A/N: To those of you asking if last chapter is the last we will see of Kai, I'm not sure yet. I have two different endings to this planned out so we'll have to see where it ends up going. It will, however, be the last we'll hear from him for a little while. Life is about to bring on it's own new set of challenges for DE.

But that's for later. Right now we have some good old Gilbert sibling time!


Most stories have a hero that finds you make your past your past

Putting the finishing touches on the last chocolate cupcake, Elena stared at the plate of sweet treats on the countertop in front of her. When she wasn't studying or in class, she'd been perfecting her baking skills all week. Her first batch on Monday night had been disastrous, with bits of eggshell sprinkled in it. The batch on Wednesday were so rock hard that it hurt Enzo's tooth when he'd bit into it. But by Friday evening, she'd mastered the recipe.

"What's with all the baking? I just got here and you're already trying to poison me?" Jeremy asked her as he leaned against the countertop next to her.

"Oh shut up. These are delicious," Elena smiled as she handed one to her little brother.

"I'll pass," he said, leaning away from the baked good.

"Suit yourself," she said as she took a bite from it.

"She's still baking?" Bonnie asked as she walked into the kitchen and planted a kiss on Jeremy. "She's been at this all week."

"It helps me not think about things," Elena said, her mouth full of chocolate cupcake. "Try one."

"Oh, I'm good. After the Enzo incident on Wednesday, I am not putting anything you've cooked into my mouth. I value my teeth," Bonnie teased.

"Tell me Enzo isn't a new boyfriend or something," Jeremy pleaded. "I hated the last one. Can't imagine a guy named Enzo would be any better."

Elena snorted at the statement. "Hardly. Enzo is Caroline's new boyfriend, not mine. I'm not dating anyone right now and probably not again for a long time."

"Elena had a crush on a hot millionaire, but we aren't allowed to talk about it," Bonnie whispered to Jeremy. "It didn't work out. He had issues."

Elena rolled her eyes. She was standing right next to them and could clearly hear Bonnie. "She's right. So instead of moping about it, I'm making chocolate cupcakes and studying to ace all of my finals."

"And hanging out with your awesome brother this weekend," Jeremy added.

"That too. Speaking of, want to go to The Half Pint and grab some beers? I can't believe you're 21 now. We've never been out drinking together!" Elena picked up her piping bag and squeezed some frosting out onto her finger to eat.

"If it'll get you to put down the chocolate icing, I think we should do it," Jeremy nodded.

"Hey, this kitchen is a judgment free zone. Got it?" Elena pointed her finger at him, frosting still on it. "I will wipe this all over your shirt."

"You're bluffing." Jeremy crossed his arms.

"Try me, little bro."

Jeremy picked up the piping bag from the countertop and aimed it's nozzle at Elena. "I'll shoot if you do."

"It's like I'm stuck with five year olds right now!" Bonnie interrupted, but it was too late.

Elena reached forward and wiped the dab of frosting across the front of Jeremy's favorite Yankees tshirt. Without pause, Jeremy squeezed the piping bag and frosting came flying at Elena's hair. That prompted Elena to pick up a cupcake and smash it on top of Jeremy's head. Pretty soon the kitchen was a mess of laughter, flying chocolate, and sibling rivalry.

"Hey, hey!" Bonnie said, trying to break the two of them up. Instead, Jeremy accidentally pelted her on the cheek with a little frosting. That was it. Bonnie gave up on breaking it up and instead joined in on the madness.

Once the three of them were all wearing the chocolate cupcakes and frosting and there was nothing left to throw, they collapsed out of breath onto the kitchen floor.

Giggling and tired, Bonnie looked over to Jeremy. "Are you happy with yourself?"

Jeremy nodded, laughed, and then reached over to Bonnie to swipe a dollop of frosting off of the tip of her nose. He licked the frosting off of his finger. "Yeah. I'm pretty satisfied."

"Gross. Get a room!" Elena grumbled, standing up from the floor. She slipped at the last minute and fell directly back down. "I guess I'll just lay here for a little while."

After a while of the three of them laying there in silence, the front door opened and then slammed shut. The sound of heels clicking on the floor could be heard approaching them.

"What the hell happened?" Caroline's voice screamed as she walked into the kitchen. "Did Betty Crocker throw up in here?"

Bonnie popped up from behind the counter. "Those pesky Gilberts. You know they're mischievous when they get together." She lowered her voice and whispered to Caroline "Can we take a moment to appreciate the fact that she's smiling though? She's going to be okay after all of this is over."

"Not a doubt in my mind that she would be. She's strong," Caroline replied.

"And she can hear you talking about her," Elena said as she pulled herself up by the countertop, careful not to fall this time.

"Where's baby Gilbert?" Caroline asked.

"Present and accounted for," Jeremy answered, standing up as well.

Caroline planted her hand on her hip. "So which one of you is cleaning this up?"

Elena and Jeremy both pointed to each other.

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Gilberts, get to cleaning. Dibs on the shower first."


With everyone showered and dressed to go, they all piled themselves into Enzo's car and made their way to The Half Pint.

"So Enzo, how'd you two meet each other?" Jeremy grilled from the backseat, his hand laced with Bonnie's.

Caroline turned around and gave Jeremy a pointed look. "I don't need a brother to give him the talk, baby Gilbert."

"Oh nonsense. He's just being friendly, right?" Enzo smiled the most non-intimidating smile he could give as he made his way through the heavy traffic. Caroline made him promise that he would be on his best behavior tonight and he was a little scared of what would happen if he wasn't.

She'd made Jeremy promise the same thing, but he wasn't as scared.

"You're friends with the guy my sister had the hots for, right?" Jeremy asked him, swiftly receiving an elbow to the ribs from Bonnie.

"Enough," Caroline barked at him. "We try not to talk about Damon too much. Things didn't exactly end well between them."

"He exists and he's Enzo's best friend. It isn't like he won't come up in conversation," Elena added, rolling her eyes at her friend's overprotective nature. "I'm fine. Honestly, I'm fine hearing about him."

"You've singlehandedly consumed the same amount of chocolate as Augustus Gloop did in the chocolate factory and you remember what happened to him," Bonnie pointed out. "You are so not okay right now."

"Enzo, there's too much estrogen and feelings back here. Any way you can roll the windows down?" Jeremy asked him.

"I'm going to like you, little Gilbert. You're a wise ass," Enzo smirked, reaching for the buttons that would put the automatic windows down.

"I'm mentally pocketing and fully intend to hold every single wise ass comment over your head when we get back home later," Bonnie whispered to Jeremy.

"So long as I still get laid," Jeremy told her, winking in her direction.

Elena covered her ears. "Um, big sister? In the car? Right here? With you?"

The rest of the drive consisted of small talk and before long they were pulling into a parking deck near The Half Pint. Being a college bar, Enzo's Tesla stood out from the rest of the older Honda Accords and the like that surrounded them. He must have checked at least four times to make sure his doors were locked before they headed for the bar.

"For the record, we are taking a cab home. I am not staying sober tonight," Enzo said as he raised his glass of beer at Elena. "If I must drink at this dive bar, I will indeed drink until I now longer care about the fact that this bowl of beer nuts has probably been sitting here for three months."

"Who will keep me from drunk dialing your best friend then?" Elena asked him, smiling as she sipped her beer.

"That would be me," Jeremy leaned over to her, chugging what was left of his first beer of the night. Everyone else had only taken a couple sips from theirs.

"Psh, yeah right. He'll be on the floor before the rest of us have even finished our first drink if he keeps that up," Caroline joked. "We better all pick up the pace if we want to keep up with Frat Star over here." She chugged her beer and ordered another.

"Elena, if you want to call him, just give in and call him. He likes hearing from you," Enzo quietly said to her. Caroline and Bonnie were preoccupied with making fun of Jeremy so they didn't hear him.

"I told him that I had feelings for him and he left the country," she said, raising her eyebrows.

"You also told him you needed some space."

Elena chuckled. "Not that much space!" She finished her beer and set the empty glass onto the bartop in front of her.

"You're the closest thing Damon has had to a relationship since Katherine. That should mean something to you, right?" Enzo asked, signaling to the bartender for two more beers. "He cares about you in his own way. He's just shit at showing it."

"Language!" Caroline shouted over her shoulder at Enzo. "Best behavior! You promised! I will make you started drinking every time you curse if you keep that up."

"She hears everything," Elena shrugged to a confused Enzo.

"She wasn't even bloody listening," he hissed.

"Drink for your swear!" Caroline chastised him.

"Bloody is not a swear word," Elena tried to defend Enzo.

"It is in Fancyman language!"

Elena clamped her hand on Caroline's shoulder. "How can you be tanked already?"

"Oh, I'm not but Enzo likes it when I'm difficult. It makes for great sex later," Caroline told her in a hushed tone.

"Is everyone seriously fucking except for me?" Elena yelled, looking up to the sky above her.

"Drink for your swear word, Elena!" Jeremy teased her before she shot him a threatening look. He hung his head low. "Sorry, sis. I didn't mean it."

"Maybe Damon fled the country because you gave him that look," Enzo nudged Elena and she smiled. "It's pretty terrifying, honestly."

"Oh, shut up," she responded. "All of you shut up and someone get me another beer."

Five beers and many hilarious conversations later, Elena looked in the mirror of the crappy bathroom, stumbling a little to maintain her balance. Her cheeks were a little rosy from the beers she'd had, but she was nowhere near intoxicated enough to be sick. She was, however, intoxicated enough to fetch her phone out of her clutch and scroll through her contacts for Damon's name.

"I'm always calling you when I'm drunk," she mumbled to no one in particular as she let the phone ring. It rang several times, but then went straight to voicemail. "Figures he wouldn't answer."

Roughly shoving her phone back where it came from, she stared at herself in the mirror again. "You need to get it together, Elena Gilbert. Get your shit together."

It wasn't very eloquent as far as pep talks went, but it was enough. She needed to stop calling Damon. He'd come back home when he came to his senses and he'd better damn well hope she was still pining after him when he did because she didn't need to wait around for anyone anymore. She'd been doing the whole living for yourself thing for a little over a week now and it was getting easier with each passing day. The amount of cupcakes she'd baked may have told her roommates otherwise, but she was healing. She was getting there.

She flung the door of the bathroom open and stepped out into the crowded bar, standing of her toes to try and find her brother and friends. Luckily, Jeremy was so tall that his head stuck out from above the crowd and she easily spotted him. She pushed her way through the groups of people, but felt someone gently grab her wrist from the crowd as she passed by them. Her first instinct was to turn around and take a swing at whoever it may have been that was grabbing at her, but when she whipped her head around she was met with a familiar face from her finance class.

"Please don't hit me!" Jesse cringed at her hand, which was raised into a fist in the air and coming directly at him.

Elena pulled back once she realized who it was and her hands flew to cover her mouth. "Oh sorry! I thought you were some creep trying to snatch me."

"I tried getting your attention by yelling your name, but you didn't hear me. Sorry I grabbed you," Jesse responded, looking at her with a smile. "You look really beautiful tonight."

She started laughing at him, so hard that she had to hold onto her stomach.

"That was really lame, wasn't it?" he asked, cracking a laugh as well.

Elena nodded at him.

"I don't normally approach intimidatingly attractive girls," he shyly shuffled his feet underneath him. It was kind of endearing how timid he was being. "My friends are trying to get me out of my shell a little more." He pointed to a group of guys behind him who were intently watching their exchange, but clearly trying to pretend that they weren't.

Elena didn't really know Jesse that well. She knew that aside from her of course, he was the smartest student in her finance class. She knew that he always sat up front and took really detailed notes. He rarely raised his hand in class and when he did, he always blushed when he had to speak in front of the class. She once had to miss a class and Jesse had been gracious enough to let her copy his notes in the hallway, but they hadn't really talked much other than that. Kai didn't like it when Elena had male friends so she made it a point to keep her distance from him.

"Well I'd hate to have your friends disappointed in you," she said to him, digging a pen out of her clutch. She reached a hand in his direction. "Tell you what, give me your palm."

Shocked expression and all, Jesse held his out to Elena palm-side up. "People still write phone numbers on hands?" he asked.

"I do when I want to make an impression. I could put it in your phone, but then I'd be one of about a million contacts and this way you have to stare at my number all night." She smiled at him as she scribbled her phone number onto his palm. There was something very safe and non-threatening about Jesse that Elena kind of enjoyed. For one, he was the anti-Kai in every sense. Plus he was interested in her, which was more than she could say for Damon. Maybe this new version of her could enjoy a casual date with a perfectly nice guy. I mean, why not?

"Expect me to actually use this number," he warned.

"I should hope so," Elena replied, putting her pen away. "See you in class on Monday! Should be a good last week before finals."


Rather than her usual seat in the back of finance class on Monday morning, Elena slid into a desk in the front row next to Jesse. True to his word, he'd actually texted her when she got back from the bar that night and they'd talked off and on the rest of the weekend as well. Jesse gave her a shy smile as she sat down.

"Did you have a good weekend?" he quietly spoke to her, leaning a little into her proximity.

"I did. I got to spend a lot of time with my not so little anymore brother," Elena smiled. It had been nice to see Jeremy, even if she did have to pry him out of Bonnie's bedroom for a little one on one time. Seeing her brother always brought things into perspective for her. They didn't have their parents anymore. Aside from their Aunt Jenna, who they mostly saw around the holidays, her family just consisted of Jeremy now. Since the death of her parents, it had really brought them closer.

"Do you have any plans tonight?" Jesse asked her.

"I have a huge term paper staring me in the face but other than agonizing over that, I'm free as a bird."

"Well you have to take a break to eat, right?" he urged. "I mean, everyone has to eat."

"Are you trying to ask me out?" Elena smiled at him.

His cheeks flushed red and he nodded his head.

She thought long and hard about how she wanted to respond. Saying no would be the easy part. She didn't see much of a future with Jesse. He was a perfectly nice guys, but he was too shy for her boldness. She would probably swallow him whole if given the opportunity and he wouldn't do a thing to stop her. Then again, she had literally nothing to lose. What could be the harm in giving him a chance? "I like Thai food. You can pick me up at seven," she answered, scribbling her address down on a piece of notebook paper and handing it to him.

Who knows? Maybe he'd pick up a little of her confidence along the way.

As Professor Saltzman entered the classroom, he cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "Good morning everyone. I'm back in time for a test and to get you guys ready for your final exam. In other words, I'm back for the fun stuff." He began to hand out the test on the reading material he'd assigned last week.

"No cheating," Jesse hissed at Elena, cracking a smirk and pretending to shield his test paper. "I see you trying to peek over here."

"Oh, please. Only if I wanted to fail," Elena sassed back.

"Ms. Gilbert, Mr. Warren, I trust that whatever you're talking about would best be shared with the rest of the class," Professor Saltzman called them out.

Elena shook her head no and focused back onto the paper in front of her. She was, of course, the first person to finish her test so she took it up to the front to hand it in.

"All done," she smiled proudly as she placed the paper into a tray on the corner of the desk.

Professor Saltzman looked to be going over some lessons in a notebook, but he took a moment to look up at Elena. "Thank you, Ms. Gilbert. There's study guides for the final right there. Be sure to take one before you leave."

She nodded and reached to grab from the stack he'd indicated. As she turned around to grab her bag and make her way out of class, he called after her.

"Ms. Gilbert?"

"Hm?" Elena said, turning around.

"Damon said you were one the brightest young minds he's ever encountered. Don't think I take that opinion lightly," he whispered to her, so as not to disturb the other students from their tests. "Damon doesn't usually give unsolicited compliments so rest assured that I will be pushing you much harder from now on." He slid a piece of paper across the desk to her. "This is a list of companies that are still accepting applications for paid summer internships. You need to apply. Don't waste your potential, Ms. Gilbert."

Elena nodded again, said a quick thank you, and rushed from the room. Damon had talked to her professor about her? Why would he do that? It wasn't of any benefit to him to do it, but he'd taken the initiative to do so anyway. Damon believed in her. If there was one thing she could say about him, it was that he always believed in her abilities.

She looked at the paper listed with internships. These internships had the possibility to take her all over the world. London, Beijing, Rio de Janeiro, and many more. If Damon could take this kind of initiative and believe in her without anything to gain from it, why couldn't she do the same for herself?


A/N: Please don't hate me too much for bringing in a suitor for Elena! It will all lead us to where we want to go in the end, which is a happily ever after DE. (And just to reassure you all, I will NEVER write any explicit sex scenes that aren't DE. I'm okay putting them with other characters temporarily and I may say they have sex or something, but I wouldn't put you through the horrid details. Hell, I wouldn't put myself through writing that. My shipper heart couldn't take it.)

Speaking of Damon, are you missing him terribly yet? I know I am. We have a time jump and then he'll be back next chapter … and he'll be jealous.