Chapter 4:

Uncle Benny, Aunt Jenna, Jeremy, Elena and Alaric sat at The Grill with fake smiles on their face. Elena was waiting for Benny to announce the news of her engagement but he was busy eating his dinner peacefully. Alaric was on one side of Elena, Jeremy was on the other, Benny was directly across from her, and Jenna was trapped between Benny and Alaric. Elena was holding her breath because of the pressure in her chest. She thought her heart would combust if Benny opened his mouth one more time and made a stupid comment about the food.

Things faltered when he walked in the door wearing his black leather jacket. Her jaw clenched when he winked at her. She wanted to know what his game plan was- she needed to know. Was his flirting part of his sick personality or was he attracted to her? He was confusing her so much. "What is wrong?" He mouthed from the bar. "You look like you're going to faint."

She ignored him, clearing her throat. "How was your flight Uncle Benny?" She asked sweetly, "No problems, I assume."

"It was good, sweetheart…good." He set down his silverware, "I think you know why I am here." He told the table, "I have found a good Romani boy for you." The entire restaurant heard the sound of the shot glass hitting the floor from Klaus' direction. "Of course, he wants to meet you and find out more about your reputation. Jenna, tell me about Elena."

"Uncle Benny, she's still a virgin- still never been kissed. I'm sure the price for her will be extremely high." Uncle Benny disregarded her distasteful tone. "Who is this good Romani boy?"

"Trevor Forrest, I'm sure you know his father, Alan Forrest. You two were engaged to be married." Alaric started choking on his water at Uncle Benny's words. "Remember?"

"I remember Alan had a temper." Jenna said, "Ask his three ex-wives and most likely his fourth wife too." Jenna looked at Elena, begging her to say something against the union but she hadn't yet. Elena's eyes were shiny with unshed tears as she looked at Klaus one more time before she started talking. In that moment, she understood that she'd been immediately attracted to the gorger. She was once more stuck between two paths where she could decide to explore her feelings for him or she could choose her mother's plan.

Her decision was evident in her next sentence, "I would like to meet him too. I'm sure I'd make a good wife." Elena watched as her family took to their own thoughts. Jenna and Jeremy looked like they were going to cry.

"Good girl." Uncle Benny told her with a wide grin on his face, "I will call Trevor tonight and get him here. Then, we can have a big gypsy wedding!" Klaus and Elena looked at each other with troubled thoughts. He didn't want this for her. She didn't want to get married. But it was the way things were supposed to go. This was the normal she needed in her life even if it was abnormal to the rest of society. "Now I remember why you're my favorite niece! Jeremy, why aren't you celebrating? You're next!" Jeremy locked his jaw for a moment, seeing red at Benny's words. He wanted to tell him right there that he wasn't part of that life anymore but he stopped himself.

"Don't you think it'd be better for Elena to go to college before she got married?" Jeremy asked, "Or graduate high school?" He seemed to be speaking for everyone listening to the conversation.

"What's the point?" Uncle Benny said, "College? 90% of Romani women are housewives. Isn't that what you want, Elena?"

"Of course." Elena smiled despite the burning sensation in her eyes, "Please excuse me I'm going to the restroom." He met her at the door with a disappointed expression on his face. "What do you want?" She asked sternly, "Really, what do you want?"

"I don't know." He was frustrated. He'd acted without a plan as if he were a human male that couldn't make rational decisions. He shouldn't have followed her. He wanted her and he'd known her for less than 48 hours. They'd never completed a conversation and she hated his guts but he wanted her. His eyes fell to her lips and he found himself leaning down to her, but he stopped himself. "You don't have to say it, I know…"

"This is twisted." She said, "I have to get back to my family. How do I look?"

"Beautiful."

XXX

When he got back to the apartment, he slammed a few of the teacher's possessions in the wall. "What's wrong, now?" Katherine asked from the couch. She was completely wasted. "Thinking about my offer?"

"No." Klaus told her, "I need you to be quiet, I can't listen to your voice."

Katherine rolled her eyes, "Why do you like her?"

"She is the purest person I have ever met." He told her but then he stopped confessing himself to Katherine. "Be quiet and go to sleep."

XXX

Elena drove listening to Cher Lloyd in her car until she started yawning. She loved Cher Lloyd because she was Romani as well. It reminded her that she needed to honor her family. It sickened her to think that she was okay with the engagement because Klaus would take her out of her misery soon enough. Although, she wasn't technically engaged because Trevor hadn't asked yet.

Uncle Benny said that Trevor would be on the next flight to Virginia and then they would talk business. Benny was positive that Trevor and Elena would end up together. He said, "A boy couldn't deny such beauty."

She wanted to call Bonnie and tell her what was going on but she wouldn't understand and Caroline wasn't an option. She needed her cousin Melissa but it was too late in the night to call her. Melissa was already pregnant and she'd just gotten married three months ago. If anyone understood the gypsy life, it was her. Melissa almost didn't go through with her wedding but her mother convinced her she would bring shame to the family if she didn't.

Elena needed the same pep talk from Melissa that Melissa's mother gave her.