Rating: Mature – adult content, sensitive subject matter, violence, alcohol use, Stefan, Bonnie, Caroline

Elena stood at the top of the winding staircase, her ears ringing so loudly that she couldn't hear their tour guide. They'd already covered most of the historic home after arriving at the back entrance as requested. Jaime's mother and sister ooohed and aaahed over the gardens, the ballroom, the library, and the music room. For a few minutes, Elena was almost excited about getting married here.

Until their guide opened the double doors to show the historic home's crowning glory. "And just imagine coming down the staircase while the string quartet plays the bridal march."

After taking one step on the marble tile, Elena knew she didn't need to imagine coming down the staircase. She'd already done it in her dreams.

"What do you think?" The woman who'd been leading them on the tour turned to Elena, pen perched over planner. "Shall we set a date?"

"February 6th." Jaime's mother was already reaching into her purse to retrieve her wallet.

For a moment, Elena thought she'd heard wrong. She squinted and saw that, yes, the Lockwood Manor employee was turned to the page marked February. "I thought we were looking at November."

"November?" The two older women looked at each other, exchanging a laugh.

"Ellie, dear, this is a difficult venue to book."

"We're scheduled solid until the last week of January."

"February 6th is your first Saturday you have available, isn't that correct?" Janine consulted her ever-present clipboard.

"Yes, ma'am, that's correct."

Jaime's mother cut her eyes back to Elena. "It's not as if you're in a hurry." She did the same fake-clearing of her throat that became so ever-present when she found out Jaime had moved into Elena's house that it made Elena offer to schedule a consultation with a respiratory specialist. "Because you're not exactly waiting."

An uncomfortable silence fell over the group as the tour guide did an impression of someone who couldn't speak English.

"We'll take it." Jaime's mother opened her checkbook, pen at the ready.

"I can pay." Elena tried to remember if she'd tossed her checkbook in her purse. "Do you take credit cards?"

"Nonsense." Jaime's mother took the clipboard forcefully from their guide's hands. Her lips were set in their I-have-more-money-than-you-do expression. Elena knew this was one battle she wasn't going to win.

And she had more than enough battles on the way. She forced her lips into the same kind of smile the other future-daughters-in-law at the club seemed to favor. "Thank you, Mrs. Jenkins. That's very considerate of you."

Elena hated calling the woman Mrs. Jenkins. She'd been with Jaime for years now, but she'd never been told to call her anything else. At least it was better than having to call the woman Mother or something. The thought made her cringe. If she hadn't seen old pictures of the woman when she was pregnant, she'd have sworn Jaime and Janine were adopted, instead of being some type of almost-Stepford-twins.

Elena stepped away from the group, needing a little air and a whole lot of distance. She didn't even know where these thoughts were coming from. She loved Jaime. Didn't she?

As she approached a bank of photographs on the wall, she fiddled with the ring on her finger. It really wasn't her type of ring at all. She'd rather have something simpler. Plainer. Easier to wear while on duty at the hospital. Instead, she always had to take this ring off before going on duty for the day. The thought of leaving a ring like this, a family ring, in her locker…she'd just rather not deal with the consequences if anything happened to it.

"Thank you for your time."

"It's my pleasure. Please don't hesitate to contact me again if I can be of service."

Elena tried to tune out the pleasantries being exchanged behind her as she studied the pictures. Each one showed a group of teenagers, probably a mixture of juniors and seniors, dressed in period clothing. While none of them were in a parade like in her dreams, one was wearing what appeared to be the exact dress she'd worn.

Founder's Court, 1983

"Ah, yes. Our Founder's Courts. City's pride and joy." The worker spoke from over Elena's shoulder, making her jump from surprise. "You know, you look a lot like…."

"Ellie!" Jaime called from the front door. "Are you planning on staying here all day?"

"Um. No. Sorry." Elena turned away from the bank of photographs, annoyed that she felt her cheeks reddening from embarrassment. "I'll be right there." She nodded her thanks to the Lockwood Manor employee and hurried out the door.

Jaime's mother was staring at the screen of her phone. "Now, let me see. Linda gave me the name of the restaurant." She used the pad of her index finger to adjust her screen. "That's it. The Mystic Grill."

"We'll meet you there." Jaime nodded like the plan had already been decided.

"I don't have time to go to lunch." Elena studied her watch. Technically, she had too much time to kill. Her interview was at 12:30, and it was barely past ten.

"Not lunch, dear, brunch." Jaime's mother stood with her hand perched atop the door to her Volvo.

"We have to celebrate." Janine chimed in. "After all, how long have we been looking for the perfect venue?"

"Let's go." Jaime led the way to his car, and Elena followed behind, cursing herself yet again for not driving herself. They were both going to Mystic Falls. Driving together made sense – at least it did this morning. Now, when she was forced into more Jenkins Family Bonding time rather than preparing for her interview, the thought process was questionable.

Muttering an apology she didn't really feel, she dropped into the passenger seat as expected. Of course, Elena often found her thought process around Jaime a little fuzzy. When she'd arrived at college after a less-than-spectacular exit from Whitmore, he'd been the first person to greet her. He helped her ease into the junior-level classes seamlessly, and she soon found herself in the midst of one of the more exclusive cliques. His family's money ingratiated him with even the most difficult professors. Elena's unusual arrival was soon forgotten as she became something of a teacher's pet, largely due to her association with Jaime.

As time progressed, they started dating. It wasn't exactly a conscious decision. Instead, it was just something that happened. Elena never questioned why someone who seemed as amazing as Jaime wasn't already with someone else. When she first arrived in town, she heard a few whispers, but they seemed to come from women who wanted to date him but had been refused.

It wasn't until their first year of medical school that the first hint of the Jaime that her fellow students whispered about first appeared. He'd always had a temper, but after a test went badly, she'd stood back in horror as he punched a mirror – shattering the glass and requiring a few dozen stitches.

But it wasn't until after he slid the ring onto her finger that he'd first turned his anger on her. That was a mistake, though. A mistake that earned her an inch-long scar at the corner of her eye. He hadn't been throwing the plate at her, just next to her. As he'd repeated over and over in the car and in the emergency room, she'd just been standing too close to the wall. If she'd been a little farther away, it wouldn't have touched her.

Just like he wouldn't have touched her without drinking. The first time he'd hit her, she'd tried to leave. She'd made it to her car before he dragged her back inside, begging her to stay, promising it would be the only time.

She should have kept going.

But he hadn't touched her in so long.

Not until the combined stress from the wedding and the growing pile of unsuccessful interviews began snowballing, she'd been waiting for him to explode. Somehow, she knew it was building and building – just a ticking bomb within him.

She should have left.

Now, as she rested her folded hands on her lap, she knew it was too late. They'd never let her leave now. She shifted uncomfortably, adjusting the air conditioning vents to blow more steadily in her face.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Doesn't seem like nothing."

"My jacket's just too warm. I should have left it in the car this morning."

Jaime nodded, apparently convinced, as he took a left turn from the farm road onto what seemed to be the main street leading into the city. Elena had to admit, the little town was quaint – even quainter than the chief of the Mystic Falls General emergency department had described it to be.

The high school looked like something off a television show with the oversized howling wolf painted on the side of the wall. Elena sat back, almost enjoying the ride in the car.

Until she saw the clock tower.

Then a chill ran up her spine. When they turned into the square, she threatened to lose the tentative hold she had over the contents of her stomach. She knew this street. She'd dreamed it. She'd been just across the way when she threw candy to the little girl.

"Ellie?" Jaime stared at her as if something was wrong.

Something was wrong, but she just couldn't explain it. "Sorry. I was just thinking about later."

He gave a grunt of a reply, motioning for her to get out of the car and follow him into the restaurant. Judging from the bustling crowd and line at the front host stand, Jaime's mother's friend was right. This was the most popular place for brunch in town. Elena cast a glance back to the square. It also seemed like it was the only place for brunch in town.

"Five, please." Jaime's mother was smooth. If Elena hadn't been looking for it, she'd never have noticed the $20 bill she slid down the host stand to the teenager holding a stack of menus.

"Oh, yes. We have your reservation right here." The girl nodded, pocketing the money. She came out from behind the stand and led them to a circular booth in a section of the restaurant that looked like it was traditionally used as part of the bar. "Your server will be right with you."

In no time at all, a too-bouncy twenty-something appeared at the edge of their table. "Welcome to the Mystic Grill." She placed paper coasters in front of them. "Is this your first time joining us?" The occupants of the table bobbed heads in turn. "Well, you've come to the right place. Can't find a better brunch in the town. Can I suggest mimosas to start? Maybe some sangria?"

"Of course, we're celebrating." Janine glanced up from her menu, nodding at the waitress.

"Mimosas for everyone?"

"No." Elena shook her head so quickly, she was lucky she didn't lose an earring. She didn't miss the look-of-death Jaime shot her. "I have a job interview in two hours, I need to be coherent."

"Of course she does." Jaime's mother gave Janine a look that suggested the kids learned the death-glare just past birth.

Ellie had to admit. The food was excellent. Far better than she expected from a restaurant that seemed to lean heavily on the town's reliance on its historic roots. Still, most of the guests seemed to be locals – they all knew each other judging by the way they stopped to chat as they walked past neighboring tables.

She'd once dreamed of living somewhere like this. A place where a community was just as much part of her family as her real family. That would mean she had a family. She had to take a sip of water when she realized she was currently sitting in the midst of her family, and she wasn't sure she liked what she saw.

As they were finishing their meal, Elena glanced at her watch. "I need to get to the hospital." She hesitated, waiting to see if Jaime would take her hint. They'd planned for him to drive her, but he seemed to be settled comfortably in his seat. These people saw each other every day. What else did they have to talk about? Surely he wasn't interested in the violet napkins versus lilac ones conversation. "Jaime?" She stood and waited.

Instead of getting up, he leaned to the side, pulling his keys from his pocket and tossing them to her. "They'll give me a ride home."

"Of course we will."

"Sure. No problem." Janine gave Elena a hint of an encouraging smile. "Good luck at your interview."

"Thanks." Elena hurried out the door. She'd lost track of the time, and she didn't know exactly where she was going. If she'd realized she was going to be driving herself, she'd have keyed the address into her phone earlier. She wasn't watching where she was going when she plowed into someone's back. "Oh, I'm so sorry."

The dark-skinned young woman's eyes were widened in an emotion caught between shock and horror. Had she hurt her?

"Are you alright?" Elena scanned the woman's back, trying to figure out what she'd done to render the woman speechless.

"Yes." The woman shook her head. "I'm sorry. You just…really remind me of someone. I was just caught off-guard."

"I should have been watching where I was going. I'm sorry." Elena juggled her phone, annoyed that the little wheel indicating it was thinking was still thinking. "Um, are you from around here?"

"Yes." The woman nodded.

"I should have gotten the address earlier, but I wasn't thinking. I'm not from here, and I need to get to the hospital. Can you tell me where I should go?"

"Sure." The woman's gaze locked with hers. Elena couldn't shake the feeling that she'd met the woman before. "You're going to drive to the end of the street. Then turn left at the light. When you pass the library, turn right. You'll be able to see it from there."

Elena was practically dizzy by the time she'd finished her first round of interviews – meeting the hospital's chief of staff and human resources director along with the head of the emergency room. When the ER director asked if she'd like to meet one more staff member after taking a guided tour of the building, she'd jumped at the chance. She'd never found a place that felt like home so quickly, so she'd be remiss to do anything to seem less than thrilled to spend more time there, even if every minute she spent inside the walls made a sense of things not being quite right grow within the pit of her stomach.

All hospitals feature similar designs.

They have trauma centers.

Operating rooms are hidden away from most of the visitor areas.

An overwhelming amount of tile makes them easy to clean.

During her time in college followed by medical school, she'd either worked in or toured more hospitals than she cared to count.

Something about this one was different. As she studied the waiting room outside the cluster of staff offices, a feeling of deja-vu seized hold of her chest just like when she'd been following the blue-jacketed volunteer into the Grayson and Miranda Gilbert Memorial wing. She'd known the floor was going to be covered with black and white tile that looked like a 50's era diner before the doors even opened.

Now she was playing a twisted version of Memory while waiting for the director of the emergency room to return with the last staff member that stood between her and a lab coat with Mystic Falls General Hospital embroidered on the lapel. After what felt like an eternity, the tall man made his way down the hallway toward her with a female doctor trailing behind him. "Ellie. Thank you for waiting. I'd like to introduce you to Dr. Saltzman."

Elena was happily surprised to see the woman she'd worked with at the site of the bus accident, but it didn't completely explain the absolutely stunned-into-silence expression on Dr. Saltzman's face.

Dr. Saltzman cleared her throat while appearing to fight for breath. Elena was tempted to ask if she needed to use an inhaler, but the older doctor recovered fairly quickly, offering a hand in greeting. "Didn't expect to see you again today."

"You two know each other?" The ER director looked back and forth between them.

"Not exactly, Theo." Jo answered dismissively. "This is the medical student I was telling you about this morning."

His eyes widened and he grinned like someone had just called out his lottery numbers. "The one you told me I needed to find?"

"The very one."

"Well then. I guess you can just say I'm psychic." He appeared to be ready to join in their conversation but had to stop when his name was paged through the overhead monitor. "Duty calls." He clapped Jo on the back. "I'll let you take over here." He held up a finger to Elena. "But stop by to visit with me before you leave. I think we have a few things to discuss."

"Yes, sir." Elena's head felt like it was spinning. She'd hoped today's meetings would be fruitful, but if this next conversation went well, she could almost taste the job offer.

"Come on this way, Elena." Dr. Salvatore flinched, catching her mistake. "Sorry, Ellie."

She'd said it again.

Being called by a different name in her dream was odd.

Having this woman call her the same name was a weird coincidence.

But hearing it a third time? It was enough to make Elena feel like she'd run her fingernails across a chalkboard. Despite her excitement surrounding the interview, Elena now felt flustered and more than vaguely unsettled. She followed Dr. Saltzman into her office with the same wariness she might have used stepping through the threshold of a haunted house.

"Why don't you have a seat? I just need to return one message if you don't mind." Judging by the flush coloring her cheeks and sense of discomfort radiating off Jo, she needed a second to compose herself – not deal with an emergency situation.

That made two of them. Elena took the offered chair, commanding herself to relax. Jo was perfectly nice, even if she sucked at remembering names….well, she seemed to remember names just fine, but she'd bestowed on Elena the wrong one.

Elena took a breath, calling upon the last few years' yoga lessons she'd come to rely upon in situations where she felt her sense of self-control fleeing. She studied the office. Not too different from other executive offices she'd seen. Maybe this one had a few more personal touches than others, but that made it a little easier to relax.

Judging from the pictures, Dr. Saltzman had two children. If Elena's guess was correct, they were twins. The little girl and little boy smiling out from the prints just seemed too close in age for anything else. In a few pictures, a rugged-looking man joined the pair, making for an attractive trio. The boy definitely favored his father, particularly in a photo where the little one sat on horseback with the man standing just behind. The girl looked like Dr. Saltzman. In a picture that had to be from a recent birthday party, the little girl was showing off freshly-painted nails while Jo had a birthday hat atop her head. Looking at the pictures was working. She felt herself relax to a degree where a sensible conversation was possible.

Until Elena noticed an 8x10 portrait sitting on a side-table in the room. In the photograph, the babies were infants. They couldn't have been more than a few hours old. One pink bundle. One blue. A woman who wasn't Jo was laughing, juggling both in her arms while the man from Elena's dreams smiled over her shoulder. It took every ounce of control in her body to keep from bolting out of the room.

Elena was looking at a picture of herself.

Jo tested her car's ability to corner on the back roads leading through the less-heavily-traveled section of Mystic Falls. Why the hell hadn't Damon sold this monstrosity and moved into civilization? It wasn't like he needed all the room. She'd appreciate it if she didn't have to drive twenty minutes to get to his house in an emergency.

And this was an emergency.

She'd called him twice with no answer. If he was making a run to refill his blood supply, he'd better check his phone and soon. She had a crisis on her hands.

They had a crisis…he just didn't know about it yet.

Her car kicked up dust as it rocked to a stop in the circle drive. She jumped out of the car, not bothering to pick up any of her things. Her heels clicked over the flagstone walk as she tried to sort out exactly what she was going to say.

Crap. She was just going to have to wing it.

Arriving at the door, she chose to ring the bell and knock on the door. If he was just trying to have some alone time, he needed to get over it. For a split second, she wondered if she should have brought Ric with her. He had a technique of keeping Damon calm in a crisis that didn't exactly work for her.

When Noah fell and hit his head on the sidewalk, the men had gone through half a bottle of bourbon during the time it took for the ER surgeon to put three stitches in place. Jo just didn't have the right tolerance for alcohol to deal with Damon in a crisis. Besides that, she needed a clear head right now.

The door opened unexpectedly, sending Jo tumbling inside.

"Did I have the time wrong?" Damon stood in front of her, half-shaved with wet hair. "I didn't think you needed me to watch the kids until later." He beckoned her with his head. "Just a second. I can be ready in five minutes."

She followed him, not really sure where to start. "Um. No. It's tonight."

But when he heard what happened, Damon might be canceling their plans.

"So what's up?" The faucet in his bathroom trickled on, and he called out to her down the stairs. "Need some advice for a last minute anniversary present?"

"Not exactly."

She shoved her hands into her pockets to disguise their shaking. While she walked around the study, she examined the random photographs scattered on the shelves. The first time she'd been here, these had been sterile bookcases. Yes, sterile bookcases filled with priceless first-editions but holding nothing else.

Now Damon had a collection of candid pictures that would suggest he was an amateur photographer. Caroline and Stefan leaning against a tree at a backyard barbeque. Bonnie's face the night Jeremy proposed. One of Ric and Jo each sleeping with a twin on their shoulder. Elena might have taken that one.

These shelves held everyone Damon cared about.

All but one.

When he compelled her to leave, he'd scoured his house, removing every trace of her existence. But Jo knew Elena still lived for him where it mattered most…in the place no one could touch. The ghost of Elena was never too far away.

"Did you need something?" Damon's hair was still wet, but the shaving cream was gone. He toweled off his chin, raising an eyebrow to accentuate the question.

"We've been doing interviews for the new pediatric specialist in the ER."

"I remember hearing you complaining to Ric about it."

"We had the final round today."

"And?"

"We found someone." Jo knew she was dancing around the issue. She mirrored his movements, not-completely-unconsciously keeping the couch between them. Finally, she could tell she was reaching the end of his patience. His eyes were no longer relaxed. They reminded her of a movie she once watched of the wilds of Africa. He seemed like a predator studying his prey.

Nonsense.

This was Damon.

The fact he had super-human senses was just part of the package, and she was sure she had her adrenaline set on high. "She's everything we wanted. Great credentials. Excellent scores at medical school. Young. She wants to settle here and raise her family. Apparently this is exactly the kind of town she'd dreamed of living in."

"Sounds great. She driving a hard bargain for a salary? You need a little donation?"

"No." Jo struggled to swallow. "I mean it. She's everything we dreamed of. Excellent in the field. I worked with her yesterday at the bus crash."

"So will she not agree to come?"

"No. Exactly the opposite." Jo felt like her heart was about to pound outside her chest. "Damon, it's Elena."

Elena tried to shrug off the sense that something wasn't right. Everyone had a real-life doppelganger, didn't they? One of her professors in school even said so. With so many people in the world, the odds were simply on the side of science. Somewhere, everyone had a twin.

Elena just didn't expect to look at a photograph of hers today.

When Dr. Saltzman explained the reason she kept calling Elena the wrong name, she almost believed her. But something about the way her voice rose at the end of each explanation coupled with the beet-red flush of her neck made a question buzz like a mosquito in the back of her brain. She tried to smack it, but it kept flitting about – just out of reach.

Today wasn't a day to dwell on uncomfortable questions.

It was time to celebrate. She'd just signed the contract for her dream job. Yes, she probably should have talked with Jaime about it, but he'd have to be happy for her. What were the odds that she'd be able to find a job she was so perfectly suited for within driving distance to her house? While it would be nice to move to Mystic Falls, a half-hour behind the wheel wasn't too bad. She knew Jaime would be happy to stay within ten minutes of his mother's house.

When she stepped out of the car, she was running a list of restaurants through her head. Jaime would want to go out to eat. That's just how they celebrated. Well…publicly acceptable ways to celebrate. The list had narrowed to the steak place or the Japanese place they'd gone the night he proposed by the time she opened the door.

"Jaime? You home?" She stepped into the house, dropping her purse onto the wingchair next to the picture window. "Jaime?"

Surely he wasn't still out with his family. The interview had taken hours. Far longer than she'd planned, but she'd walked out of it with a contract. He could hardly complain.

"Jaime?" She mounted the stairs, fighting back a tiny sense of discomfort. The house wasn't that big. Where was he? She walked into the bedroom and spotted the jacket he'd been wearing earlier draped over the foot of the bed. Her curiosity getting the best of her, she wandered toward the bathroom. "Jaime?"

"You looking for me?" He came out of nowhere, closing the bedroom door with his heel. If that movement wasn't enough to make her heart race, the fact she could smell the alcohol radiating off him from across the room did it.

"Yes." She fought to display a cheerfulness she didn't feel. Elena reached behind her to turn the doorknob to the bathroom. "Let me go to the restroom, and I'll tell you all about it."

But the door was locked.

"When were you going to tell me?" Jaime's jaw was set in a stiff grimace.

"What are you talking about? I'm just about to tell you about the job. They made me an offer." Her voice was shaking, and she hated it.

"That's not what I'm talking about." His voice was a monotone.

He'd hit her before, but even then, she'd never been afraid of him. But now she was afraid. He approached her with the same stealth a cat used to stalk a mouse.

"You wanted coffee with your cheesecake. And then today at brunch. At first I was just embarrassed, not celebrating with the rest of us. But then I realized what was wrong."

Oh God. Elena tried to force the doorknob to turn by sheer force of her will.

"Why didn't you tell me you're pregnant?"

Elena's throat felt as dry and thick as if she'd swallowed cotton. "I wanted to tell you. I tried."

"You tried?" He'd moved past monotone into a threatening of mocking her. "How hard is it to say the words I'm pregnant? That's why you freaked out at changing the wedding day. How big will you be by then?"

"About seven months."

"Seven months?" He struck the foot of the bed with enough force to make the floor vibrate. "So you're what? Eight weeks? Ten?"

"You're the one who's the obstetrician. Figure it out." Elena couldn't fight the rising tide of her temper.

"Do you know how much this screws things up? How could you make a mistake like this?"

"Me?" Now he'd awakened a wave of anger inside her. "Pretty sure you were there. And it was probably the night I'd told you it wasn't a good idea."

"How hard is it to remember to take a stupid pill?"

"You try figuring out what time it is during a 36-hour shift. And why the hell is it my fault?"

"Because you're the one who fucked things up." He launched himself at her, and she had no time to prepare. She knew he was mad. But he knew she was pregnant.

His first blow knocked her into the wall, sending a trio of paintings to the floor, shattering the glass at their feet. The second blow came too fast to block. It was soundly in the middle of her belly. The third caught her under her chin, bouncing her head against the doorframe.

The world blurred, and she wasn't in the bedroom anymore.

She was standing in a clearing in the woods. A cloth-covered dummy stood awkwardly in front of her. A man's voice spoke over her shoulder. She made a fist, catching the dummy beneath the chin.

"Good job, Elena." The man in Dr. Saltzman's pictures gripped her shoulder, with a pleased smile on his face. "That'd level almost any guy. And if it doesn't work?"

"Knee him where it hurts."

"Exactly."

Elena didn't understand the memories or the dreams or the visions, but she knew that man was at least giving her fantasy self-defense lessons. She did as she'd been told. She made a fist and used every ounce of strength in her body to knock Jaime off balance.

She didn't knock him out, but he was drunk enough that she moved him off his feet. Without waiting to see where he'd land, she sprinted out of the room and into the hallway, ducking through the second entrance to the bathroom while listening to him following too-close on her heels.

She made it.

The door slammed, almost catching his fingers. Throwing all her weight against the door, she kept him from opening it, not relaxing until she turned the lock.

"Open the door!" The wooden door buckled, but didn't break. His fists pounded. The door pulsed with each strike of his designer shoes. A string of unintelligible curses echoed in the house followed by claps against the stairs and finally the front door slammed shut.

Damon had just finished listening to Jo's third attempt to explain what the hell happened in her office when the doorbell sounded again. If this was another problem, he was going to have to call Ric because he just didn't feel like drinking alone.

And he really needed a drink.

He unlatched the door, opening it with more than a vague sense of trepidation. Bonnie was the last person he expected to find waiting for him. She didn't even wait for an invitation, she merely pushed past him, nodding a silent greeting to Jo.

"I saw Elena today."

At least he didn't have to drag anything out of her. He'd already played that game long enough with Jo. "And that explains why you're here?"

"No." Her lips were narrowed to the point where they were almost invisible. As she aged, she'd become more and more like Sheila. He'd never really liked Sheila, even if she'd been friends with Stefan. The old witch had too much supernatural superiority for his taste. "Did you know she's getting married?"

"Matt told me." He fought to keep the edge out of his voice. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Jo flinch with surprise. He'd never told them he had Matt following Elena for a very good reason. No one else needed to know where she was. They didn't need to be put through the pain he felt every day, having her so close but still too far away.

Now she wasn't going to be far away at all.

Not since she'd just become the newest doctor at Mystic Falls General. While he was happy for her, he still wished Jo had thought of a decent reason not to hire her. Having her moving in and around the town was going to raise too many questions.

She could only hear the you-look-like-Elena-Gilbert line so many times before she started to ask questions. He knew her too well. She'd ask questions. That was just what Elena did.

"Do you know about the guy she's engaged to?"

"Dad died in a private plane crash when he was a teenager. Mom's a member of the Junior League, the Garden Club, and a country club I can't even get in. Twin sister seems to be basically employed by their mother. He's going to graduate from medical school at the same time Elena is." Damon had done his homework.

"Did you know he's a jerk?"

Damon frowned. Sometimes Elena's taste in men was questionable. After all, she'd fallen for him…and his brother. "Can't be worse than Stefan on a bender."

"You might want to think again." Bonnie shoved a stack of papers his direction. He skimmed the articles. During his freshman year at a school in Florida, he'd racked up so many complaints against him, he'd had to leave town. DUI. DWI. A cluster of fraternity-guys-gone-wild nights. A rape charge that disappeared.

Elena was engaged to a party guy with a bad attitude.

Damn.

He narrowed his eyes at Bonnie. She was wearing her judgey-est expression. "What do you want me to do about it?"

"You compelled her to leave because you wanted her to have the life she always wanted, right? Being human. Having a normal life. Kids?"

"And?"

She reached into her pocket, drawing out an all-too-familiar box. A box that shouldn't have existed. "Now the choice is yours. Two prison worlds. Two cures."

Time stood still.

For Damon, that was saying a lot.

Three sets of eyes stared at the plain box. One vampire. One witch. One former witch. Before anyone had a chance to process the prospect Bonnie had just presented Damon with, a knock sounded at the door.

"Did someone post a sign saying I was holding a party tonight or something?" Damon practically growled as he walked away from Bonnie and Jo. If nothing else, he was glad for the new arrival. He needed a reason to be away from the other two women for a moment.

He opened the door, unprepared for what he found.

He was staring into the eyes of Elena Gilbert.

Eyes filled with sadness mixed with pain mixed with anger. Unshed tears sparkled at the corners, and he had to focus to keep himself from staring at the purple smudge building on her jaw.

"Damon. Next time you compel someone, you might want to be careful with what you say. When you told me to have the life I always dreamed of, you should have known the only one I dreamed about was the one I had with you."