Chapter 1: Dotting Your I's, Crossing Your T's.

Ever meet someone and just know you're going to marry them? They're not wild, irrational, or immature-they actuallyhave priorities let alone a five year plan! Maybe some girls would stick their nose in the air and demand some type of excitement- they marry bad boys and they marry for passion and that's all find and dandy until you end up alone… maybe that didn't happen to everyone- but it's happened to enough people that there is a standing agreement which involves people looking for safe and more importantly stable relationships.

Her view was spectacularly pristine from the Charleston plantation house- but not as pristine as she was. Her light brown eyes cased the grounds with a certain simplicity that one did not receive in her former place of residence. Her soft natural curls cascaded elegantly down her back while she leaned against the railing with a smile stretching across her entire face- she didn't even care about laugh lines or anything because she was in an important state of pure and intoxicatingly beautiful bliss.

The sun was setting after another enjoyable day walking the grounds, listening and reading the history of her future (legal) home. It was absolutely peaceful and not a soul bothered her while she knelt to smell the roses and ate her lunch on the almost impossible green grass. If she were asked if she was living the dream- her answered would be "Yes, most definitely" because there are only so many girls who find the man of their dreams, get engaged in a timely manner and get the house of their dreams within the same two years.

She brought her cold drink to her pink lips and tried to remember the last time she had enjoyed herself so much. Elena grew up in a relatively small town but it smothered her instead of comforted her. It trapped her in and everyone seemed to be in her business every waking moment. She sighed, disregarding her thought process and distracting herself with the thought of her dashing fiancée. Edward Alan.

He had deep blue eyes and the most- to her- perfect lips in the entire world. Some would say he was a tad metrosexual because he liked to be groomed and enjoyed an occasional bath. She personally didn't care either way- she valued him for his exceptional understanding and compassionate heart. His face was strong but his skin was soft and always cleaned shaved. His body was remotely average- he wasn't very strong but who has to be strong when they are a lawyer, right? His power of her persuasion was uncanny which made him one of the best lawyers in town. She loved him dearly…

It was another fifteen minutes before he arrived home- making it 5:35 on the dot. He was highly scheduled and never strayed- that is, until he met Elena. "Hello darling, how was your day?"

"Well, I've had all day in solitude since your mother decided to go to Charlotte for the week." As he moved forward, she put her arms around his neck- kissing his elegant lips quickly. He wasn't much for public displays of affection. "What's that?" Her eyes fell to the manila envelope addressed to her like a magnet to a paperclip. It was very rare that she received mail unless it was a package from an online store.

"I don't know. Your name was on it and it's rude as well as a federal offense to open your mail." He said with a joking smile on his face. "How about you get fixed up and we catch a late movie and dinner, hmm?" She nodded her head in agreement, reaching for her envelope. He handed it over and began to walk into the house.

He stepped around her, heading towards his separate bedroom (because decent ladies don't have sex before they're married according to his mother.) She tore through the envelope as she walked to her own room. Her room was a floral disaster and not even her own design. His mother, Penelope, wouldn't allow her to personalize the guest room whatsoever so she dealt with what she had and tried desperately to keep it together until she married.

Upon opening the envelope, she realized that something was terribly wrong. She continued to read the same four sheets of paper over and over again until she had some ability to comprehend. She breathed in shallow breaths, fanning herself with the paper like that was going to relive her stress. "This is not happening, this is not happening!" She kept repeating over and over again when it clearly was happening.

She found herself in her bathroom under the sink, digging and digging through her personal items until she found her old cell phone. She scrolled through it knowing it didn't have any service at all. She found the number she was looking for and immediately used her private landline to call it. After the second ring a familiar voice rang through her ears, "Hello?"

"Jenna?" Elena said, "Hey…it's Elena." She wasn't happy to have to call Jenna. There were so many things that she wanted to say- most of them bad…some of them tearful. She wasn't ready to have that conversation yet. She just wanted answers.

"Well, look who decided to call. What's it been? Four years. Elena, we've been worried sick about you!" Elena rolled her eyes because somewhere- deep, deep, deep inside she held a grudge towards that "we" due to some choices they forced her to make all those years ago. She thought she made it clear that she wouldn't never forgive them. It just wasn't in her heart to.

"I'm not calling to catch up." Elena said, "I'm getting married and apparently when you filed the papers for that situation as you joyfully coined, you did them wrong."

"Married?" Jenna said, "I didn't know you met someone. Well-"

"Yeah, a lot of things happen in four years, Jenna. I need the name of the lawyer you used." Elena bit the side of her cheek in a fit of nervousness.

"Regis Grant." Jenna said slightly monotone like she was also trying to conceal her emotions, "Do you need a number?"

"There's internet for that." Elena said, hanging up and googling the lawyer- she decided to store Jenna deep into her mind. She just couldn't deal with that right now- she couldn't go there and she really didn't want to have to. She then dialed that number with a hint of hope in her heart that this entire mess was a mistake. A secretary answered, "Yes, hello my name is Elena Gilbert- I had a case go through about four and a half years ago about a marriage annulment…"

"Um, let me check our files." She said and after a minute she said, "Yes. I have the file right here. Do you need a copy or anything?"

"Yes. Well, I don't really know. I have a letter right here that says that I'm still married to my ex-husband and I'm getting married next month. There has to be some mistake."

"Your annulment was standard- there shouldn't have been any problems, I don't know why- oh…"

"Oh?"

"Um, the annulment was filed by a guardian at the time and it wasn't signed by either party. You nor your husband."

"Please, don't call him that."

"Well, technically he is still your husband. Don't worry though- all we need are signatures and that's it! You'll have a beautiful wedding and it'll be great."

Elena sighed, "Thanks. Can you email those to me? I can print them out and have them signed immediately."

"Certainly can!" She said cheerfully. Elena gave her an email address and started putting makeup on. She changed into a white dress and hurried out the room- almost running into Edward.

"Hey!" Elena said shocked as if she completely forgot he existed for a moment. "Hey… I just got off the phone with my aunt and something bad has happened. I need to take some time to-"

"Wait a moment." He said as he answered his phone, "Hello?" She leaned against the yellow wall, her heart beating a mile a minute. All she could think about was the mess- the big fat mess she had landed herself in. Edward covered the receiver, "Elena- it's urgent. Kyle Turner was supposed to go to New York for the conference on New Age Law and he's sick. They want me to go."

"Go!" She said almost too quickly- her mind already devising the perfect plan. "How long?" Elena swept back her hair over her shoulder while she talked. Her eyes were full of deception but obviously Edward didn't notice it. She wanted to touch his hair…kiss him, even. She wanted to make love but at the same time she understood that it wasn't the time to get all caught up in her attraction.

"A week. There's a lot of classes." He said, "I'm sorry but the flight leaves tonight. So, I have to start packing right now." His face was flushed but he looked really excited about leaving so abruptly. She didn't want to linger on it because then it would just be a fight rather than an amazing evening when he returned. She enjoyed getting jewelry, wined and dined and so many other things when he came back home from a business trip or from a "man outing" with his cousins.

"Okay." She said with a fake smile, "I knew there would be sacrifices for marrying a lawyer. This is one." She seemed so supportive, when, if this had been typical dinner- she would have thrown a fit. She hated last minute plans.

"You hear that James? Yes... Yes." He nodded, "Yes sir- I will see you in an hour to discuss the trip." He gave her a quick kiss and then departed to his bedroom to pack his suitcase.

111

She said her goodbyes like any fiancée would and then immediately started packing her own bags. Somehow she convinced herself that Edward never had to know about her previous marriage. There was no reason anyone had to know about this trip, either. She made a mental list of people she could call to figure out the location of her ex-husband but one seemed to stand out more than any other. She didn't even have his number though because it never seemed prevalent to have it when she was married. That would be her first and most emotional visit and if he had no idea where her ex-husband was- she would have to go to more extreme places.

Edward bought Elena a brand new car three months ago when they decided to get engaged. She had only driven it once. Charleston was full of places that a normal person would walk to if they weren't super rich. To be honest, she hated that red piece of plastic and wanted nothing more than to "accidentally" lose it. Unfortunately, Edward had killer insurance and she would have a new one. Personally, she loved her Ford Explorer from six years ago. It was a time capsule from four and a half years ago. She had to actually dig for the key and spray it with the water hose a few times before she entered it.

She immediately realized that there were still pictures of her husband somewhere in her car- okay, definition of somewhere- everywhere. She grabbed them and threw them in her glove department- but in the process of doing that, she slammed her hand into a box. "Damn!" She hissed, "What is that?"

She took the box out and opened it. There it was- the semi-automatic hand gun from him. It was silver and engraved with multiple flowers- it was plated with pearl along the grip area and the trigger was gold. There were only two bullets in it. She remembered that for some reason. Inside the box was her wedding ring. She couldn't help but get a little teary eyed over the ring set even if it was nothing compared to the couple thousand dollar ring she had on her hand.

She put up her memorabilia and started the drive. She rode the interstate listening to old cowboy music the whole night- resting here and there and reapplying makeup often. She started to second guess wearing her white dress for the drive- she would have been far more comfortable. She popped a few energy pills that she picked up from the EZ STOP and then a few 5 Hour Energy shots as well. The drive was 24 hours long from Charleston to South Dakota but she managed to make it in 17 hours. She considered that a new record.

The piercing sun from the afternoon casted a bright gleam on her eyes. She couldn't even see the walk way but it didn't matter- she had it memorized. She had the entire house memorized even if she'd only been a guest there a few times. She reached out, knocking on the door quickly. It seemed like another hour passed before Bobby Singer answered the door. She didn't know what to say- maybe a 'How are you?' or 'You look so well!' would be the norm…but she couldn't manage that. "I'm looking for Dean." She came out with her reasoning instead of any type of greeting. "Bobby." She smiled embarrassed at how rude she had been.

"Of course you are." He said with a smirk on his face. Bobby had aged in the last four years but hunting ghosts, demons and anything else that went bump in the night would age Heidi Montag. "I knew you would come back one day for our boy… I really knew it. You don't see a love like y'all's too often."

"I'm not here to reconcile any differences or take him back, Bobby. I'm here because I want a divorce…" It was the first time she had ever said she wanted a divorce. She realized that the second the words came out. She repeated herself just to hear the words again, "I want a divorce."

"What in hell are you talking about, Elena Gilbert? You two have been divorced for- what- four years or something like that?" Bobby said, "And you're meaning to tell me…" He wanted her to finish the sentence.

"The divorce or annulment wasn't finalized the way it should have been." Elena said, "So technically- I'm still Elena Winchester by law."

"Always sounded nice." Bobby commented under his breath, "Why change anything now, right?"

"I'm engaged Bobby." Elena confessed, "And he is a great man… he doesn't go to strip clubs and he doesn't gamble. He doesn't have to commit fraud just to eat a cheeseburger. He's a lawyer and I'm happy." She said, "And that doesn't cast a negative outlook on anything Dean does because Dean is a superhero." She let the hero thing slip. "But I'm getting older. I need stability."

Bobby shrugged, "Not what I wanted to hear but you don't have to justify your actions to me. Dean'll be back soon and you can hit him with this bombshell."

"In person?" She thought she could just tell him over the phone and meet him somewhere. Not in person. God, how was she going to do this in person?

Bobby just smirked.

"Damn." She said.