I do not own the Vampire Diaries.
Note: Remember the words "Elena, relax" really freaked Elena out in chapter one. Remembering that should clear up potential confusion in this chapter. Happy reading!
How had Damon ended up at another Founder's event? Even more, how had he become Caroline's date? He snagged another glass of champagne from one of the catering waiters. Tilting her head to the side with brows expectantly raised, Caroline extended her hand. Damon growled and reluctantly handed the drink over. He needed something stronger anyway. "I'm going to go find a realdrink, sweetie."He practically spit the last word at Caroline before disappearing.
Bonnie took Damon's absence as her chance to approach Caroline. "Have you seen Elena yet?"
Caroline whined, "You aren't even going to tell me I look pretty first?"
Bonnie rolled her eyes, "Hello Caroline, my you are looking hot tonight" Bonnie said sarcastically. "Now, have you seen Elena?"
"No, but she texted saying she was running late." Bonnie nodded tentatively.
Damon had been listening from across the room also curious why he hadn't seen Elena—and Stefan—yet. He took a swig of his drink and decided it was time to get back to the blonde. He hoped the witch would leave once she noticed him walking in their direction. He wasn't in the mood for Bonnie tonight.
Damon was ignoring Caroline as she droned on and on about some Amber girl and then some decoration committee, something about tacky tiaras, blah, blah, blah. Then, from three rooms away Damon heard the front door open. He could smell Stefan and Elena before they said anything. He straightened up trying to look interested in his conversation with Caroline but kept his back turned to their approaching footsteps.
"Caroline, you look amazing." Elena gushed knowing how to appease her blonde friend.
"Why, thank you Elena." Caroline glared back at Damon. He hadn't said anything about her dress or looks all night.
Damon took this opportunity to feign surprise at the presence of Stefan and Elena. Obviously, Stefan saw through this knowing his brother's keen senses. However, Damon was genuinely surprised when he turned and his breath caught in his throat at the sight of Elena. She was stunning in a strapless, slate purple dress. Stefan noticed Damon's reaction and put his hand on the small of Elena's back possessively. Elena seemed oblivious to the attention.
Caroline however was not and her jealousy rose. "Elena, come to the ladies room with me." She was dragging Elena away by the wrist before she even finished her command. Elena glanced back over her shoulder giving Stefan an apologetic, 'what can I do?' look. Stefan gave her a knowing smile.
Stefan glanced at the drink in Damon's hand. "What number is that?"
Damon scowled. "Last time I checked you are not my chaperone." The two brothers went their separate ways.
Two hours later Damon wanted to tear his hair out. Absentmindedly, he wondered if it would grow right back the way his wounds healed instantly. Caroline's voice pierced through his musings. "Finally! People are dancing. Let's go" she dragged him to the other dancing pairs. Damon had loved dancing as a human and it was still something he enjoyed now. For a moment Damon felt at peace at that thought.
Caroline was an energetic, animated dancer and she wasn't bad at the technical aspects either. Maybe it's the cheerleading or something,Damon smirked to himself. It was the first time tonight he was enjoying her company and she looked pleased at his appreciation.
Elena was hugging a corner with Stefan. They were having a good conversation but Elena kept getting distracted by the people dancing. She felt a twinge of jealousy as she watched Caroline being twirled, dipped, and waltzed around by Damon. From where she was standing it looked like Damon was actually wearing a genuine smile. That's rare.
Elena caught herself. Why was she feeling bothered? If Elena had been honest with herself she'd admitted she wished Stefan was a little more funsometimes. He never wanted to dance. Well, he would slow dance but that was all. However, Elena was not honest with herself and she chalked up her annoyance to Caroline being a ham for attention—from anyone—regardless of their questionable character and non-existing morals.
Damon noticed he'd gained another audience member—this time a notable one, Elena. She was standing with her long arms folded loosely around her waist trying her best to pay attention to her conversation with Stefan. The poor girl; Damon didn't know how she did it. He couldn't listen to his broody brother for more than five minutes.
Just then the music's tempo slowed, the bass lowered, and the lights dimmed. The slow-dance-energy (as Damon had deemed it) filled the room. There was a collective pause as everyone reverted to their Junior High selves for a few moments, looking around wide-eyed, trying to catch a certain person's glance. Caroline had gone all doe-eyed; looking at Damon like her livelihood was teetering on his invitation to dance. He took a deep breath to keep himself from rolling his eyes and extended his hand to her. She sighed in relief.
Elena brightened at the slower music. Now Stefan would agree to dance. They took to the dance floor. Elena felt safe in Stefan's embrace. Her face was a painting of blissful content once she'd settled her head in the crook of his neck. She inhaled him deeply. He had a piney smell. Their "dancing" was more like a locomoting cuddle, that is to say there really weren't any steps or anything. It didn't seem to matter to them. But it mattered to Damon. What kind of lame sap is that, Stefan? We've lived through more than one dance era and all you've got is a revolving hug? Damon decided Elena needed a real dance partner and excused himself from Caroline.
Damon approached Elena and Stefan. "Stefan, do you mind if I cut in?" Elena was annoyed. What if sheminded? Stefan wasn't especially happy to hand Elena over to Damon but he wasn't about to cause a scene. "One dance, Damon." Stefan reluctantly let go of Elena's hand.
Elena tensed slightly when she felt Damon's initial touch. "Relax, Elena." Those words sent a shiver down each of their spines. They noticed the similar reaction in one another and locked eyes curiously. They stopped swaying, eyes dueling, waiting for the other to explain the reaction to those familiar words. Elena's mind was reeling. She hadn't put it together until now. It had been Damon's voice in her dream?
Damon cleared his throat. People had noticed their tense stillness on the dance floor. "Maybe we should take this dance to the balcony." He half whispered. Elena scanned the room and nodded. "Okay."
Out on the balcony Elena had regained her wits. "What was that about Damon? What do you know?"
"I know that I was just trying to be a social gentlemen asking for a lady's hand in dance. And I know you reacted like a leper was touching you." Damon defended.
"I did not."
"No?" Damon raised a brow and leaned in closer with every word. "You didn't freeze like a doe when I touched you?" It took all of Elena's willpower to keep her body from reacting outwardly to Damon's hot breath on her neck. She swallowed as Damon weaved his hand under the silky sheet of her chocolate hair resting his fingertips on the nape of her neck. "And, Elena, what was all that shivering about?" One finger tip began a descent down Elena's spine mimicking her bodily reaction to those two words. "Elena, relax."
Suddenly Elena was raging. Damon was not allowed to toy with her for his amusement. "You know what Damon? Fuck you."
Damon captured her arm before she even got a foot away from him. "Tsk tsk, Elena, I will be the one to decide when this conversation is over."
Elena's blood was boiling. "Damon, let go of my arm." She demanded, noticing there was no hitch in her voice this time. She felt strong and in control.
"Usually I find 'Bossy Elena' amusing, but tonight she's just pissing me off." Damon snarled, tightening his grip on her arm.
"Damon, I'm warning you, let. me. go." She hissed back.
Damon smirked, what had gotten into this little vixen? "Let go of you or what, Elena?"
A half-second later Damon was flying through the air and then crashing into the balcony's cement balustrade. Before he could fully wonder what the hell? Elena was crashing on top of him from a fifteen foot lunge she'd taken two milliseconds ago. Except Elena wasn't Elena. Her eyes were wild with veins bulging. In the back of his mind Damon noticed an absent heart beat. She shot him a wicked smile exposing long fangs. It was then that Damon noticed she was hiding something in her hand behind her back. A sharp, wooden something. "Goodbye, Damon" Elena hissed as she plunged the splintered stake into his heart.
Damon shot up in bed clutching his non-beating chest. He looked down to find no stake, no blood, no wound. He was fine. Except that he was not fine. "Two nights in a row now? Fuck!" He yelled to no one.
Elena shot up in bed clutching her chest. Her heart was beating—wildly in fact. Half way through a sigh of relief, Elena launched off her bed skidding into the bathroom. She flipped on the light to inspect her face. Everything was normal. No vampire face.
What had that been about? Not only was that another dream…had that been a nightmare? Had Elena turned into Katherine? No, in his dream he knew it was Elena—just as a vampire. Damon swallowed. Most importantly, why had Vampire Elena staked him?
Across town Elena was also struggling through the recap. Had she turned into Katherine? No, it had been her—just as a vampire. How had she become a vampire and why? How had it been so easy to overpower Damon? Most importantly, why had she staked him?
Thank you for the previous reviews; they made my day! Please keep them coming. The next chapter will be during the real Founder's Event.
There is a pun in this chapter jabbing at Stefan a bit. Can anyone find it?
Most likely I won't update as quickly because it's Finals Week, but I'll do my best :)