Elena stopped abruptly upon seeing Damon, all kinds of things ran through her mind, dramatic movie scenes that were much more intense than Damon waving a silly little wave and walking over to the girls to say hello.

"Hello Damon" Bonnie greeted him plainly.

"Goldilocks, Broom-Hilda" He responded "Elena?"

Elena was silent but managed to make a replying "Hmm?" sound.

Damon continued hesitantly "Did Stefan stop by your house this morning by any chan-?"

"No" Elena answered before he finished his last word. There was an awkward silence, Elena looked up at his eyes, which she noted looked fantastic, finally she tore her eyes away from his face, trying not to make a fool of herself and broke the quiet "Um, we have to go help with the pageant, and get Caroline ready, so...catch up with you later Damon" Her voice broke a bit on his name, to her dismay. She grabbed the arms of her friends and pulled them to the house. Damon inwardly raised an eyebrow and watched them go hurriedly. Shouldn't of brought up Steffy. Damon thought, pinning breakup stress on Elena's behavior, with no real notion of what went on in her head

Once they were inside the house (and saw Damon drive away to pick up refreshments for the day's events) they knew it was safe to talk.

"I thought life goes on" Caroline said smiling a bit.

"I was just surprised to see him already" Elena countered defensively.

"If you say so Elena, but hey, like you said - potential love and all.." Bonnie nudged.

"Let's set up some chairs shall we?" Elena piped up. Caroline and Bonnie smiled and rolled their eyes a little, but nevertheless they went to find Mrs. Lockwood to see how they could help. After a few minutes of conversation with the mayor, they started the set-up. It was quiet for a while until Caroline ask Mrs. Lockwood where Tyler was.

"Oh, he's out with some friends, I don't expect to see him until much later." Mrs. Lockwood answered, she seemed a little preoccupied when she said it.

"Oh..." Caroline said, Elena picked up a little frustration in that one word as she said it, which was understandable, given the Hayley situation, and fight about the dead hybrid "I see." They continued idle chit-chat for just to keep from silent work, and Caroline cheered up a bit, always happy in her "decorating zone, and they were done, the last step was the Mystic Grill crew who would come by soon to set up refreshments.

"Well" Mrs. Lockwood started "Caroline if I were you I'd start getting ready, the pageant is starting at 1:30, and it's already nearly noon. And if you girls would help April out too?"

"Absolutely" Bonnie answered smiling.

"Of course, thanks again girls, I'll see you soon." Mrs. Lockwood turned down the hallway and out the back door, shouting to some people moving drinks in. One of them was Damon. "Time to go upstairs!" Elena ushered her friends up the stairway and around a corner, out of sight.

"C'mon Elena you can't keep ignoring him." Bonnie said.

"I know, and I won't." Elena confirmed, moving on. Just then, someone's cellphone rang, making them all jump a little. They all checked their pockets. It was Caroline's. She furrowed her brow at the unnamed number, but answered it regardless "Hello?"

"Hello love." Klaus greeted.

Caroline huffed "Hi" she replied, uninterested.

"My dear, I noticed Tyler hasn't been around lately."

"What do you mean, I thought he was just out with his friends." Caroline urged, puzzled.

"Well of course, I'm sure." Klaus continued, rather consolingly "I just wanted to know what you were wearing for the pageant, shall I coördinate with a matching tie perhaps?" You could hear the smile coming through his voice.

"Don't be arrogant Klaus." She waited no counter or banter she answered quietly "Red, my gown is crimson red, I have to go."

"Goodbye" Klaus said, and Caroline shut her phone. Bonnie and Elena just looked at her "Well would you rather see Klaus dancing with me or going into a rage about his dead hybrid?"

"I didn't say anything" Bonnie put her hands up.

"Right." Caroline breathed, "Let's go get April ready first then shall we?"

Damon came back to the Lockwood house with the last of the deliveries at about one o'clock. He had gone home and changed into a simple white shirt, black dress pants and matching jacket. About 3/4 of the expected audience had already arrived, and the girls were just about ready upstairs. "Hello!" Came an enthusiastic voice from behind Damon "I'm Sophie and Mary Lancaster's mother, Elizabeth." Her hair was red, and she had dark freckles over her nose.

"Hello, Mrs. Lancaster." Damon smiled.

"I hope I'm not a bother Mr..."

"Salvatore" Damon finished for her "Damon Salvatore."

"Oh you're a founder how lovely, nice to meet you." She paused to girlishly tuck her hair behind her ear. "You must know your way around here then I suppose?"

"I do." Damon confirmed.

"Well, would it be bad of me to ask if you could find someone for me?"

"Sophie?" Damon asked.

"Yes actually" She squealed a little "She and her sister are probably with the other contestants and some of their friends I'd say, would you mind too terribly?" She seemed flirtatious, though she looked to be in her forties, and was talking with her husband just a moment before.

"I'd be happy to, Mrs. Lancaster." Damon smoldered, messing with the woman.

"Oh wonderful, thank you" Elizabeth smiled "Tell her to meet me down the hall with Mrs. Lockwood, upstairs, we don't want anyone to see her dress now would we?" And with that she pranced off to Mrs. Lockwood, upstairs and down the hall.

Damon walked up the stairs after Mrs. Lancaster had gone into another room to wait and listened. He heard Caroline, Elena, Bonnie, April and two squeaky voices he imagined were Mary and Sophie.

"Oh you look wonderful April really you do." One squeaker chirped.

"Thank you Sophie" April replied modestly. Damon knocked twice on the door. Heels clicked on the floor, and the knob turned. Caroline opened the door about 10 inches, and said "What is it Damon." hearing his name Elena, collected herself. She was going to be mature. She had always been cool around people, calm and on task. Nothing was wrong. Caroline opened the door "I was sent to find Sophie and Mary." He said smoothly to the two girls in tulle gowns, one green one pink. "I'm Sophie!" The green, taller one squealed. Her hair was bright red and her white skin was drowning in freckles, the second one, stayed seated and smiled politely, her eyes always seeming to sparkle a little, maybe to make up for her quietness. She had calmer auburn locks and no freckles on her fair skin. "Mary" she said standing slowly.

"Did our mother send you for us?" Mary asked sweetly.

"Hello Mary" Damon smiled "Sophie. Yes she did, she asked me to tell you to meet her at the Mayors office with her and Mrs. Lockwood."

The way he smiled at these girls, made Elena feel something. Jealousy? she thought. The girls were only 15 and 16. Mary was the older of the two.

"I'll bring them" April volunteered, "I wanted to see the mayor anyway."

"If you insist" Damon said "You all look stunning, if you didn't already know." April glanced at her dress. It was white with a straight neckline and the fabric was covered in flowering black accents. "Thanks" she said a little awkwardly, leading the girls out of the room.

"What about us?" Caroline sneered a tad. Bonnie wore a simple purple cotton frock, Elena a black, tight-fitted short sleeve dress with a wide and elegant scoop neck. Caroline, was truly fantastic in her deep red silky gown with it's structured sweetheart neckline. Her hair was curled beyond its natural wave and brought up at the top of her head in a complicated bun, with curls framing either side of her face. Damon chuckled at Caroline's comment, then said smiling, with half-closed eyes "You all look lovely."

Bonnie rolled her eyes "Thank you for gracing us with your presence and deep compliments Damon." He waved his hand once, and walked out, closing the door behind him.

"Damon?" Elena called just as the door shut, he opened it back up and stepped in, wearing the slightly worried face he sometimes let through. An innocent face. "Can I talk to you later, after the pageant?"

"What's wrong? What happened?" Damon asked, stepping forward a toe.

"Nothing...I mean.." She stopped, just looking at him.

"Sure Elena." He said reassuringly "Whatever you need." and with that he slid through the door, looking at her until the door had closed. She twitched her mouth right to left once or twice. And as soon as she had heard him go outside, and the beginnings of a conversation with a board member she said to Bonnie and Caroline "There, I'm not ignoring him, I made an appointment." Her voice was still soft. They waited there for a minute or two, finishing Caroline's makeup with a red tinged lipstick. Then Elena and Bonnie were told to go downstairs to watch, while Caroline and the others were led to the balcony. The pageant started on the dot, 1:30 PM, and the ladies introductions went by smoothly, as the crowd was ushered to the dance floor patio outside for the dance.

Klaus, who had come sharply dressed in a black suit and deep red tie (wasn't kidding about coördination) took Caroline's hand gentlemanly, and kissed it with a serious expression on his face. He looked like he more than fancied Caroline, especially when he saw her come down the stairway, in her flowing gown. There was no sneer, smirk or even any comment from Caroline Forbes as they danced, they simply stared into each other's eyes. Inside her mind, Caroline was driving herself crazy He does look amazing...What am I thinking he's a murderer! But how sweet he's been to me.. she thought on an endless cycle. April had brought an old friend apparently, but he seemed very happy to be there with her. Sophie's escort was less excited, he seemed a bit annoyed, but apparently, they had been together for three years. Mary and a young man named Edilio, from Cuba, were very alike, with their sweet politeness and subtle timidity, and danced well together. By the end of the dance Caroline was closer to Klaus than she had started, both in her mind, and in his arms. She was going insane with her sudden change of opinion. They walked back together silently. Elena and Bonnie staring at them in awe.