Guilty Until Proven Innocent

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Summary: Recently released from prison for a crime she didn't commit, Elena returns to Mystic Falls to clear her name to the people who matter, one of whom includes a blue eyed, raven haired man who once stole her heart, but will he listen to her after believing for two years she was the sole reason his family fell apart? DE. Angst aplenty.

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Chapter 10

I Was Only Looking For the Shortcut Home

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"Not that I'm not happy that you've decided to make another appointment, Elena, but I'm a little surprised that you've made that choice given your...abrupt exit last time we spoke," Lexie said, examining Elena with a gentle blend of pleasant surprise and confusion.

It was true. Elena had made a quick exit after the last session - if you could even call it that - because she'd hated being in that fairly solitary environment with the expectation of opening up and examining her demons. Even though she'd later learned Lexie had hopped in from another state entirely, with very little knowledge of Mystic Falls and the way it seemed to function as a community, she'd also hated the idea of feeding another piece of gossip to those stuck up snobs that ran Mystic Falls the way kings and queens ran countries. She'd allowed herself to vent a little, but had stopped before the dams holding up that particular flood had burst, and now she was back, although she wasn't quite sure why.

"I know." She looked down at her hands, unable to figure out even to herself why she was here except she needed to be here. "I guess I've been struggling with coming back home and needed to vent to someone. Someone who doesn't know my story like the town seems to think it does." She suddenly lifted her head up, glaring at Lexie as if it was her fault she'd felt compelled to come back. "I don't want this to be a pity session," she snapped suddenly, as if the thought had just crossed her mind. "But I don't want to be judged, so if you're going to do either of these things, I suggest you fucking don't."

Lexie held her hands up, no trace of that patronising smile therapists usually wore on her face.

"I'm not here to do anything but listen," she said, "and offer advice when you need it. I know people think therapists just give out useless advice and don't give a damn about who they see or what they hear as long as they're paid, but there is a reason why most of us go into this. There are things we struggle with, and we benefit from listening to how other people fight a variety of battles to find coping mechanisms for ourselves. The fact is, as clichéd as it sounds, the first part of dealing with any kind of struggle is to admit there is a struggle to begin with. It's sort of the difference between swimming and drowning in the sense that swimming only turns into drowning when you finally acknowledge you can't battle the waters you're in."

"But you've said you have no difficulties, that that's why you read sad books because nothing bad has ever happened to you."

"I didn't say I didn't have any difficulties; I've just never had any traumatic experiences or experienced any heart breaking moments," Lexie corrected. "Life is the biggest stressor of them all, and it is constantly inspiring to me that people who endure it day after day, even with a shit ton of problems that would break just about anybody, keep the will to survive inside them."

Elena couldn't help but grin at the fact that Lexie, regardless of her profession, allowed the odd swear word to sneak in. It made the whole thing seem like a conversation between friends rather than an extremely expensive session.

"So what is the hardest thing you've had to go through? Just for curiosity's sake," she asked.

"Breaking up with the love of my life," Lexie said, and she said it without a trace of bitterness, without old feelings haunting her eyes, without letting slip that that sentence alone held more pain than perhaps anyone could understand, and Elena was beginning to see another advantage of being a therapist.

You dealt with the pain of others to avoid dealing with your own.

Lexie had referred to it as searching for coping mechanisms to borrow but it was another way of saying avoiding getting through it on your own. It was always interesting seeing hypocrisy unfold before your eyes, but maybe Elena wasn't one to judge on that front. She was here, on her own terms, searching for a way to cope with the hand life had dealt her, not to find the flaws in other people because it might just make her feel better about herself. That surely had to be the pinnacle of hypocrisy, and she wasn't going to lower herself to that just yet.

"What happened? If you don't mind me asking?" Elena said, despite herself, finding, like Lexie, it was easier talking about other peoples' issues than her own, at least for the moment.

"We wanted different things. It sounds like every break up ever, but in this case it was something we kind of put off doing hoping one of us might change our minds," Lexie said, letting slip a sigh of sheer nostalgia. "Lee wanted the whole thing: marriage, children, a porch with a swing set we could grow old on... I wanted to live in the moment. I still do. I can't be with someone and tell them for absolute certain that I want to spend the rest of my life that way, because that feels like just in-the-moment talk, even if you are talking about the future." She paused, as if sensing she was unraveling too much too soon, eyeing Elena with a raised eyebrow, and it was almost as if she were saying I see what you're doing. "I know the break up was my fault. I take ownership over breaking that man's heart. But I'd rather have done it now than further down the line."

"You broke up with him because you may or may not have changed your feelings for him over time?" Elena gave a low whistle. "That's a hell of a gamble. What if you threw away your one and only chance of happiness?"

"This is not the first time a session has turned into a role reversal, but I think it has to be the last," Lexie chuckled. "Let's just say, I'm a bit of a fatalist. I know things end. Life ends. I just want to live each day as it comes. I don't like the idea that we, as a society, have gotten into the way of thinking that we need to live ahead of ourselves, that we need to plan ahead, that our happiness depends on it." She shrugged. "My grandpa used to have a saying: if you live too much in the tomorrow, you miss too much of the today."

"Sounds like a wise man."

"He was." Lexie leaned forward over her desk and smiled broadly in a way that told Elena she was about to be interrogated, that her tactic of enquiring into Lexie's life to avoid talking about her own had been recognised and tactfully sidestepped. "Now, how are you doing, Elena?"

"I'm in a weird place," Elena confessed. "Between holding on and letting go. I saw my ex-boyfriend - actually, I keep running into him - and whilst each encounter leaves me completely convinced that I have the right to move on, that it would be unhealthy to keep fanning the old flames of a failed relationship, I still can't completely let go. I have the chance to start again, with this new, really attractive guy who might be the next love of my life but..."

"And does this ex have something to do with you ending up in prison?" Lexie ventured.

Elena winced. "Yes."

"And so you harbour resentment for his involvement." Sensing Elena looked uncomfortable with this assessment, Lexie quickly added, "We don't have to go into that right now. So this new guy... how does he make you feel?"

"Nervous. Excited. All the things I felt when I first started dating Damon," Elena replied. "He just seems so... different. He's charming and attentive, and even though we've about two conversations I get this good vibe from him like I can trust him. It's just..."

"It's just..." Lexie prompted.

In a really small voice, and feeling just as small inside, Elena supplied her answer, and aloud it sounded as pathetic as it felt.

"He's not Damon."

She hadn't meant to let it slip in that way, in that corny, overstated, there-will-never-be-any-other-guy-for-me type of way, but that was it. In every great love, there was that one moment, that one pinnacle moment that defined the relationship, that one memory that not only convinced you that what you had was true love but that it was something you would fight for until your last breath, and Elena remembered her and Damon's moment with absolutely clarity, as it had only been yesterday.

"This is hell," Elena complained, as she strung up the dress she would eventually wear for the Miss Mystic Falls pageant, which would take place momentarily. "I don't know how people can do this as a career."

"What? Model?" Caroline appeared confused by the question.

Elena sighed. "I mean, I don't know how people can parade themselves in front of a sea of eyes without worrying that they'll make a fool of themselves."

"Oh... I guess some girls can shut out that feeling and just remind themselves that they want to be there."

"I don't though." Elena chewed her lip, agitated. "I don't know whether my mom would be proud that I'm doing this, or angry that I'm doing it for the wrong reasons. She took pride in doing this and I..."

Caroline held Elena's shoulders firmly and told her to breathe.

"I did like the competition element of this, and I thought that it was unfair at first for you to take part because you totally will win because of what happened to your parents... I didn't meant that offensively," she was quick to add, blushing. "I think out of the two of us, only one of us is doing this for the right reasons, and it isn't me. You're doing this to make your mom proud, and she would be, because, well, you're her little girl." After a pause, Caroline's lips scrunched to the side, as a pout made its appearance. "I wish my mom was like yours. I can't remember the last time she said she was proud of me."

"Your mom is great," Elena reassured her. "She's overprotective, sure, and maybe a little strict, but she's the Sheriff. I know it hurts like hell that she doesn't have time for you, but she's protecting you by protecting the town. She loves you, Care. It might not feel like she does sometimes, but she does."

"Yeah, well, it still sucks that she doesn't seem to show it. You're sweet for believing in her though. I love that you can believe in the best of people." Caroline hugged her tightly. "I'm going to get changed and then send Tyler a quick text reminding him of his escort duties. In practice, he forgot to turn up and I was so furious at him that I ignored him for a week."

Elena chuckled. "I think that's a lesson he won't forget in a hurry: Never Stand Caroline Forbes Up."

"I figured that was already a lesson everyone knew anyway," Caroline quipped, and then gave Elena a final squeeze before dashing away to get ready.

Meanwhile, Elena stood staring at her blue dress, slightly miserable. She was looking forward to dancing with Damon, but even that small pinch of sunshine on an otherwise gloomy day couldn't wipe away the fact that it was her mom who should've been here, doing this with her. Jenna had offered, but she'd been called away unexpectedly to pick up some shifts on the college campus she both worked and studied at.

She looked up and was startled by Damon, who leaned against the doorway, looking handsome as hell in his tuxedo.

"Hey," he said softly.

"Hey yourself." She blinked. "How did you get past Carol Lockwood? I saw another escort try to get past earlier and she about ripped his head off."

"Well, she didn't reckon on encountering me, now did she?" Damon smirked, before admitting, "I snuck in around the back. She's vigilant that woman, but the people she puts on patrol are about as alert as an army of sloths." He scanned her briefly before adding, "I figured you needed a pep talk before the big moment, or at the very least someone to remind you that you can do this."

"You always know what I need," she sighed, before falling into his arms.

He smiled, resting his chin on the top of her head, dipping his head only to kiss her brow.

"I also know it sucks to do this without your mom here, or Jenna at the very least, so I kind of brought in a substitute." He released her and stepped back towards the door, gesturing to someone before turning back to her and smiling. "She's no Miranda Gilbert, but she loves you all the same."

Elena was confused right up until the point Rosa Salvatore appeared, wearing a massive smile and carrying a basket which had curlers, make-up, sprays and perfumes all tucked inside, like the perfect goodie bag for any teenager.

"You didn't," she said, even though it was abundantly clear he had.

"I've been around a long time, and I've seen a lot of these pageants, and I know that this was Miranda's favourite tradition," Rosa explained. "I know I'm not your mom, Elena, but you're as good as my daughter, and I would love to help you with this, if I can?"

Tears crawled to the corners of Elena's eyes, and she looked at Damon, who was standing there, pride bursting from his own eyes, and that's when she knew there would be absolutely no one else like Damon. None of her exes had gone to these lengths to achieve a smile, or to make a miserable day suddenly become an exciting one; no one had thought ahead and made amendments to a dreaded occasion to ease away the painful memories that would arise in this fashion, and certainly no one had evoked this kind of strangled, emotional half laugh, half crying sound from her lips.

"I would be honoured to have you help me, Rosa," she eventually got out, and Rosa beamed and strode towards her, enveloping her in her arms.

As soon as she was released from that hug, Elena went straight for Damon, and threw her arms around him, wishing she could reciprocate this huge gesture on his part.

As if he knew what she was thinking, Damon put his lips against her ear and whispered, "No need to thank me. You do enough for me just by being in my life."

"I love you," she said, looking up into his eyes, letting the sincerity flood her voice, as if she was afraid those words weren't evidence enough of her gratitude and appreciation for everything he did for her.

"I love you more," he replied, throwing in his trademark smirk as if to remind her despite the mushy words he could come out with, and the romantic gestures he could sweep in front of her, he was still the arrogant, cocky, bad boy she'd come to know and understand over the years.

"Pfft, as if," she snorted, and on the sideline Rosa chuckled.

"Even in love, you two are so competitive," she remarked, smiling broadly as she gently ushered her son out of the room. "Go and wait downstairs while I work my magic, okay, son?"

"You ladies have fun," Damon said, with a final wink before disappearing.

Elena stared after him, unable to wipe the grin off of her face, before slowly turning to Rosa, who also wore a sizeable grin on her face.

"Someday, you're going to marry that boy," she said sagely.

"Rosa!" Elena blushed. "We're... I'm not... I think we're a little too young to be thinking about marriage!"

Rosa laughed. "A mother has a good eye on who her son will marry, even before he knows. We know because we see the signs, and we feel it here," she said, patting to where her heart lay beneath her chest. "At the same time my son knew he loved you was the same time I knew you two were destined to be together. Whatever hardships you two may have will be merely dots of paint on an otherwise beautiful canvas." She leaned forward to kiss Elena's cheek tenderly. "I hope you realise, Elena, that you are a beautiful young woman, and I'm sure your mother would be very proud of you."

Tears flooded Elena's eyes, and all of the things she wanted to say died on her lips. She would forever be grateful for the women she had in her life - this one in particular - and she was absolutely stunned by the words Rosa had uttered. She missed her parents deeply, and no one would ever be able to replace them, but having Rosa and Jenna in her life, both of them playing the role of mom in very different ways meant that every day that loss became a little easier to bear.

She gathered herself together and steered Rosa to the area where she would be getting ready, and in those moments when they were joking and laughing, when Rosa was softly tugging her hair and gesturing different styles to see how she wanted it to be, Elena felt like it was suddenly impossible to be sad.

"Elena?"

Elena snapped her head up, unaware she'd been pulled once again into the past.

Lexie wore an expression of genuine concern, and she had shuffled forward a little as if preparing for the possibility of a major breakdown.

Not today.

Elena knew one was coming; even with a cold exterior, and a heart locked away behind bars - pun sadly intended - she knew there would be a moment in the future when everything would just drop and the flood gates would burst open, and everything she'd been feeling since being sentenced would come rushing back. She knew it wasn't sensible, or healthy, to repress the worst of her emotions but she just didn't have the space to deal with it all right now.

So, why was she in therapy even after admitting out loud she didn't like the idea of it at all?

Simple. It was a safe space in a world that currently had very few to spare.

"Would you like to resume this another time?" Lexie asked, surprisingly electing to not press her on whatever had consumed her in that moment. "I know what we're here for is to help you confront what is challenging you, but I've learned to recognise people's limits and it's okay if you want to take a break."

Elena shook her head.

"I don't mind. I want to get my money's worth after all, if I am to make this a regular occurrence." She inwardly rolled her eyes at the thought; a habit, her body thought rather traitorously, she'd only really picked up from hanging around Damon for all these years. "But," she said, rather hesitantly, hating her trust issues for allowing her not to divulge anything, even to Lexie, who was specifically paid to not judge, "I would rather we talk about something else. Just until I'm ready to talk more about..."

Lexie nodded, immediately understanding.

"Of course. What would you be more comfortable talking about instead?"

Elena racked her brain for a safer topic. Her friends - what few she'd had, even prior to her sentence - were a no-go. She'd not thought about them for a while, not without her stomach clenching and her heart pounding. She didn't mind talking about her experience in prison but because Damon pretty much sprung from that topic every which way you looked at it, she elected not to bring it up. Instead, she went with perhaps the one topic that could elicit a smile from her any time of day, even though it filled her with incredible sadness simultaneously.

Her parents.

Whilst she constantly struggled with their absence in her life, Elena had reached a point now where she saw them as a source of strength, even though they were gone; a safe harbour where she could rest and take support from before travelling onwards, alone.

And she'd like to think that despite their anger towards the injustice she'd been dealt, her parents would've been proud of her for surviving, for keeping strong even though life seemed intent on breaking her. Her father would've said, "This is character building, Elena, nothing more. If you see this as injustice - which undoubtedly it is - you will go your whole life seeing yourself as a victim, and that's not what you are. You are a survivor, a warrior. Take the lesson this has taught you and use it to make yourself stronger."

With that thought, Elena smiled and felt herself relax for the first time.

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After her session with Lexie, Elena decided on taking a walk, noting the mistrustful glances she received from nearly everybody she passed.

There were a number of disadvantages of living in a small town where everybody knew everyone's business, and not being able to escape unwanted attention happened to be a huge one. Still, she ignored them, electing on adopting a fresh new attitude whereby she didn't give a damn what they thought. They were only people, people with sins and dark habits of their own, and the fact of the matter was that you only had the right to judge people if your own slate was squeaky clean. Behind the clean and well kept exterior of Mystic Falls, Elena was sure a few snakes and wolves roamed, but they kept themselves well disguised to avoid detection.

She was dragged out of her thoughts - quite literally - as someone reached out to grab her arm, pulling her to one side. Years spent inside had sharpened her reactions, so she was quick to respond, grabbing the offending arm and yanking it back in a way that elicited a sharp yelp from its owner.

"Relax," Rebekah said, pulling herself into Elena's line of sight. "It's me." She winced as Elena released her tight grip. "You can thank me for that bloody move, although I'd rather you didn't use it on me."

"Sorry." Elena exhaled. "You okay?"

"Barely." Rebekah gave her a teasing smile before she suddenly became solemn. "But you won't be after you read this." She tossed a newspaper at her. "Read it, so you can get just as angry at the bastard as I am."

Elena swallowed, suddenly apprehensive but she obeyed, scanning her eyes for the offending article in The Mystic Falls Gazette before she found the snippet she was after. It was an engagement piece centered around Damon and Rose, but the article itself was tastefully written; it was the quote from Damon himself within it that had her blood momentarily boiling.

The full article read:

It is with great excitement that the Salvatore and Blanchard families announce the engagement of Damon Salvatore and Rosemary Blanchard. When asked about his thoughts on the planned nuptials, Guiseppe Salvatore proudly stated, "It's a proud day for all of us, but none more so for the Salvatores who are merging with a highly reputable family we are already very fond of, and we are all excited to finally welcome them into our own. I have never seen my son happier than when he is with Rose and I wish them all the best for their future together."

Rosemary Blanchard currently works at the Mystic Falls pet shelter, while Damon is carving his own career within his father's own business empire at Salvatore & Sons, working his way up to vice presidency. When asked about his plans for his upcoming nuptials, Damon stated, "I am very excited about sharing my life with this woman. She is my best friend, my partner, my greatest love, and now, finally, my fiancée. I haven't always had the best of luck when it comes to love, and I've made my share of bad choices, but Rose and I can't wait to make her my wife. She's the best choice I ever made."

The closing statement was just about how they planned to have a spring wedding and that the entire town was invited to the event, and Elena was sure she knew why.

"I have half a mind to take this newspaper and beat Damon to death with it," Rebekah seethed. "The timing of this screams manipulation, and to be honest I've read higher quality stories from signs in public toilets." She glanced at Elena, who remained suspiciously impassive. "Why aren't you getting mad about this?"

"Because getting mad is what he wants," Elena said, not sure if she was referring to Damon or Guiseppe, both of whom were on her list of people to avoid at all costs. "I'm not reacting to it."

As a direct contradiction to her previous statement, she violently ripped away the article and threw it in the nearest bin along with the rest of the newspaper.

"So, this is you not reacting?" Rebekah questioned, doubt lacing her tone. "No offence, Elena, but you're not the kind of person who can just switch off her humanity. You care, and that article got to you." As if sensing this was still a sore subject, she elected to change the subject slightly, in a softer tone. "One of my exes - a guy called Marcel, the one I never told you about before - was the guy I thought I'd end up with. He was stubborn as I was, and just as hot headed, but he did the one thing no other guy I'd ever been with had done... He stood up to my brother. For that, he got all of my brothers' respect, and their blessing, and getting one or the other is like finding gold at the end of the rainbow - bloody impossible." She smiled, losing herself in memories past. "We planned to go away together, to start a life abroad - to build a family - and we had a plan that we'd ironed out weeks before. When the day came for departing though, he never showed up. Never answered his phone when I rang. He just disappeared." Her smile gradually faded. "Now, before you ask why I didn't file a missing person's report, why I didn't tear the earth apart to get him back, the reason is because one of my brothers told me that they saw him slip out of town. They went to confront him but he was on a bus and leaving the town borders before they could get to him. Now, my brothers may be stupid at times, stubborn as hell, and definitely irrational, but they are always honest. The only times they are duplicitous is when they are dealing with their enemies, and believe me they have made many over the years." She smirked. "More stories for another time. But when it comes to each other, we always remain honest. Always and forever. That is a vow we made between us all, so if they say they saw him leave town, they saw him leave town, end of story."

At the end of her speech, Rebekah looked vaguely far away, as if she could still taste the bitterness of abandonment all over again, as if she was still trapped in that moment watching her true chance of happiness fly away from her grasp. "Anyway, I told you that story because you need to know that love can only hurt you if you let it. I say, learn from it and move the hell on." She winked. "I heard from a little bird in a suit that moving on may be a more achievable dream than you'd think."

Elena immediately groaned. "Rebekah... me and your brother... it's not..."

"Relax. I'm not here to warn you off him." The smirk slid from her face. "I'm just saying be careful. One day, I'll tell you more about my brothers, and the things they get themselves into, but not now, and honestly I would put a stop to this if I thought you couldn't handle it, or if I believed their actions could put you in danger. However, Elijah is the more... honorable of my siblings, so I think you two would be good together." She hesitated before adding, "He isn't what he appears though. He, like yourself, has demons he wrestles with, and a love he cannot put to rest. He might seem as well put together as one of his suits, but he still hurts from a love that almost tore our family apart."

"I think I know a little something about that kind of love."

"Yeah, well, the bitch he fell for had a heart of ice and an ego no amount of flattery can ever sustain," Rebekah said bitterly. "I never met her, thankfully, but if I do so help me god I'll be back behind bars, this time with a life sentence under my belt."

They walked in companionable silence, Elena absorbing Rebekah's words, thankful that she was still part of her life, although for how long it was hard to say. Knowing what she did about the blonde, it was inevitable Rebekah would leave town shortly due to the fact she'd made it abundantly clear small town life was something she despised, and she preferred big cities, places rich with culture and music.

"You know," Elena said slowly, as if the thought had only just dawned on her when in fact it had been building for a while, "if things here go sour - well, even more sour than they already are - I was thinking maybe New Orleans might be a good place to start again." She glanced at Rebekah, trying to gage her reaction. "It beats the hell out of trying to start over here."

Rebekah smiled. "You've come back here for a reason, Elena, and despite the fact you're trying everything in your power not to, you're still pining after Damon. Running away won't solve that." She took a deep breath. "Take it from a girl who has had about a hundred attempts at starting over, you don't really get to start again until you get closure. So... with that in mind, I suggest we get you started on the moving on process. Or at least showing Damon that his engagement announcement is about as joyful as finding gum on the bottom of your foot." She grinned. "Given how little you seem to be trash talking your ex, I hope you don't mind that I'm taking the reins here."

"Go right ahead. He deserves it," Elena said vehemently, taking a deep breath before asking, "So how do we show him that this doesn't bother me? That I've moved on? Any ideas?"

Rebekah's grin turned devious, her eyes flashing with that innate wickedness Elena had grown strangely accustomed to. "Oh I've got a few."

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He slid himself onto the bench with almost practiced ease, electing to take in the scenery with a true-to-form indifference as he waited patiently. He took a cursory glance at the paper he'd brought with him, reading the newly engaged section with a degree of satisfaction, although it manifested itself in a sneer and a soft chuckle of approval.

Within moments, he was joined with equal grace by another, who sat wordlessly next to him for a few moments, and he could almost feel her vindictive gaze piercing through him, yet he chose to indulge the silence a little longer before his patience reached its inevitable end.

He folded up the paper and said curtly, "Nice job getting the article published. Subtle, but powerful, yet while I admire the effort, it still hasn't achieved what I desire. Care to explain what is taking so long in running that girl out of town for good?"

Even without looking, he knew she was smiling, almost making fun of his impatience which annoyed him, given the fact they were supposed to be allies.

"As I've told you many times, Giuseppe, it pays to be crafty and subtle, as opposed to brash and bold. It's how all the best laid plans come to fruition."

"I do wish we had stuck to my original plan. A two year sentence? Hardly worth the effort, don't you think?"

"Framing her for murder - successfully, I might add - goes beyond even my capabilities, Giuseppe, and you know why? Because even if you'd built the most successful, iron clad case in the world, even if we'd managed to get her sent down for a long time, it wouldn't have achieved the real task in hand, which I believe you said was to damage Damon and Elena's relationship irreparably. Damon would never have bought it, and even the jury would've been hard pressed to get the right conviction based on her sweet-as-pie personality." She shuddered. "It's sickening how people like that exist in the world, but that's beside the point. Had we made the crime something far more extravagant, it would've taken a lot more time, a lot more money, and frankly a lot more effort, so be grateful we got the result you wanted. She is out of his life."

Giuseppe scowled. "And yet she remains in it all the same, even as an outsider. Even if he is happily engaged to a respectable woman from an equally, if not more so, respectable family, that girl has a tendency to wrap him around her finger. I need him focused on the business." He snorted. "Even if he has made the monumentally stupid decision to quit."

His companion gave him a sly glance.

"Why not leave the business to Stefan in that case? Come to think of it, this could've all been avoided had you favoured sweet, innocent Stefan. You could've left Damon to his happy ever after and still had a son to take over." She smiled, showing an array of pointed teeth. "Ah...there's more to it, isn't there? You have more issues with the girl than just her being all loved up with your son? Maybe it's not even about her; maybe it's her family..." Her smile grew craftier. "Please do tell me when I'm in the ballpark. I do love a mystery."

Giuseppe flashed her a warning glance.

"That's enough!" he snapped. "I'm paying you to keep her out of my son's life by any means necessary, not to throw conspiracy theories about and play guessing games about my life." He passed her a briefcase. "Here is your month's payment. Don't forget our bargain." He leaned forward, staring intensely at her. "I want her more than just out of my son's life. She has to leave this town. He won't fully move on, even with Rose in his life, if she's there, worming her way back into his heart."

His companion rose to her feet. "That article was just the tip of the iceberg, Giuseppe. A mere warm up exercise in the regime of chaos I am about to unleash."

"Good." Giuseppe visibly relaxed. "We'll meet again one final time for your last payment when she's out of town." He straightened up again, focusing his gaze on her. "Remember," he added, a low growl lacing his voice, "if you stand against me, or cross me, or screw this up in any way, I will make one phone call, and he will know you're back in town, and you will have your own regime of chaos to handle. Understand?"

She didn't say anything, but he could see he'd made his point clear. Her shoulders straightened, and her skin paled a shade or two, but otherwise you would never have noticed that behind her cold exterior lay a frightened girl. He would've felt sympathy, except there was too much at stake, too much he could still lose, and so much he'd already lost, that he was immune to anyone else's pain but his own. As long as he held that trump card, she was virtually in his pocket, his to control, within reason.

She walked away without saying another word, and he watched her walk away.

Making a deal with the devil was never a wise choice, but sometimes it was the only way to get what you wanted. He'd long ago crossed lines never meant to be crossed, and broken relationships he must've, at one point, yearned to sustain. Now all that existed inside him was pride and anger, and a desperate need to keep all that he'd worked for intact. Any number of the players he had in his life could change the game entirely for the worse, but as long as he kept the upper hand he could adapt.

Nothing would stand in the way from getting him what he wanted. Not his arrogant sons, his stubborn wife, and certainly not Elena Gilbert.

One way or another, Mystic Falls would be back under his thumb, and he would enjoy the benefits enormously once it was so.

A/n: Thank you again for your patience and for reviewing. This chapter was initially only supposed to be a filler but I couldn't resist putting in that ending. So we know Giuseppe is behind Elena's incarceration, we just don't quite know the full reason why, or even what the crime was she committed. In the next couple of chapters, that will be revealed to you, and there will be flashbacks to reveal why Damon was eventually suckered into believing the lie, and we'll see how the evidence unfolded. I'm excited to get stuck in as the action picks up and next chapter we'll finally see where Bonnie and Caroline fit in and why they haven't had any involvement so far. With any A/U I write, I try and stick as much as I can to the original universe, which means that although our characters are human in this world and the circumstances are difference, I try and keep relationships or certain subplots or character backgrounds as close as I can to the show, so you may be able to guess how certain characters will fit in and play off one another. All the same I hope you've got your own theories tucked away and I'm always interested to read your thoughts!

Small technical note: I am aware that I missed a number out when writing the chapter titles out, so if you read it back, the number sequences skips one which I'd love to go back and correct but can't due to the fact the original copies of the other chapters were on my old laptop which has been sadly cleared of everything without my prior knowledge. I could copy and paste everything and edit it that way, but it seems like a lot of work just to alter the chapter numbers, so if you could ignore that that would be appreciated and I hope it is the only error I've made in the story!

Thank you again for all your support and I hope you are genuinely enjoying it as I am genuinely enjoying writing it.