A/N: So here we have it; finally we reach Miss Mystic Falls. This chapter is specially for Candy Momo and Itwillalwaysbedamon because I know they have been waiting for this one in particular. Thank you as ever to all of my other loyal reviewers. I sincerely hope I did this one justice! Review and let me know. Let's get on with it, shall we? – Oh right. I own nothing.

Miss Mystic Falls

"If you'd call me now baby
I'd come a running
I'm on call to
Be there"

So I'm getting started right away on my 'saving global crisis's' agenda. Honestly when did I become that guy? I have an inkling that it may have coincided with the moment I met Elena.

First on the agenda: Liz tells me that the local blood banks have been 'compromised' or to translate: tomb-vamps stole blood from Mystic Falls General. Uncle John Gilbert interrupts to tell me that the vampire used 'mind-control' to cover their tracks. Yeah I got that – thanks.

"We wouldn't have noticed if John hadn't alerted us to recent discrepancies at other blood banks in the county" – well how very fortunate we have John.

"Why don't Damon and I put our heads together and track down whoever's doing this?" Oh man you've got to be kidding me! What does he want? I really just want to kill this dick.

Get home to have a nice relaxing drink before challenging whatever problem crops up next and Annabel's here. On 'behalf' of her mother, apparently she's sorry about what happened to Stef. Uh-huh I'm sure she's devastated. Well why isn't she here then?

"She doesn't really do apologies" – funny coincidence that because I don't really do forgiveness so just go away. And stop robbing the blood bank dry while you're at it. However; it wasn't her, and the tomb-vamps are gone. So who stole the blood? I have my suspicions but I don't like them – at all.

Stefan's back – time to find out if my spidey-senses are still in full working order. He's been awfully upbeat recently – less of the brooding martyr Stefan we all know and love.

"And you think it's because I drank human blood again" – no I don't think. I know. "I hate to burst your bubble but I'm clean" – Lying. He's Lying. I know my brother – have you met him? The poster child for Prozac and I know when he's lying. I'll get to the bottom of this, should have known he wouldn't just admit it to my face.

Ah-hah – he's going to the basement. Silent creeping up behind Stefan powers activate. I knew it. He's got a fridge full of contraband down here – "well well – he's a liar and a thief" – caught ya!

"I have it under control" – really? You've never had it under control brother. Hmmm. "What's Elena thing about the new you?" – "Nothing's changed. I'm still the same person" – Um. Are you sure? Have you looked at yourself recently? – "Elena doesn't need to know anything yet" – and there we have it – he hasn't told her.

That is concerning for more than one reason. Stef's been off the human stuff for years. That makes him, unstable...or more so than he already is anyway. Edgy...volatile...being around Elena as well...if her blood calls to me I can't imagine what it would be like for Stefan so yes...concerning.

So I offer him my help which is of course automatically turned down.

"I know that it pains you to see this but I'm fine. So please, do me a favour and back off" Fuck. I don't like this. Not one itty bitty bit. Should I tell Elena? Will she understand...hold that thought Uncle John Gilbert's at the door.

"You haven't returned any of my calls" – yeah most people would take that as a hint. Leave me alone. "Isobel and I share a mutual interest" – Elena?

Or. Not.

An invention that was stolen by a vampire – the compass? No. Elena's family had that. What is it then?

"The only thing that matters is that I want it back and you're going to help me if you want your secret safe" – god I hate being told what to do and I hate this man. What does he expect me to do anyway? I don't even know what he's talking about much less who has the damn thing.

"You were around back then...her name was Pearl" – wait...what? No. Get out Uncle John Gilbert.

"I'm not playing anymore" Out "I only entertained this...I thought you and Isobel could lead me to Katherine but see now I know you have no idea where Katherine is because if you did then you would know that Katherine and Pearl were best friends" – now get out of the house before I do pull some high speed vampire steal ring kill move. Asshole.

It's the Miss Mystic Falls competition and I've decided to talk to Anna about this invention thing. I don't know what it is but I do know that I don't want Uncle John Gilbert to have it. "I could ask her but you've made it pretty clear that you don't trust us to why should I even bother" – ugh! Why can't anything be simple – ask her because you want to stay here and that's proving...difficult with Uncle John Gilbert still alive and kicking in town.

Next on the agenda; I've also decided that I need to come clean to Elena about Stef being back on the human stuff. It's probably not the best timing in the world but I'm worried about her so I need her to know. Maybe she can encourage Stefan to go back on the bunny died. Wow. I can't believe I actually want him back on the bunny diet. But I definitely don't like him being around Elena or this town when he's not in control. Which he's not...like...ever.

I think I gave Elena a fright...oops. "Hey – you can't be back here" – yeah well. It's important, we need to talk.

"Does it have to be right now?" Yep. "Normally I would have a completely different outlook on what I'm about to tell you but since it can really inconvenience me I'll...squeal" Yeah. That's the reason.

"Stefan's still drinking human blood" – and shock. Yeah.

"He has a fridge full of stolen blood bank contraband in the house" – oh shit. She's gone all...pasty. She's not gonna pass out is she?

"I can't believe this...it's Stefan that we're talking about here" – We've moved into the denial stage I see. I need to make this clearer because she is in danger. "Stefan on human blood – he'll do anything, say anything because he's not gonna want to stop" and now we're moving to the guilt stage.

"This is my fault – I'm the one who fed him the blood in the first place" – wow, so wrong. I'm about to tell her so but busted! Stefan's here. I feel a little bad but I had to tell her. She's not safe. O-kay – I'm just gonna...go...drink now.

I move to watch Elena being introduced, where the hell is Stefan? How could he just...abandon her? What happened?

Oh god – I'm going to have to do it. I can't not do it – and I'm moving. I'm doing it – wow. She looks...wow. I don't think I've ever seen someone as beautiful as she is in this moment; she looks like an angel as she descends the stairs. Good thing I know this dance.

"What are we gonna do" she whispers at me "right now we just have to get through this" in more ways than one.

Something changes the minute we raise our hands and begin the dance; I couldn't stop this if I wanted to. Her eyes are blazing into mine and they are filled with fire, for a second I'm unbearably grateful that Stefan abandoned her and then I lose all thoughts of my brother altogether and I'm consumed by Elena.

She's got this playful little smile on her face and there's electricity crackling between us and this near-touch is agony. I want to hold her in my arms, I need to hold her in my arms, and then she's there. And I'm holding her. Elena. God please, please don't let this ever end.

I don't know what's happening to me – I don't understand how I feel and not for the first time I wish that I could read her mind.

But then she gets that smile again, a little less playful this time but every bit as intense and surely she must be enjoying this – okay probably not as much as I am – but at least a little. My entire being feels like it's on fire. It's like I'm burning but only in a good way – in the best of ways. And maybe she feels that too.

And then it's over and the spell is broken. She holds on to me for a fraction too long and then she's gone and I feel...lost. Like she took a piece of me with her; please come back. She's slightly breathless and now that I'm focusing I can hear her heart beating furiously.

Wow. That was...intense...I don't even...I need some time to process what just happened to me but apparently I'm not going to get it because my dear baby brother is out doing...something to...someone and now I need to do damage control.

Elena finds me right as I go searching for her; that Amber girl is missing and I hear her scream as we leave the house with Bonnie behind us. Elena tries to run in front of me but I get ahead of her and push her back gently. Let's not ruin that beautiful dress with your blood okay?

Ugh. Stefan pushes me and I go flying – I forget that he's stronger on the human stuff. Still not as strong as me though.

"Stefan. Stop it!" Elena cries out as Stefan comes towards me and then he's clutching his head and falling to the ground which I assume is the witches doing although I'm fine. I guess she's been practicing. Stefan's upset when Bonnie stops brain-whammying him and I try to reassure him but he just runs away. Right. Perfect.

Okay – damage control – a little compulsion and Amber is all taken care of. Liz comes and sends the girls back to the party and now I need to figure out what to do with Stefan.

I'm just arriving home to deal with my brother but Anna and Pearl are here to 'talk' well I am not in the mood. Today has been a no good very bad day; except for the dance...that was a highlight in an otherwise terrible day...but Pearl goes on about the invention – she's giving it to me, not that she knows what it is either but at least I've got it now. All the better for keeping it away from Uncle John Gilbert. She says to consider it an apology so I will.

It's Elena who comes up with the plan to lock Stefan up. Even still I'm at the bottom of the stairs and I'll be there in a second if – I hear a crash and I'm almost there but I can hear them talking so I wait. I walk up when I hear Stef fall to the ground. I don't much like this but it is a good plan. Clever girl. I ask her is she's sure about it – I mean we could maybe come up with something else but she's sure – such strength in this girl.

I lock Stefan in the cellar – there's a little bit of revenge in that but honestly I don't have energy to care about that right now. I don't even know if this will work. I go to leave "you coming?" – "I'm gonna stay here" – well okay then.

I sink down the dirty ground on the opposite side of her and we sit in silence, finally giving me the time to think about what the hell actually happened today.

Dear Diary
Today has just been...wow. But first – Damon came and told me that Stefan is still drinking human blood – he said he was going to tell me and that the blood doesn't change anything – but it changed him. Apparently we've gone 2 steps back in our relationship – we're back to the lying phase.

"So you and Damon have everything figured out then?" – Why does he always try and make it about Damon? It's not about Damon...well maybe it's a little about Damon – he always tells me the truth. Stefan attacked Amber Bradley – she's okay but I knew that we had to do something, we can't just let him go around attacking people – so I came up with the plan to lock him up in the cellar until the human blood is out of his system and he gets back to normal. I hate having to do it but we have to help him.

Today was the Miss Mystic Falls pageant, Stefan was supposed to be my escort but when I walked down he was nowhere to be found. God I was so humiliated and then...Damon was there. He took Stefan's place. Thank god – I'd have never lived it down if I'd been abandoned at Miss Mystic. You know I always wondered if Damon just sees Katherine when he looks at me – but today – no – always I think – he sees me. I don't think he's ever seen Katherine. He looked at me like I was angel.

When Damon took my hand – god it was like I was on fire. And then when we danced, it was so different from how it is dancing with Stefan – I felt like everywhere he touched me I was burning – there was all this...electricity...it took my breath away and to be honest when it ended I just wanted to do it all over again. I wanted it to go on forever...for a minute.

But then I remembered who I am and where I was and who I'm WITH and all thoughts of Damon flew out of my head. I think it's just that I was...caught up in the moment, in the dance, in Damon's eyes – honestly I feel like they're compelling me even though he's not, and in my anger at Stefan for lying and deserting me. I'm grateful to Damon and it just made me...more...susceptible to things I'm not ready to feel I guess.
Elena