DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything that you recognise. All rights go to the CW, and the amazing L. J. Smith, and all others who contributed to the creation of this brilliant saga. Please, oh please, do not sue me.

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Emma's POV.

"So," I frowned, as I unpacked the suitcase of things that Damon had brought me today. He had been gradually going back home and packing up my things—dropping them off as he went. "What are we doing this afternoon?"

I grinned appreciatively at the rugby jersey that they had given me personally at the end of middle school. Inscribed across the back, in large block letters was my old nickname.

"I don't know what you're doing," Damon said, as I threw the jersey at him. He grabbed it out of the air and folded it speedily, placing it away with a smug smirk, "but it certainly isn't anything with me."

I glared at him.

"Oh sure," I muttered sarcastically. "You uproot me from my home, and then abandon me." I glowered at him as he watched me amusedly. "You're a monster."

He grinned at me, baring all his teeth.

"Maybe…" he grinned.

I rolled my eyes.

"I got a job." I told him, deciding to let his vague evening plans slide. "At the Grill. You're looking at their newest waitress."

Damon quirked an eyebrow. "Emma Hamilton. Working girl." He grinned. "Who knew?"

I laughed again, this time whilst folding one of my favourite airs of shorts—white, that I had purchased shopping with Lily, while Damon had been away, and stupid enough to leave me caring for one of his many credit cards.

"I can do work," I informed him.

That seemed to work for Damon and he grinned again, with a shrug as I threw him the folded pair of shorts.

"This way, you won't be spending my money." He concluded grandly, as he held out for the next garment to place away.

I laughed loudly. "Uh no," I corrected him. "I'll just be spending less of it."

Damon nodded sarcastically, with wide eyes. "Of course you will," he muttered.

I grinned.

My application for the job had gone through quickly and I had gotten the job without any complications, just like Ben had said I would. I had met Vicki at the Grill after Damon and I had said our goodbyes, where she had shown me the ropes, and then left, telling me she'd see me at the rally, if I were going to go. (I had no plans to do this, but I didn't tell her this.)

"So, any reasons behind getting this new job?" Damon asked with a quirked brow.

I smirked at him. "Well," I told him with a smirk. "What with you being so terribly absorbed in your social life in this charming small town, I need to expand my horizons somehow."

Damon looked sceptical. "Really? My little Emma wants to be a social butterfly?"

It was a bit of a stretch, granted. If anyone in the world understood my 'lone wolf' thing, it would have been Damon.

I kept myself indignant, however. "I'll have you know that your Emma has many different surprises up her sleeves."

I hid my smile at terming myself 'his' and remained calm. Living with Damon had taught me that hiding emotions to a degree was the right thing to do. I wasn't nearly as good as Damon was, but I was learning.

If he noticed my excitement he didn't let on. He just smirked, gave me a once over before chuckling slightly. "Is that so?"

I smiled coolly. "That is very much so."

I returned my disinterested gaze back to my now empty suitcase. The last garment that had been inside—a nice, cropped blazer that I wore on occasion—I threw to Damon, where he hung it up quickly, before swinging himself onto my newly made bed. He rested his hands behind his head, and exhaled leisurely before he spoke again.

"So," he said, smiling at me sweetly. "What does my girl plan to do this evening, if she won't share her ulterior work motives?"

I frowned at him.

"Oh no, buddy," I told him with a frown. "This block on information covers all outlets. You're not sharing about your exclusive evening, and I'm not sharing about mine."

Damon narrowed his eyes at me, and stared at me calculatingly for a moment, before nodding to himself.

"Fine." He declared. "I'm going out with a lady-friend of mine."

The pang that stabbed at my gut felt unnatural—like someone had just stuck their fist into my stomach and pulled, while twisting their hand at the same time. I made an uncomfortable face for a moment, before shaking my head and pushing the moment past.

"Yeah?" I said, interested. "What's her name?"

Damon shrugged. "It's irrelevant." He told me. He jumped off my bed and walked over to me, doing that invasion of personal space thing that was so common for him. I stared up at him, far too used to his presence then I would have liked—especially considering his new lady-friend.

"Now," Damon said, smiling down at him. "What are you doing this evening?"

"Working," I told him smugly, proud to actually have had plans, and not have been bluffing. "Ben got me to job really quickly, so I'm going straight in tonight. Your money will be safer sooner than you think." I grinned—masking the uncomfortable feeling in my stomach.

Dam made an exaggerated look of realisation, widening his eyes, lifting his eyebrows high, inhaling sharply and saying "Ah…" with a wide mouth. "First name basis with the good looking bartender are we?"

Damon had never been a fan of my having male friends. He only put up with Cameron because he was so convinced that Cameron swung for the other team. Cameron didn't, of course, having a long-term career of pursuing the lady-folk back home, but it was a good way to keep Damon off his back.

I had once brought home a good-looking boy who did have some sort of interest in me. He was a high schooler, when I was in middle school and the way Damon saw it, that age difference wasn't going to work for him. I wasn't quite sure back then, why my good-looking senior friend hadn't spoken to me after our one date. But when I brought home my second date, a few months later—this one a few years younger than my first date, but still a few years older than me—and he too had scarpered after momentarily disappearing with Damon, I had figured it out.

Never one to lie, I just continued to smirk smugly.

"How did that happen?" He asked, through a sweet smile that I could tell was slightly forced. It entertained me to say the least.

I shrugged vaguely, with a small smirk. "I told him I have a thing for quarterbacks."

Damon twitched imperceptibly.

This time I couldn't help the grin that spread across my face.

"And this conversation came up, how?" He continued to quiz.

I played off his inquisition with another smirk. "Oh you know…" I said, "Introductions were made. Harmless flirtation ensued." I shrugged grinned.

A muscle in Damon's neck jumped.

"Details," he said through a false grin. "Please…"

I grinned. "Well I went down there to check out the scene for people my age, and told him I was interested in the job. I got to complaining about you bringing me here and then he told me that he understood because all he wanted to do with his life was get out of this town…"

Damon straightened as I told him about Ben. His brows furrowed and he looked momentarily confused.

"You bonded with the bartender, over me?"

I let out a laugh and then played the interested face. "You know what, Day?" I said brightly. "You're right. If I should thank anyone about my new relationship with Ben it should be you. You're the one who brought us together…"

Damon didn't look happy as a grabbed my jacket and my keys, heading for the door.

"Speaking of," I continued once I was at the door. "The System calls. See ya later."

Damon stood stock still as I hugged him, before I flounced out the door, with a wide smile on my face.

Job well done.

xXxXx

"You told your guardian what?"

I shrugged slightly, while I lifted the two circular black trays and placed them up on the bar. "I didn't tell him anything." I told him confidently. Then, with less air to back up my words, I mumbled, "I more so implied."

I laughed nervously as Ben stared at me.

"So, yeah, it was a bit of a stretch," I hastily covered my tracks. "But it's not like I ever actually lied. I'm not the one who forced him to jump to conclusions."

Ben stared at me, incredulity written all over his face.

"Yeah, but you're the one who built his trampoline out of your 'implying.'"

That was fair.

Ben frowned at me. He was absently cleaning one of the many Grill glasses with a white washcloth, while he stared at me with a single raised eyebrow.

"How old is your guardian, again?" He asked nervously.

I smiled sweetly at him, hiding my own irritation at not even knowing the answer to that question. I would have put him in his early twenties if I went on face value, but since he had been my guardian since I was six, the early twenty mark meant that he was at least twelve-year-old mark.

"That's irrelevant," I brushed him off.

Ben narrowed his eyes at me.

"On a scale of one to ten," he finally said, after clearing his throat. "How bad will the damage to my face be?"

I thought apprehensively about the Damon's temple that had throbbed twice when I had mentioned Ben.

"Psh…" I lied, "Damon's a softie."

Ben's eyebrows rose. "Damon? Damon Salvatore? That guy gives me the creeps when he walks in the door."

He did have that effect on people.

"Oh come on!" I cried desperately. "Please, please, please? Here I am—damsel in distress—asking for the heroic ex-quarterback's assistance and you won't give it to me? Man up!"

Ben stared at me. Then he let out a dry laugh, throwing his head back.

"Man up? Really?"

I scowled at him.

"Come on. Grow a pair!"

Ben laughed harder at this.

I narrowed my eyes. "Please? It's not like I'm even asking you to pretend to be my boyfriend. Just act interested whenever he's around."

Ben quirked a brow, nodding his head while he placed the final glass away. "Alright," he agreed begrudgingly, scanning the area and nervously scratching at his nose. He threw the washcloth over his shoulder and smiled charmingly down at me. "But you have to tell me why you're doing this."

I frowned, confused.

He elaborated.

"Why are you going to so much trouble to fool your guardian into believing this thing with you and me."

I knew the real answer. But again, the nagging voice in the back of my head reminded me of the reasons why I didn't know his real age. He was far too old for me, and in any respects, I should have been trying to stay away from this course of action. I liked Damon. And I did not like the idea of him with any other lady friend.

If he could have lady friends, then I could have quarterback friends.

Of course, I wasn't going to tell Ben that, and I had a lie lined up.

"He told me I wasn't a social butterfly."

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Ahaha. Here endeth chapter 7. I hope you all liked—it was a bit of a filler, but there was some Damon/Emma stuff, as well as some Ben/Emma bonding. Also, a reminder, that Emma and Ben have no romantic feelings for each other at all.

Alright, pleeaaaaasseeee review and give me your thoughts.

Also, quick thanks to Ruby for letting me know that I had, in fact, spelt 'ANOMALY' incorrectly—so that's been fixed. :P and a BIG thanks to everyone who took the time to give me feedback on my characters and the plot.

G.