Disclaimer: See prologue

... ... ...

Cause if you liked it then you should have put a ring on it
If you liked it then you should've put a ring on it
Don't be mad once you see that he want it
If you liked it then you should've put a ring on it

"I can't believe you did that." Elena admonished her yet again as they drove home.

Kenzie groaned, so sick of listening to them bitch about it, it was driving her nuts. "Make it stop."

"Honestly Mackenzie, you brought this on yourself." Alaric lectured her. "What were you thinking threatening someone with a letter opener of all things."

"I can't hear you, I'm sleeping." She sang, laying her head on Damon's shoulder and closing her eyes.

"You do realize it doesn't work when you say you're sleeping right?" Damon asked her.

Her only response was to poke his side.

"What did I tell you about poking me?" he growled.

"That you're the one who should be doing the poking and not me?" She replied opening her eyes to look up at him and flutter her eyelashes.

"Seriously, why did we think it was a good idea bringing both of them?" Alaric asked.

"if you didn't, only two of you would be going home right now and Stefan wouldn't be too happy you got his girlfriend killed." Kenzie sang, thoroughly annoyed by now.

Today had not been fun. First Damon had been shot, Elena then ruined their fun time in the office and neither her nor Alaric had shut up about the letter opener thing. God, not like she was going to actually cut out her spleen, seriously, it was all a too little icky for her.

But besides all that, today still sucked. Vampires, she was just getting used to and now werewolves? She was ready to break out into a cheer! And even better, werewolf bites were fatal to Vampires so now there was that to be worried about. Plus when they had first left the University, Damon was in a totally surly mood and she had a feeling something had happened between him and Elena when she had used the washroom before they left. But she knew better than to ask.

Finally, when they arrived back at Mystic Falls, Kenzie had bid them all a goodnight at Elena's house, ignoring Alaric saying he would drive her home and walking by herself. She really wasn't all that far and since she had seen Damon talking to Elena when she left, chances were if something happened, he would be there in an instant.

When she got home, her dad was sleeping and she went into the kitchen to grab a banana before heading up to bed. She leaned against the island counter with a sigh, letting her thoughts wander.

She noticed she was hating Mystic Falls a little bit less. Sure, everyone was super nice and it did grate on her nerves but at least she wasn't always looking behind her to see if there was anybody there ready to stab her in the back. At least in this town, she only had to literally look for it, not many people would figuratively do it.

She also had to admit to herself that a part of the reason it wasn't so bad was Damon. She did enjoy their verbal sparring matches, she enjoyed the sleeping together just as much. They both knew that's all it was and they were both fine with that. But more than that, he was her first real friend in a long time. Not to say that Elena and Caroline weren't her friends but they expected that she was nice, that she really was a sweet girl. They didn't quite get her or understand why she was the way she was but she didn't have that problem with Damon, he accepted her how she was and found her amusing, in return, she accepted him how he was, despite everyone wanting him to change. And after the last couple days, it was safe to say, if someone hurt one of them, the other would make sure there was hell to pay.

Dumping the banana peel in the garbage, she climbed the stairs to her room, not at all surprised to see Damon lying on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. She didn't say anything as she took off her clothes and slipped into his shirt, lying down beside him and staring up with him. When he didn't speak after a while, she turned on her side, propping her head up on her hand.

"So what's the what?" She softly asked him, knowing something was bugging him.

"She knows I didn't know about the ring."

Kenzie groaned. "Why would you do that?"

"I couldn't lie to her." Damon shifted his eyes to look at her. "Why can't I lie to her?"

"Maybe it's that pesky little thing called love." She suggested.

He made a non-committal noise his eyes shifting back to the ceiling.

"Can I ask you something?" She hesitantly asked.

"Knock yourself out."

"Why are you in love with Elena?"

She stared at him waiting to answer and as the silence grew, she let out a small huff of annoyance, falling back to the bed to stare up at the ceiling again.

"I don't know. Maybe because I was in love with Katherine?" He finally answered.

"How can you be in love with someone and not know why?"

"Have you ever been in love?" He shot back at her.

"No."

"Then you have no idea."

She had no answer to that so she stayed silent, still staring up, contemplating putting those little glow in the dark stars on her ceiling. Mads had done that when they were 7 in the room they shared. When she died, Kenzie had stared up at them and was so mad, she ripped them all off, removing all traces. Now, she missed them and wondered what would happen if she put them up. Would she find them comforting or would they make her angry all over again?

Then she wondered where that had come from, Damon and her had been talking about love and she was pondering glow in the dark stars. Maybe it was because she had really never been in love, had never even been close to it. Her ex had said it to her a lot of times although she never said it back, she was sure he had only said it to get into her pants, which was stupid, she would've slept with him anyways. She wasn't a slut by any means but she had gone out with him for a while and wasn't a virgin when she started going out with him. She just want what she wanted and if that meant she wanted to get laid, then she did it.

Look at Damon. She had no interest in him like that until everything crazy had happened and she decided to release a little tension. She somehow doubted any of the other good boys of mystic Falls would have been so willing and that was saying something because in her experience, any teenage boy was quite willing.

"She said I lost her forever. That she only used me today to get information that she needed." Damon spoke again.

"Sounds like we're rubbing off on her." She noted.

"Her and Katherine are a lot more alike than people know."

"So maybe that's why you do love her. You were in love with Katherine for whatever reason, and you see the similar qualities, not to mention, they're twins."

"Whatever." He grumbled.

"Don't whatever my wisdom."

"Wisdom? And you once called me delusional." Damon turned on his side now to look down at her, his eyebrow raising as he did so.

"You're wearing my shirt."

She matched his raised eyebrow. "Well, yeah, you were talking about how fun it would be to get me out of it, so I thought I'd help you take your mind off everything."

"Hmm, well I do like the way you think." He said with a smirk as he slowly began undoing her buttons.

… … …

She was woken up by her phone ringing and she blindly reached for her bedside table, feeling around until she found her phone. She pulled it under the covers with her, pressing the talk button and mumbling something unintelligible.

"Kenzie? Is that you? Are you okay?"

She mumbled something else and one of the few words that were understandable were the words sleep.

"You're still sleeping? Do you have any idea what time it is?"

Kenzie sighed, poking her head out from under the blankets so she could see the time. "It's only 2 PM. I like my weekends and I like my sleeping. It's been a rough week."

That wasn't totally true. This had actually been one of the tamer weeks since she got here and she had taken the time to finish learning all the cheers, helping Caroline run the team, since she was playing "sick" while she adjusted to her current predicament and catching up on her school work, which for her meant doing the absolute bare minimum but still she liked her sleeping in on weekends, that's what Saturday and Sunday was for. The night time was for the fun stuff, like sneaking out to Damon's for the night or him coming to her house, although neither had happened since the night they got back from Duke. In fact, she hadn't seen him at all and she texted him once but since he didn't reply, forget it, she wasn't one of those girls who kept texting until a guy answered.

"I need a favor." Elena told her.

"What?" she asked with a sigh, sitting up and moving her long untamed curls off her face.

"I need you to come over for a BBQ tonight."

"Need me to?" Kenzie asked with a yawn. "Why? What's the what?"

"Damon somehow wormed his way into having a BBQ at my place to figure out what Mason is because he went to school with Jenna."

"And I'm needed, why?"

"Because it's Damon." Elena said as though it were obvious. "you seem to be the only one who can keep him in check, I need your help."

Kenzie let out a small chuckle. "No one keeps Damon in check but sure, I'll come to your BBQ. Would love to see Mason again."

Elena let out a small gasp. "I completely forgot about that, is that going to be an issue?"

"No. Let me get ready and I'll come over."

She ended the call, letting out another yawn before throwing the covers back and getting out of bed. She felt more tired than she should've, weekend or not and she briefly wondered what it could be. Besides cheerleading, she didn't have any other extra-curricular activities, not even the bedroom kind since Damon had disappeared.

She shrugged and hopped in the shower, taking her time on her hair when she got out and taking the time to straighten it before doing her makeup and changing into black skinny jeans and a purple tank top topping it off with her over the knee boots. Her dad was working overtime this weekend, making her happy for the invite because if there was one thing she couldn't do if her life depended on, it was cook. She grabbed a short leather jacket and left, making the short walk to Elena's house.

When she arrived, Elena and Caroline were on the steps talking as the blonde devoured the bag of chips at an inhuman pace. Noticing the newcomer, she held them up with a shrug.

"It helps the cravings." She said by way of explanation. "I didn't know you were coming."

Kenzie shrugged. "Whatever helps I guess. And Elena invited me, something about Damon being here and needing my help but really, my dad's working and I can't cook."

Caroline rolled her eyes. "What is it with you and Damon? Your relationship is as doomed as mine and Matt's was and as Stefan and Elena's is."

"You didn't tell her?" Kenzie asked, sending a questioning look to Elena who shook her head with a slightly disturbed look on her face.

"Whatever you do or don't do with Damon is really your business."

"Oh my god." Caroline shrieked. "You're actually doing Damon? Did he compel you? He totally compelled her, want me to slap him around a bit? I can totally do that now."

"He really isn't, I'm uncompellable."

"That's not a word." Elena pointed out.

Kenzie shrugged.

"do you have vervain or something?"

The redhead shook her head, holding up her hand with the ring on it. "So is he here yet?"

"Inside." Elena told her.

Kenzie smiled at the two girls and went inside, leaving Elena to explain to Caroline what the ring was exactly. She smiled her greetings to Jenna and Alaric when she entered who were talking in hushed whispers in the front room and made her way into the kitchen where Mason and Damon were, the latter telling Mason he was a dick.

"No argument there."

They both turned to look at her with a surprised look on their faces.

"Oh come on, you both had to have known I was here a while ago."

"You." Mason could only sputter.

"And the guy with the freaky eyes. Beat anyone up lately?" She smirked. "Or would that be, eat anyone lately?"

"So you're not as stupid as the average high school kid in this town." He looked at her then at Damon. "So I guess we won't be doing a whole evening of innuendo's and little tricks to see if they affect me, huh?"

"How do you know about me? Your brother was completely clueless." Damon asked, cutting right to the chase.

"It doesn't matter Damon, I'm not your enemy."

"Really? Let's recount, you tried to kill my brother and you threatened this little delightful creature beside me."

"Your brother was a mistake, I couldn't chain myself up in time. I have no control once I shift. But really, you don't seem to strike me as the caring type, especially for a human."

Kenzie let out a very unladylike snort of amusement. "Goes to show how much you know and I'm not even talking about me."

"You. Quiet." Damon warned her with a small glare.

"Look, let's not spark some age old feud that doesn't apply to us." Mason told him.

"You expect me to believe that you are in Mystic Falls planting peach trees?" He asked in disbelief.

"I lost my brother, my nephew lost his father. I'm here for my family. Let's be above this." Mason held out a hand and hesitantly, Damon reached out and shook it. Damon waited for him to leave before turning on Kenzie.

"What are you doing here?"

"Elena invited me, she has this crazy idea that I could stop you from doing anything stupid."

"Right because you would be able to stop me." He sarcastically said.

"Duh, that's what I told her. So what do you think?"

"That he's eventually dead." Damon said. "I don't trust him."

"Well duh but is he killable? I mean do you have to kill him?"

He gave her an odd look. "Don't tell me you're going to go all soft and get a heart on me Redbird."

She scowled. "No but he is a werewolf, meaning he could be a powerful ally and if you try to kill him and he bites you, then what?"

Damon shot her another odd look. "Then I die, so what?"

"no, it's not so what. If you go and get yourself killed, I'll bring you back to life to kill you again."

He smirked as he sauntered towards her. "Don't tell me you're developing feelings for me, Redbird."

"Oh get over yourself. You know I'd be upset if something happened to you. In the possibility of sounding all sappy and whatever, you're my friend, sometimes I think my only real friend here and I don't want to lose you. There, I said it." She muttered the last part as she looked away. She didn't do the whole spill your feelings and care for people, it always ended bad but truthfully, she would miss him if something happened.

"Hey." He was standing in front of her, a hand cupping her cheek as he turned her to face him. "You're not going to lose me okay? He can't touch me."

"Good." She whispered. "Your cockiness better not get you killed or I'll be pissed."

"Duly noted." He pushed some of her hair behind her ear. "I like your hair all straightened. It's really sexy."

She grinned up at him now. "Come on, I'm always sexy."

"No complaints here." He leaned closer to her and she pulled away.

"No, dumbass, we're here for a dinner party and you don't ignore your friends for a week then try to get in their pants two seconds after seeing them. Have some respect, wait an hour, hey?"

"Dinner." Jenna called.

"Yay, I got here at a good time. Dad's working."

"Oh yeah?" He asked with a leer. "For how long? Perhaps I'll stop by."

She rolled her eyes. "Maybe I'm busy and have a date tonight." She turned to walk into the dining room when Damon shot out a hand to grab her arm, pulling her back to face him.

"A date? With who?" His eyes were glittering dangerously.

"I said maybe." She hissed, smacking at the hand that held her arm a little too tightly. "Let me go."

"I want to know who you have a date with tonight."

Her eyes narrowed. "What does it matter? I can date whoever I damn well please. We're using each other remember?"

"Tell me." His voice was dangerously low and if Kenzie feared for her life, it would've sent a shiver up her spine but as it were, she settled for stomping hard on his foot. She didn't expect to do much damage but she did surprise him enough to yank her arm away and step back.

"God, stop acting so possessive. What's your problem?"

"We may be using each other but that doesn't mean I want someone else's hands all over you."

"But it's okay for you to drool all over other people. Seriously, if Elena walked in here and said 'Hey Damon, I'm over Stefan and want you,' you'd be all Kenzie who?"

"Oh really?" Damon asked, his eyes narrowing. "So you know me now?"

"everyone knows that." She snapped.

"Maybe I don't want Elena anymore." He suggested.

She let out a very unladylike snort showing just what she thought about that. "Right and maybe I fear death now. You just like being able to possess people or believing you own them but you know that shit won't fly with me."

She turned away from him but stopped as she turned back around. "In fact, I think there's a song that goes for this. Maybe without the ring part, but definitely the same feeling behind it."

He raised an eyebrow, opening his mouth to speak when she held up a hand to stop him, a smirk growing on her face as she began to sing.

"If you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it, don't be mad once you see that he want it, cause if you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it, oh oh oh oh oh oh oh." She did the Beyonce dance out of the kitchen, not caring how ridiculous she looked. She would not put up with Damon's stupidness, thinking he owned her. He didn't, nor would he ever, so singing about commitment would get that stupid notion out of his head. They were friends, friends who had sex once in a while and just because Elena decided she was done with him didn't mean he could go and try to project all his crap with Elena onto her.

Kenzie went out to the front porch where Caroline and Elena were standing, getting ready to come inside.

"Thanks for the invite, even if it was to keep Damon in check. Everything's been worked out with Mason so there's no need to stick around."

"I invited you for dinner." Elena told her. "Stay, please?"

"No thanks, I'm not hungry anymore, I'll see you later."

She left, going back to her house for her imaginary date. She really needed to find someone real to date.

… … …