AN: OKAY! I'm here! Haha. I've been working back and forth on fics. Here, and on Return. I hit a bit of a wall with this one. I had so much I wanted to put into it, and no clue how to do it. And one night, it just hit me. I know now! So, about this chapter: PLEASE don't get confused. I know it might be a little so, but I promise it's worth it. It's starting as Stefan, goes to Elena, then to another character. It's leading into something big. This story is SUCH a slow starter. I apologize. But somethings, no matter how hard you try, can't be rushed. So please let me know what you think! Thanks for being such awesome readers! :D

BAM BAM.

Stefan nearly flew out of his bed.

"What in the hell?"

"Okay, Sleeping Beauty. I'm here. Let me in," said a muffled voice from the other side of the door. Stefan clambered out of bed, shivering a little at the chill. Was it that cold this morning? Geez.

"Lexie?"
"Who else?" He pulled open the door to greet her, but she seemed way more pleased to see him than he her. Blue eyes scaled across him, lingering on his naked torso.

"You really make me wanna go straight sometimes. Damn." She breezed past him with a head shake, dropping her purse on the table.

"Lex, why are you here at..." he looked to the place where his watch normally sat, but it was hidden somewhere in the sheets of the bed.

"11 am? Because normal people are functioning at this hour, and Melendine- /fuck,/ I hate that name. /Caroline/ sent me to find out what you found out about Marie. Or Elena. Considering what attitude you got last night." Stefan rubbed his eyes, counting in his head how long he'd been asleep. Three hours? Not enough. He sighed, really wishing to still be out.

"I talked to her. She's okay."

"What happened, though? She bailed work. she didn't do shows for a week! You can't just /not/ tell me. I'd go ask her myself, but she won't answer."

"Look, Lex. I know we're friends, but I feel like if she wanted anyone to know, she would tell them." Lexie stared at Stefan like he'd committed a crime. He sighed, deciding a /little/ information was the least he could give her.

"She's got a lot on her plate. She's working long hours. I think it's taking a good bit out of her." Lexie gave a shrug, a confused look on her face to accompany it.

"Why doesn't she take off a few days. Everybody needs it sometimes." Stefan rubbed his chin.

"Don't think she can. You can talk to her. I'm just the guy who checked in." Her lips pursed as she hit a wall, but she nodded, respecting him.

"Alright. Fine. I will. I know she's secretive. Weirdo." Stefan was digging through the sheets, finding his phone. A missed call from Elena almost an hour ago. He never heard it.

"Anyways, you up for some brunch? I could totally go for mimosas." Elena had sent him a message, too. /Meet up for lunch? If so, meet me at the Turve by 12. -Elena/

It was 11. Thank god for Lexie.

"I would, Lex, but I've got plans already. Raincheck?"

"I'm never going to get to pick your brain. That's okay," she snorted, then grinned. "Go have fun with Elena. More for me to fish for later." He rolled his eyes.

"You really want her to float in your direction, don't you?"

"Would love it, but I know better." She gathered her purse up as she headed out the door.

"You're horrible," he chuckled.

"Eh. That's why Andie loves me."

Elena greeted an off-duty Beamer as she entered the empty club. She half-expected the boss to be there. It was payday, and Elena was itching for her check. She was surprised that none of the other girls were here. As she walked through the curtain to the backstage, she could smell the strong stench of cigarette smoke. It made her fume a little. Jeanine sat perched on a makeup bench, swathed in a silk robe, a smoking cigarette between her fingers.

"Jeanine, I've told you a /thousand/ times. You can't smoke back here. You know that."

"I'm not hurting anyone," she rebutted, taking a long drag as she watched Marie go through the line of mirrors to the lockers. "It's just me here." Marie twisted the combination into the lock and unlatched it. As she pulled it open, she saw the envelope with her name written on it sitting just on top of her things. It was like finding water in a desert every time payday rolled around. And just under it sat the little bit of cocaine Jeanine had given her as a spare. Just because. She pursed her lips in thought. Quickly, she shut the metal door, walked over to Jeanine, and took her freshly-lit cigarette from her fingers, snubbing it into her glass of soda.

"Not anymore," she bit a little, causing Jeanine's brown eyes to flare with outrage. Elena just turned, hearing the front door of the club bang shut. Her date was here. She didn't have time to fuss with her.

"You little bitch."

"Outside next time, Jeanine. Don't make me get Beamer to babysit you."

Jeanine's hands curled into fists as Marie walked away. /Shit./ She was such an absolute waste of space. And to think she had to be nice because she was her manager. Pft. Her heels hit the floor and clacked ferociously all the way to the side door of the club. Outside it was a thousand times brighter, and it killed her head to look. She yanked the box from her robe pocket, striking a lighter and making the end of a fresh one singe. Then she stopped.

"What the fuck am I doing?" she huffed, wrapping her robe tighter around her. It was nippy, and she was bare underneath. The dumpsters were a week late on being collected, so being behind them just to take a few drags was really ridiculous. Especially since if she just went back inside, Marie would never know the difference. She was just starting to take her cig and go back in when some guy- no, not some guy. Stefan Salvatore. He walked past the end of the building. With /Marie./ Snubbing out her cigarette, she watched in awe as Marie met up with him, a smile on either one of their faces. Was Marie really involved with someone? And of all people, /this/ someone! She laughed dryly as they got into his car and as they started up the motor, she started pushing buttons on her phone. It rang and rang, and she waited impatiently for a voice to answer her on the other side. Oh the wheels were turning in her mind, and she loved what was coming to fruition.

"Yeah, babe?" he answered. "What's up?"

"You're going to love me, Damon," she purred, watching the car take off onto the highway.

"I /already/ do that, but you must have something good for me." She could hear the grin in his voice. "What is it?"

"Well, you know that brother of yours –he's got himself a girl."

"O-/kay/?" Damon answered flatly after a few seconds. He was unamused. He could less about his brother's life, social or otherwise. "Your point?"

"My /point/," she growled, "is that she's my boss. And I'm pretty sure that what you want and what /I/ want is just a couple of drug deals away." The line was silent for a moment. She'd told Damon about her infiltrating of Marie, just as her own personal way of a little revenge. Revenge against the newbie that swung in and snatched that manager job right out of her hands. She worked here four years, and just a few months into Marie's employment she was crowned the new house mother of Topsy Turvy. It made Jeanine seethe to think about it. A low chuckle started on the other end of the line, and she couldn't help but accompany it with a wicked grin.

"My dear Katherine, I do love you more each and every day."