A/N - Once again, thank you for the reviews, I love 'em. :) This chapter is pretty long but I hope you will find satisfaction in it. Thanks as usual to my awesome and inspiring beta.

Elena wasn't sure what to believe anymore.

France was amazing, calming, and beautiful, at least in theory. She and Stefan would take long drives in Gabriel's Aston Martin around the countryside, taking in all the beauty and bewilderment of the new surroundings. There were many long and elaborate meals with the best French wine and food Elena had ever experienced. Her friendship with Abby was developing and they spent many hours laughing in the afternoon sun.

But things weren't always as they appeared. Many of the Vlachs didn't have daylight rings, so they would sleep during the day and have loud, raucous, debaucherous parties at night. Elena found it impossible to sleep during her regular evening hours with all the noise in the house, so she found herself adjusting to the vampire's schedules. As for Stefan, if he ever slept, Elena didn't see it. She stopped worrying about his lack of sleep after a few days, mostly because she had other things to worry about. Like how, other than their long drives together, she hardly ever saw him. He spent many hours cooped up with Gabriel in the game room, playing chess or pool or something else Elena couldn't identify. Or he was out hunting with his newest vampy friends. Whenever Elena expressed interest in hanging out with him, he would make a small effort to include her. But either she'd get bored when all the conversations turned into vampire life in the 1920s or devious ways of acquiring blood in the swingin' sixties, or he'd suggest she hang out with Abby and have some girl talk. If Elena didn't know any better, she would think he was trying to get rid of her.

Even though she tried to stay positive and keep an open mind, she couldn't help but think this wasn't her Stefan anymore. The man she fell in love with was gentle and strong and courageous and would do anything for her. This man was something else entirely. They still slept in the same bed (when he did sleep), and occasionally they made love like it was the first time all over again. But when she looked at him in the morning sun shining through the window, she didn't see that peaceful boyfriend who made her so comfortable in Mystic Falls. Sometimes, when she allowed herself to think about it, Elena missed Damon more than she thought possible. Damon would never deceive her. He wasn't always a good guy but at least he was honest about what and who he was. She missed that brutal truth. She missed him.

Elena spent a lot of time in the library with the extensive collection of books the Vlachs had acquired over the many years. She found herself researching the history of the Vlachs and found some interesting and unsettling information. Back home she didn't have much time to read and she found it a nice change of pace, but mostly she found solace in the big, quiet library. It was the only place in the estate where she truly felt comfortable.

But even in the library, Elena still felt an uneasiness around her. It felt like someone-or something-was watching her at all times. When she was alone, when she was with Stefan, anywhere she happened to be, it felt like she was being watched. And not in a good way. All her excuses to what it might be were running out and she was starting to freak out about the whole thing.

She and Abby were sunbathing one hot afternoon while Stefan was doing...whatever he was doing. They spent a lot of time talking about boys and relationships and fashion—normal teenage girl things, although Abby hadn't been a teenager in hundreds of years. After she felt comfortable enough around Abby to trust her, Elena started to ask more questions.

"Do you ever notice the shadows?" She asked Abby.

"The shadows? Like, under my eyes or what? You need to be a little more specific."

"The shadows! It's not all the time, but I'll be in the library or in our bedroom and I'll see a shadow, like there's someone lurking in the corner watching me, and there's never anyone there. It's creepy."

"Hmm, yeah, shadows," Abby said, looking contemplative. "Obviously they're the ghosts of everyone the vampires in this place have ever fed on, coming back to haunt them. Maybe they're only visible to humans. I guess I don't see them because I am, of course, a vampire."

"Shut up, I'm serious," Elena said, not amused.

"Elena, I don't see shadows. You're probably just paranoid. It can't be easy being one of the only humans in this place. It must seem like we're all out to get you."

Elena nodded, thankful someone actually spoke her thoughts out loud.

"It is hard. I see the looks of disapproval when they see my necklace or my bracelet. I had to just stop wearing my ring. Don't get me wrong; I actually do find this place to be peaceful. Stefan was right when he thought it would help me get away from all the drama so I could heal. But it's hard when I feel like nobody particularly wants me here unless I become one of them."

"Well...have you ever thought about it?"

Elena knew what Abby was asking. And as much as she wantedto trust her new friend, something told her that it wasn't a good idea to completely confide in her. So she told her a half-truth, and didn't even feel that bad about it.

"I've thought about it. The results are inconclusive."

Abby nodded. "Yeah, if you're going to do it, you should do it for reasons other than love. That's how most of us got here, you know. We meet someone and fall in love and are determined that it's going to last forever; even until the end of time. And then you turn for them and it's so romantic and 10, 15, 20 years down the road you decide you can't stand how their ears smell or you hate folding their underwear or that sound they make when they're asleep, and the end of time seems very, very far away. I don't know how Olivia and Gabriel do it."

Elena didn't know Abby's story. She had done everything but straight out ask her how she became a vampire, but Abby didn't seem to want to share that information. She got the hint; it was a personal thing and they weren't that close yet. Still, she was dying to know why Abby had a daylight ring and most of the other vampires at the estate didn't.

The two of them were quiet for a few minutes, enjoying the warmth of the day and the stillness of the trees. Elena interrupted the moment.

"Can I ask you another question?"

"Sure," Abby said. "I like being your vampire counselor."

"I know I'm somewhat naïve, and I know I probably don't know half of what goes on here. But don't the people in this town know...what you guys are? When people go missing, don't they ever come here to investigate? To feed a place like this, wouldn't it take a lot blood? Where do you get it all from? I just-"

"Elena...trust me, you don't want to know the answers to most of your questions. I will tell you that the officials in this town? They're all Vlachs. There's literally thousands of us in the world with, obviously, a high concentration in this area. This town has been run by the Vlachs for hundreds of years. They let things happen because it is in their best interest to let things happen. The people in this place who aren't part of the clan? They've learned to live with us. We don't bother them, they don't bother us. Most of our...food comes from out of town. Visitors. Tourists. Sometimes we go hunting in other towns. We have our ways. This is not new to us and we have our ways."

Elena wasn't sure how to reply to that. Except for the fact that she had an uneasy feeling that Stefan wasn't only hunting for squirrels anymore.

A few nights later, Elena and Stefan attended Gabriel and Olivia's dinner party. The infamous dinner party took place practically every night, but it was invitation-only. There were so many people-well, vampires-Gabriel and Olivia were on a constant rotation of dinner parties. Apparently it was some kind of honor when it was your turn.

There were four other couples at the table. There was Adam and Mary, an older couple who both looked permanently angry. There was Stephanie and Sara, Earl and Eric, and Joshua and Amanda. They all, with the exception of Adam and Mary, looked happy, glamorous and vibrant. Elena was still sometimes fascinated as to how someone who was hundreds of years old looked so youthful and vigorous. But as they drank and ate and laughed, Elena enjoyed their company and spent most of the evening talking to Sara about life back in Virginia.

After the appetizer of caviar and the main course of prime rib, Gabriel turned to Stefan and asked him about his plans for the future.

"I mean, surely you aren't planning to stay in some small hick town in Virginia," Gabriel laughed. "Oh, well, no offense, Elena."

"None taken," she said, biting her tongue in order to not say what she was really thinking.

"Well, I plan to start my own business eventually," Stefan said. "A clothing store, actually. I've done it twice, one in the thirties and in the seventies. It was lucrative until I had to move on."

Elena knew this about Stefan. She was excited about his business and planned to help him run it back in Mystic Falls. Although lately, after everything that happened over the past couple of months, Elena wasn't so excited about the idea. She was hoping getting started on the process of a new business would reinvigorate her and give her something else to think about.

"What a fabulous idea," Olivia said. "That was always something I wanted to do but I wasn't creative enough to execute it. When and where are you going to start it?"

"Well, I was thinking soon. Like maybe in the next month. Probably not in Rennes, but maybe Paris."
Elena was suddenly paying rapt attention.

"Oh, you don't have to go to Paris," Amanda chimed in. Amanda and Joshua had lived in Paris only a few years ago, where she worked for Ralph Lauren. "Paris has enough fashion as it is. New clothing stores are like feast or famine over there. I think Rennes is the perfect place to start a business like that. Just speaking for us here at the estate, we would love to have a friendly place to go for our fashion needs."

"Yes, Stefan, you should start your store here," Gabriel said, looking at Elena as he said it. "I'm sure with your creative vision and Elena's help, you can have a very profitable business."

Elena stammer, "Oh, I-I don't know if I-" Stefan squeezed her hand and she closed her mouth. It was her one concession to him that evening, because later, in the privacy of their bedroom, they had their first fight in France. And it wasn't pretty.

After the dinner party, they retreated to their room. Elena wanted to say so many things, screamso many things, but she wasn't sure where to start. She sat down on the bed and Stefan followed, putting his arm around her. This may have comforted her once upon a time, but now it was only annoying. She shrugged him off.

"Come on, let's talk about it," Stefan said. "Don't shut me out."

Elena wanted to get off that bed and be anywhere else but next to Stefan Salvatore. He was a different person than the one she fell in love with. Why did she have to realize that thousands of miles a way from home? She'd never felt so lost and confused in her life, even after everything she'd been through in the last two years. But she tried the rational approach first. He'd always been rational, right? She'd appeal to his rational side.

"I don't...understand. Why you want to stay here. I have a life back home, Stefan. I have a brother who needs me. I have friends. I have my senior year of high school. Maybe in a few years when everything has settled down, I'd like to come back here and start a business. But I don't want to do that right now. I want to go home. Don't you get that?"

"Of course I get that. But isn't it nice to be away from the drama? Aren't you having a good time here, making friends and experiencing new things and spending time with me? This is what I wanted, Elena. I don't want to give up on that just yet."

Elena stared at him. He was calm and collected and didn't seem to be bothered one bit by her anger and confusion. She never wanted to inflict violence on someone so badly in her life.

"Friends? Abby. Abby is my one friend. Everyone else just stares at me like I'm some kind of leper. Of course they're friendly to my face, but I know as soon as I'm out of reach, they're talking about me. And you go off and do God only knows and I'm left to my own devices. Why do I even need to be here? If you wanted to come to France to embrace your inner dark side or whatever, why did you have to drag me along?"

Stefan rolled his eyes. "Don't be so dramatic. It's not that bad. Nobody is talking about you. And I'm not hiding anything from you, either. I tell you where I'm going and what I'm doing. So why don't you just try a little harder? Please. For me."

Elena was speechless. He was truly a different person. For the first time since she'd met him, she hated him. Everything about him.

"Stefan..." She said, trying a new approach. "Stefan, was our life back home all that bad? Do you really hate it that much? I thought you liked going to school. I thought you liked our occasional double dates and high school dances. Was it that bad? We fell in love back home. We have a life. We can start a business anywhere. Why do we have to be here?"

"Because I've wanted to be here for a long time, Elena. I've dreamed about coming here. Ever since Katherine told me about it. And I waited all this time so I could bring someone I love with me. Can't you appreciate that?"

Elena didn't know what to say anymore. So she said nothing. And he said nothing. They were at a crossroads. She was about to give up and go to another empty room when he said, "I think there's another reason why you want to go home so badly."

"Oh, really? And what would that be?" She knew what was coming. In her head, she dared him to say it.

"You want to go back to Mystic Falls because that's where Damon is. Right? It's not a secret. Everyone knows he's loved you for a long time. I just didn't know you loved him, too."

Elena stared at him and wondered once again where the old Stefan was. Was he still in there somewhere? When did he leave? Was it after the tomb vampires tortured him, or was it after that? Or had he always been like this and she was just blind? She figured telling the truth was her best option at this point.

"What I feel for Damon...I don't know what it is. If it's love, lust, friendship. Maybe all of the above. But yes, I do feel something for him. He's always tried his hardest to protect me. And you bringing me out here to Vampire Land just so you can open a store and go hunting or whatever the hell you do in the middle of the night? That's not protecting me. I want to go home."

Stefan didn't look surprised by this revelation. In her eyes, he didn't even look like he cared at all. She was hoping that wasn't true.

"Well, isn't that nice. Finally the truth comes out."

"It's not like it was a secret," she echoed him.

"So what is it? You don't know if it's love, lust or friendship...then what is it, Elena? What made you fall for my brother after all he's done to us? He's tried to kill every single one of your friends. He turned Isobel. He killed Alaric and John and Jeremy, not knowing they had rings to protect them. Not to mention how many times he's betrayed me and even you. And you still feel something for him?"

"At least he's honest about it!" She cried out. "At least he's never pretended to be something he's not! At least he doesn't go behind my back and lie about who he is just to lure me somewhere he knew I was never really comfortable with in the first place. He is who he is, and I respect that about you."

Stefan's eyes darkened and for a moment she was frightened. But he took a deep breath and his eyes returned to normal. She knew he'd never hurt her. Well, she was pretty sure, anyway.

After almost a full minute of angry silence, Stefan sighed. "Look, we're both tired. We're both a little drunk. There's a lot of emotions in this room right now. Why don't you get some sleep? I'm going-"

"Hunting," Elena muttered. "Shocking. I'm not tired. I'm going to the library."

On her way out, he grabbed her somewhat forcefully and hugged her. She accepted his hug, but her heart wasn't in it. She wondered how much longer she'd be able to stand this new version of her old boyfriend.

It was almost 2:00 AM, but the party downstairs was just beginning. At home, Elena would have been fast asleep by this time. But with her new schedule, she was wide awake.

Before going to the library, Elena made a stop at the computer lab. She wrote a few furious emails to Caroline and Bonnie, who were getting used to her tirades. They urged her to just come back home. She had a plane ticket, why didn't she just get a cab and go? But something in her still wanted to make this work. It wasn't all bad. She just didn't want to stay here as long as Stefan wanted to. Surely they could work that out.

She also fired off an email to Alaric, asking to look into Isobel's research about the vampires in Europe. If anyone could tell her anything useful, it would be him.

After turning off the computer, she walked slowly to the library. She looked through all the beautiful, leather-bound books within its walls. It was true she'd already read most of the books in the library by this time, but there was one she hadn't taken on yet. "Vlach" was its simple title. She took it out, gazed at it for a moment, and then settled into the red velvet sofa she'd come to know so well.

Elena lost track of time while she read about the Vlachs. And she really, really hoped what she was reading was fiction. First of all, if she was reading this right, it would mean Gabriel and Olivia were, in fact, married for hundreds of years. They were also brother and sister; descendents of the first vampires in Romania. That was unsettling enough, but her stomach hurt even more when she read further into the history. It said a hybrid of some kind would be coming in the early 21st century to reclaim all the Vlachs. They would scatter throughout the world and eventually take it over for all the vampires. There was something in the Vlach bloodline that allowed the hybrid to create his own world and eliminate all the humans in his way. He would create a new race of hybrids and together they would rule.

Elena was just about to throw the book on the floor and run far, far away when she felt something very cold and very sharp against her throat.

"Don't move," said a deep, menacing male voice Elena didn't recognize. "Or you'll regret it." Before she even knew what was happening, she was blindfolded and standing up against the man with the knife.

"We all know why you're here. We all know you aren't a vampire and never plan to be one. If you value your life at all, you'll come with me. You don't belong here."

"Are you trying to save me or kill me?" Elena groaned.

"Does it matter? You need to get out of here. And from what you've seen, I don't think I can let you live. You know too much. I can see it in your eyes." He pressed the knife harder against her throat. Then he grabbed both her arms in one swift move and held them behind her back. His hands felt like the coldest, most lifeless limbs Elena had ever experienced. She didn't know what evil felt like, but this must have been it. Every nerve in her body stood at attention and she was terrified. Elena had gotten stronger over the last few years and normally wouldn't hesitate to try to kick this asshole's ass. But she was incapacitated now. There was nothing she could do.

"Look, I don't know anything. This book could be fiction for all I know! I'll take my necklace off; you can erase my memory. Please, don't do this."

"It doesn't matter what you know. You are of no use to us. Your boyfriend, however, has an important role to play. We need him. We don't need you. Give me one reason to spare your life right now."

"I'll give you a reason," came a different voice from out of nowhere. Even blindfolded, Elena knew who the voice belonged to, and knew right away that she was safe. Sure enough, she heard a crash and quickly turned around, took her blindfold off and saw the man on the ground, a stake in his back. She looked up to see Damon staring at her, looking confused, terrified, and broken-like just the mere thought of Elena in danger was a blow to his soul.

They both looked down at her attacker; now dead. The only thing she really noticed about him were his steel gray eyes. It looked like they held a lot of secrets and pain.

"Damon! I can't believe it, is it really you? How-where-"

"Shh," he said. "We'll talk about it in a second. Just...come here." And he grabbed her and held her close to him. She fell into his arms and he held her tightly. She was too tired to process what just happened or even to cry about it. All she could see or think about was Damon. Being there with him was all she needed. To know he'd always find her whenever she was in trouble; to know, at that moment, that he loved her with every beat of his heart, that's all she needed. Now she was safe. Now she was where she was supposed to .