You all are making it so easy for me to continue writing this! I love reading all of your reviews - thank you so much for taking the time to leave them. They mean the world to me!

Consider this a sort of "part one" of the next update. This and the next one will be a turning point of sorts but as the next one is quite long, I chopped it off into two parts. No worries though - there's some Damon and Elena in this one! I've got several updates ready to go - so much fun writing this!

Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Diaries.


Elena stepped out onto her porch with a smile.

"Hey," she greeted.

"Hey," Stefan replied, climbing out of his Porsche. "Looks like fall is coming early out here." He gestured at the lake, the trees surrounding it already starting to change colors in their very tops although it was just early September.

"It always does," Elena confirmed. "Fall seems to last a little longer out here too. In another month or so, this will be one of the most beautiful places on earth."

"Most of the time, I think you're crazy for living up here all by yourself," Stefan said as he climbed the porch stairs. "But it is beautiful out here."

"And peaceful," Elena agreed. "After all that time in New York, the quiet does me good." She opened the front door. "Come on, I just took a pizza out of the oven."

"You're feeding me?" he asked, following her inside.

"Technically, I'm feeding myself. It's lunchtime. You happen to be here."

"Fair enough."

For the next few minutes, the two old friends moved in relative silence, Elena slicing pizza, Stefan filling glasses with ice and sweet tea. Elena led the way to her patio, deciding it was too pretty of a day to spend much of it inside. She'd been spending most of her time out there lately, writing and reading. Talking to Damon. Settling into chairs, the lake in the background, Elena got down to business.

"So, what brings you all the way out to the lake?" she asked. "You were pretty insistent that we meet here."

"I didn't want to run the risk of Damon joining us," Stefan admitted. He looked guilty. Elena fixed him with a hard look.

"Stefan, if you're here to warn me to stay away from your brother…," she started.

"I'm not," Stefan said, cutting her off by holding up his hands. "My reasoning for being here is twofold but singular in concern."

"Twofold but singular in concern," Elena repeated, thinking over his words. "We're still talking about Damon." Stefan nodded.

"Have you seen him since the storm?" A few days had passed since Elena's night at the Salvatore Boarding House. Stefan had worked another 48 hours shift and had barely seen Damon since Sunday, but he hoped Elena had.

"No. I had a deadline for my new book and then a piece I had to turn in for the Mystic Falls Times about the founding families. I've talked to him several times though. Sounds like he's been busy, watching football highlights, closing endorsement deals."

"That's Damon," Stefan said. Elena couldn't be sure, but she thought there was the slightest hint of envy in his voice. He looked at her. "He likes you, you know."

"I like him too," Elena admitted, almost embarrassed. She liked him more than she wanted to. More than she should. But she wasn't ready to confess all to Stefan.

"I know you do," Stefan said with a kind smile. "It was pretty clear when you were sitting beside him in our kitchen, wearing his t-shirt and looking like you belonged there." Elena felt her cheeks flush. It had been years since she and Stefan were anything more than friends, but it was the still slightest bit awkward, discussing what was clearly a more intimate moment between herself and his older brother.

"Where are you going with this, Stefan?" she asked. She'd been dying of curiosity ever since he'd called to ask if they could get together and talk about a few things he had on his mind. The call had been cryptic, Stefan insisting he would drive the hour to the lake house rather than Elena meet him somewhere, not even at the small diner halfway between the lake and Mystic Falls. Stefan sighed.

"Damon likes you," he repeated. "I don't think I need to tell you he's known for a more – provocative – way of behavior."

"I'm well aware of Damon's reputation," Elena said, growing uncomfortable. Stefan had said he wasn't there to warn her about Damon, but it sure sounded like it to her.

"You realize that's all an act, right?" he said. "A way to protect himself?" Elena picked up her glass of tea.

"It's become fairly obvious that there is more to Damon than what meets the eye," she said. "He can be thoughtful and kind when he wants to be. Sweet even. And then he flips a switch and the bad boy swagger comes roaring back."

"Damon is self-destructive," Stefan told her, not bothering to beat around the bush. "Always has been. If you ask him, he'll give you a very different story about our childhood than the one I remember. He went out of his way to provoke our father. Drag racing, underage drinking… There was more than a few instances of pot smoking. He barely graduated high school, had the truant officer at the house at least once a week. I'm not saying Dad was perfect. He wasn't. But he tried to be a good parent – to both of us – even when Damon made it almost impossible.

"Back then, I thought Damon was just a rebel, living by his own rules, blazing his own path. Part of me envied him for that. Now, I realize he was acting out. He had demons, even back then. Dad would come down on him, try to make him do right, behave, go to school. Damon's answer would be to get brought home by Sheriff Forbes – I guess Deputy Forbes back then – for public intoxication. He hasn't changed all that much. Except instead of breaking laws, he sleeps around, drinks too much and throws around his money."

"I'm not sure where this is going," Elena said wearily. She knew Damon had a dark side, but Stefan was painting a more vivid picture than she was prepared for. Stefan sighed. He was about to get incredibly personal and was definitely about to overstep his boundaries. Damon would be furious when he inevitably found out, but he'd made up his mind and he was going to follow through.

"Damon won't like it when he finds out I've told you what I'm about to tell you," he started. "But I want to have a relationship with my brother. He's the only family I have. I don't know him well, but I know him well enough to know you're different. He treats you with respect. Hell, he's been out with you more than once. And I'm hoping the fact that you're different – that Damon is different with you – will ultimately help me." Stefan stopped and took another breath.

"Go on…," Elena urged, bursting with curiosity. Stefan looked nervous.

"Damon was engaged." Elena's mouth fell open, but before she could start to question Stefan, he hurried on with his story. "Her name was Katherine and she was horrible. Absolutely and completely horrible. I only met her twice but it was two times too many. She was rude and spiteful, completely manipulative. She was with Damon for his money. She was a model or an actress or something like that.

"Damon was head over heels. My guess is that he only saw her looks – I will admit that she was strikingly beautiful – and she was sneaky and manipulative enough to wrap him around her perfectly manicured finger. My brother can be pretty manipulative himself, but she beat him at his own game, tricked him into falling in love with her without returning the sentiment. I'm willing to bet a significant portion of my trust fund that she tricked him into proposing.

"Regardless, he was going to marry her. He was proud of her. He even brought her to Mystic Falls the Christmas before last. Dad didn't like her from almost the moment she walked in. He said she had a cuore malato and an anima oscura – a bad heart and a dark soul. He tried to talk to Damon, man to man, about his concerns. It went about as well as expected and they left almost as soon as they arrived. We didn't hear from Damon for months. I only knew he was alive by the occasional article on one of his clients he shared on Facebook.

"Damon came home early from a business trip, about a year ago now. He was trying to do the whole model husband thing, strike a balance between work and his personal life, be more present. Apparently they'd had a big fight because he missed some wrap party for a shoot she did and he'd promised to be more supportive of her work. He walked into their apartment thinking she'd be thrilled to see him and instead, found Katherine in bed with one of his clients.

"He was devastated. He let someone into his heart, let himself love someone, and they shattered him. I only know all of this because I'd been trying to get in touch with him, let him know Dad was sick again and that it was much more serious this time. He picked up the phone halfway through a bottle of scotch and just started spilling his guts. I'm not sure he even realized it was me. Or if he remembers doing it, because I had to tell him about Dad all over again the next day. He's been at his worse since."

"He had his heart broken," Elena said thoughtfully. "I've had my heart broke a time or two. And in the middle of all of that, he found out his father was dying. I can understand him being a bit – standoffish with people." Stefan shook his head.

"He's built up walls. He doesn't have friends, barely speaks to me. He was all business when our father died, didn't so much as tear up during the funeral. Instead, he got drunk and had a quickie in the closet." Elena felt a quick wave of jealousy wash over her as she thought back to the blonde she'd seen him talking to after she'd turned him down at the repass. "He keeps his emotions in check, covers them up with sarcasm. He doesn't let anyone get close." Stefan settled both eyes on Elena. "Except you." She shook her head.

"I'm no closer to him than anyone else," she said. "We've been spending time together, but he's only here for another week or so. It's not like we're going to ride off into the sunset together." Stefan drummed his fingers on the table, thinking as he talked.

"That's the thing. You've gotten under Damon's skin. I know you have. He's not obvious about it, but he has his tells. The fact that he's not bragging about how he's 'landed' you is one of them. I've seen him post about his conquests on Facebook, Elena." She made a disgusted face. "He's keeping you to himself as much as possible. He doesn't want the rest of his life – the life he has in New York – to taint you. He doesn't want you to see that side of him."

"I still don't understand what you're doing here," Elena said with a shake of her head. She was confused. She'd known there was much more to Damon than what met the eye, but here Stefan was, laying big pieces to the puzzle on the table. She wasn't sure what to make of it all and she knew she still didn't have all the pieces. She was taking mental notes as Stefan talked, settling on the fact that she'd have to think about everything later, once she was alone again. Stefan sighed.

"Do you have feelings for my brother?" he asked bluntly. Elena started at the question.

"Stefan, I've known Damon for less than a month and for part of it, I thought he was disgusting and vile and tried to avoid him. I like him, but whether I have feelings for him…"

"But you feel something for him," Stefan pushed. There were times when he still knew Elena better than she knew herself and this was one of those times. "That something may not have a label yet, but when you see him, when you hear his voice on the other end of the phone, you feel something, right?" Slowly, Elena nodded.

"Yes," she admitted. "Butterflies." Stefan nodded in agreement. It was clear as day to him that Elena felt something for his brother, even if she tried to deny it.

"When Damon inevitably self-destructs, I'm asking you to fight for him," he told her. "If, at that point in time, you still have feelings for him, fight for him. Push back when he tries to push you away. Don't let him ruin the good in his life because of his own self-loathing." Elena looked at Stefan for several long moments, thinking.

"You're trying to protect him," she stated, realizing Stefan was trying to help his brother through the one person they both shared some level of a relationship with since Damon kept him at arms length.

"As much as I can," Stefan agreed. "I want him to be happy. And you seem to make him happy. He just needs someone in his corner, you know? Someone willing to fight for him. He's not as alone as he thinks he is."

"You're a good brother," Elena told him seriously. Stefan shook his head.

"I'm trying to be," he told her. "But Damon makes it hard." She let out a short chuckle as did Stefan, both aware that Damon was difficult when he wanted to be and often just because he could be.

"You said your reason for visiting was twofold," Elena said, remembering what Stefan had said earlier. "What's the second part of this?" Stefan looked guilty.

"I need you to talk to him about me," he said. Elena raised an eyebrow.

"Talk to him about you? Is this like that time in eighth grade when you liked Caroline and wanted me to talk to her to find out if she liked you too?"

"I've been compared to a middle schooler twice since Sunday," Stefan replied with a snort. "I need to get out of the hospital for longer than a day and work on my social skills."

"Who else compared you to a middle schooler?"

"Damon," Stefan answered dismissively. "I need you to help me figure out why Damon hates me." Elena frowned.

"He doesn't hate you," she said with confidence. Stefan nodded.

"He does," he said simply. "At the very least, he strongly dislikes me. He always has. Growing up, I figured it was because I'm the little brother and little brothers are supposed to be annoying or whatever. But now that we're older, I know there's more to it. He blames me for our mother's death. And whatever animosity he feels towards me stems from that."

"Stefan, how could he blame you for that?" Elena asked. "She died giving birth to you. It's sad, but it was a one in thousands of women sort of thing."

"I know it wasn't my fault, but I don't think Damon does," Stefan replied. "Damon, he's an enigma. I try to understand him, but just when I think I'm making headway, he goes off the rails and surprises me all over again." He shook his head sadly. "I can't tell you the last time we had a real conversation."

"You talk," Elena insisted. "You live in the same house…"

"I don't technically live there, as Damon likes to remind me whenever he can, despite the fact that he doesn't technically live there either. We make small talk, trade barbs, but we don't talk." He chuckled. "I sound desperate," he admitted.

"Damon is the only family you have left," Elena replied. "I get it. I'd be doing the same thing if it were Jeremy. I did do the same thing, remember? In high school, after our parents died and Jeremy was coping with drugs and alcohol? I did whatever I could to get through to him, protect him. I won't make you any promises, but I'll try to talk to Damon."

"Thank you," Stefan said genuinely. Elena nodded once in response, then decided to change the subject before she committed to anything else Damon-related. She needed to think and she couldn't process any additional information at this point.

"So, how are things with you and Rebekah?" Stefan's face lit up with a smile as soon as the words left Elena's mouth. She grinned. "That good, huh?"

"I'm happy," Stefan said with a nod. "I'm really happy."

"I'm glad," Elena told him sincerely. "She's a great girl. And she loves you."

"I'm going home with her for Thanksgiving, to meet her family," Stefan confessed.

"It's getting serious," Elena commented with raised eyebrows.

"She has four older brothers," Stefan replied heavily, knowing he could reveal his fear of the Mikelson men to his old friend. "Four." Elena laughed.

"Nervous?"

"One of them is a rugby player. Another one is a lawyer. There's one that's a stockbroker or something like that. And then there's Kol who according to Rebekah, is a lost cause, but I'm anticipating that he can still kick my ass in the name of his little sister. And she's a daddy's girl. I'm screwed."

"They'll love you," Elena assured him. "Every mother wants her daughter to marry a doctor and fathers want them to find someone who will take care of them. You fit the bill, perfectly." Stefan leaned back and propped his feet up on an empty chair.

"Let's talk about something else besides my impending beat down at the hands of the Mikelson men," he said. "How's that new book coming along?"


"Bourbon or scotch, Mr. Salvatore?"

"Bourbon," Damon told the bartender he'd come to know was named Emmy. "Pour me two and start a tab. And don't call me Mr. Salvatore." He didn't bother to tell her to call him by his first name or any other name. He didn't care what she called him so long as it wasn't "Mr. Salvatore." Anywhere else, that would have been fine, even expected. But in Mystic Falls, the name only made him think of his father.

"Sure thing," Emmy replied. Damon glanced around The Grill while he waited. It was early yet, the bar and grill sparsely populated. A few high school students, released from the classroom a half hour ago, were scattered in clusters across the restaurant, snacking on fries and drinking milkshakes. He wanted to snort at how picturesque it was. He also wanted to embrace it. He was watching two lanky boys, likely freshmen, given their size, attempt to play pool when something hit him firmly in his upper arm.

"What the hell?" he said, whirling around to find Alaric sliding onto the barstool next to him.

"The women in my life can't stop talking about you and its pissing me off," Ric stated. Emmy arrived with Damon's drinks and he slid one to Alaric, making good on his promise to buy the first round in exchange for Elena's phone number.

"What can I say? The women in your life have good taste."

"Elena's all 'Damon this, Damon that.' Jenna likes to bend my ear about how she thinks you're a bad influence. And my kid? My kid thinks you hung the moon thanks to a damn stuffed bear." Damon smirked.

"Elena talks about me?" he asked.

"So I'm told," Ric said with a shrug. "I haven't actually seen her since the festival, but according to my wife, she mentions you frequently." Damon grinned as he took a long swig from his glass.

"Then I'm doing my job," he said smugly.

"She's my niece," Alaric warned. "I'd like to continue to think of her as the bratty 18 year old arguing with Jenna over the length of the split in her prom dress."

"Your wish, my command," Damon responded. "Although she did bring something to my attention that I would now like to bring to yours. What's this I hear about you winning drag races in that rust bucket you called a Mustang?" Ric laughed and the two launched into good-natured ribbing that turned into reminiscing and stories about what they'd done since their high school days.

They were halfway through a bottle of bourbon when Damon realized he liked this. He liked sitting at a bar, drinking with an old friend and reminiscing. He liked hearing about Ric's students, a few of whom had stopped by to take digs at their history teacher for enjoying an alcoholic beverage after a day spent with them, something they could do in a small town like Mystic Falls because everyone knew Ric was one of good guys, despite his penchant for fine liquor. He liked hearing about Ella and even Jenna and could practically feel how much Ric loved the women in his life.

He himself didn't have much to share outside of stories about work. He talked about his travels, about things he'd seen and done, but he had quickly realized he didn't have stories that involved friends. He certainly didn't have stories about his better half burning grilled cheese sandwiches or his daughter flushing blocks down the toilet. He had Super Bowls and World Series games, but those didn't seem quite as appealing at the moment. He was laughing as Ric vented about the high school's current quarterback's inflated ego when he heard a welcomed voice.

"Looks like you two are having fun."

He turned on his barstool to find Elena standing behind him. She looked stunning in a simple sundress, her straight hair in a ponytail. She was wearing little makeup, the smile on her face the only accessory she needed. He felt his own smile spread across his face.

"Ric is regaling me with tales from the hallowed halls of Mystic Falls High," Damon answered. "What could be more fun than that?"

"A root canal," Ric replied dryly, making Elena laugh. She knew he loved his job, no matter how much he complained about the teens he taught.

"What are you doing here?" Damon asked. He hadn't known she had planned to be in town. He would have made it a point to see her if he had.

"Caroline," Elena answered, jerking her thumb over her shoulder to indicate a small booth for two in the corner where Caroline was engrossed in what Damon felt confident in guessing were wedding magazines. "I had to go to Charlottesville today and she called as I was driving back. So, now I'm looking at photos of bouquets because apparently I can't drive through Mystic Falls and not stop in Mystic Falls.

"Sounds like a rip roaring good time," Damon replied.

"Does Caroline do anything besides plan her wedding?" Ric asked. Damon pointed at him and gave him a nod to show he agreed. He'd wondered the same thing. Elena looked amused at their agreement, knowing Caroline had been rather consumed with her early spring wedding as of late.

"She's marrying her high school sweetheart," she told them. "She's excited. She's allowed to be. She's one of those girls who dreamed about their wedding since they were little and now its all coming true."

"Still, she should take a breath," Ric said. "Maybe read a newspaper and give Martha Stewart a break." He reached for the bottle of bourbon between him and Damon that Emmy had left after their last refill and poured his glass half full. Elena looked at Damon.

"I was going to call you, let you know I was here," she ventured.

"And that's my cue to go check out the jukebox," Ric said, not willing to hear his friend hit on his niece when, as much as he liked Damon, he still hadn't decided where he stood on the two seeing one another. "I'll be back in three to five minutes."

"You were going to call, were you?" Damon asked Elena, ignoring Ric. He couldn't stop himself from reaching for her, putting his hands on her hips and pulling her a couple steps closer to him.

"I was hoping to accidentally on purpose run into you," she told him with a coy grin. "And here you are." He chuckled and glanced towards Caroline who was shooting a pointed look at Elena's back.

"And here I am," he agreed, turning back to Elena. He tucked a few loose strands of hair that had escaped her ponytail behind her ear. "If looks could kill, one of the two of us would be dead right now. Caroline is glaring daggers."

"She'll live," Elena said. "But I should get back to her. Our food should be out soon and the stack of bouquet photos she has isn't small. Are you going to be here for a while?" Damon nodded at his bottle of bourbon.

"Ric and I still have a ways to go," he said.

"Just make sure he can walk out of here under his own power," Elena advised. "He has to teach high schoolers in the morning. And face Jenna tonight."

"Jenna already dislikes me. May as well give her a reason to," he said.

"But Jenna does think you're hot," Elena quipped. "So you have that going for you."

"Does she?" Damon asked, his eyes sparkling, pulling Elena another couple steps closer to him. "And what about you?"

"I think you know how attractive you are and use it to your advantage," she told him.

"Which didn't work on you, if I recall. You turned me down at my own father's funeral."

"For so many reasons," Elena replied with another flash of undeserved jealousy as she thought about the blonde at the repass. She could practically feel Caroline's eyes burning a hole through her. "I really should get back to Caroline. Don't leave without saying goodbye."

"I won't," Damon promised. She turned to walk away, but Damon caught her hand and spun her around again. With one tug, she was in his arm and then his lips were on hers. It was a brief kiss, but it lit her whole body on fire.

"Just making sure you don't leave without saying goodbye," he said as he pulled away.

"No worries there," Elena reported, a bit dazed from the spin and his kiss. He let her go then and watched her walk back to Caroline, aware of the eyes looking in their direction. He couldn't bring himself to care. He turned back to the bar as she slid into the booth with Caroline.

"Nice little show you put on there," Ric said, rejoining Damon.

"Your niece is quite the siren," Damon replied. He toasted Ric with his glass of bourbon. Ric reached for the bottle again.

"And that's my cue to drink more of this."

"And I'll drink to that," Damon replied. "Cheers." The pair clinked their glasses together and resumed their conversation, the bottle of bourbon slowly disappearing.

An hour and a half later, Damon was by himself at the bar, nursing the last of the bourbon. Between him and Alaric, a bottle had disappeared, but his alcohol tolerance was so high after years of binge drinking, he barely had a buzz. Ric had gone home, citing his wife, child and an early morning, while Damon opted to hang around and wait on Elena. He glanced over his shoulder to check that she was indeed still there. She caught his eye and gave him a smile, held up a finger to say she'd be ready in a minute, and turned back to Caroline. He turned back to the bar to wait, The Grill largely empty now.

"Walk me to my car?" came her voice a few minutes later.

"Gladly," Damon replied.

He polished off the last of his bourbon and gave the bartender Emmy a half salute as he slipped off the barstool, his tab already closed out for the night. He put a hand on the small of Elena's back and guided her through the restaurant. He felt protective of her, even though he knew she could take care of herself. They didn't speak until they arrived at her SUV.

"You're driving all the way out to the lake this late?" he asked.

"It's barely nine o'clock," Elena told him. "It's not that late."

"But it's a long drive…"

"Damon," Elena said with a hint of warning. He sighed and nodded his resignation.

"You'll let me know you got home safely?" he asked. He hated that he worried over her the way he did. It was completely out of character for him.

"I'll call you the very second I walk through my door," she promised with only a hint of sarcasm. She reached out and played with the collar of his black button down. "I was wondering, would you want to have dinner again? Tomorrow, maybe? I was thinking I could cook for us at the lake. If you want to drive out there, of course." Damon couldn't stop the wide grin that broke across his face.

"Elena Gilbert, are you asking me on a date?" he teased.

"Sounds like it," she replied with her own grin.

"Dinner sounds great," he agreed. "And I'll gladly drive to the middle of nowhere if it means seeing you." Elena blushed.

"Okay, then," she agreed. "Around six o'clock? I'll text you the address."

"I'll be there," Damon confirmed. He smiled at her and closed the distance between them. He stopped just short of her, leaving enough space between them so they weren't quite touching. He could feel the hum of electricity coursing between them. "It's good to see you, Elena. Even if it's brief."

"Agreed," Elena said. She reached up and put her hands on his shoulders. "It's much more fun to see you in person. Not that I don't enjoy our nightly phone calls."

"I especially liked the selfie you sent me earlier," Damon replied seriously. Elena laughed, thinking back to the photo she'd snapped on a whim while she'd been out for a run around the lake that morning.

"Me covered in sweat, so attractive," she said.

"You have no idea," Damon quipped.

He wouldn't have been able to stop himself if he tried as he gripped her hips once more and closed the little distance between them, landing another searing kiss on her lips. She responded, her hands clutching into fists around his shirt as she pulled him into her. He walked her a few steps backwards until she was pressed up against the side of her SUV. She ran a hand into his thick hair, let the other one drift along his hard chest. Damon had one arm locked securely around her waist, holding her to him, the other resting on the back of her neck. He groaned when she parted her lips, deepening the kiss further.

"Whoa," Elena sighed when they finally parted for air.

"You are going to be the death of me," he breathed, his forehead resting against hers.

"Likewise," she replied. He kissed her forehead and then pulled away, keeping one of her hands in his. There was something about her that made him feel like he needed to be touching her whenever he was around her.

"Call me when you get home," he told her again. "And please, Elena, be safe."

"I will," Elena promised. She leaned up and gave him another peck on his lips. He smiled and opened her door for her. Once she was safely behind the wheel, he gave her one last kiss, reminded her yet again to call him when she got home, and then stood back to watch her pull away from the curb. He turned to walk down the sidewalk to his own car, only to find Caroline standing in front of The Grill, glaring at him.

"Anything I can help you with, Wedding Barbie?" he asked in a bored voice.

"She's my best friend," Caroline replied.

"Really?" Damon feigned surprise. "My guess would have been personal assistant or perhaps wedding planner." Caroline's eyes narrowed, but she let the insult go. She had other things she wanted to address.

"She's falling for you," she informed him. "I was all for her going on a date with you. She needs to step out of her comfort zone every once in a while and I thought you would be perfect for that – a devil may care, rebel without a cause kind of guy, only in town for a short time. At most, I figured you'd convince her to go to bed with you, she'd have an orgasm, and you'd part ways. But here she is, falling for you, despite her better judgment."

Damon swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry, his words not coming as quickly as they usually did. "Elena's a big girl," he told Caroline. "She can take care of herself."

"You better not hurt her," Caroline warned.

"Or what? You'll stomp on my foot wearing a pair of pink stilettos?" Caroline smirked.

"No. I'll kick you in the balls wearing my black Louboutins." It was Damon's turn to smirk.

"Barbie is tougher than she looks. Got a black belt underneath all those rhinestones?"

Caroline stalked towards him and looked like she was going to pass him before she stopped suddenly and grabbed him by the collar, surprisingly strong for her svelte form.

"In Tae Kwon Do," she confirmed. "And a fierce loyalty to my best friends too."

She let go of Damon and continued to walk away, her job done. He looked after her with a half grin on his face as he smoothed a hand over his now rumpled shirt. He shook his head. It was good to know Elena had friends like Caroline. Because even if he wanted to, he couldn't guarantee he wouldn't hurt her eventually. It was just what he did.


It's looking like I'll be snowed in for at least a couple of days so stay tuned for the "part two" update, by Tuesday at the latest! And maybe leave a review to keep me occupied while I'm going stir crazy from being unable to leave? :)

I love how Damon is his same old self with everyone but Elena. There's a reason for that. ;) I keep forgetting how much further I am in writing than I am in posting - the story is developing quite nicely.

Thanks so much for reading!