Chapter 36

"I can't believe how perfect life is right now." Elena murmured to Caroline as they watched the restorers finish up the staircase. It had only taken a week to get done and it looked exactly as it had before they took it out. It wasn't cheap but she knew Giuseppe was happy so it was worth it.

"It looks great." Caroline nodded. "Just in time for the engagement party tonight."

Elena groaned and glanced at her watch. "I'm so behind schedule. I haven't even picked out a dress yet."

"Good thing I'm here." Caroline grinned. "So is Isobel coming tonight?"

"Yeah she's bringing Maggie." Elena said.

"What about Robert?"

"I guess he can't get off work or something to come back." Elena shrugged.

"I thought he told you they were okay?" Caroline questioned.

"He did. She decided to stay another week and he couldn't really take any more time off." Elena explained.

"For his stepdaughter's engagement party though? And it's Friday Elena. He could have flown in after work." Caroline pointed out.

"I wouldn't read to much into it, It was a sudden engagement party." Elena sighed she really didn't even want to think about Isobel and Robert breaking up. She had spent quite a bit of time with Maggie all week and she really missed her dad. She would be torn apart if her parents split.

"Yeah, but I don't know it seems off, I swung by the diner the other night. My fashion class was pulling an all nighter doing this dress and we were starving. I'm telling you those hours were genius. Anyway..I stopped by to grab food and lo and behold, Isobel and John were talking and laughing when I got there." Caroline told her.

"What? When was this? Why am I just finding out now?" Elena asked.

"Just the other night. I was exhausted after the all night class and I haven't seen you since then long enough to tell you." She huffed.

"Weird, I mean I guess it's good if they are mending fences. I mean that's what she came here for redemption right? I mean I'm trying why shouldn't we all." Elena said quietly.

"I guess, but a married woman taking and laughing with an ex at a diner in the middle of the night? I don't know..." Caroline said with a warning glance.

Elena sighed. "They have unresolved issues too she left both of us. She's not going to leave her husband and daughter for my dad if that's where you're going Car."

"I'm sure I'm just over analyzing it. But just be careful, er rather tell you're dad to be careful. Just a feeling." Caroline said.

"I will." Elena agreed. "You do realize I am probably the only kid in America that doesn't want her parents back together."

Caroline chuckled. "Not true I don't either."

"Right.." Elena patted her shoulder and they headed into the kitchen to start getting things ready for the party.

"Why are we in the kitchen? You said you don't have a dress yet we need to be at the mall." Caroline pointed out.

"We also need to start getting some of this food ready before we're all dressed up, preferably." Elena rolled her eyes.

"Elena you're a millionaire did it ever even occur to you to just hire someone to to do this for you?" Caroline asked.

"I am not a millionaire." Elena said smoothly. "After replacing Jer's inheritance and helping my dad out I took a modest amount for day to day stuff. The rest is all for the charity it's in a a trust fund Stefan set up for us with Damon's inheritance too, I don't consider it mine."

"I feel kind of guilty." Caroline said biting her lip.

"Why?" Elena asked looking confused.

"You and Damon put all your money away for you're charity and so did Stefan. I did put a lot aside but school was more then I thought and I did do some shopping." Caroline said sheepishly.

"Car!" Elena hugged her. "That's okay. I appreciate anything you can give me. You're going to school for your dream job and you have to look the part. Besides I haven't spent every penny on necessary stuff either. "

"I know." She sighed. "It's just I could give it all you. Stefan wants to pay for my school and everything else now that we're married."

"You're not okay with that?" Elena asked.

"Are you?" Caroline returned raising an eyebrow.

"You think I wouldn't be..but after the whole debacle with my dad and the loan. I kind of realized just how much money he actually has in his trust fund. The way Damon sees it is it's basically just free money and he has so much of it. Once I got the inheritance check it kind of became it really doesn't matter whose money we spend we have more then we're ever going to need. So we just use his trust to live on and everything else goes to the charity or the restaurant." Elena said as she started taking vegetables out to wash and chop for Damon's dinner later.

"I didn't really think of it that way..but it's different with Stefan. Damon's loose with money. Stefan charts everything." Caroline rolled her eyes.

"Well.. I mean that's good he's responsible." Elena said.

"No I mean literally charts it on an crazy spreadsheet, with graphs and everything. If he spends more then his goal amount in any particular category he goes in the red. If I start letting him take care of me...can you imagine the Caroline section?" She sighed.

"The whole section would be red." Elena laughed.

"Exactly and it would just cause unnecessary issues for us." Caroline said.

"He's a millionaire why is he so cheap?" Elena had to ask.

"He's not really cheap per say so much as really anal about his money. He has to know what's coming and going out at all times. Now that his trust fund has been activated he's got a bunch of money in stocks and bonds that he watches like a hawk too." Caroline explained.

"Well...I mean maybe you just have to be clear with him. Tell him you're willing to let him pay the expenses but you don't want to be a part of his chart." Elena said.

"He offered me an allowance." Caroline winced.

"Ouch." Elena cringed.

"Right? I didn't know how to take it is he smothering me like a dad or treating me like an employee?" Caroline groaned.

"It's Stefan." Elena sighed. "We both know he can be kind clueless socially sometimes...just talk to him Car. I'm sure he would be horrified to realize he made you feel that way."

"I know I just..ewe money discussions." She groaned. "Not a fun part of marriage."

They were interrupted by a soft fast knock at the door that Elena instantly recognized as Maggie's little knock. She hurried to open it.

"Hey Maggie!" Elena exclaimed as Maggie threw herself into her arms.

"Hi Elena." Isobel smiled. "We're here early to help. Well I am Mag's is going to stay out of the way."

"I guess." Maggie pouted. "Is Damon here?"

"No he's working on a project with my dad but he will be here later." Elena told her. "Damon's friends are going to be here real soon though. They have a daughter Emily who's four and a little boy Joey who just turned three."

"Are they nice?" Maggie asked her brown eyes wide.

"I've only met their dad but he's nice so I'm sure they are,. They've never been here before so you can give them a tour of the castle." Elena smiled knowing she would like that idea.

She nodded and smiled walking into the parlour. "The worker guys are all done with the stairs. Mommy come look, it looks even more like a castle now!"

"Beautiful." Isobel breathed. "How old are these? I used to be really big into antiques."

"You would have liked Giuseppe then. He was furious when he took these out, They are from 1864. The original staircase for this manor." Elena explained.

"These are amazing." She said going to inspect the them closer Maggie continued wandering around. Elena figured she would end up in library she liked playing in there she said it reminded her of the library in beauty and the beast. Sure enough she wandered into the there next.

Elena looked at Isobel, "Wait for it." She winked.

Maggie started squealing and raced out holding two new Beauty and the beast dolls Damon bought for her and left in the library.

"Are these for me?" She squealed racing over to Elena.

"No I think those are for me honey." Isobel joked.

"No way. Are they Elena?" Maggie asked looking worried.

"Well I don't know..." Elena said thoughtfully. "Caroline?

"Oh those are mine." Caroline teased.

"Oh." Maggie said quietly.

"We're just kidding sweetie. Of course they're yours, Damon got them for you." Elena smiled.

"I knew it." She smiled.

"You have to promise to share your dolls with the other little girl tonight Maggie." Isobel said glancing down at her.

"Okay promise." Maggie said quickly running back into the library with her new toys.

"Mm hm." Isobel rolled her eyes and Elena chuckled as they all walked back into the kitchen.

Elena continued cleaning the vegetables and shrimp for the dinner as Caroline and Isobel started getting appetizers ready.

"So what's this project John and Damon are working on?" Isobel asked.

"He's teaching him to make the poison." Caroline laughed. "Its gonna be an interesting night."

"He's still making that stuff? He won a lot of bets off that back in the day." Isobel laughed.

"He uses is to test my boyfriends." Elena laughed.

"Yeah it put Tyler Lockwood in the hospital." Caroline laughed.

"Who's Tyler Lockwood?"

"An ex, that was trouble, he had done it before couple of time but just a few shots. You know. He challenged Tyler he almost got in huge trouble because Tyler was a minor and the Mayor's son. Luckily the mayor decided not to press charges." Elena explained.

"You mean to tell me your father, was testing your teenage boyfriends with that vile concoction?" She said cringing.

"Yeah well." Elena shrugged. "He was right every time. The first kid I dated Mark was a pansy and it turned out he cried a lot. The day after with Tyler he said no way. You can't trust him just steer clear. I did the opposite and I should have listened. With Damon he tested him before I had even met him and me."

"When did he test you?" Caroline asked."I don't remember you telling me this story."

"Damon and I did not get along when he first met." Elena explained to Isobel. "We got in a huge fight one night and I slapped him."

Isobel smiled softly a slight twinkle in her eye.

"It was awesome." Caroline smiled.

Elena rolled her eyes and smirked. "I guess I smacked some sense into him that night because he was driving around thinking about the things I said and his dad...anyways he went into a ditch and called me to get John to help him. So I call dad and he asks me if I want him to go rough Damon up or help him. I said help him. Turns out that was a test, dad told me later on that he knew then and there for sure that Damon wasn't going anywhere."

"Wow." Isobel smiled. "That's really sweet, John may not be your typical father but he did good with you and by you. I'm so grateful for that and for the strong bond you two have. I regret missing out on that stuff I really do, I hope you know that."

"I'm starting to see that." Elena nodded.

"It's been really great spending time with you and I would really like to help you with the wedding." Isobel offered.

"I mean I would..that could be okay..but don't you have to get home? Maggie has school and you have work..." Elena said.

"I took a sabbatical and Maggie can actually transfer to school here easily." Isobel said.

"You mean you're moving here?" Elena gulped. She saw Caroline out of the corner of her eye wince slightly and bit her lip.

"I don't know yet. I just meant for a semester she can transfer here. I don't like the idea of uprooting her from her home, but she's become really attached to you and I want to get to know you and be here for you." Isobel said slowly. "I thought we could try it out for a while."

"Can I bring up the elephant in the room?" Elena asked frowning. "What about Robert?"

Isobel sighed. "I really didn't want to burden you with this. We decided to separate for a while. That's why I'm hesitant to bring Maggie home. He won't be there. He's staying with his brother in Miami."

"But he said you guys were okay." Elena said her eyes wide.

"We were at first...he just, we...I have some unresolved issues with your father and Robert wants me to figure out what that is before we can talk about if there is still an us." She admitted.

"So he thinks you still love John?" Caroline blurted out Elena glared at her, "Sorry." She shrugged.

"Yes." Isobel sighed.

"Are you?" Elena asked.

"No...not in love with him in that way. I never stopped loving him. But I've been with Robert for eight years. He just doesn't understand that you and John are a part of my life now and mending things with you takes priority. I can't mend things with you if I don't fix things with your dad too. Robert is fine with me spending as much tine with you as I want but he doesn't want me around John. That's impossible John and I are your parents and if I want to be any part of your life we need to have a functional relationship." Isobel explained.

"That all sounds perfectly reasonable." Elena said. "On paper...but if he senses something and he feels threatened by my dad. He probably has a reason to feel that way or at least he thinks he does."

"You are so smart." Isobel smiled. "Very intuitive, you get that from your dad."

"See like that when you said, your dad you smiled a little." Caroline pointed out. "It's little things like that, sometimes your body knows even if you don't and other people can pick up on that."

Isobel frowned and bit her lip staring off for a minute. "I guess it's...when you just walk away like that in the frame of mind I was in. The relationship never really ended you know. It was all just left hanging eventually we picked up the pieces and created these separate lives from each other. But now being here again in his presence...it's confusing because I do still love him and always will. I hate the way I hurt him, he was my best friend at one point and I feel like I have to make things right with us now. But I'm married and I'm not going to jump into John's arms. I'm just having a hard time wanting to fight for Robert right now. I know that's what he wants but I don't have it in me. I just want to make things right here with both of you."

"I guess I understand that much.." Elena sighed. "I just... I don't want Maggie to have to go through that because of me."

"It is not because of you." Isobel gasped. "None of this is because of you. It was my choices that put us all here. The issues Rob and I are having have nothing to do with you. It's about me and him and your dad. We'll figure it all out but right now let's just plan your wedding and not worry about me okay?"

"I'm not worried about you Isobel." Elena said sharply. "Just Maggie and my dad."

The doorbell rang and Caroline breathed sigh of relief. "Saved by the bell."

Elena sighed gathering herself and heading out of the kitchen to greet Alaric and his wife and kids.

"Hi Elena." Alaric smiled as she came up behind Caroline, he had a pretty blond woman with him, she was tall and very down to earth looking, she had soft green eyes and dash of freckles across her face. The kids were so adorable, Joey had sandy blond hair like Alaric and a serious little face that Elena just wanted to squeeze. Emily had curly blond hair secured in pigtails. She had her mothers freckles and brown eyes.

"Hi Ric good to see you again." Elena smiled. "You must be Sara?"

"I am, it's so nice to meet you Elena." Sara smiled extending her hand.

"It's great to meet you to. Elena said.

"You must be Emily and Joey?" She knelt down, Emily smiled shyly and Joey smiled and pointed at himself.

"No, I think you must be Joey." Caroline pointed to Emily. "And he must be Emily right?"

"No." Emily giggled. "I'm Emmy."

"Mags, the kids are here!" Elena called out.

Maggie came running out excited to meet the kids.

"Maggie this is Damon's friend Ric and Sara and their kids Emily and Joey." Elena introduced them. "This is my sister Maggie and my mother Isobel."

Isobel shook hands with Ric and Sara and Elena sighed getting over the internal battle on how to introduce Isobel to people. She distracted herself watching Maggie take control.

"This is a castle, my sister Elena is marrying Damon Salvatore, he is a prince not here because we don't have princes here, but he is somewhere in Italy probably." Maggie told them as she took Emily's hand and started walking into the parlor.

"What is your sister teaching my kids?" Alaric scoffed.

"I was going to ask..." Sara laughed.

"We like to say Maggie has convinced herself Damon is a prince because she thinks this is a castle...but now I think its pretty clear Damon told her it was true." Elena rolled her eyes unable to hold back her own laughter.

"Probably true." Caroline corrected.

"In Italy somewhere." Isobel laughed shaking her head.

"That's it?" Damon frowned as John handed him the bottle the poison shot he just mixed up.

"That's it?" John asked narrowing his eyebrows. "Whiskey, dark rum and vodka? That's about as deadly as you can get."

"It is not." Damon said taking a sip.

"I've knocked plenty of guys on their asses with this." John argued..

"That is probably true but it's not what I had that night I stumbled into the bar or the night you tested me. This would get me pretty wasted after a few shots but that stuff had me gone." Damon said.

"Oh my protege is wise." John smiled. "You are correct. Its missing an ingredient we won't be adding tonight."

"Why?" Damon asked.

"It's illegal and I don't want my daughter drinking it or any other minors. The alcohol poisoning incident really freaked me out." John admitted.

"So what is it Everclear?" Damon guessed.

"No but I'll use that if I can get a hold of it. " John said. "I used that when we were teens a parties to win bets and stuff. Now I use Absinthe."

"I've heard of that. Don't you have to make it?" Damon asked.

"Mm. It's like distilled liquor very potent. It's been banned since the 1900s." John nodded showing him a dark bottle in the back of the small fridge in the basement. "I know a guy."

"No you don't, you make it, show me how." Damon said.

"It's highly illegal Damon. It's bad enough I make this stuff and let people drink it much less minors, I'd rather not potentially incriminate you. You can get a little reckless sometimes. The mini poison here will do you fine." John said.

"Come on." Damon begged. "I just want to challenge Ric while he's in town."

"I have some here we can make a small bottle for your bachelor party but tonight we use the weaker poison no one will know the difference." John suggested.

"Deal." Damon agreed watching as John started mixing a small flask.

"I usually do three quarters rum, whiskey and vodka I prefer to use Wild Turkey , Grey Goose, and Bacardi but your preference. One quarter of the absinthe. Be careful though...I uh brought some to a poker game once and one of the guys started hallucinating freaked out and started throwing things. It can affect certain people like a psychotic drug that's why it's illegal." John explained.

"I didn't hallucinate or anything." Damon said.

"I think it's pretty rare but nonetheless be careful." John warned."

"I'm only gonna challenge Ric, I'm not stupid enough to let Elena, Stefan or Caroline drink it although I think she could probably handle a little. " Damon said.

"I have to agree." John laughed.

"But down the road I'll need it to keep an eye out on any guys that come after my future daughters." Damon said. "Will you show me how to make it then?"

"Future as in way in the future right?" John questioned. "And daughters Damon?

"Well it would have to be way in the future before she would be allowed to date and its possible. Girls seem to run in Elena's family and boys in mine so we'll see." Damon shrugged.

"We have to stop talking about your future kids." John groaned.

"Why?" Damon asked. "We're getting married pops, we're gonna have kids. You'll love it. You love it when Maggie comes to the diner."

"First of all don't call me that and second, Damon I have come to consider you a friend." John said.

"Thanks." Damon grinned. "Turns out I'm a pretty likable guy."

John shook his head and continued. "I mean we drink together, shoot the shit, run the diner. I hope you don't just think if me as your girlfriend's dad but a friend too."

"Sure pops." Damon quipped.

John winced. "So as a friend I'm begging you not to make me a grandpa yet. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find women these days? If I become a grandpa I might as well forget about ever having sex again."

"Oh come on." Damon scoffed. "Not true at all. Besides if you would listen to me and Elena and go out and we mean out of Mystic falls you might actually meet some women."

"Well my boss scheduled me for overnights so.." John trailed off.

"We can switch it up. Actually I guess Matt's not happy at the Grill he took the manager position but they are taking advantage of him. He's working all the time no OT pay. I was going to hire for him for days but maybe he would be cool with nights." Damon suggested.

"I was joking, but actually I wouldn't mind that." John said. "Matt is a good solid worker you can trust him."

"That's what I'm looking for and soon. Elena and I will be getting married and going on a long honeymoon. I want to know my staff has it under control. I trust you the most and honestly days are busier, from seven to about nine now we get slammed. I'd feel more comfortable with you there." Damon said taking a swig of the from the wild turkey bottle and wincing.

"Why this stuff?" He asked.

"I was told I couldn't handle that stuff once. I was proved wrong that night." John admitted. "I have to respect a liquor that knocked me on my ass."

Damon chuckled and grabbed the bottle for another swig.

"No you don't." John smirked. "You better get home and help Elena with the dinner party. Don't want you getting in trouble on my account."

"I don't get in trouble." Damon scoffed taking the 'weaker' poison bottle with him.

"Right." John smirked.

~So sorry for the delay, Having really annoying computer issues lately. Hope you liked the chapter!