Chapter 13: The Man at Table 5

Elena was on a high. These last few days had her walking on cloud nine, with a hop in her step and a smile on her face. No man had ever brought her this much joy or showed her this much love, and it was enough to set off a school of butterflies just thinking about it. As she was finishing her lunch break, she found herself twisting the ring on her finger. It was included in the envelope with their new identities, along with one for Damon, and a part of her wished they held more value than the fictional marriage that was fabricated for them. What would it be like to be married to Damon Salvatore? To be the mother of his children? If she was honest, it was something she thought of often, and whenever he brought up their future, a spark in his eye told him he thought about it to. Of course, this was in a world where she wasn't being hunted down by an ancient vampire.

She was jarred out of her thoughts when Laura popped her head in the back room. "Hey…someone's sitting in your section; are you back?"

Elena cleared the table hastily. "Yeah I'll be right out." She threw her hair up in a high ponytail and smoothed down her uniform. It was quite slow for this time of day, just after the lunch rush, so it didn't take her long to spot the customer in her section. She walked up with a smile. "Hi, I'm Audrey, I'll be your server today. What can I get you started with?"

The man glanced up at her with a charming smile; his teeth white against his mocha skin. "Audrey…as in Hepburn?"

She forced a laugh. "My mom was a fan."

He looked over his menu quickly. "How's the sirloin?"

"Not bad, but if you're a steak-guy I recommend the ribeye." she offered, throwing up an 'OK' sign. "Its probably my favorite thing here." she giggled. Being overly friendly is what raked in the tips, so she knew when he smirked and closed his menu that she made an impression.

"Well you sold me." he stated handing her back the menu. "I'll have it rare. I like my meat bloody."

She chuckled, writing it down on her pad. "You want it still alive, got it! Can I get you anything to drink?"

"Whiskey, neat."

"I'll be right back with that." She headed over to the computer and she started to input the order, when Laura walked up.

"Um…yum. He is unbelievably hot." She laughed. "I think he's into you."

Elena didn't even bother to look up from the screen. "What makes you say that?"

Laura leaned in conspiringly. "Because he's still staring at you."

Elena's eyes snapped up, and the man was looking right at her, unbothered with the fact that she had caught him. "Well he's going to be really disappointed when he finds out I'm married." She threw her friend a pointed look, as she moved to the bar to pour the drink.

She rolled her eyes, and leaned her hip into the counter. "How did you manage to snag a fox like Jackson anyway? Ugh…dream boat!"

Elena laughed. "I ask myself the same thing everyday." She walked back to the table and handed the man his drink.

She busied herself helping other tables over the next hour or so, and noticed that the man had left. She resisted the urge to let out a groan of annoyance, thinking he'd dined and ditched on probably one of the most expensive dishes on the menu. She knew her manager would not let her hear the end of it.

She stormed over there, and noticed the wad of bills on the table and sighed in relief; but as she started counting, she realized there was more than what was owed, and definitely more than what most would consider a fair tip. Glancing around, Elena wondered where he went off to so fast, before shaking it off and finishing the rest of her shift.

…

Later that evening, Damon strolled in, pulling his shades off his face and tucking them into the v of his shirt. He always popped in before his shifts at the bar if he was working late. Elena was counting out her tips at the counter, and sauntered in with a whistle. "You change professions? Something you want to tell me." he teased, coming around to kiss her on the cheek. "Hey baby."

Laura came out from the back, throwing Elena a cheeky look. "Most of that is from table 5. You might have some competition, Jackson." She was quickly becoming one of Elena's closest friends, and her and Damon had a teasing banter that reminded her of bickering siblings.

He blinked, turning to face Elena with raised brows. He didn't feel threatened, more amused than anything. "Oh really? Do tell."

Elena rolled her eyes. "Don't listen to her. You know I can't be bought." she winked. "How late are you working tonight?"

"I'm closing." she pouted and he ran his fingers through her ponytail. "I know…so maybe you can get dressed up for me…pop in, and sit at the bar? Give me something pretty to look at?"

She laughed, looking up at him. "Mmm, I think I can do that."

"Yes." he whispered with a closed fist before kissing her hard. "Get home safe. I'll see you later. Bye Laura." he sung out as she strode out the front door.

"Bye, you weirdo!" she called back.

Elena completed her shift, looking forward to going home and getting ready, knowing she had just the outfit to catch his attention.

…

Elena walked into the upscale scene, confidently strutting up to the bar. Her heels clicked on the hardwood floor, but it was inaudible amongst the heavy music and loud patrons. It was more of a nightclub than a bar on Friday's; the floor was open to dancing and the vibe was high energy. Damon wanted her to look pretty for him, so she complied. Although her make up was simple, with a dusty rose eyeshadow, a subtle wing eyeliner and mascara, she knew she'd impress with her outfit.

Her hair fell in a cascade of curls, parted on the side, setting her bangs in a full swoop. She selected romper shorts with a deep v in the color of merlot, that showed off the long expanse of her legs, leading down to her black open toe wedges. Elena sinched the waist with a thin gold chain belt, that complimented her hoops and bangle bracelets.

Men stared at her as she walked in, but her focus was on the man currently behind the counter, fluidly pouring drinks and helping customers with his signature smirk. He moved with a rhythm, bobbing his head to the music, and as if he felt her there, his eyes darted up to catch her walking over with a slow sway. She smiled slyly when he looked her up and down hungrily, almost forgetting where he was, before his co worker gave him a backhanded smack to the chest to snap him back to reality.

Doing her best to not distract him too much, Elena sat herself at the end of the bar, still within his eyes sight, but far enough away that we was still able to work. When he had a minute, he walked over, wiping his hands on the towel slung over his shoulder.

"Well…Mrs. Kennedy." he started with a rumbling purr as he rested both palms on the counter and leaning in. "I must say your husband is a very lucky man."

She leaned in, crossing her legs as she let the tips of her finger run over the swell of her breast. "And I'm sure he's going to show me just how much later tonight."

He bowed his head, and let out a groan. "You are going to be the death of me." Damon's gaze focused on her again with a blazing heat. "You want your usual?" He moved around fixing her an old fashioned, adding an extra sugar cube, just the way she liked.

She nodded, noticing his co worker frantically taking orders. "It's busy tonight…Jake looks swamped. I'll be okay here." He grabbed her hand, kissing the back of her knuckles affectionately. "Come find me on your break." With a wink, he placed her drink in front of her and rushed off to help manager the bar.

The counter was starting to pack with people, mostly woman who shamelessly flirted with her boyfriend, and she laughed knowing that his returned smiles were all for show. As she started to feel her space become limited, Elena hopped off her stool, grabbed her drink and decided to find a table.

As she walked passed a few tables, she was caught off guard by the solid body she collided with as she moved through the throng of people. "Oh sorry!" She almost spilled her drink all over him.

He turned around to face her, and a pearly white smile lit up his face. "Audrey, right? Twice in one day…what are the chances." he chuckled.

Elena blinked in surprise. It was the guy from table 5. "Oh…hey!"

"Hope I left enough for the bill." he joked.

"Uh yeah, more than enough." she retorted with a pointed look. "You tipped me more than your bill was worth."

He shrugged, stuffing his hands in his jean pockets. "Well, call me old fashioned…but I think good service should be rewarded."

She smiled gratefully. "You ran off before I could say thank you."

"Sorry about that…something came up. So you come here often?" They both winced at how cheesy the line came out and he laughed at his own expense. "Sorry…that was bad. I'm usually better at this." he rubbed the back of his neck shyly.

She shifted awkwardly. "Um, my husband works here."

"Husband?" she raised her left hand. "Ah…well, guess I should have seen that coming."

"I should go. But it was nice meeting you…" she trailed off.

"Marcel." She nodded, and slipped passed him, and he watched her go, the smile slipping from his face and bleeding into a cold stare.

…

By the time Damon was finally able to get away for his break, a couple hours had passed since he'd last seen Elena. The last he spotted her, she was chatting with one of the servers. Damon walked up to her as she grabbed an order from the bar. "Hey, did you see where Audrey got off to?"

She glanced around. "Uh, last I saw her she was heading to the ladies room. But that was like an hour ago."

He rushed over there and saw a couple girls stumbling out. "Hey, was anyone in there, I'm looking for my wife. About this tall, brown hair, beautiful."

She fell into him with a laugh. "I'll be your wife." Her and her friend erupted into a fit of giggles, before the other one pulled her away.

Glancing around, Damon pushed the door open, hesitantly checking the stalls. They were all empty, but on the floor, something shiny caught his eye, and he reached down to grab it. His heart plunged to his feet when he recognized the elegant but simple gold wedding band, rolling it between his fingers. He darted out of the bathroom, and frantically searched around the bar, becoming more panicked when she was nowhere to be found. Damon didn't even bother telling anyone he was leaving, and rushed out the door to the lobby. Opting for the stairs instead of the elevator, he took them two at a time making his way up to their loft.

"Elena!" he yelled, bursting through the door. "Elena!?" It was quiet, and it filled him with dread.

It wasn't long before Pearl came into their suite from hers down the hall. "What is going on?"

"I found this on the floor of the bathroom at the bar." He showed her the ring, and her eyes widened with concern. "She was waiting there for me, now she's gone."

"You need to go. Now."

He stared at her with incredulity. "Are you kidding me? I'm not going anywhere without Elena! I have to find her." He made a move to push past her, but her strong arm held him fast.

"Harper and I will deal with it, Damon. But if she's in danger there is nothing you can do if you get killed trying to save her." she tried to reason, but he didn't seem to hear her, too lost in his own thoughts of the worst. "Damon!" She grabbed the vervain bracelet off his wrist, ignoring the burn as she tossed it across the room. "I need you to calm down. Go down the hall and stay with Anna. Do not leave her side." she pushed him coaxingly towards her unit, and he grumbled as he was forced to do as she said.

He got to the end of the hall and turned around with a broken look. "Please…find her."

…

Elena groaned as she woke, noticing immediately the pain at the back of her head and arms. Everything was blurry and it took her a few moments to focus as she came to. The second thing she noticed was that the straining in her arms was due to them being stretched over her head and shackled. She looked up, jiggling them, and becoming panicked when the reality of what was happened slammed into her. Her heart pounded, and her head spun.

She did her best to take in her surroundings through the haze. She was on a concrete floor, in what appeared to be a basement? No…a cellar. It was filled with casks and wooden barrels, and the scene of barley thick in the air. It was dark, and the only windows were near the ceiling and blacked out.

"Audrey Kennedy." The deep voice rumbled from somewhere behind the barrels. She squinted to make out the figure, as the boots feet stepped closer to her in a slow manner. "Or should I say…Elena Petrova." The man crouched down in front of her, getting to her eyes level, and she scrambled back against the wall as far as the space allowed.

Elena panted, staring up at him with wide eyes. "Marcel?"

He stood again, and pulled on a string that dangled from the ceiling, illuminating the dank room in a dim yellow glow. "That's not my real name. The vampire that turned me…the man I considered my father for centuries named me Marcellus when I was a boy." he chuckled ironically. "My real father didn't bother giving me a name…if he did I don't remember it."

Elena took in a shaky breath. "Why not?" She thought, the best way to stay alive for as long as possible was to keep him talking.

His head snapped up, as if he was jarred out of his own thoughts. "I was a slave. So was my mother…my father was her master." he ground out. "Klaus saved me from that life…so I guess you could say I owe him." he narrowed his eyes at her bitterly.

She shifted, pulling on her chains, racking her brain for any sort of escape. "Is that what this is? You're going to hand me over to Klaus?"

He frowned, almost angry at her questioning. "I'm thinking about it. I'm also thinking about killing you right now so he can never have what he truly wants! He may have given me life…but he's also taken life from me too. And killing his precious doppelganger seems like the perfect revenge."

She swallowed painfully. "Or you could just let me go…please." She begged, tears filling her eyes. "To you and to Klaus, I'm just a bargaining chip…a pawn to be played. But I'm just a girl…"

Marcel laughed. "I'm sorry sweetheart, but those big doe eyes don't work on me." He pulled on the string, drenching them in darkness again, and she heard his footsteps walking away.

"No! Marcel! Please don't leave me here like this! Marcel!?" Elena struggled fruitlessly before collapsing in a heap of sobs when she heard the heavy slam of the steel door.

.

AN: Well, it was going too good for them to be happy for long, right? What is Marcel going to do? Will they find her before it's too late? How is Damon going deal with all of this? Let me know what you think!