This chapter will start off with a lovely reminder of the fact that THERE IS NO WAY IN HECK I COULD EVER DESERVE THE AMOUNT OF PRAISE, COMPLIMENTS, SUPPORT, AND LOYALTY I HAVE FROM MY LOVELY READERS! We are officially in the double digits when it comes to chapters and we are already past two hundred reviews, something, which I'll again state, has never happened to me before on a story. Every time I receive a review from you all (every. time.) I want to jump up and down and scream, but instead I just compromise with a big cheesy grin which always causes the people around me to stare and wonder just how many problems I have. But in all seriousness, thank you. Thank you for making this story so popular and loved. I'm so blessed to have people that are literally begging me for the next chapter. You continue to amaze me every week and I am so grateful for my amazing, amazing readers.
Because of the support you all have shown me, I have decided to continue with this story. A major, major change is coming up in my life (college, in two weeks, gulp) and I couldn't imagine entering that stage without this stable community. I wish I could give you all a better chapter to show you just how much I love you all, but unfortunately, I'm not too proud of this one. I know it sounds like I say this every chapter, but there are chapters I'm proud of. This just doesn't happen to be one of them :p.
Two things to clarify before we move on: 1) Many of you all were confused by whether Elena had made her decision or not in the end of last chapter. She did and has chosen to move ahead with the book. This was shown by the way Elena treated Damon nicely when he entered her room instead of snapping at him. 2) I spoke in the annotations last chapter about the concept of a time jump. So be forewarned there is a big time jump and what seems to be a major shift in the relationships of the story. Don't be alarmed. I did my best to explain everything you missed.
Alright, your forever grateful and in your debt author will shut the eff up now.
Chapter 10: Keep Your Head Up
Oh yeah, keep your head up, keep your heart strong.
No, no, no, no, keep your mind set, keep your hair long.
Oh my darlin', keep your head up, keep your heart strong.
Na, oh, no, no, keep your mind set in your ways.
"God, that thing is hideous!"
Elena threw her head back in laughter, but tried to maintain her serious position. "No, Damon, it's luxurious. There's a difference."
"You look ridiculous." Elena let out an exaggerated sigh as she shifted back and forth in front of the mirror, modeling the latest thing Caroline had purchased for her. The oversized fur (faux, Caroline had reassured) jacket had been thrown on over her basic skinny jeans and plain top. She was never planning on wearing the garment outside of the house, but it was always fun to screw with Damon. "If I just saw you walking down the street, I wouldn't touch you with a ten-foot pole."
His comment brought a mischievous smirk to her face. She whirled around to face the man that was propped up on her bed, casually sprawled across the pillows. "Oh really? You sure about that?"
"Hell yes… you're wearing road kill, Elena."
She stalked closer towards him and found herself leaning her hands on the bed, one placed on the outside of each of his hips. Her voice turned into a sultry whisper. "What if I wasn't wearing anything underneath it?" She had to hold back the full-face grin watching his cocky expression falter. "Still gonna use that pole?"
His nervousness only lasted for a moment before his eyes darkened and the smirk reappeared. "Oh, I'd use a whole other pole, honey." Elena bit her lip, staring into his eyes, before pushing herself off of her hands and heading towards the closet to put the offensive jacket back on its hanger.
The teasing between the pair had grown increasingly normal over the past few months. The insignificant comments had turned into on-purpose touches and the occasional glances had turned into full-out dares. They had become pros at testing boundaries and pushing to see if the other would crack, but neither did. So the constant sexual banter stayed, a fun game that had made their relationship grow far more platonic than it had been in the past.
"Alright, let's get back to work," Elena sighed, throwing herself onto the bed where she positioned herself next to Damon on her stomach, grabbing a handful of popcorn from the bowl they'd been sharing. Their evening had started as all the other interviews had. Damon had shown up, smashed and ready to spill, and Elena had invited him in, recorder ready to go. The growing level of comfort between the two had turned the more formal meetings into a casual conversation session. They'd started to do them in her bed since that one night where Damon had been too exhausted to sit up straight. That particular interview hadn't given Elena too much information, but it had been quite fun to play "wake up Damon every time he's about to fall asleep."
The change between the two had come gradually. When Elena had decided to accept Victoria's offer, she had to play the role of perfect employee and friend. The first week or so had been incredibly uncomfortable, but she'd suffered through it, pretending to be perfectly okay with what Damon and the other Originals had done. But just as faking a smile can actually boost happiness, she was growing increasingly unsure of whether or not her role was still just a role. She found herself going to bed with a smile on her face almost every night and she was fairly sure it was genuine.
Subconsciously, she knew she was having the time of her life at the house. Like how for Anna's nineteenth birthday, they'd had an impromptu paint fight in the barn. Dunking a bucket of paint on Damon's head had been far too satisfying. Or when she'd gone grocery shopping with Klaus to pick up something Bernie had forgotten and he'd pushed her down the aisles in the shopping cart until they were kicked out for causing a disturbance. She'd helped bring home a high and naked Kol who had run off into a nearby daisy field and refused to come home. She'd set off lakeside fireworks with the whole group, almost blowing Katherine's head off in the process. But every time Elena booted her computer back up and saw that other document sitting there, she was reminded of what she was truly doing. So she'd take a deep breath, remember her goals, and write down whatever she'd heard from Stefan or Caroline or whomever it had been that she'd made an effort to talk to that day.
The world of being a double agent of sorts wasn't all glamour. No, Elena was working her ass off to write two books at the same time. One would seem to flow while she'd get massive writer's block on the other and then the next week it would switch. The times she had previously spent watching television reruns or surfing the Internet were now spent with her fingers constantly typing.
The guilt didn't go away either. Elena had assumed that once she started Victoria's book it would eventually fade, but every sentence that was far too personal or catty caused a pain in her chest. She knew the day would come when everything she'd established with the Originals would come to a screeching and explosive halt, but for now, she clung to the present and her ultimate ambitions. It was the only way she would survive.
Damon let out a deep sigh. "Okay, shoot."
Elena pressed the record button again, having turned it off when they'd gotten distracted. She ran her finger down the lined page and then selected her next question. "Excluding romantic love, when was the last time you told someone you loved them. Who were they to you?"
Damon pursed his lips in thought. "Hmm… I guess Stefan."
Elena smirked. "I'm fairly sure if I went back and checked, your answer to ninety percent of these questions would be Stefan."
Damon lifted his hands in surrender. "What? He's my brother. What do you expect? He's important to me."
Elena curled her lips up in mock disgust. "Oh god, is that it?"
Damon furrowed his eyebrows. "Is what it?"
"Do you two have some weird incestual brother love thing going on? Because I don't think I can handle that." Her disgusted glare turned into a grin, indicating her joking nature. "Although that would get you on the Today show real quick."
Damon growled as she laughed, rolling his body on top of hers to tickle her sides. Elena squealed loudly through her laughter. "Oh, god stop! Damon Salvatore!" Finally, after her constant kicking and screaming, he stopped, his body fully straddled over her.
"You're such a bitch," he said with a grin, breathing heavily from his exertions.
"The Salvatore brothers… or lovers? Find out at six," Elena replied in a newscaster tone. Damon raised his hands to attack her again and she squealed, lifting her hands to defend herself. "I'm sorry!" she yelled. "I'll stop, promise."
"Fine, what's next?"
"Umm," Elena turned her head to the side, trying to read the notebook. "It's a wee bit difficult to read this notebook when you're on top of me."
"There's one I haven't heard before," Damon smirked.
Elena rolled her eyes. "Are you planning on doing the rest of the interview like this?"
Damon positioned himself back onto the pillows next to her, grabbing a handful of the popcorn and then popping pieces in his mouth one kernel at a time. Elena rolled back up to her previous place, feeling oddly upset that he hadn't wanted to continue their time in that position but shook it off, selecting her next question. "If there was one moment and one time in the last month you could change, what would you change and why?"
That question gave Damon pause, which made Elena secretly happy. She'd never interviewed someone with such a rapid response to questions. It blew her away how quickly he could answer even the deepest of inquiries. The ones that got him were the ones she rarely expected.
Finally, Damon let out a sigh. "Can we extend that deadline? Say… in the past three or four months?"
The piece of popcorn in Elena's mouth suddenly felt very dry. Oh god, was he going to bring up that night? The one where he'd put his hands on her and called her a whore? That was his one regret? A sick part of her wanted to hear him say it so she acquiesced. "Um, sure. If you're so inclined." She turned her head to the notebook, unable to make eye contact when he said it.
"I wouldn't have selected you for the job." Woah. That wasn't an answer she was expecting. In fact, that one stung more than the expected one. She whipped her head up towards him, mouth agape.
"I'm sorry?" she asked, flabbergasted.
"No, no. Not like that. It's just…" Damon let out a deep exhale, running his hands through his hair like he always did when he was frustrated or at a loss for words. "I hate that you have to put up with me. I mean, you're working constantly, you barely sleep since the only times we do interviews are when I'm drunk, and let's face it: I'm an asshole." Damon's glance had been on the wall in front of him as he'd spoken, but it now turned towards her. "It was selfish of me to hire you. I'm just making your life miserable." He gulped, turning his head back. "I should have hired somebody else."
Elena's entire body was tense. Did he know? Did he know about the Original girl controversy? She knew the rest of the house was aware of it, but she hadn't seen any signs of his knowledge. But the intensity of his last few statements made her question it. She knew he couldn't jump to any assumptions, but it made her wary. If Damon did know, was he keeping her here anyway? Would he really be so stubborn as to hold up the contract even though she was guaranteed failure?
Elena also felt nervous about his "working constantly" statement, knowing good and well the constant business wasn't all his book. If he took enough time to consider it, he would realize the amount of work produced didn't equal the amount of hours put in. Her defensive nature kicked in. She had to convince him otherwise.
"Damon, I'm hardly an underappreciated employee. Just look at my salary… a ridiculous number by the way." It was true. At this point, Elena had almost eight hundred thousand dollars in her bank account. She'd had to be placed into a special program through her bank since her account required extra attention. "And I'm not… miserable." Elena was surprised by how hard it was to say the word. Was she miserable and she had just been covering it up in the craziness of the house? She wasn't sure.
Damon glanced back towards her, regarding her to see if he believed her. "Whatever you say won't change my mind. There isn't enough money in the world to make my presence bearable for this long." And there it was. Damon had been right when he'd said he was far more open when he was intoxicated. It seemed every interview or so, he would release some dark thought or little tidbit about himself that she knew he would never admit sober. Occasionally, those thoughts were incredibly self-deprecating and Elena felt a pang in her chest every time.
"Damon, that's not true," she murmured, her hand subconsciously reaching out to place itself on his arm.
"Really?" he scoffed. "Tell me, would you be here, doing this, if I wasn't paying you?"
Elena flinched. "Damon, that's not fair," she whispered. Damon didn't respond, instead reaching over to Elena's nightstand to grab the bottle he'd brought in, lifting it to his lips. She tried again. "You don't pay the Originals."
"You think they enjoy my presence, Elena? They put up with me. Big difference. And it's only because of Stefan." Damon paused, rubbing his thumb up and down the bottle and staring down into its amber depths. She watched as something dark appeared in Damon's blue eyes, but it faded just as quickly as it came. He let out a bitter laugh, physically shaking his head as if to remove the thought from it. "God, you're right. I do sound like I have a crush on Stefan. Never stop talking about the bastard." He smirked, turning his gaze back to Elena as though the previous moment had never occurred. "What else you got for me?"
Elena's face held a sad smile as she flipped the cover of the notebook back and pressed stop on the recorder. "Nothing, we're done."
"Elena-" Damon began, a guilty expression on his face.
"Seriously, we're done." Elena stood up, stretching her stiff back. "I'm exhausted with all of this overworking me you're doing." She stuck her tongue out at him, attempting to lighten the mood with a joke. The genuine smile he flashed soon afterwards made the muscle tension go away almost instantaneously. Damon got up off of her bed, tightly latched onto the bottle as Elena walked him to the door.
Damon was about five steps from the room when she called him back. "Damon!" He turned, his expression curious. Elena's hands played with the door, hesitant to speak. "I know I don't always seem happy." She sighed, looking down at her feet for a moment to gather the courage. "But I'm content. Can you settle for content?"
Damon let a small smile escape and nodded his head. "Yeah. Yeah, I guess I can."
"Stop playing with your phone and tell me how hot I look!" Elena's head snapped up, regarding the leggy blonde in front of her who was now sporting a metallic lace bustier in a pink and gold color with matching thong.
"I still don't understand why we're here, Caroline," Elena grumbled. She'd really been on a good writing streak when Caroline had busted into her room, demanding the brunette accompany her on her shopping mission.
Caroline looked shocked that Elena was even asking the question. "Because, Elena," she whined. "My boyfriend has lost all interest in me sexually and I have to do something to get him back!"
Elena rolled her eyes at Caroline's statement. Caroline had expressed earlier in the car how it had been over two weeks since she and Klaus had slept together and in her mind that meant the entire relationship must be over. Elena was now stuck trying to convince her otherwise.
"Caroline, your boyfriend has not lost all interest in you. It's been crazy around the house lately. Besides, you're you. You don't need skimpy lingerie to get his attention. He loves you."
Caroline sighed, turning to regard herself in the mirror as Elena looked awkwardly around the luxurious store. As far as the eye could see were rows upon rows of designer lace, silk, and sparkle. Almost every item Caroline had tried on was well over three hundred dollars and barely anything in the store was larger than a napkin. As much as the almost four months with the Originals had provided a sense of jadedness when it came to wealth, Elena still occasionally had her small town, middle class moments when she was in situations like this.
Obviously Elena's words hadn't affected Caroline in the slightest. "Ma'am," Caroline strutted towards the front of the store, "do you have any costumes?" Elena smirked. Although Caroline could be incredibly obnoxious, her antics always did provide a fun ride.
Elena happily went back to her phone, scrolling through some celebrity news she'd missed out on when suddenly her phone started to ring. Victoria. Elena gulped. It was one thing to be working on this tell-all under the same roof as the Originals, but actually speaking to the woman that would be paying her for it in the same area as one of them felt different. She'd have to take it outside.
Elena picked up her vibrant clutch and headed out of the dressing area. She passed Caroline on the way out, who was now monopolizing all of the saleswoman's attention, holding up an ensemble that resembled a vampire vixen. "Elena!" Caroline called. "Where are you going?"
"Um, outside. Have to take a call from my parents." Caroline nodded, accepting Elena's response without hesitation. It made her feel even worse. Elena had always been known for having an awful poker face but accepting this deal meant that she had to learn how to lie properly. And now, she was far too good at it.
The chilly air hit Elena like a ton of bricks. Caroline's spontaneous invitation had caused Elena to forget a jacket and she shivered in her loose, billowy top and gray skinny jeans. "Hello?" Elena answered.
"I didn't appreciate the wait, Ms. Gilbert," Victoria snapped. Elena flinched at her cruel tone. The more Elena had gotten to know Victoria, the colder the woman had grown with her. Victoria knew that she was in the position of power in this relationship, and she used it to her advantage.
"I'm sorry. I was with Caroline. I had to make an excuse to get out," she spluttered.
Victoria's voice notably softened. "What has she told you?" she whispered greedily.
"Um," Elena faltered. Caroline hadn't exactly told her anything scandal worthy yet. Nothing that would help sell a book at least. "Well, she's really concerned about her relationship with Klaus, super insecure."
"I already know that, Elena." Victoria sounded furious. "You've gone on and on about it for ten pages."
"Oh." Elena played with her long stranded necklace. "I just…"
"Look, Elena. You're giving me nothing." Elena heard papers slam as though Victoria had been holding the drafts she'd sent over. "Everyone's insecure in their relationship. We don't want to make them relatable. We want to make them fuck-ups."
That one made Elena break. "They're human. They're not monsters, Victoria." Elena paused, realizing she'd just denied a fact she'd claimed for a very long time. She'd used that very word countless times to describe them in her head. Yet here she was defending them. Pretty sick when she was about to become wealthy purely based on airing their dirty laundry out to dry.
Victoria sighed. "I know that, too, Elena, but... this isn't enough. Everyone has dirt. If they put themselves in the limelight, they're accepting the fact that their dirt will come to the light eventually. You're just lucky enough to be the vessel in which it does."
Elena scoffed. "I wouldn't exactly call my situation lucky."
There was a pause on the other end of the line. "Don't grow soft on me, Gilbert. If you don't perform your task satisfactorily, you're going to end up a very unlucky woman. Do you understand me? I'm doing you a favor."
Elena bit her lip. "Yes, I understand. And I'm doing my best. I promise. I have to earn their trust before they'll let me in. But…"
"But what, Elena?"
"What if they truly don't have anything? Anything that bad, that is?"
Victoria laughed. "Like I said. Everyone has a dirty little secret, something they don't want anyone to know… You can't tell me there isn't something you have that you wouldn't want to see the light of day."
Elena's palms began to sweat. She certainly did, and it had nothing to do with what she was doing to the Originals. "You're right. I'm sorry I'm disappointing you." Elena desperately just wanted to get off of the call as quickly as possible. Caroline was bound to have a first-class meltdown soon and she should probably be around to protect the store workers. "I'll try harder."
"Good. You're a great writer, Ms. Gilbert. I'm just expecting what I know you're capable of. You're a lot more devious than you'd like to think." With that last cutting comment, Victoria hung up, leaving a very scared girl in platform heels standing alone.
"If you're here for a rematch Kol, just know I'll beat your ass in Battleship regardless of how much you cried last time- Elena. God damn."
Elena giggled. "Like what you see?" she said in a faux sultry tone as she walked over, plopping herself down on the couch next to him and propping her legs up on the coffee table. She watched as his eyes trailed over her long, tan legs, bared in a pair of geometric patterned shorts, her ankles wrapped in black wedge espadrilles.
"Oh yes," Klaus said, licking his lips subconsciously.
"Well, stop," she laughed. "Your girlfriend is way too hot to waste a second looking at me."
"Hmm," Klaus grinned. "Yes, you're absolutely right. But you're not too bad yourself, Gilbert."
"Oh, thank you. I'm so flattered," she teased. "Alright, let's go."
Klaus cocked his eyebrow up. "Go? Go where?"
Elena stood up, extending her hand to pull him up. "You are going to take me to a nice, relaxing dinner so that you're out of the house so your girlfriend can set up your surprise."
Klaus' eyes lit up in excitement. "Oh, really? And you are the stunning decoy?"
"I'm just a regular Bond girl, Mr. Mikaelson. Now come on. I want a really expensive meal and I heard you're just the guy to ask if I want to burn money."
Klaus laughed. "You heard correctly, Ms. Gilbert." He extended his arm so Elena could hook it in his. "What are you in the mood for?"
"Nothing too exhilarating. I have specific instructions not to tire you out."
"Oh my god," Klaus mockingly grabbed at his heart. "A date with a hot Bond girl before my girlfriend ravishes me at home. Engrave my headstone. I'm ready to die a happy man."
Elena shivered as they stepped outside of the limo onto the driveway. Pulling her black cardigan more tightly over her plain black tank top, she registered just how much fun she'd had that evening. Klaus had kept her constantly entertained with embarrassing stories about Damon. She'd been able to pass it off as work, bringing her recorder out so that she could remember all the details, but it had honestly been more pleasure than business.
One of the things she'd definitely been convinced of was how wrong Caroline was. When he wasn't sharing mortifying Damon tidbits, he couldn't stop talking about her. His eyes practically glowed with the amount of love he had for her. In fact, as he spouted on and on about how he couldn't wait to propose, Elena felt a twinge of sadness realizing just how far away she was from that stage in her own life. She'd always expected to settle down and get married at some point, but with her utter lack of experience in relationships at the age of twenty-three, she wondered if she wouldn't find someone until she was in the retirement home.
Walking up the porch steps, Elena shoved a Red Bull in Klaus' direction, begging him to drink it. "It was one yawn!" he laughed around the can she was shoving at his throat. "I'm fine!"
"Caroline will skin me alive if you fall asleep on her. Swallow it… now!"
Klaus opened the door and they stepped into the foyer, their voices loud and echoing against the walls. "There's one I haven't heard before." Elena was still a bit "high on life" from their dinner and laughed hysterically at his comment, tears coming to her eyes. She stumbled with him towards the living room.
"Hey, if there is anyone in this house who writes the gay fanfiction, it's you!" She shouted through her laughter. "Now drink this so Caroline can fuck you properly!"
"Well, that's pleasant." Elena's head shot up towards Klaus' who was now staring at the source of the voice. Elena looked to her right, realizing the living room was filled with every Original and two others she didn't recognize, all gawking at the newest arrival.
"Mom," Stefan stood up. "Dad, you know Klaus." He cleared his throat and nodded in the direction of the now ash white girl. "And this is Elena Gilbert."
"Elena," Damon said from his seated position. "Meet my parents."
Elena felt as her entire throat went dry and her knees trembled. The words "utter humiliation" didn't even begin to cover it. Caroline looked just about as mortified, too, given that Elena had entered with that winning one-liner directed towards her sex life.
Her sense of damage control kicked in and she moved forward with her hand out towards the pair. "Mr. and Mrs. Salvatore, it's a pleasure to meet you." Both warily accepted her handshake. "I, um, apologize for earlier. Klaus took me out to dinner and I was just-"
"Klaus, I thought you were dating Caroline," Giuseppe interrupted.
Klaus coughed, obviously not expecting the question. "Oh, I am, sir. For three years now."
"And you appreciate your loving girlfriend of three years by taking out another woman?"
Elena turned to look at Klaus, who seemed to be absolutely terrified of Giuseppe. "Oh, no, see I was just-"
Giuseppe didn't allow him to finish. "Caroline," he whipped his head around.
"Sir?" Her face was now verging on a tomato-like shade of red.
"Were you aware of this date?" Giuseppe asked.
"Oh, it wasn't a date, Mr. Salvatore," Caroline scrambled, obviously wanting to avoid the true nature of the arrangement. "Elena was just-"
Once again, Giuseppe interrupted. "Just the appetizer before you quote-on-quote 'fucked him properly?'"
Caroline looked close to tears. "Um-"
"And were you not aware that my wife and I were coming into town?"
"No, I was," Caroline pleaded. "I just… forgot."
"Hmph," Giuseppe sighed. "Well, it's always nice to be forgotten."
The room grew silent for a moment as Giuseppe turned his head back towards Elena gazing at her up and down. Elena suddenly remembered that she'd purposefully worn a sexy outfit, given that she was meant to "distract" Klaus. She gulped, tucking the thin black cardigan more tightly around her so none of her cleavage was showing. "I'm sorry I wasn't prepared for your arrival, Mr. Salvatore. I'll just head upstairs and change into something more formal."
"Nonsense," he boomed. "We've been waiting long enough for you two to get back. Stefan?" He turned his head to his son, offering him a smile. "Would you escort your mother and I to the dining area?"
"Certainly," Stefan replied dutifully. The other Originals filed out slowly after the Salvatores, leaving Caroline, Damon, Klaus and Elena last.
"Why did you not answer your phone?!" Damon harshly whispered to Klaus.
"I'm sorry I was trying to be a gentleman to Elena here."
"Elena's not exactly dressed like a lady," Caroline chirped in.
"Caroline! You picked the outfit out for me!"
"Sorry," she mumbled. "I guess it's just left over anger from you informing everyone of my plans to fuck Klaus!"
"And what the hell was up with the gay fanfiction line?!" Damon spluttered.
Klaus and Elena shared a sheepish smile. "Nothing," they replied in unison.
"Don't smile!" Damon snapped. "Nobody should be smiling right now except for my parents!"
"Should I go change?" Elena whispered.
"No! They're already pissed about waiting for you two so long."
"Why didn't you let me know they were coming earlier?!" Klaus interjected.
"They decided to come a day early and only told Stefan ten minutes before they arrived. None of us knew!"
"Alright!" Caroline snapped. "Let's just get this over with so I can die of embarrassment later."
As they walked into the dining room, Elena grabbed Caroline's arm. "Care, I'm so sorry."
"It's fine," Caroline's face softened. "You didn't know. I tend to get bitchy when I'm self-conscious."
"Finally," Giuseppe remarked when they entered. "I was beginning to think you all had died."
The dinner went just about as smoothly as Elena and Klaus' entrance had. Since Giuseppe had spoken without any commentary from his wife in the living room, Elena had assumed he was the cruel one while Viviana was just the poor sap married to him. But instead, the woman wouldn't stop making critical comments the entire meal. The food was too cold, Anna chewed too loudly, and god forbid anyone bring up a topic of conversation that wasn't on the very small list of approved ones that she'd predetermined in her head. It was as if the Originals were walking through a field of landmines and they were not very successful in avoiding them.
The only time when the conversation seemed to be pleasant was when it was directed towards Stefan or Lexi. Viviana was always giving Lexi compliments, whether it be on her hair or latest essay she'd sent over. Giuseppe wouldn't stop raving about the last movie Stefan directed and seemed upset that no one else in the room was as overly excited as he was.
"Will you two ever get married?" Viviana asked, eyes sparkling at the idea.
Lexi politely smiled. "I'm not sure Viviana. We've only been together for two years."
"Two years is quite enough time, I should think," Giuseppe exclaimed, a pointed glance towards both Klaus and Elijah.
"Well, actually," Elijah interjected. "Katherine and I are engaged." Katherine grinned as she held up the ring for them to see.
Neither Giuseppe or Viviana even smiled. "That's wonderful," Viviana remarked, the distaste seeping through her words.
"I'll never quite get used to the idea of a man letting the woman propose," Giuseppe commented, stuffing a cooked carrot slice into his mouth.
Elijah shook his head as Katherine slowly brought her hand down. "Sir, Katherine didn't propose. I did."
"Elijah, my boy, with the way Katherine's been pressuring you to get married, she might as well have."
Elena had been making occasional glances towards Damon the whole night to check his reaction. She knew he obviously didn't hold any sort of liking towards his parents but she was blown away by the pure fury she saw on his face. Apparently, his father's last comment finally made him snap.
"Why don't you just tell us why you really came here, Dad?" Elena wondered if there was visible venom on his tongue.
Giuseppe sighed. "Damon, why must you think I have no redeeming qualities?"
"Possibly because you don't," he countered back.
Giuseppe's eyes narrowed as he placed his silverware down on the table. He seemed ready to unleash a world of anger on his older son, but Viviana interjected. "We came to talk about the Elena situation."
Elena felt all of the blood rush out of her face. Oh my god. She hadn't even thought about what they would think about the newest developments. It hadn't even crossed her mind that they would have heard.
"I didn't realize there was an Elena situation." Damon had been sitting next to her the whole night, something that rarely happened, but now Elena was grateful for it.
"You hired her to write your biography. I would deem that to be a situation. Elena, would you not?"
Elena gulped. "Um, I guess you could use that definition."
"You guess?" Viviana repeated. "Stupidity doesn't suit you, dear."
Elena's eyes widened as Damon responded. "Why would you need to show up for Elena? She's just like the rest of the girls here. You never made a special visit for them."
"Damon, this isn't like those other times," Giuseppe spoke up. "Elena brings a very specific set of baggage to this deal and I don't think either of you want to open that up."
"Baggage? What are you talking about?" Damon's face was marred with his confusion.
"How much is he paying you, Elena?" Giuseppe countered, turning his attention toward the gawking girl next to his son.
"I'm sorry?" Elena stuttered.
Giuseppe sighed as though he were talking to someone incredibly slow. "How much is my son paying you to write this book for him?"
Elena wasn't sure how she was supposed to respond to such an intrusive inquiry, especially with so many eyes watching her. "My salary is confidential between Damon and I, sir," she replied weakly.
Viviana rolled her eyes. "Obviously, he's paying her far more than she deserves with that attitude."
Elena's jaw dropped open. "Excuse me?" she spluttered.
"Don't address me with that tone, young lady. I am your superior!"
Elena felt her body practically go into shock. Giuseppe interrupted before she could counter back. "Ms. Gilbert, I am willing to offer you triple what my son is paying you if you will leave this house immediately and completely detach yourself from the Salvatore name."
"What?" Elena screeched.
Giuseppe continued more loudly. "We will tell the reporters that an Original girl was never selected in the first place and that Damon will not be continuing on the legacy of his fellow Originals. You will never speak of your time here to anyone or we will pursue legal action."
Elena couldn't believe what she was hearing. She turned her head towards her side, looking at Damon, but he was just staring blankly at his fork. She regarded the rest of the table and realized everyone else was doing the same. Not one was defending her.
"Why are you doing this?" Elena was barely able to get out the words.
"Because you will only bring disgrace to my son!" Giuseppe hissed.
"Since when did you care about your son?" Elena snapped. Now that she realized she was fighting this battle on her own, she had to pull out the big guns.
"I have always cared about my son. It's not my fault he's a constant disappointment."
"Oh, god," Viviana moaned. "How long have you two been sleeping together?"
Elena balked. "Not that it's any of your business, but Damon and I are not involved."
"I addressed my son, not his whore."
Elena whipped her head towards Damon, desperate for him to react. "Damon?" Viviana asked again. "Care to say anything?" He didn't answer, just biting his lip and staring into nothing. "Do you have no opinion on the fact that this girl holds the key to your complete and utter demise?"
Finally, Damon responded. "Elena and I aren't sleeping together," he mumbled. Elena's heart sunk in her chest. That was it. That was all he was going to say. He wasn't even going to defend her. A small part of her realized she'd once again opened herself up to being hurt by Damon Salvatore. But the larger part of her was just pissed.
Abruptly, she stood up, ripping the napkin off of her lap and slamming it onto the table. Giuseppe and Viviana stared at her as if she were an animal escaped from the zoo.
"Fine." She snapped bitterly. "If Damon no longer wants me around in the fear of his reputation being ruined, I will go. But that is a discussion he and I will have when he finally decides to speak. As for your money, I don't want any part of it and I'm sickened by the offer." She turned her head back towards Damon, giving him one last chance to save his ass, but he was just looking at her in disbelief. She scoffed, shaking her head. Everything had been a waste. Now that the cat was out of the bag, she had no chance of lasting a moment longer in that house and especially no chance of finishing either book. Pushing her chair back and propelling herself out of the room, she knew there was at least one thing left she could accomplish.
She was going to have one hell of a birthday.
I have a feeling all of the reviews are going to stop after this chapter hahaha. All right, insecurities aside, what did we think? (Honesty is my only policy.) First off, let's talk about the nasty, nasty parents. There is a reason Damon cannot stand his parents and you all saw it here folks (There is a lot more to their story, as well.) I know a lot of you will be frustrated by the lack of action from the rest of the table, but they have their reasons which will be explained in the next chapter. How did we feel about the time jump? I know it seemed a bit odd to have D&E being friends again without seeing the development, but I had to move the story along the timeline or we'd never get to the end. Also, what do you think Elena's dirty little secret is? Finally, we have a certain someone's birthday coming up and Elena will make sure all hell breaks loose. What do you think are in her big bday plans?
Okay, so I do want to make a quick side note since I saw a lot of talk about it in the reviews. As an author, I want you all to be disappointed in Elena for the decision she made. In no way, shape, or form am I condoning her choice. We all can see that her decision to write the book for Victoria will only blow up in her face, but Elena doesn't have that knowledge. I don't want you to hate Elena though. Just try to understand exactly where she's coming from and who she is as a character. To me, I completely understand why she chose the path she did (even if it was a wrong one) and I hope you all can too.
Okay, well I'm going to go get some sleep. Once again, thank you for ten amazing chapters and all of your fabulous reviews. I will see you all on Sunday!