Cannonball

Disclaimer: I don't own anything or anyone from The Vampire Diaries.

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I know this is like the longest AN ever, but please read this:

In the second section of this chapter, the POV switches from Elena's to Damon's within one scene and it's not separated, you'll notice the change (obviously), but I just wanted to warn you all to avoid confusion, it's there on purpose!

March 23rd 2013.

Saturday 11:20pm

South Hill

"Refill!"

I watch amused as Will pours a large amount of bourbon into my nearing on empty glass and I roll my eyes and push his hand away that is holding the bottle before he drunkenly overfills my drink.

"Thanks bud." I take a sip from the drink, already feeling light on my feet as it goes, but from looking around right now the party is clearly only just getting started.

"Hey uh, you got something else for me brother?" he wraps his arm around my shoulders and turns me around. "If you know what I mean."

I don't even know why he is bothering to be discreet, half the people who are here seem to be on something already and the other half doesn't seem to give a flying fuck about it.

"You're in luck." I pull out the last small packet from my back pocket. "You can be my final customer of the evening." I smirk as his grin widens.

"Ah I knew I invited you to these things for a reason, Salvatore!" he pats my back before I discreetly hand him the small see through packet of cocaine and collect his money before shoving that into my wallet. "Nice doin business with ya, enjoy your night!" he scuppers off immediately, no doubt heading straight for a flat surface and I roll my eyes before taking another sip from my drink and scanning my eyes through the crowded party.

It doesn't take me long to spot who I was looking for.

I watch with a small smile as Elena stands laughing at whatever it is Klaus is drunkenly telling her, most likely one of his many stories about the times he used to live in England, he likes to think he was some sort of comedian back then but I swear his humor doesn't exactly translate very well across the pond.

I quickly push my way through and wrap my arms around her from behind; feeling her tense slightly before relaxing when she realizes its me. I quickly press a kiss to her neck, nuzzling her skin for a moment before standing up straight with a smirk.

"I thought I'd come rescue you before someone bores you to death." I hold her tightly against me as she giggles and Klaus rolls his eyes and sends me a mocking glare.

"Oh please, you were just jealous because Elena was clearly enjoying my company more than your own, Salvatore."

Elena giggles and the sound sends a fluttering feeling to my heart that I will never admit too out loud, so instead I just tighten my arms around her, enjoying the feeling as she presses backwards against me.

"He was just telling me a funny story about that one time you got so drunk at a party you fell asleep outside against a trash can all night." She smirks while briefly looking over her shoulder at me and I roll my eyes and send Klaus a quick glare.

"Not one of my finest moments, but he should be careful on sharing people's embarrassing stories when he has plenty of his own at my disposal." I smirk and Elena giggles again as Klaus immediately holds up his hands in defense.

"Point taken mate, I'll catch you in a bit." He chuckles and excuses himself and I quickly use the opportunity to spin Elena around before pushing her lightly against the wall that Klaus was just stood against.

"Now that I finally have you alone." I wiggle my eyebrows at her playfully. "I get to take advantage of you in your slightly intoxicated state?"

"Um, I am not drunk." She defends herself pointedly but the way her arms clumsily swing around my neck and tug me roughly down to her says otherwise.

"No?"

"No."

"Prove it."

She raises her eyebrow before closing the gap between us and pressing her mouth against mine, I immediately fall forward into the kiss, my body pressed against hers against the wall as I deepen it, moaning into her mouth as her tongue slides against mine. One of her hands slides through my hair while the other holds my neck tightly, her lips working wonders against my own and I completely forget where I am.

Or what my name is.

That is until Elena slowly pulls away with a smirk on her face, pressing one last chaste kiss against me before tilting her head to the side.

"Now Damon," she slides her hand from my neck down my chest. "If I was drunk would I have been able to kiss you like that?"

I chuckle and quickly peck her lips softly. "You're a good kisser so probably." I smirk teasingly and she rolls her eyes before kissing me again, unfortunately for not as long as I would have liked.

"I'll be right back, bathroom break." She winks at me before slipping out from my arms and heading towards the bathroom, I watch her go and it's not until she's out of sight until I realize that I have a goofy smile on my face.

I clear my throat and pick up my glass of bourbon that I left on the table beside us and take a large swig, looking around the growing party briefly with my eyes to make sure that there is no one really recognizable around. Even though the odds are very low of anyone being here from Mystic Falls, I still always make sure to keep alert if on the off-chance someone unwanted shows up.

As my eyes scan the room I groan in annoyance when I spot Andie Starr sat on a couch flirting with a guy who is not her boyfriend, and I roll my eyes because some things really don't change.

I shake my head and take another large swig from my drink, still not believing that it wasn't so long ago when I was that guy.

What the hell was I thinking?

Unfortunately for me, Andie just so happens to turn her head and catch my eye and I watch as her eyes brighten before she pulls herself up to her feet. I grunt under my breath and turn around so my back is to her, knowing that it's too late to run but if she sees that I'm not interested she might take the hint and back off.

Luck however is not on my side.

"Damon Salvatore, long time no see handsome." She runs her hand down my back and I slowly turn around and send her a mocking smile.

"Andie Starr…" I nod, my eyes briefly glancing in the direction that Elena went off too, praying that there's a queue for the bathroom and she doesn't come back anytime soon.

"So you do remember my name?" she tilts her head to the side with a smile and I notice that she doesn't look even close to how cute Elena looked when she does that.

"How could I forget, you were one of my biggest customers." I throw back and take another drink. "But if you're lookin to buy then I'm sorry but I'm out." I hold an arm out to state my point, hoping that she'll back off now that she knows I have no drugs to sell her.

"I didn't come over to buy your drugs, Damon." She grins and I immediately cringe and sigh when she takes a step forward. "I think you know why I came over."

I push her hand away before it lands on my chest and take a step back. "Not gonna happen, Andie."

She chuckles. "If this is about Vaughn, he's not here tonight."

"This isn't about your boyfriend." I swipe back. "This is about me."

"Oh…" I watch as her eyes purposely glance to my crotch. "Do you have…?" she looks at me amused and my eyes widen.

"NO!" I hiss at her in annoyance. "Jesus, no." I tell her sternly. "I'm just not interested." I look around the party swiftly with my eyes. "I have a girlfriend." I decide to just put it out there.

Andie isn't from Mystic Falls; she won't know anything about Elena.

"A girlfriend?" she asks amused. "Please tell me you aren't back with that slut? What was her name again?"

"Katherine." I scowl at the mere mention of her name. "No, most certainly not."

"Then who?" she looks at me who intrigued. "Who is the girl who got Damon Salvatore to supposedly turn into a one woman man? And how do I persuade him that it's ok to play the field once in a while?"

I roll my eyes and glare at her. "I'm not supposedly anything; I'm not going to cheat on Elena and you can't persuade me to do shit."

"Elena huh? That's a pretty name."

"She's a pretty girl." I throw back immediately. "Now if you'll excuse me." I push past her, deciding it's best if I no longer even give her the time of day.

The last thing I need is Elena to come back and witness Andie's attempts at flirting.

I walk towards the bathroom just in time to see Elena stumble out of it and I chuckle as she almost trips over but catches herself.

Not drunk, huh?

She straightens up and takes two more steps before she notices me watching.

"Aw, you came to wait for me outside the little girls room? That's cute." She smirks and I roll my eyes as she finally reaches me, my hands instinctively landing on her hips. "You're like a professional boyfriend now."

"Great." I send her a mocking smirk. "Do I get a certificate?"

"No." she wraps her arms around my neck. "Just a kiss."

"I think I can deal with that." I chuckle just as she presses her lips softly against mine.

"Hey!"

I feel two hands land roughly on my shoulders that aren't Elena's and I pull away and turn around to see Will stood behind me.

"Jesus Christ!" I bark at him in annoyance. "Don't fucking do that again asshole!"

He rolls his eyes and nods briefly at Elena before looking back at me. "You still got that place of yours?"

I frown confused. "Yeah…"

"Great, let's take the party back there!" my eyes immediately widen and he waves me off. "Don't worry, not the whole party! Just us three, that British friend of yours and one of my buddies, no biggie."

"One, no, two, why?"

"Three, yes and four, I need to get out of here." He glances briefly over his shoulder. "You know Vaughn, right?"

"Yeah…" I frown, unsure where this is going and very much aware of Elena stood beside me.

"Well I owe him a bit of money and the assholes side kick Connor Jordan just showed up with his Vaughn's girlfriend, who I also happened to may or may not have slept with," Fucking hell, really? "And Connor hates my guts, so I'd rather just get the hell out of dodge to avoid an inevitable confrontation that I am nowhere near sober enough for."

"This is your house; can't you just kick him out?" Elena asks confused.

Will chuckles lightly before sighing loudly. "Oh sweetheart I wish it was that simple." He turns back to me. "Come on man! I'm buzzed! I don't want this party to end! I promise I'll help you clean up in the morning!"

"Yeah come on Damon." Elena joins in, her arms wrapped around my waist as she looks up at me. I sigh loudly knowing that I don't have a choice now. "It'll be fun." She pushes.

"Fine." I give in with a loud groan. "But you bring your own alcohol, got it?"

"Alright!" Will grins cheerily. "I'll go grab my guy and we'll get the booze! Meet you outside in ten?"

"Sure." I roll my eyes and turn back to Elena, shaking my head. "You do know these guys are going to end up drinking all night and we'll never get rid of them, right?" I tell her pointedly, hoping she knows exactly what I mean.

Judging from the smirk on her lips she does.

"Oh come on." She runs her hands down my chest. "Your bedroom door has a lock, right?" she asks and I slowly nod my head as she stands up on her toes and presses her lips against my ear. "Besides, I can be quiet."

"Oh baby I will hold you to that."

"Oh god I am so drunk." I practically fall onto the couch beside Damon who chuckles before wrapping his arm around me. "I can't see straight." I look around the fuzzy room where Will's friend is already passed out on the floor, Klaus and Will are playing video games while shouting abuse at each other but I can't even make out the game that is playing on the screen.

This is the last time I ever drink whiskey.

I sigh contently as Damon starts to slowly play with my hair, one of his hands moving to massage my neck and I feel my eyes flutter closed.

"Mmm, don't stop." I murmur with a smile as he chuckles lightly before pressing a drunken sloppy kiss to my cheek.

I tilt my head to the side and let him press kisses along my jaw before finally reaching the corner of my mouth, he smirks before kissing me slowly and I sigh against his lips before pulling away.

Even though my gaze is bleary, I can see Damon perfectly and I certainly don't miss the devils smirk on his lips. I sit up and flip my knee over him so I'm now straddling him, pushing him back against the couch as his hands find my waist and I press myself against him before pressing my lips back against his in a hot open mouthed kiss.

If I wasn't drunk, I doubt I'd be doing this with Klaus and Will sat just a few feet away from us.

But I am drunk and I don't care.

I gasp and feel my body shudder as Damon's hands slide underneath my shirt, one of his hands sliding up my bare back while the other trails up my stomach, his fingers ghostly touching my skin before landing on my breast and I immediately moan against his lips as it massages it roughly.

Unfortunately that only draws attention to us.

"Oh come on guys! We're like right here!" I here Klaus groan in disgust and Damon pulls away with a grunt of annoyance. I lean my head against his shoulder in embarrassment as Damon throws something off Klaus before I shift and turn around so I am still sitting on his lap but no longer straddling him.

Damon gasps slightly at my movements and I smirk as I feel his erection underneath me so I purposely move again, grinding against him.

"Damn it, Elena," he shudders, his lips grazing my ear, his hands gripping my waist tightly.

I turn and look at him innocently and he rolls his eyes before pushing some hair from my face.

"You're a minx." He whispers at me and I grin before pressing a chaste kiss against his lips.

"Wait what's this about Vaughn?" Damon looks over my shoulder and I blink surprised because he is clearly picking something up from Klaus' and Will's conversation which I had completely zoned out.

"I told you man, I owe the man some money and he's pissed that I ain't delivered yet."

"Well why don't you just pay him back?" Elena suggests innocently and I smile and hug her closer against me, my arms tightening around her waist.

"Because sweetheart, the asshole keeps on adding like a grand on to what I owe every week I miss my deadline."

"Jesus Will, how much do you owe him?" I ask surprised.

Will shrugs and he looks so casual about it. "It started with 20 grand, now though….it's up to about 50, here or there."

"What!" Elena gasps loudly.

"How the hell did that happen?" Klaus mutters in disbelief.

Will continues to play the game, his eyes never leaving the screen. "Look at me man, I'm a fucking addict! How do you think it happened?"

I feel Elena tense slightly on my lap and we fall into an uncomfortable silence and I don't miss the way Klaus sends me a quick glance.

"That's a lot of money," Elena murmurs and breaks the silence and I immediately squeeze her hip causing her to look at me, I shake my head as a warning to not say anything else and she frowns slightly but listens and keeps her mouth closed.

"I know that sweetheart," Will continues as he taps his fingers agitatedly against the control. "But it's cool, things will sort themselves in the end, they always do."

I look back at Klaus who sends me another look and I know exactly what he is thinking.

We all know what happens to guys who owe Vaughn money and fail to pay him back, and things sure as hell never just sort themselves out.

I groan in annoyance at the incessant knocking on my front door, my eyes barely being able to squint open in my hung-over state and I'm reminded yet again to not trust Klaus when he says it'll be just one more drink.

I manage to pull myself out of bed, stumbling on my discarded clothes as I walk out of my bedroom, accidentally bumping into a side table and almost knocking down a lamp on my way. I curse immediately at the mass amounts of empty beer bottles that are scattered around my apartment and my stomach protests as the smell of stale alcohol attacks my nostrils the further I walk into the mess.

I make a quick note to myself to tidy up before Elena comes round after spending the day with her family, knowing that she will kill me if she turns up and ends up helping me clean, again.

Even though part of this mess is down to her!

But first I need to get rid of the asshole who is currently attacking my door with their fist, and in turn making my blaring headache ten times worse.

I swing open the door in annoyance, ready to give this asshole what for but the words get stuck in my mouth when I see who is standing on the other side of it.

A young woman around the age of 22 who does not look very impressed with me.

Or more importantly to describe her, it's Elena's Aunt Jenna.

Elena told me not long after we got back together that she told her Aunt Jenna about the two of us. At first I was mad, all the possibilities that could happen because of Jenna knowing about us hitting me one after the other, most importantly, all the bad possibilities. Elena insisted that we could trust her, that she promised that she wasn't going to tell anyone about us and as much as I was skeptical at first, I understood that she needed someone on her side through all of this.

I guess I have Klaus, Elena really didn't have anyone.

But what I do know is that Jenna isn't exactly my biggest fan, in fact, barely even a year ago she caught me key scratching Grayson Gilbert's car and she chased me down the street with a freaking broom stick.

I wish I was joking.

My jaw slackens slightly and I squint my eyes against the bright morning sunlight before eventually clearing my throat.

"Uh…hi?"

She eyes me up and down and I realize that I am wearing nothing more than old basketball shorts and my hair is probably all over the place.

Great.

"May I come in?" she asks point-blank, her voice not giving anything away.

"Uh…" I inwardly curse my luck at this happening today of all days and take a reluctant step back, holding open the door for her to come in.

It's not like I can risk talking to an honorary Gilbert on my doorstep for anyone to see is it?

"Sure," I force a smile. "Come on in." I watch almost nervously as her eyes immediately scan the mass amount of empty beer and whiskey bottles that are messily dotted around the room. "Uh…sorry about the mess."

"Got yourself your own little bachelor pad here huh?" she questions me and I can immediately hear the judgement in her voice.

I choose to ignore it.

"I wouldn't exactly call it that…" I murmur while I quickly realize that I am still stood half naked. "I'll uh…just go put some um clothes on." I mutter before quickly scarping off into my room. "Fuck!" I curse under my breath once I've shut my bedroom door behind me.

This cannot be happening.

Very much aware of Jenna still stood in my living room, left to her own devices I might add, I quickly throw on a plain black t-shirt before walking back out, ready to get this over and done with.

"Would you like a coffee or something?" I offer politely.

"Sure." She shrugs with half a smile. "Why not."

I quickly walk over to the kitchen area and open the cupboards before cursing.

There's no coffee left.

Jenna must sense my dilemma because she speaks up.

"You know what, I'm ok actually."

I turn around and send her a grateful smile before slowly approaching back to the living area. I motion for her to take a seat and I don't miss the way she swats a spot on the couch before she does eventually sit down, pushing a fallen beer bottle away from her with her foot.

"It's not usually this messy I promise." I feel the need to defend myself as I hover before eventually sitting down on the arm-chair diagonal to where she is sitting. "I had a couple of friends round last night and they didn't stick around to help clean up, typical huh?" I force a chuckle but Jenna doesn't play along.

"Is this the reason my underage 17 year old niece could barely get up for church this morning?" she questions me, looking me straight in the eye and I feel my heart start to pound hard against my chest at the intent look she is giving me right now.

I clear my throat. "It was just a couple of drinks…"

"Yeah, looks like it."

"No disrespect, Jenna, but Elena is old enough to make her own decisions."

"Yes I am learning all about Elena and her decisions lately." She tells me pointedly and I look down at my hands as she continues. "Which as you have probably guessed already, that's why I'm here." She says with a firm voice that draws me to look back up at her. "I may look like a dumb blonde to you Damon Salvatore, but one; I'm naturally a brunette and two; when someone hurts someone I love then I can be as mean as the best of them." I gulp slightly as I wait for her to continue, knowing that it would be a mistake to interrupt her now. "So I swear to God, if whatever the hell you have going on with my niece right now isn't what she thinks it is then I sure as hell am going to make you suffer." She looks me straight in the eye. "She insists that this is…true love," she shakes her head slightly and I feel a pit of anger starting to build at the way she said that. "And I believe her, at least…on her side. I believe that she loves you, because there is something in her eyes when she says your name that I have never seen in her before, so I know that she is serious about this, that she is serious about you. Now what I came here to find out, Damon, is that if you feel the same? Or is this all just one big game that you've mustered up to hurt our family, a plot against the Gilbert's."

I clench my fists tightly but I need to remind myself that she doesn't know any different, she doesn't know us.

She doesn't know me.

"I know you don't like me, Jenna, and with more than enough reason." I decide to go with the honesty approach. "I know why you wouldn't trust me, why you wouldn't trust me with Elena, but I need you to believe me when I tell you that I love your niece more than anything in this world and I don't use that word lightly." I take a deep breath and lean forward. "I'm not playing a game here, ok? I have just as much to risk in all of this as Elena does, and we tried to fight this, we tried to stay away from each other but we fell in love…we didn't plan for it to happen, we didn't necessarily want it to happen but I sure as hell am glad that it did. I'd do anything for her, because I am serious about this, about us and I'm so in love with her, she is my whole world." I tell her firmly and I clear the lump in my throat. "She's my life."

She stares at me for a long moment and I let out a couple of shaky breaths after my small speech, and I don't care that I probably just sounded as vulnerable and weak as I ever have to anyone except for Elena, but she needs to know.

I need at least one person in Elena's family who understands how real this is because when this eventually all does come out, and I'm no longer in denial to know that it eventually it will, we need as many people on our side as possible.

"How do I know you're not lying?" she asks me finally, looking me square in the eye and I hold her gaze without flinching.

"You don't." I hit back honestly. "And I know you're probably never going to be able to trust me, so you're just going to have to trust that Elena knows what she's doing, and that she isn't a fool. She wouldn't be doing this if this was all a lie."

"I do trust Elena." She replies back quickly. "And you're right, I don't trust you and I probably never will trust you and you have given me plenty of reason for that, which is why I'm sure you can understand why I'm not exactly supporting this?"

"I don't need you to support us." I offer her. "Just support Elena."

She blinks for a moment and I swear she looks surprised but it passes within seconds.

"Elena knows I'd support her through anything." She tells me almost defensively but I don't say anything else and I feel relieved when she makes a move and stands up. "I think we're done here."

I nod my head and walk her to the door. "Thank you for coming by, I appreciate it." She looks at me strangely and I explain myself. "Elena doesn't exactly have anyone on her side on this, so it's nice to know that she at least has you." I conclude.

Jenna doesn't say anything, instead she takes a step outside to leave and I'm about to close the door when she turns around and looks at me sternly.

"Damon? One more thing," I tilt my head slightly and wait for her to go on. "Do not get my teenage niece drunk again, you hear me?" she warns me before turning back around and leaving and I don't know if I'm imagining it or if my eyes are still bleary but I swear that I saw a hint of a smile on her face.

I close the door and lean back against it, letting out a loud deep breath and closing my eyes.

That could have gone a hell of a lot worse.

"Knock, knock."

"Fuck," I curse under my breath. "Just a second!" I call out before quickly shutting my bedroom window and kicking my overnight bag underneath my bed; I unzip my jacket and throw it onto the floor before hurriedly sliding off my shoes. "Come in."

I look up just in time to see my Dad step inside with a small smile on his face and I feel a sense of panic cross through me for a split second while I walk around my bed and approach him.

"Hey Daddy," I smile. "Do you need anything?"

"I just thought I'd come and say goodnight, I realize I haven't been around as much these past couple of weeks."

I hide my cringe as I think about it.

Only a couple of short days after Damon and I got back together, the conclusion of Giuseppe's trial came to a head and much to the horror and shock of my Dad, Giuseppe was found not guilty by the judge and jury, being let off the hook completely scot-free, with not even a fine to his name.

My Dad is convinced that there was some sort of bribery or blackmail that happened, because there is no way in hell that with all the evidence collected and my statement about the tunnels that Giuseppe would have gotten away with it without at least some sort of punishment, even just a small one.

I asked Damon about it, and his reluctance to answer and talk about it only confirmed my Dad's suspicions.

But of course, I'm not going to tell him that.

Ever since the trial my Dad has worked almost 24 hours a day to try to prove that something illegal went down during the trial, whether it was between the Salvatore's and the jury or if it had something to do with the judge, either way, he is determined to find something.

But so far, he has found absolutely nothing.

"It's ok, I understand." I tell him sweetly and watch as he runs a hand through his dark hair and I don't miss the tired look in his eyes.

"It's just frustrating, you know? I had Giuseppe right where I needed him, I was so close to getting him sent down and within the space of one day it all flipped over and I lost the case." He shakes his head. "That family win, yet again."

I stay silent, knowing that what I am doing in my life right now isn't exactly helping to ease off the tension between both families.

"I'm sure you'll find something on him soon enough, Dad." I offer with somewhat reluctance.

He laughs coldly and falls onto my bed, staring down at his hands. "Maybe. Maybe not. It's the money, Elena," he looks up at me. "They have so much, most of it probably illegally earned, and it's a sad sad world when money really can buy you anything, when it can buy your freedom when you don't deserve to have it."

"You still think they've bribed the jury?"

"Oh I know they have." He confirms. "But I've worked my butt off to find even a shred of proof and there's nothing."

"So what next?" I ask curiously.

He shakes his head. "I'll go back to the drawing board, I'll find something to get at least one of them sent down and this time I will make sure it is something that not even money can fix." I gulp nervously at his words and stay silent and watch as he smiles before letting out a dry laugh. "Sorry darling, I didn't mean to rant at you about this."

"It's ok." I force a smile. "Sometimes it helps to just hash things out."

"You know, sometimes I forget how lucky I am to have a daughter like you." He grins and I feel a small pit of guilt sink in my stomach as he stands up and presses a kiss to my cheek. "You're no trouble at all, I need to remind myself of what is important sometimes." He smiles slightly. "I love you darling."

"Love you too Daddy." I smile as he rubs my arm soothingly for a moment before heading back towards my door and I clench my eyes shut for a second before turning around, my fake smile back to being plastered on my face.

"Oh you're popular tonight," my Dad chuckles just as he passes Jenna on his way out and judging from the look on her face she heard at least the last part of that conversation.

I let out a forced laugh and watch as he leaves, Jenna saying something to him before stepping further into my room and closing the door behind him.

I watch her for a moment before sighing. "Now is it my turn for the talk?" I ask in annoyance, still not happy about her visit this morning to my boyfriend.

"So Damon told you about that, huh?"

"Of course he told me." I snap at her angrily. "I told you not to go over there!" I hiss, trying to keep my voice down.

"I just had to make sure that his intentions were pure," she defends herself. "I managed to keep my mouth shut for the past month but I couldn't hold it in anymore, I needed to make sure that your heart wasn't going to be broken again."

"I get that you were looking out for me, but it's too risky for you to go over there!"

"But you seem to be able to go round to his apartment whenever you want?" she tells me raised eyebrows and I roll my eyes.

"I don't go over unannounced, it's too dangerous."

"No, you just go over to get drunk, right?" she challenges me and I sigh.

Damon told me about the state of the apartment when Jenna arrived this morning.

I think briefly back to last night, and how Damon and I, alongside Klaus, Will and one of Will's friends spent the night drinking into an oblivion and up until the point where I could barely see straight.

To say I wasn't feeling human this morning would be an understatement.

"Don't look at me like that, the whole town knows all about your party girl days." I roll my eyes as I pull out my phone to send Damon a quick text to say I've been held up.

"Hey I get it, you're a teenager, you're going to have fun and drink alcohol and see boys." She says casually. "But there's that, and then there's what you're doing."

"You're starting to sound like a broken record." I send her a glare over my shoulder and she sighs loudly.

"Trust me, I know." She scoffs slightly. "But someone needs to look out for you in all of this."

"I'm happy, Jenna!" I swing around to face her. "Damon and I are in a really good place, in fact, we've never been happier." I tell her genuinely and it's the truth.

Ever since we got Katherine out of our lives things between us have been going great, we are still extra careful in how we act around each other in public and I always make sure to cover my face when going to Damon's apartment now too, just in case. We've been careful, but most importantly, we've been having fun.

I'm happy.

"Have you thought about maybe telling your friends about him?" she asks curiously and I frown.

"No." I look at her like she's insane. "Why on earth would I do that?"

"I don't know Elena, to be able to talk to someone about him? To stop lying to at least one more person in your life?"

I stay silent and continue to fiddle with my phone because I know what this really is about and why Jenna is really here.

It isn't so much about Damon anymore, but more about me and how easily I've been lying to everyone. I know it shocked her when I told her that I don't feel guilty about cheating on Matt, I know it shocked her when I told her that I no longer feel as much guilt as I used to about lying to my family and that I easily made up a story about some guy from Richmond that I am secretly dating to my friends.

But what does she expect? Because feeling guilt would mean that what Damon and me are doing is wrong, and it sure as hell isn't wrong.

This whole thing is merely a case of circumstance, because if Damon wasn't a Salvatore or if I wasn't a Gilbert then there wouldn't really be a problem here. I wouldn't have to lie, I wouldn't have to keep secrets and I sure as hell wouldn't have to convince my aunt about how I'm not an awful person just because I don't feel guilty about doing something that I need to do so I can be with the man I love.

"Caroline hates Damon and Bonnie just wouldn't understand." I tell her honestly because that is the truth. "If I tell them, Caroline will tell someone and Bonnie will just try to guilt trip me. I don't need any of that, and I don't need you either to tell me things I already know." I stress. "I didn't tell you so you could judge me, ok? I told you because I trust you and I thought that despite being my aunt, you were also my friend."

"I am your friend, Elena." She sighs loudly. "You're missing my point."

"I'm not." I argue. "Please, I don't want to discuss this anymore with you. I know what I'm doing."

She doesn't look convinced but she gives in anyway, holding her hands up in a defense position before heading back towards my closed bedroom door.

"Ok, Elena, but just know that I'm not doing this to judge you or hurt you, I'm doing this because I love you, and I want to protect you."

"I know, Jenna." I admit. "But you don't need to."

We leave it at that, and I wonder if this really will be the last of it. I know that she's concerned; I know that her intentions are in the right place but it's just not helping me.

"Remind me again why we're going to this thing?" Stefan mutters coldly as we all climb out of my Dad's Mercedes.

"I told you son, we need to show our face as a family." Giuseppe tells him sternly as he holds out his arm for Marie to take. I roll my eyes slightly and tug on my tie which is choking me, already dying to change out of these clothes.

Stefan looks just as uncomfortable as I do as we walk across the gravelled path of the Lockwood estate.

"But the Mayor hates you." Stefan points out.

"But he also has to pretend that he doesn't, I am part of the founders council whether he likes me or not. Which is why we all need to be here."

"Come on Stefan, it'll be fun." Marie tells him lightly with a smile.

"Oh I doubt that." I murmur under my breath. I can't think of anything worse than having to mingle with these people. They are all fake and conservative and not a single one cares about anything past appearances.

But one of Giuseppe's rules is that both me and Stefan need to attend one of these awful parties at least four times throughout the year, and considering they have these things on almost a monthly basis I say we got off lightly.

Besides, I know that Elena is going to be here, so at least there's that.

Not that I'd even be able to talk to her but I guess it'll be nice to see her at least.

I stand back as my Dad and Marie greets the Mayor and his wife with false pleasantries, both sets of families wearing a perfect set of fake smiles and if you weren't from this town then you probably really wouldn't know that they actually hate each other.

Like I said, it's all about appearances.

I sigh as they step inside, patting my jacket before pulling out my flask and taking a chug. Stefan turns around to face me and scoffs and I shrug before holding it out for him.

He stares at it for a moment before scowling. "No thanks."

I sigh loudly. "You still mad at me? How many times do I need to tell you that Katherine was lying?"

"I believe you, Damon." He mutters coldly but his tone says otherwise.

"Ok then, so why are you still pissed for then?"

"Because of your bullshit story about why she lied," he tells me pointedly. "I'm not stupid and if you really believe that you could have gotten away with telling me that Katherine was blackmailing you over a photo of you dealing then you really must take me for a fool."

I roll my eyes. "I don't think you're a fool, brother."

I think he's an idiot.

"So then why the fake story? I know you and there is no way in hell that you would allow Katherine to blackmail you over something so small."

"Small? Do I need to remind you the timing of this occurrence? It was right about the time of Dad's trial, I was trying to keep a low profile and the last thing I needed was that psychotic bitch running around telling tales on me!"

"You wanna know what I think?" he walks down the two steps of the porch so we are toe to toe.

"Sure, let's hear your next conspiracy theory baby bro." I roll my eyes in a mocking tone.

"I think that she did blackmail you, and I think that it was something which you don't care to ever tell me about, because whatever it is had you bowing down to Katherine Pierce, a girl you hate and would normally shove aside without even batting an eyelid, which makes me believe that this was something a lot bigger and serious than one measly back alley drug deal."

I shrug, trying to stay as casual and calm as I can. "That's your opinion."

"No." he takes a step back and starts to walk back up the porch steps. "That's the truth," he looks at me over his shoulder. "Don't worry about it, brother, you got away with it, right?"

I stare at him, unsure of his intentions and whether he is going to actually leave this alone. Since I now had one major secret pulled over Katherine, I figured that I had the freedom to tell Stefan the truth about the two of us supposedly sleeping together.

He eventually believed me, and he forgave me for it but this little conversation has proved that he isn't exactly over the incident just yet.

"I'm here, aren't I?" I decide to keep my answer vague and he chuckles slightly before nodding his head, he stares at me for another short moment before walking inside and I let out a breath I wasn't aware that I was holding in.

"Well that seemed intense."

I swing around and smirk when I see Elena approaching me; alone I might add, with a curious look on her face and I make a mental note of the way her black dress hugs her curves perfectly.

"Baby brother gets his knickers in a twist easily." I muse, briefly glancing over my shoulder, thankful to see that the doors are shut to the Lockwood mansion and there is no one around.

"He still mad at you about what Katherine told him?" she asks while getting closer, and I don't miss the way her eyes scan the area just like me, always cautious and aware of our surroundings.

We're becoming better at this whole discreet thing.

"Yeah but he'll get over it." I comment and hold out my flask. "Want some before entering the lion's den?"

She smirks amused for a moment but takes it anyway. "I thought my Aunt Jenna already warned you off giving me alcohol, you know, since I'm underage and all." She smirks before taking a very large swig of it.

"Hey don't drink the whole lot, Gilbert!" I mockingly scold her. "And she did warn me, but when the hell did I ever listen to anything a Gilbert says?" I wink at her purposefully and she rolls her eyes.

"Ha. Ha."

"Why are you here alone anyway? Where's the rest of your ever so pleasant family?"

"Already inside, cheer practice was running late today so I told them I'd meet them here." she explains with a naughty smirk.

"Cheer practice huh?" I chuckle. "I hope you got a good work out."

"Oh I did." She grins before handing me the flask back. "It was a very flexible session."

"I'm sure it was."

And I just know that it was too.

Elena quit the squad two weeks ago, mostly because she hated the damn sport and only took part in it because of Caroline and her Mom, but it was making her miserable and I finally convinced her that she could make better use of her time for two hours after school three days a week.

Like you know…spending time with me…in my bed…putting those flexible moves that cheerleading taught her to good use.

Elena's parents still believe that she's on the squad though, and so we have the perfect cover story to spend time together during reasonable hours of the day before she has to resort to sneaking out of her bedroom window when it goes dark outside.

However before either of us can say anything else we are both interrupted by the sound of the door opening and I take a clear step back, my face changing into an instant automatic scowl as Elena's does one to match the same, I look up just in time to see Carol Lockwood staring at us with a mixture of confusion and cautiousness on her face.

"Elena darling, I thought I heard voices." She smiles politely, not even acknowledging my existence.

"Hi Mrs Lockwood," Elena replies sweetly before turning back to face me with a glare that she acts out so well. "Do not talk to me again, Salvatore." She spits out coldly.

"Oh don't you worry about that, Gilbert." I reply, my tone just as harsh.

Elena ignores me and walks up towards the steps where Carol is waiting for her, I watch trying to hide my amusement as she offers Elena a sympathetic smile, clearly because of her having to be in my company for more than five seconds before ushering her inside, she then turns back to face me, a cold hard scowl on her face.

"Are you coming inside Damon or are you just going to stand out here and harass my guests all evening?"

I chuckle lightly and make sure that my flask is securely stored in the inside of my suit jacket before jogging up the steps and walking inside, ignoring the glares that Carol is sending me before my eyes immediately scan the party.

It doesn't take me long to spot Elena again, she is standing beside her Mom while she converses with one of the older Fell girls and she looks bored out of her mind already. Her head tilts to the side slightly and her eyes find mind and I can't help but risk a wink, she bites on her bottom lip to hide her smile before looking away again and I sigh loudly before wondering further into the parlor.

I ignore Mason's small taunt of a greeting as I pass him, knowing that he isn't worth my time and if I do let him rile me up then I may end up spilling a secret about a daughter of his that was born not so long ago and then I would completely blow my leverage that I have on Katherine.

I spot Giuseppe and Marie speaking to Klaus' parents and I grunt in annoyance that my best friend wasn't forced into attending this damn event like I was. That's another reason to need a drink and I discreetly turn to face the wall before taking a swig of my whiskey.

"Tut tut, young Salvatore." I roll my eyes in amusement as my Uncle Zach approaches me with a smirk and pulls the flask from my hands before I can argue and takes a long drink from it himself. "Underage drinking at a founder's event? Scandalous! You do know that the Sheriff and Detective Gilbert are here, right?"

"Are you going to tell on me?" I chuckle and lean against the wall behind me.

"Only if you don't share," he grins.

"I don't think you'd give me the choice."

"You think correctly."

I sigh loudly and scan the crowds of pompous assholes with my eyes. "I didn't expect to see you tonight; Giuseppe never mentioned you'd be here."

"Yeah well you know me, I never miss an opportunity to get under Gilbert's skin," he smirks proudly. "I already got one threat out of him this evening, I intend for at least two more."

I laugh and shake my head. "You are unbelievable; you do realize that you are just giving him more incentive to come after us, right?"

"Oh come on," he scoffs in amusement. "The man would come after us regardless of what I say; he's still pissed for that little tunnel mishap." He smirks and I roll my eyes, knowing that Grayson has every reason to be pissed.

My Dad and uncle bribed the whole jury twice over to not only find him not guilty, but to keep their mouths shut about it too.

The judge may just also happen to owe my father a few hundred thousand dollars in old gambling debts from the early 90s which have now been miraculously written off.

"You can't blame the man for being pissed; we well and truly screwed him over."

"Whoa careful there Damon, it almost sounds like you feel sorry for him."

"Oh please!" I scoff, because no matter my feelings for Elena, there is one thing I can be sure of and that's how much I really dislike her father.

"Speaking of…" he murmurs under his breath and I turn my head just in time to see Grayson walking past a few feet away, his conservative wife by his side.

"Evening Detective," Zach calls out with a smirk. "Hope you're having a nice night." And I chuckle loudly and smirk as we catch eyes.

It's then that I notice Elena trailing behind and she tenses slightly when she realizes what is happening.

"You're looking as beautiful as ever Miranda, as is your daughter. How old are you now Elena? You're over 16, right?" he questions and I clench my fists tightly by my side from the hinting meaning in his tone.

"Don't you dare even look at her!" Grayson takes the bait immediately, much to the pleasure of Zach.

"Daddy it's fine," Elena interrupts as Miranda tightens her grip on Grayson's arm. "Ignore him."

"Yeah Daddy, ignore me." Zach smirks and I look down at my shoes awkwardly.

"You may be able to stand there looking smug right now Salvatore but I am sure as hell going to wipe that ass like grin from your lips soon enough." He takes an intimidating step forward that causes me to look back up and I tense as Grayson's eyes move to me. "The two of you better be careful because I am coming for you all." He snarls coldly and there is so much hatred in his eyes that it actually takes me aback a little. "And when I do get you, and trust me I will, I will make sure the two of you, Giuseppe and that weasel youngest of yours never sees the outside of a prison cell for at least a lifetime." He snarls threateningly.

"Yeah you can try old man," Zach rolls his eyes coolly. "Walk away now before I really cause a scene."

Grayson glares at him angrily and I take the moment to glance briefly at Elena who looks a mix of awkward and concern and I quickly look away, glancing back at Zach and Grayson who are now stood toe to toe.

"Ah Detective, there you are!" George Lockwood approaches us and immediately wraps a casual arm around Grayson's shoulders but I know exactly what he is doing. "Come on, I've been meaning to show you something all evening." He pulls Grayson away before we gather the attention of the rest of the party and I feel relieved as he follows, Zach letting him go as Miranda scarpers after the pair.

Elena stills for a split second and catches my eye before she darts off too and I sigh loudly and shake my head.

"What game are you playing?" I ask Zach while trying to hide my annoyance from his earlier comments about Elena.

"None yet," he smirks at me. "Come on, let's get out of here."

"What? But I haven't even been here for an hour yet, if Giuseppe finds out I've go-"

"He'll do what?" Zach rolls his eyes and flings his arm around my shoulder and escorts me towards the main doors. "Forget your father, I'll deal with him. I need you to do a job for me."

"Tonight?" I groan in annoyance. "I'm not in the mood to go out dealing again Zach, and I'm not exactly dressed for the occasion." I motion to my expensive Armani suit.

"Don't worry kid, nothing like that." He chuckles as we step outside and head towards his car. "This is a hell of a lot more fun."

"Right." I frown a little unsure as I climb into his black BMW, I pull out my phone to see a new text from Elena asking why I left and if I'm ok and I send her a quick reply to make sure she knows that everything is fine.

What her Dad said didn't get to me.

I am confident enough to know that he will never find anything on our family anytime soon to send any of us down. The fraud charges were his only chance and he knows it.

If anything, Giuseppe getting away with a crime which he was so clearly guilty of just makes me feel more invincible.

The law doesn't control this town, the Salvatore's do.

"Tell me kid," Zach turns his head to face me as we come to a slow halt at a stop sign. "What are you scared of?"

"What am I scared of?" I frown confused, unsure of why he is asking me this.

"Yeah," he shrugs casually like it's a normal question.

"Nothing." I frown.

Well, that's not true. I'm scared of losing Elena, but Zach obviously doesn't need to know that.

I look out ahead of me for a moment. "I'm not scared of anything."

"Good." He smirks and starts to drive again. "Me either."

"Hey stranger!" I look up just in time to see Mason approaching me with a small smile on his face. "I was hoping I would see you here tonight."

"Yeah well where else would I be? It is a founder's family event…and I am a Gilbert," I offer with a fake smile, trying to keep the sarcasm out of my tone.

"Didn't stop you from missing the past…hmm…four? Five?" he raises his eyebrow at me.

"You counted?"

"It's not hard to notice when you are usually the most beautiful girl in the room," he grins and I let out a small uncomfortable laugh.

Great, so we're back to this?

"Speaking of…" he stuffs his hands deep into his pockets nervously. "We never did have that second date."

Crap. I was hoping he would have forgotten about that, clearly wishful thinking on my part.

"Um…" I look up at him with a slight grimace. "I'm not sure that's a good idea."

He sighs loudly and looks away for a moment. "I figured you'd lost interest, but I was still kind of hoping maybe I could change your mind?"

I shake my head apologetically. "I'm not really looking to date anyone right now."

He nods his head slowly and forces a small smile. "Ok that's cool," he clears his throat. "We can still be friends though, right?"

"Yeah of course." I smile back even though I don't really mean it because there is one thing I know and that is that Damon will not be happy if I suddenly start hanging out with Mason, even just as friends.

Besides, there's also that other small thing about me knowing about Mason's illegitimate daughter, a child that Mason himself doesn't even know exists, and that is something that I might actually start to feel guilt for if Mason and I suddenly start shopping in the mall together.

"Elena, there you are!" Caroline smiles widely at me and I look at her confused, I was just talking to her like ten minutes ago. "I've been looking for you everywhere! Hi Mase," she briefly greets her boyfriend's cousin. "Sorry but I am going to have to steal Elena for a moment, girl drama." She pulls me away before he can even protest and I can't help but feel relieved.

"Thank you," I smile at her gratefully as we walk out of the main room and into the quieter parlor.

"You looked like you needed saving," she laughs slightly. "Which is a shame, because I do still think you two would look adorable together and can you just imagine the double dates!"

"Caroline-"

"I know, I know!" she waves me off and rolls her eyes. "You're still all starry-eyed over that mystery guy from Richmond, who I have still yet to see proof that he even exists Elena!" she sounds frustrated but not in a negative way. "Not even a photo! Do you know how selfish you are being, I want to see the guy who stole you away from us all!"

I laugh slightly and push some fallen hair from my face. "I told you Care, he's shy."

"Urgh." She groans in annoyance. "You've been dating him for months now, and I don't even know his name!"

I smile slightly because she's right, I've been extra careful in making sure that I don't give Damon a fake name, because I know that as soon as I do that it really will be like I am creating this fake person to replace Damon with, and I don't want to do that.

I want to be able to tell my friends about Damon without having to pretend that he's someone who he's not.

It's an impossible situation to be in, which is why I am purposely being as vague as possible about this.

"I'm not going to tell you his name," I tell her pointedly with an amused smile. "Because I know what you are like Caroline Forbes and the second I do you will already be searching for him through Google or Facebook and getting your Mom to do background checks."

"I just think it's weird that's all, I mean I understood when you were hiding it when you and Matt just broke up, but it's been months now and Matt isn't even upset with you anymore! He's moved on, you've clearly moved on, so what's the problem?" she practically pleads with me and I sigh loudly.

"Caroline please, I have my reasons, ok?"

"He's not married is he?" she asks with a grimace.

"No!"

"Ugly?"

"Definitely not!" I giggle slightly.

"Oh my god!" she gasps. "He's not a convict is he? Ew please tell me you don't give him conjugal visits!"

"No!" I laugh and also a little horrified. "Jesus Caroline, he is not in prison!" I shake my head and try to slow down her conspiracy theories. "He's just a normal guy, ok?"

"Yeah right," she scoffs. "If he was normal you wouldn't be hiding him from us."

I roll my eyes slightly. "Look Caroline, I have my reasons, please just…leave it for now?"

She stares at me long and hard before letting out a loud sigh. "Ok fine, I'll let you continue your little mysterious fling or whatever the hell it is, it's clearly making you happy," she offers with a small smile but then frowns for a moment. "Even though I know he is the reason you quit the squad, and not because of you being distracted with schoolwork like you claim." I cringe slightly but her frown soon changes to a smirk. "Wow, I am guessing the sex must really be good!"

"Caroline!" I gasp and shove her shoulder but I can't help the giggle that escapes my lips.

"Oh my god, it is, isn't it?" she grins excitedly.

"The best." I wink at her playfully and Caroline holds down her shriek.

"Damn girl!" she nudges me back light-heartedly. "I guess I shall allow this secret relationship of yours to run on a little longer."

"Thank you for your permission." I laugh and shake my head because it feels nice to say something like this out loud to my best friend.

"You are welcome!" Caroline winks at me before looping her arm through mine. "Now come on, we need to find this free buffet!"

"So where exactly are we going?" I ask Zach, noticing that we are moving further and further away from Mystic Falls.

"I just need to do a quick job, no biggie." Zach tells me casually. "We're almost there."

"A job for who?"

"It doesn't matter for who, Damon," he makes a turn and I frown when I see we are heading towards South Hill. "Don't worry; I'll give you a cut."

"It's not the money I care about, Zach." I mutter in annoyance. "It's this secrecy whenever you take me on jobs like this." I frown and Zach lets out a small laugh that just pisses me off more. "Why won't you tell me who you're working for?"

"Because if you know, then you're liable and they become your boss." He tells me seriously. "Trust me kid, I'm keeping you in the dark to protect you, the less you know about this the better."

I stay silent and look out the window at the dark streets that we drive through, wondering what the hell Zach has gotten himself into.

He pulls up into a street that looks somewhat familiar to me and he turns to face me before leaning over and opening the glove compartment, he pulls out something that I instantly recognize wrapped in blanket and unfolds it.

"You can take this." He holds out the handgun for me and I frown before sighing loudly and taking it.

"I don't have to use it, right?"

He rolls his eyes. "No. Like I told you all the other times, it's just for protection in case something goes wrong."

"And will something go wrong?" I ask skeptically.

"Not tonight. This is easy, trust me." He tells me while opening the door, quickly reaching into the back seat to pull out a backpack. "Come on."

I curse under my breath before getting out and following Zach down the street, holding the gun out in front of me before shoving it underneath my shirt out of sight.

"Where we goin?" I ask in annoyance once we've been walking for five minutes or so.

"Don't worry kid, we're almost there." He walks slightly ahead of me, looking as cool as cucumber with his backpack thrown casually over one shoulder. "I couldn't exactly leave my car parked outside our destination for anyone to see the registration could I?"

I suppose that is a good point.

However, as soon as we turn the corner I realize exactly where we are going.

"Oh no." I come to an immediate halt as I recognize the house we are stood outside of. The same house that I was at just two short days ago. "This is Will's place!"

"I thought you might recognize it." Zach chuckles as we stop outside of it. "Come on kid, don't take this personal this is just business."

"Don't take this personal?!" I look at him in disbelief. "He works for you! He's a…a friend!"

Zach rolls his eyes. "You don't have friends in this business, Damon, just loyalty. Now stop talking and keep watch will you!" He drops the bag to the floor before unzipping it and I look at him anxiously as he slides on some black leather gloves before he pulls out a large bottle of vodka.

"What are you doing?" I ask confused, looking around the dark street but he doesn't need to say anything when he brings out a short cloth afterwards and shoves it through the now open vodka bottle.

"Zach!" I hiss at him in disbelief. "Are you out of your mind!" he ignores me, instead stands up and pulls a lighter out of his pocket. "Zach!"

"Shut up!" he hisses at me angrily, briefly looking at me over his shoulder.

"What if he's inside?!" I ask in panic, my heart pounding quickly against my chest as I look around anxiously.

Zach pauses and looks at me for a long hard second and I swear that in this moment time stands still.

"Then he's inside." He says simply before turning back around and lighting the cloth before throwing the bottle through the window.

I stand frozen as the glass shatters and the bottle falls inside and it doesn't take long for the flames to erupt and I instantly feel the heat against my cheeks.

Zach slowly turns around before picking up his backpack and swinging it back over his shoulder, he closes the distance between us and stares down at me, his eyes full of nothing, not guilt, not fear.

Just nothing.

His hand lands on my shoulder and he grips it tightly and I look up at him in disbelief, my instinct telling me to run in that place but I know it's too dangerous, especially if, hopefully, Will isn't inside.

Zach stares at me and time ticks on slowly as I hear the familiar sound of the fire destroying everything in its path in the background. His eyes look into my own, his eyes that are still full of nothing and I feel my gut clench as the next words fall out of his mouth.

"Now run, kid."

Hope you liked it!

As you have probably noticed, we are getting closer and closer to that all important date in the prologue!

Thanks for reading, don't forget to drop me a review! They literally make my day :)

Until next time!