. Klaus' hands were grasping Katherine's forearms tightly and Elena felt slightly ill at the sight. At least she knew WHY Damon wasn't having the best of nights.

She resumed her search for him and suddenly her eyes caught the open doorway leading out to the expansive garden. She could see the navy blue sky peeking through the open doorway with small stars littering its landscape. Even from inside, she could see the moon beaming down on them through the sheet of cloud cover. Although it was only a very new moon, Elena felt it's potential radiating around them - the start of something that promised to be great. She realised suddenly that if it was HER and she was trying to get some space, she would have followed the moon.

Walking quickly across the room without bothering to explain herself to Stefan (who was still busy with Pearl), Elena stepped out into the cool night. It was like coming up for air, and though goosebumps erupted on her flesh she revelled in the clarity of the night. The gardens of the Grayson Centre stretched on for a mile or so and she prayed silently that Damon hadn't gone walkabout too far. She couldn't see herself stepping over rosebushes in her heels. Just outside the entrance door was a grand staircase made of a cream marble. It curved and turned for a few levels and at the bottom was four or five rows of hedges. In the strangest way it reminded Elena of Alice in Wonderland and she almost laughed at how much she could relate to Alice at that moment. Nothing seemed more appealing than just heading straight back to Mystic Falls to Jeremy and Jenna and going to sleep.

She gathered herself and started walking down the stairs. She had been given a task and no matter what, she was going to see it through to the end, even if the end was kicking and screaming. She had only walked a third of the way down the staircase when a movement at the bottom caught her eye. A blonde in a red dress screamed 'Jerk!' at someone close to her before running up the staircase herself. As she ran past Elena, she saw tears streaming down her face and Elena ran down quickly to see the cause of the commotion. But she knew; she already knew. It was Damon amongst the first row of hedges, bathed in moonlight.

Picking up her dress and swallowing thickly, Elena rounded on him. "What the hell? What did you do to her?"

Damon, visibly drunk, shrugged off her grasp and started back up the stairs.

"Lay off, I was just telling her to go home. Alone. She didn't take it so well," he explained, nonchalant as ever. "Are you thirsty?" He strode past her and started to take the marble staircase back into the party.

Elena raised her eyebrows and followed him up, ready for him to fall backwards onto her in a moment of clumsy drunkenness. After she caught up with him at the top, he turned to face her, his expression ashen.

"Lena, wait…" She saw him swallow as she turned back, her hair flying around her. It had come undone a little from the bun and curls had begun to hang freely around her face. "Are you here with Stefan?" he asked, locking his blue eyes on hers.

Elena blanched. She was struck suddenly with how strange it was when you wanted someone to ask you a certain question, until you had to answer it.

She opened her mouth and closed it again stupidly. "He asked me on Thursday; I thought it would be nice to get to know people here." Excuses tumbled from her lips far too easily. Excuses she shouldn't have had to give him.

"Well, you know me," he said, stepping closer to her. He was so close now she could almost smell the pain on him after a night of rejection and far too many bourbons. Heck, she could definitely smell the bourbon. And then there was that other thing. The feeling. The thing between them that she couldn't explain. The thing that had her hoping late at night that he felt it too. And she did know him. In some ways not as well as she knew Bonnie or the receptionist, Caroline, or even Rebekah, but in some ways she knew him better. It was almost like they had skipped every normal friendship convention and had been thrown into being lifelong secret-keeping buddies. At least to him.

Against the midnight blue sky, his perfect skin was flushed from alcohol and his hair was messy with a few stray hairs falling loose onto his forehead. She fought to remain composed and reminded herself they were on a staircase in the middle of a party. This wasn't the time for her to lose herself over a strand of hair falling on perfectly creamy white skin.

"And as lovely as knowing you has been this past week, I thought I might branch out a little," she said, laying the sarcasm on thick.

Damon just laughed hotly. "At least I keep it interesting."

Elena twisted her features into a frown. "A little too interesting if you ask me, Mr Salvatore," she blushed as his surname rolled off her lips.

Thankfully, Damon was no longer looking at her and didn't notice. She followed his line of sight and saw with horror that his gaze had wandered across the room to the right corner of the dance-floor, the same corner she had happened to glance upon as she was leaving the room to look for him. The same corner that Klaus and Katherine were still fighting in, now much louder than before.

It happened in an instant. In an instant she saw the features of Damon's face narrow and focus on where they were standing. In an instant she realised she had failed her task of keeping an eye on Damon. In an instant, she was actually scared for him.

As if he had made the decision in three seconds flat, Damon suddenly whirled away from Elena and was walking across the room in long strides to meet them.

"No, Damon, you can't," Elena blurted as he made a beeline for Klaus, placing a hand on his elbow. Even from a distance she could see Klaus' fingers digging into Katherine's bare arms and she could imagine what it was doing to Damon. What it was going to do was get him kicked out of a job, that's for sure, especially if he was planning on hitting the CEO.

He turned his back to Elena, ignoring her pleas to stop, to slow down.

"Do you know how long I've sat around and done nothing?" he said furiously between steps, gently shrugging off the hand she had placed on his shoulder.

He was angry; he was fuming, actually, and Elena's desperation grew as she saw a vein in his head throb slightly. His eyes fixed on the two of them, he marched through the crowd, pulling off his jacket as he did so. Elena's dread grew as she realised just how serious he really was, and just how powerless she was to stop it.

"I won't be a spectator anymore, Elena. This ends tonight."

And he threw his suit jacket into her helpless arms.

As I said, second part coming soon. There was still so much of this party to tell. As you can tell, all emotions are rising to the surface. I want to thank my amazing beta and love child Kim ( ohmyninadobreva) who is literally travelling the world but is still beta-ing my story. What I did to deserve her, I will never know!

Let me know what you think of the story and the chapter and also I would love to know some other DE fics that you guys are loving at the moment. I don't actually really read other DE FF but I would love to start so please read and review and let me know what else you like :)

Once again, thanks for reading. Quote above is from 'Do I wanna know?" by the Arctic Monkeys which I think sums up this chapter - or at least Elena's side of it. I am elenasfire on tumblr or elenasfire on Twitter, feel free to pester me for updates ;)

Grace xx