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PREVIOUSLY:

"I can protect you better then Stefan can. I know where she is and I will take you… tonight." I turned to look her in the eyes. "Please Elena. I am not going to be able to just…wait outside with the history teacher while you are inside with some crazy vampire and my animal lover brother."

I lightly grabbed her hand to stop her. Her eyes shot down to our touching hands and I heard her heart rate increase, I also felt a small shiver run through her body but wasn't sure if it was the cold or the fact that we were touching. Either way it made me smirk a little. I pulled off my jacket and held it out for her. "Here." I said. I walked over to the driver's side of the car and waited for her to get in before I started the car and pulled onto the road.

Chapter 3

"Look, try not to be nervous; she will pick up on it and use that." I said glancing over at her.

"OK."

"That usually means keeping your heart rate at a normal pace." I said with a smirk.

"Right. Sorry…I can't help it. I am a little anxious."

Just then my phone began ringing. I pulled it out of my pocket and checked the caller ID.

"What?" I answered in an annoyed tone.

"What the hell are you two doing?" Alaric answered back.

I looked in the rearview mirror and saw headlights a few yards behind me. "Are you following me?"

"Who is it?" Elena asked in a nervous tone.

"The teacher." I answered looking over at her.

"Damon, where are you taking her?"

I let out an exaggerated sigh. "I am taking Elena to meet her mother."

"Are you insane? "

"No, are you? You are the one following a vampire in the middle of the night." I paused and changed my tone to a more series one. "Look it is better if I am with her; Stefan isn't strong enough to protect her if Isobel tries something."

Alaric was quiet for a few seconds. "Fine but me and some vervaine darts are coming with you."

I hung up and shoved the phone back in my pocket. "Alaric is joining us."

"You think that is a good idea? Won't she feel…threatened if we all just show up unannounced?"

"I am guessing she is not alone."

"So, you are going to let me walk into a house of god knows how many vampires? Didn't you freak out when I did that last time?"

Her heart rate was increasing; I could tell she was getting nervous again. "Just trust me Elena, if I thought for one second that this would be more dangerous than your other plan I would not be bringing you here." I was getting a little annoyed but I tried to control that because I knew she was nervous not just about meeting up with a vampire but meeting her birthmother.

"I know. Sorry." She said looking down at her hands. She was quiet for a few minutes. "I do trust you."

She stuffed her hands inside the pockets of my jacket and pulled it closer to her body; I like how she looked in my jacket. We reached Isobel's…well the place she had taken up residence at. I pulled the car up to the front of the house and put it in park. Alaric pulled up behind me a few seconds later. I quickly got out and met Alaric at his car.

"Give me two of the vervaine darts." He reached over to his bag and handed me two. I made my way back to my car. I shoved one dart in my pocket and opened Elena's door. "Here put this in my jacket pocket." I said handing her a vervaine dart. She did it without questing me. "These too." I said placing my car keys in her hand. I let my hand linger over hers for just a minute. Just in case something happened I needed her to be able to leave safely.

"Why am I holding on to your keys?"

"Because you have my jacket." I answered casually. "Come on."

"So, what's the plan?" Alaric asked quietly as we walked up to the front door.

"Go in, and find out what she wants form Elena." I answered simply "And by the way you don't have to whisper because they can hear us either way." We reached the door; I pulled Elena over so she was in between me and Alaric. I placed my hand on her back and rubbed gently trying to tell her to calm down and everything would be fine. I reached up with my other hand and firmly knocked on the door. After a few minutes the door opened; there was a guy in his mid-twenties standing there in a pair of jeans and no shirt. "We want to see Isobel." I said as let myself walk in. Alaric and Elena followed; Elena keeping very close to me, not that I minded. Isobel appeared in front of us a few seconds later.

"Well, this is a surprise. I thought we agreed the meeting would be tomorrow." She paused and let her eyes linger on each of us for a second. "And more private."

"Ah nice to see you too Isobel." I said.

"What is this about Damon?" She asked sounding bored.

"Well you blew into town and didn't even bother coming to visit the man that made you." I brought my hand up to my chest. "I was a little hurt."

"Mmm I am sure you were." Isobel said as she got a little too close to me.

I took a step back. "Look you wanted to meet with Elena." I cocked my head over to the side gesturing towards Elena. "Well here she is."

"Fine, Let's go into the living room." Isobel led the way down the long hallway and into a large room with two couches and a loveseat and various other pieces of furniture. "So where is Stefan tonight?" Isobel asked as she took a seat on the loveseat.

"Does it matter?" I asked. I took a seat on one of the couches with Elena right beside me and Alaric seated on her other side.

"So, how does it work? Do you switch nights with each of them?" Isobel asked looking at Elena. I stood up but Elena had reached out her hand and started pulling me down so I stopped myself from running over there and tearing Isobel's throat out. Isobel let out a smile. "It's amazing how much you look like her." She said still directing her attention on Elena.

"You know Katherine." Elena said as more of a statement then a question.

"Of course. She is family." Isobel said smiling.

"She is a bitch!" Elena said harshly.

Alaric and I both looked at Elena in surprise.

"Let's get to the point of this little gathering Isobel." Alaric said.

"Fine." Isobel said rolling her eyes. "I need something for you." She said looking at me.

"Me?" I asked surprised. "Then why the meeting with Elena?" I asked in a curious tone.

"I know how much you care about her Damon." Out of the corner of my eye I could have sworn I saw Alaric smirk at her statement. "I knew if I threated her or the people she loves she would ask you for what I wanted and you would give it to her because you don't want to see her hurt…emotionally or physically."

"What do you want?" I asked getting annoyed.

"I need Jonathon Gilbert's invention. I was told you have it."

"Told by whom?" Damon asked.

"Jon."

"So you are working with Jon?"

"That is irrelevant." Isobel answered quickly. A little too quickly so I took that as a yes to my question.

"What do you want with the invention?"

"So, many questions." Isobel said with a sigh. "I don't want the invention neither does Jon. I need the invention." She paused. "Katherine wants it."

"So, what are you her errand girl now? Or is that another question you can't answer?"

"Damon, I will make this simple for you. You give me the invention or I will start killing…starting with Elena's brother."

I felt Elena tense up at my side. I hated that Isobel was making her feel scared. In less than a second I was in front of Isobel. I grabbed her and threw her on the floor keeping my hand around her throat. I heard Elena gasp softly.

"I am not playing games with you Isobel." I lifted her head up slightly and slammed it back down on the floor. "You do not come into my town and threaten people I care about. If Katherine wants something from me so bad tell that little bitch to grow a pair and come get it herself. I won't hesitate to kill you Isobel if you so much as look at Elena wrong." I let go of her and stood up. "We will see ourselves out."

I walked over to the couch; Alaric and Elena were already standing. I gently grabbed Elena's arm and kept her close the whole way out to the car.

"So what now?" Alaric asked seeming a little worried.

"I don't know. I would assume she is going to try to contact Katherine." I felt Elena tense up again. "Don't worry." I said looking down at her. "You will be safe, I promise." I could feel Alaric's eyes on the two of us.

"Well give me a call if anything happens."

Alaric walked back to his car. I opened Elena's door and then got in the car myself. The drive back home was silent. We pulled up to the house, when we walked in Stefan was sitting on the couch. He got up and met us in the foyer.

"Where the hell were you?" He asked crossing his arms over his chest.

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