a/n: so I had more homework than I realized and when I did have time to write, I forgot what I was going to do. Needless to say, this chapter was a pain in the butt! Ha, but the good news is that I extended this one by yet another chapter so we're up to eight now and depending on how I write that chapter, I might have nine, so we'll see!

SIX

Damon sat there, watching Elena sleep. He realized after they had started their journey that they could have waited for the morning. In the end, it worked out. Instead of trying to come up with something to talk about for nine hours, Elena slept. It gave him plenty of time to think about everything that had changed in the past few weeks. He was still having trouble pin pointing the moment he decided to let her in instead of just holding her prisoner as was his original intention.

Just as he began to form the beginning of an answer, Elena stirred and sat up straight in a hurried manner. She wiped her face, smoothing the hair out of her eyes, and looked at Damon. He smiled at the haze still in her chocolate brown eyes as she tried to remember where she was. "How long have I been asleep?"

"Eight and a half hours."

Her eyes widened. "Oh."

"We'll be there soon."

She looked down at herself and started pulling at her outfit. "Do I look okay? I probably look like hell."

Impossible, was Damon's first thought. "You look fine."

Elena smiled and began to stretch out her aching muscles. Damon couldn't tear his eyes away from her. Luckily, she didn't notice the way his eyes followed her every move. "Is there anything important I should know before going in?"

Her voice pulled Damon out of his thoughts; the one that had turned to a vision of her naked body stretched out underneath him. He cleared his throat and locked his gaze with hers. "Not particularly." In reality, there was something he knew he should tell her, but at the moment, he had no clue what it was.

"Okay." She sighed and leaned back in her seat. After a long bout of silence, she noticed that he was still staring at her. "Damon?"

"Why did you get nervous when I said we were leaving town earlier?" he asked. It was better than having to explain his staring.

Elena looked down at a blush spread across her cheeks, a reminder of how hungry Damon really was. "You're going to laugh if I tell you."

"Probably."

She looked up and pouted for all of a second before smiling. "I've never been outside of Virginia before."

Damon couldn't help but smirk at her admission. "You really have lived a sheltered life."

"Hey," she said, her voice rising in mock defense. "I never had any reason to travel. When we took vacations we went to the lake house." She shrugged and looked away from him again. "I had planned on going out of state for college, but after the accident, I just couldn't leave."

Damon decided not to comment on the tragedy. Instead, he focused on her having never been out of Virginia. "Well, it's a good thing I'll be with you. I've been told I'm an excellent tour guide."

"So we'll be doing other things than business there?" she asked, looking at him again.

He inclined his head as the car began to slow to a stop. "I don't see why not. I'll make the arrangements," he assured her. "How about when my meeting was over, we go do something?"

"Such as?"

"A friend of mine owns a bar close by."

"Um," Elena said, her voice uneasy. "I'm not sure a vampire bar is-"

"The bar is a place for anyone and everyone. It is not the novelty vampire bars that you hear about. I actually detest those."

"Oh, okay. Drinks it is," she said and smiled at him.

After a moment's pause, he said, "There is one thing that I have to ask of you."

Elena's brows arched. "Okay..."

"When you are in the presence of the king, I need you to say as little as possible. He is not known for his kindness to humans, especially ones that work for vampires."

"And you thought it was a great idea to bring Alaric and I, why exactly?"

Damon smirked. "Alaric is here for my protection as well as yours."

"I thought that was what Elijah was for?"

He inclined his head, enjoying the confusion on her face. "And I brought you because I wanted to. No harm will be brought to you, I can guarantee that. Do you trust me?" he asked as the car came to a complete stop.

Elena hesitated for a second and then nodded. "I trust you," she said quietly and jumped slightly when Elijah opened the door. "Thank you," she said as he extended a hand to help her out. She looked past his shoulders, blinking from the harsh morning light, to see more than a few guards coming outside to escort them.

"Anna?" Damon said as he saw a teenager come out the front door.

"My mother sent me to personally bring you to see her," she said. Her gaze flickered to Elena and her smile faded.

Damon shook his head briefly. "My business is not with her. I'm here to see-"

"I know why you are here," Anna interrupted, her gaze still focused on Elena. "There have been some changes." Finally, her gaze moved to Damon, letting Elena breathe. "Follow me. Mother will explain everything," she informed them and turned to begin walking back into the mansion.

"Stay close," Damon said to Elena as he walked past her.

Elena nodded and followed him closely, unable to shake the uneasy feeling the young girl's staring had left her with. When they stopped outside what could only be described as a royal office, Anna turned towards the group again. "Mother will speak to you now."

With that, Anna opened the massive oak doors and waited for them to enter before closing them. Damon approached the desk where a tall, slim woman of Asian descent stood behind it, smirking at him. Elena remained back with Alaric and Elijah as they watched the two sovereigns interact with each other. "Pearl," Damon greeted, inclining his head and stopping on the other side of the desk.

"Damon."

"Where is Don?"

"Don lost the challenge. I am the new Queen of Georgia."

"That is something that should be disclosed before our meeting. I was under the impression that this meeting was because a loyal of mine was acting out in your territory. Is that true?"

"It was true, but I took care of it."

"Without my say so?"

"He was tearing the throats of humans without any regard for the rules. Not that I blame him, but I could not have him ruining my new position. I had to be harsh so my followers will know I stand by the rules, no matter how demeaning they are."

"And you didn't feel the need to tell me over the phone, why?"

"Because your alliance was with Don, not me. I invited you down here so that we could come up with our own alliance. I even have a coronation tomorrow night and I was hoping that you would attend that as our first official act of said alliance."

Elena looked between the two as she watched their silent battle of wills. Finally, Damon nodded and smirked. "I think we can come to an agreement," he said and turned to look at the group.

"You may take your leave," Pearl said, dismissing them.

Elijah and Alaric led Elena out of the room and met Anna outside in the hall. "I will show you to your rooms. Damon will find you when he is finished," she said, looking directly at Elena as she said that before turning and leading them up a massive grand staircase.

After she had shown them where they were going to stay, Anna and the guards left them alone, a gesture of trust. "I don't know about you two, but I am exhausted," Alaric said, looking at Elijah.

Elijah nodded, giving Alaric a small smile. "Then rest, my friend," he said and turned towards Elena. "How would you like to accompany me for a walk?"

"I would like that," she answered. After nine hours of sleeping in a car, she was more than ready to move. They parted ways, Elena following Elijah back downstairs and out into the backyard. "Wow," she said, taking in the sight of the garden. It was close to Damon's in design, but much, much bigger, complete with wilderness that went on for miles. "Have you been here before?"

"Many times," Elijah answered as they headed for the well used trail in the woods beyond the garden.

Elena didn't expect him to elaborate. She had learned that if there was more to say, he would do so without waiting to be prompted. Instead, she let it drop. As they walked in silence for a bit, Elena considered asking the question that she had been afraid to ask. Deciding there was no time like the present, she went for it. "Do you know the real reason Damon wanted me to stay while he sent Stefan away?" Her voice came out quiet, but she knew he still heard her. "Is it for some sick fantasy or something else?"

Elijah stopped and turned to look at her, a smile on his face. "Has Damon ever treated you badly?"

"No."

"Have you asked him this question?"

"No," she repeated, looking down at the ground.

"I have seen the way the two of you interact and let me assure you, none of this is what he intended."

"What do you mean?" she asked, looking up at him, her head tilted to the side as she studied him.

"Do you remember how he was the first time you met him in the garden?" Elena nodded. She had never forgotten the way he had ordered her around arrogantly. She had always found it odd that he made it sound as if she were a prisoner and then a few days later he was offering her a job. It never quite added up. "What I am about to say is something that I should not be telling you."

"Then why do it?"

"Because I see how you are around him and there are some things you need to know. You have developed feelings for my king and I strongly believe that you should know the full story."

"Okay," Elena said uneasily and nodded for him to continue.

"The moment he found out that Stefan was seeing Katherine's doppelganger, he was determined to make his brother suffer. He was going to send Stefan away and come to you, but you came to him instead. He had every intention of locking you in your room and making your stay at the mansion miserable. Queen Caroline of California was turned by Damon and he asked her for a favor; stall Stefan for a week to make him think that he was doing something to you."

"A week? But it's been three..." Elena mumbled, confusion written all over her face. Then his words hit her. "He asked Caroline to keep him in California?"

Elijah nodded. "We were all a little surprised when he told us that you were his new secretary. He normally has a rigorous interview process, but he offered it to you without any thought. No longer was his plan to be the nightmare Stefan described to you. In fact, I have not seen Damon this courteous to anyone in a very long time. Perhaps Caroline was the last person he genuinely cared for."

Elena shook her head, still trying to process everything. "So he deliberately sent Stefan away so that he could spend time with me? Even after I began trusting him and getting along with him, he still had Caroline stall and keep him from me? All the while telling me Caroline was stubborn?" She pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes against the headache that was beginning to settle in. "Why would he do such a thing?"

"You really want the answer to that?" Elijah asked.

Elena stilled at that. Did she? Slowly she opened her eyes and let her hand fall to her side as she stared at Elijah. "Only if it has nothing to do with Katherine."

"I can assure you, the reason Damon has been acting this way has nothing to do with Katherine or Stefan."

"Then why?" she asked again, deciding that she did want to know after all.

"Because he is in love with you."

Stefan wandered around the mansion as he made his way to the backyard. It was time for him to feed and he was lucky that Caroline had some sort of wilderness in the back. He stopped in his tracks as he heard someone whispering. As he heard another voice, he closed his eyes and listened with his supernatural hearing. To his surprise, it was Caroline and Tyler and it seemed as though they were having a lover's quarrel. Just as he decided to tune out, Tyler said something that drew his attention back in.

"Why are you keeping him around so long?"

"Jealous?" Caroline teased.

"Hardly," Tyler replied with a snort. "But could you blame me if I was? All you have to do is sign that contract and send him on his way. I'm starting to assume that you still have feelings for him."

Caroline laughed quietly. "Tyler, I do not have feelings for him. If anything, I still hate him for what he did to me. I'm doing this as a favor to Damon."

Stefan's body went rigid with anger at the sound of that.

"But I thought-"

"Damon asked me to stall for awhile. He is the one that turned me and showed the ropes, so I agreed. It's only until after the coronation, then I am going to sign those papers and send him on his way."

Wanting to hear no more, Stefan rushed to where they were. Anger getting the best of him, he caught Caroline by the throat and pinned her against the wall. "You need to tell me the truth. Now!" he hissed.

"Stefan?"

"Damon told you to make me stay here, why?" he asked, although he was pretty sure he knew the answer already.

"I don't know!" she spat, clawing at him to make him let go even though she knew he was far stronger than she was.

"Put her down!" Tyler shouted, getting ready to pounce.

"Because he wanted Elena, right? I knew it!" Stefan snapped, letting Caroline go, but staying close to her. "I want you to sign that contract now or I swear I will rip your throat out. Again."

"Stefan-"

"Now, Caroline!"

Caroline looked over his shoulder and nodded at Tyler. After a brief hesitation, the wolf hurried off in the direction of the office and came back shortly with the file folder which held the contract. After composing herself, Caroline signed the documents and shoved the folder at Stefan. As he looked it over, Tyler handed her a stake which she deftly stuck into the small of his back. He staggered forward, clutching the folder, and turned to face her.

"You would do best to remember that this is my house. I am the queen here and I demand to be treated as such. I do not care if you are older, but if you threaten me again, I will not hesitate to take you out." She watched him remove the stake before speaking again. "You are no longer welcome in California Stefan Salvatore. To step foot in this state again would mean your death. Are we clear?"

Stefan tossed the bloodied stake to her feet and nodded. "For your sake, you better hope that Damon hasn't touched a hair on her head. Because if anything happened to her, you bet I'll be back to repay your kindness," he threatened and vanished from sight.