A/N: I am so sorry for the long delay in getting this chapter completed. We've recently moved to a new state, I'm job hunting, renovating our new house and the kids just started school. All of that has taken a toll on my muse as well as my free time. Things are settling into a routine so I should have more time to keep my updates on track. Thank you to everyone following and I apologize to those that left reviews that I haven't responded to yet. I value each and every one of your thoughts and I promise to be more diligent in responding going forward. Enough of my rambling, happy reading!

Chapter 7

Alaric keeps pulling at his tie as we circle around to the back of the Lockwood Estate. Unfortunately for Alaric, the Founders Day event is black tie. Anything other than jeans and flannel shirts has Alaric fidgeting like a virgin teenage girl on prom night. Me, on the other hand, I make the monkey suit look good. Black jacket and pants, white french cuff shirt. You can't go wrong with the classics. Just a hint of rebellion as I go sans tie. Have to give the ladies a little flash of skin. I'm even wearing a set of cuff links with my initials on them Elena gave me when I graduated high school.

The Lockwoods have outdone themselves with the decor as always. A large white tent is set up on the grounds near the pool which is glittering with flowers and tea lights. Paper lanterns are strung along the inside of the tent giving off a warm glow over the crowds gathered. A band is playing at the far end of the tent and a few couples are on the dance floor. Scanning the crowd I see Elena getting a drink at the bar. Her beauty will never cease to amaze me. She's wearing an emerald green dress with a key hole showing just a hint of cleavage. Her hair hangs in loose waves, begging for my fingers to run through it.

Shit, I really need to tame these thoughts before Damon junior joins the conversation.

Alaric bumps my shoulder. "Can I trust you to behave?" I can see him staring at the bar having also spotted Elena.

"Me, cause problems?" I ask innocently.

"Just don't get arrested. I didn't bring bail money. Now, point me in the right direction," Alaric says scanning the rest of the crowd.

Alaric planned to talk to Jeremy's ex-girlfriend Vicki Donovan and Anna, his current girlfriend, to see if he can pry any information out of them. Other than generally causing mischief, my job for the evening was to pick Elena's brain about her brother.

The crowds were thick but it didn't take long to spot the blonde I needed. "Blonde cater waiter is Donovan. Anna is the short brunette in the red dress standing next to the band with her mother, Pearl." Alaric eyes the two girls closely before heading into the crowd.

As I walk towards the bar, Elena is facing away from me which allows me to sneak up behind her. As I step close, her phone starts to ring and I can see Mason's name on the screen. She promptly hits the ignore button. I silently fist pump that she is ignoring calls from the jackass.

"Hmmmmm...looks like trouble in paradise," I whisper in her ear.

Elena's body tenses against me as she shoves her phone into her small clutch. I let her wiggle away a step re-establishing her personal bubble and she confronts me stone faced.

"You've had your fun Damon. How about we just jump to the part where you leave, that's your MO, right?" I should be hurt by the words but I'm too engrossed in the fiery, feisty woman before me. Anger looks good on her. Wish it wasn't directed at me but I'll bask in it nevertheless. It would have been so easy for her to give up after everything her mother put her through compounded by her father's death. The woman I see before me does not seem to be a wallflower.

"Can't become predictable, now can I? Maybe I'll stick around and see the results of my fun and games first hand." I flash her a smirk.

Her fury is bubbling under the surface and I love it. The need to rile her up, release her passion and touch her is overwhelming. I grab her hand and start to pull her to the dance floor. A dance is the best I can do to scratch this itch of needing to be close to her again. She of course digs her heels in and refuses to follow.

"Damon, what are you doing?" Elena asks nervously glancing around. So far no one has noticed us.

"Dancing," I answer as if saying "duh!"

"No!" She hisses.

I turn back and step close to her. "You can quietly follow me to the dance floor, dance with me and avoid a scene. Or, you can let your proverbial hair down and throw the hissy fit you so desperately want to throw telling me to go to hell. I'll enjoy either option. It's your choice." I stand perfectly still waiting for her response.

Her eyes had snapped to mine at my last words. Choices, something so often in both our lives we lacked. The last 24 hours have had me questioning every decision I made four years ago. My decision making ability on a good day is spotty at best, let alone being a 20 year old kid asked to make life and death decisions. Even though I wasn't Elena's choice I always tried to do right by both her and Stefan. I only wish Grayson would have seen that and let us live our lives our own way.

Elena appears to make a decision, silently pulling me to the dance floor. Ever the good girl, she chose to avoid a scene.

"So you are going to be Mrs. Mason Lockwood? Is he everything you dreamed of and more?" No point in beating around the bush. Let's rip the band aid off and jump straight into the conversation that will satisfy my curiosity.

"You're here to do a job Damon. I refuse to discuss my past or my future with you. You gave up the right to that information when you thought money was more important than your friends and family," Elena grinds out through clenched teeth.

That is probably the hardest part of the lie around me leaving. To her I am just another sell out like so many in this town. Ironic that she is marrying the one person that epitomizes everything she always despised.

"Fine, how does Jeremy feel about you marrying the douchebag of the century?" I throw back at her. Her silence and the fact that she can no longer can look me in the eye speaks volumes. Could It be little brother did not approve of the pending nuptials?

"You have the length of this song to ask your questions?" She says feigning disinterest.

I blow out a puff of air. This not going the way I want it to go. "Did Jeremy have any enemies?"

"No, everyone loves Jeremy," Elena says as we turn around the dance floor.

"Any chance he was back on drugs?" I ask.

"He's been clean since the time you bailed him out," she says shaking her head.

I have to steel myself to ask the next question. Alaric's digging found a savings account that hasn't been touched since Jeremy disappeared. The account was sizable for a 17 year old kid.

"He had ten thousand dollars sitting in a savings account with regular deposits over the past year." I raise an eyebrow waiting on her explanation.

"Crap" she mutters her eyes dropping to our feet.

"Where did the money come from, Elena?" I pull her closer as we continue to dance hoping our proximity will force her to look at me again.

"I wanted him to leave. Friends of my dad's are in Colorado were willing to take him in, let him complete his senior year, then he could go to college out there. I had just finished getting everything organized. I planned to tell him on his birthday." Elena's body starts to tremble.

My hand is on a patch of bare skin from a cutout in the back of her dress. I start to rub my thumb across her soft skin hoping to sooth the shaking that seems to be overtaking her. "Where did the money come from? What was it for?" I ask softly.

"I don't know." Elena's voice trembles and she leans closer to me seeking comfort. It feels like Damon and Elena from when we were younger. For the moment she forgets she hates me. The smell of mango and vanilla hits my nose and it takes every ounce of self-control to fight back my lustful thoughts.

I lean in closer to whisper in her ear. "Did Mason know of your plan to send Jeremy away?"

Something smells off about this. I can't believe Elena would just send Jeremy away alone nor do I believe Jeremy would leave Elena behind. If we were in a cartoon this is the moment steam would have been coming out of her ears. My last question was obviously the wrong one as rage replaced the small connection we had a moment ago.

"Your job is to find Jeremy not look for any opportunity to bash one of the only people that has actually been a support for me over the years." Her tone is curt and something in her eyes tells me she didn't mean to say the last part. The little progress I made with her was just wiped out.

The song ends and Elena tries to pull away. The feeling of her in my arms is too right. It's peace. It's comfort. It was, is, an always will be worth dying for. Circumstances four years ago forced me to realize I was wrong for her and I left. I left to protect her and give her a beautiful life. She is not living a 'and they all lived happily ever after' life. I'm older, wiser, stronger. Her father is gone. This time I can protect her if any threat is still lingering from back then. If she doesn't love me, so be it, but I'll fight for her until there's nothing left to fight for.

"I'm here Elena. I came here to find Jeremy for you. You hired Alaric for a reason and we're a package deal. Hate me all you want but the fact is you need me." I manage to keep her in my arms despite her attempts to escape.

"I needed you four years ago, Damon. You're only here because I need Mr. Saltzman. Find Jeremy and get the hell out of my life," she says, venom dripping off each word as she disentangles herself from me.

The loss I feel with her no longer pressed against me is immediate. I snatch her wrist before she can get too far.

"Is there a problem here?" Damn it! Why does Mason have to intrude now?

Slowly I twist to face Mason keeping Elena at my side. Mason's body is strung tight with tension and he is flanked by two men. The one to his left is the shorter of the two with beady eyes, close cropped blonde hair and a slight build. The second man is slightly taller with curly blonde hair. He sports a smirk which I immediately want to punch off his face.

"Ah, trying to form a Chip 'N Dale group here in Mystic Falls, Mason? You know the ladies prefer their man meat a little more endowed if you know what I mean." I make a grand gesture to their nether regions and offer a lopsided grin.

The larger one steps forward but Mason puts his hand up stopping him. So that is the hot head. File that tidbit away for future reference. Mason also just confirmed that he is walking around with muscle in tow.

"Gentleman, this is Damon Salvatore. Excuse Damon's brutish behavior. Always being second best can wear on a person." Mason is wearing a fake look of pity which some day soon I will smack into next week. Elena draws in a sharp breath at Mason's comment, but she still steps to his side. Before I can interject a retort Alaric yet again cuts me off with benign pleasantries. He spoils all my fun.

"Ah, Alaric Saltzman. So you're the author that is the buzz of the town. It also seems we have you to thank for bringing Mr. Salvatore back in our midst." On the word 'thank' Mason looks like he sucked on a lemon. We all know you hate me Mason. Be a man and admit it out loud.

"Mason Lockwood. Soon to be junior state senator of Virginia." Alaric shakes Mason's hand and does a quick assessment of the man.

Smarmy smile firmly in place, Mason gestures to the men around him. "These are some of my campaign staff, Kol and Klaus Mikaelson."

Alaric shakes each of their hands and continues to assess them. I didn't miss the bulge in each of their jackets concealing shoulder holsters and sidearms. Both of the brothers seem familiar, especially the one introduced as Kol. I just can't place him.

"Have we met before?" I direct my question to the younger brother.

"I never forget a face and I certainly don't recognize yours," Kol says curtly.

Damn, I know his guy from somewhere. It's right there and I just can't seem to grab it. I will have to do a background check on tweedle-dee and tweedle-dumb and see if any clicks.

"You must be Elena Gilbert," Alaric reaches out to shake her hand.

"Soon to be Elena Lockwood," Mason says in a smug tone.

Elena shoots Mason a dirty look that he misses as his focus is solely on me. Idiot.

"Nice to meet you Mr. Saltzman." I will have to buy Alaric a drink later for not acknowledging Mason's comment about their engagement.

"Always nice to meet a fellow author. Some of the town's people say you can spin a yarn with the best of them." I glance at Alaric and mouth 'spin a yarn.' He gives a slight shrug. He is obviously winging this conversation and I'm unsure what he is digging for.

"Elena doesn't write anymore. Her focus is on the wedding and campaign which takes up all her free time," Mason says as he pulls her into his side even tighter.

She gives a sheepish smile at Alaric. What the hell? Writing was her passion. I hate Mason that much more for not making her dreams a priority. Five minutes ago she had no problem telling me to curl up and die. Now she is happy being arm candy and doing whatever her future hubby wants?

My gaze shifts to Elena who is yet again not meeting my eyes. "Bor-ring!" I drawl.

"God, your still a dick," Elena exclaims. Her eyes bug out probably at her own outburst. Her face turns ten shades of red. There's the girl I love.

"Elena," Mason says slowly and looks down at her as if she is an errant child.

I chuckle and shrug my shoulders slightly. "She's right. I am a dick."

"Anyway, I would love a second set of eyes on some of my work while I'm in town. I'm also looking for a local artist and I was told your brother is the man to talk to. Is he here tonight?" Alaric pretends to look around the tent but I can tell he is studying reactions from his question. Like me he is looking for tells and signs of deceit. The body gives away what words try to cover.

"Jeremy ran away recently. We are doing everything in our power to find him," Mason explains his face taking on a somber expression that didn't read at all sincere.

Alaric flashes a sympathetic smile. "I know some people in law enforcement. Maybe I can make some calls on your behalf?"

"We'll keep that in mind. If you'll excuse me. A reporter has arrived to interview me about the campaign." Mason shakes Alaric's hand and then has the audacity to do the same to me. He then grabs Elena's hand and pulls her across the room with the Mikaelson brothers following in their wake.

"Get what you wanted?" I'm curious for his take on the situation.

"You weren't kidding. That guy is a tool. Not sure if he is in involved with Jeremy's disappearance or not but he certainly isn't broken up about it. But there is something going on with him. What local politician needs goons for hire?" Alaric ponders.

"Was wondering the same thing. What did you learn from the girls?" I ask as I direct us back to the bar.

"Nothing from Donovan. Anna was fidgety and rambled nonstop. Kept going on and on about the Jeremy's interest especially his favorite artist, Professor Atticus Shane. A quick google search shows not only is he an artist but also an expert in myths and legends. Couldn't find anything on where he teaches. Hard to see on my phone but pretty impressive work on werewolves, vampire as stuff. Not sure how it's relevant so I think the professor is a dead end." Alaric sighs and rubs his eyes. Seems like we are no closer to solving this mystery.

After we get drinks I give him the rundown of my conversation with Elena. "She had no clue about the account. We'll have to check out the Denver lead but we would have seen a trace of him by now if he was there."

"Who's the guy eye stalking the not so happy couple?" Alaric gestures to the corner of the tent.

A groan escapes me as I study the thin blonde man following Elena and Mason around the room with his eyes. John Gilbert. "That my dear, Ric, is creepy Uncle John." Alaric just nods before asking more questions about my conversation with Elena.

The two of us fall into an easy silence as we sip our drinks. Alaric seems lost in his own head and I watch Elena as she trails after Mason while the local reporter interviews Mason. They are now walking by the items that will be up for charity auction later that evening. The Lockwoods were always fundraising for one cause or another. Elena stops at one of the items and gently touches it. The reporter notices Elena's interest and motions from the item to Elena and to Mason a few items. Mason laughs and nods his head. When they are done I nonchalantly move to view the item of interest. It's a necklace of alternating diamonds and emeralds and from the 1920s. Guessing Mason plans to buy his bride to a little gift.

The auction started and Alaric and I drink to keep from dying of borrdom. The necklace ended up being the last item up for bid. Carol Lockwood is the auctioneer and she goes into a lengthy description of the necklace's history, yada, yada, yada. She even made a comment about it making a perfect wedding present winking at Mason. I just threw up in my mouth a little bit.

The bidding went back and forth between a hand full of people and as the number grows the auction became a duel between Mason and old man Fell. "If he's smart he won't bid too much," Alaric says. He's surprisingly coherent for the amount of alcohol he's consumed.

"Why?" I really don't care about the answer but I'm just bored.

"He claims despite his wealth to be a man of the people. Bidding a reasonable amount on a necklace for his fiancé is endearing. Paying an outrageous amount makes him seem out of touch." Oh, Ricky, you're going to help me have fun tonight after all.

"Fifteen thousand," Mason calls out.

"Sixteen thousand," Mr. Fell responds back. Heads are bobbing around like a tennis match.

"Twenty thousand," Mason calls out triumphantly. Mr. Fell tips his head in defeat.

"Twenty thousand going once," Carol Lockwood calls out.

"Twenty thousand going twice," Carol starts to drop her gavel.

"One hundred thousand dollars" I call out.

The room becomes a vacuum. Not a sound could be heard except for Alaric's low groan at my side. It was an impulsive act that would most likely come back to bite me in the ass somehow, but the astonished and pissed off expressions thrown at me are worth it.

The silence is now getting ridiculous. "Any other bidders?" I ask the audience.

My voice snaps Carol back into action. "One hundred thousand going once, twice, sold to Mr. Damon Salvatore." She plasters a fake smile on her face and applauds politely.

At the sound of the gavel I move to the front of the room bumping shoulders with Mason as I pass to collect my prize. And I know exactly what I'm going to do with it.


Sitting on Elena's window seat brings back a lot of memories. This was always my spot where she and I would talk about anything and everything. Her parents, my parents, our brothers. There were no secrets between us.

The bathroom door opens and Elena emerges wearing small shirts and a tank top water still dripping down her neck from her shower. I want to lick up every drop.

"Nice PJs" I say eliciting a small scream of fright from her.

"Damon! You can't be here," she says curtly.

I watched her leave alone from the party earlier this evening after having a very tense discussion with Mason. He was still engrossed with the reporter, Andie Starr, so there shouldn't be a chance of being disturbed.

"Just came to drop off your gift." I reached into the pocket of my jacket which I had placed on the window seat next to me.

I held out the blue velvet covered box containing the necklace from the auction. Her face scrunches up in anger causing a small V to form between her eyebrows. A tirade is coming.

"I want nothing bought with your money, Damon. I know how you obtained it." She walks to her bedroom door and yanks it open standing next to it with a hand on her hip.

"But you would have let Mason buy it for you?" I question.

"Out Damon!" She angrily points out the door. Seems I hit a button with that comment. Maybe if I hit enough of them she'll realize she's about to marry an asshat. My phone rings but I ignore it not wanting to interrupt my time with Elena.

I put my hands up in a surrender pose. Slowly getting to my feet I saunter over to her. I knew she would make assumptions about the money. She believes my father paid me a million dollars to leave town. Supposedly I was too much of a bad influence on both Stefan and Elena to remain near them so my father took it upon himself to do something about it. I was also to receive more money every year I stayed away. Cliched and unoriginal but the story was enough for Stefan and Elena to have bought it hook, line, and sinker.

Truth was, I never revived a dime. The truth behind why I actually left haunts my dreams, probably always will. My mother, bless her heart left me a trust fund. A lawyer tracked me down when I was 21. I was shocked that she had kept something like that a secret from my dad, but was grateful for her secrecy. Since then, let's just say I have invested well.

Elena gasps suddenly. i watch as she reaches out and touches my cuffs. "You still have them?" Elena asks softly fingering the cuff link on one of my upturned hands. She realizes what she is doing and quickly steps away from me.

"I take care of the things that matter, Elena," I respond in a gentle tone trying to convey what I can't fully articulate.

I take the necklace out, tossing the empty box on the bed. She immediately starts shaking her head. "This necklace was not purchased with any ill begotten gains."

"I can't accept it Damon." She at least looks apologetic instead of angry. Progress.

"I'm not trying to buy my way back into your life, Elena. Your birthday is in a few days. Call it an early birthday present." She blushes and turns around pulling up her hair.

Her face was more resigned than happy but at least she is not fighting the gift any more. She probably figures taking the necklace will get me out of here faster. "You deserve beautiful things in your life Elena. That's all I ever wanted for you." Elena tenses at my words and steps away from me.

"If you look hard enough Elena, you'll see the truth." I want her to know I didn't leave her for the reason she thinks, but can I tell her the truth?

My phone has been ringing nonstop and after the fourth ignored call from Alaric I finally pick up. "What?" I growl.

"You've got company incoming. Damon, get your ass out of that house now!" Alaric yells.

Car doors slam and feet are running up the porch before I even have a chance to hang up the phone.

A/N: Please a review and let me know your thoughts!