A/N: A wild update appears! Yes, surprise! Hahaha. I know I said I wasn't going to update this until I managed to update "Second Chances" but it's just taking me a very long time and since I'm soon going on vacation I felt bad. So here is just a short one to answer a few of your most pressing questions and tide you over since it'll still be a while before I get back to continuing this in any serious fashion. Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed last time! I guess most of you enjoyed our couple's one-on-one time ;) Please let me know what you think of this.

P.S.: TVD still doesn't belong to me, I pray for it every night though ;)

The thirteenth chapter, in which someone finds out about a certain secret romance

Elena's head was reeling. What was he doing here? Why did he come here in the middle of the night? And how in God's name was she supposed to explain this to him? And did she even want to?

"Where the hell is everybody?" she heard him shout through the wooden walls, accompanied by his heavy steps, pacing the length of the living room.

"Elena?" She was pulled back into her own body by Damon's soft voice in front of her. She had to have been looking at him with panicked eyes. She could tell from the concern she saw in his. "Get dressed," he said, handing her a white bathrobe. She saw that he had slung a towel around his waist, with the wet hair looking like he just stepped out of the shower.

She jumped off the bed and frantically searched for her bra on the floor, grabbing the wet cloth with shaking hands and wrapping it around her body, the freezing sensation on her skin complementing the ice she felt running through her veins.

"Listen," he said. He looked at her intently, making sure she was with him, listening to what he was telling her, not losing her head, like she was about to. "You're going to climb out the window and have Bonnie let you in through hers, okay?"

"What? I can't…" she was close to tears now, hectically wrapping the bathrobe around her shivering body.

"Yes you can," he reassured her, softly guiding her towards the window. She was shaking her head frantically.

"Mr. Salvatore! Miss Bennett!" she heard her husband call outside and winced, tears threatening to shoot into her eyes.

"What'll she think?" she asked, pleading with her eyes, as Damon was already opening the window.

"It doesn't matter what she thinks. None of that matters, okay? We just need to find out what's going on and then we'll figure the rest out later."

Elena nodded and turned towards the window, only to be stopped by a gentle "Hey," from behind her. She turned around again and was instantly met by his soft lips against hers. She could feel her anxiety drain away from her instantly, inexplicably reassured, as warm confidence started to flow through her body. The kiss only lasted a second, barely long enough to evoke a sense of connection, before Damon let her go and walked towards the door, disappearing through it before Elena had fully regained her bearings.

"Mr. Lockwood," she could hear him say, muffled by the closed door. "What's going on?" Before she could hear what her husband would answer, Elena had climbed out of the window and crept towards the one next-door. As the cool wind whipped into her hair and made her shiver in her wet underwear, Elena realized that she had never felt more horrible in her life. She had cheated on her husband. Even though she hadn't slept with Damon, that was really only a technicality at this point. She was standing outside a window, sneaking through the night in her underwear, the way only slutty college students in movies should ever do, and she did feel humiliated at the thought of knocking on her trainer's window. So humiliated, it made her stomach lurch. All this, however, did not make her regret what had happened. For not even an hour, everything had felt right in the world and if this was to be her punishment for having felt that happy at least once, she would take it, as long as she could cherish the memory forever.

She reached the window of the neighboring room and knocked on it nervously, just as she saw Bonnie approach the door to head out into the hallway as well. The female bodyguard turned around alarmed, her hand already on the weapon in the holster on her hip. Then all color drained from her face, as she realized who it was who was knocking on her window and what this had to signify. She rushed to the window and opened it, helping her shivering boss into the warmed room.

"God, I knew it," the girl said, more resigned than accusing. Elena pulled the robe tighter around her body and looked guiltily to the floor. Bonnie only eyed her for a second before pulling her sweater over her head and then stepping out of her jeans.

"What are you doing?" Elena asked, utterly confused.

Bonnie threw her a huffy look while putting on her own bathrobe and walking into the bathroom, where she turned on the tab and – to Elena's shock – stuck her head under the running water for a second, rinsing her hair and then drying it off quickly with a towel before walking back into the bedroom, where Elena was standing, gaping at her. "Well, I guess we took a midnight swim and are now having a girl's night, aren't we?" she asked, cocking her head to her side, eyeing Elena with a challenging look.

She only nodded and a forgiving and complicit smile crooked up the side of her new friend's mouth. "Well," she said, "let's go see what this uproar is all about." And with that she turned around and headed towards the door, leaving a small trail behind, formed by water dripping from her hair.

As Elena stepped through the door behind Bonnie, her eyes immediately fell on the small group that had gathered in the living room. It was strange, seeing Mason again. It felt like a long time had passed, like her marriage with him was far away. But there he was, his presence dominating the living room, an almost angry expression on his face. Damon stood next to him, his hands resting on his hips, looking exhausted and, Elena thought, regretful. To her surprise, Tyler was with them, having apparently tagged along with Mason and Vicki had descended the stairs, ignoring the strained atmosphere and clinging to her husband's neck happily. Now the four of them were looking expectantly at the emerging pair. "Elena," Mason finally breathed out and rushed towards her, wrapping her in his arms.

"Mason," she returned, though more hesitantly. "What's going on?"

"We're going home," he said with finality, letting go of her.

"What?" Elena spat, almost jumping away from him. Her eyes shot towards Damon for a second who gave her a dark, sorrowful look. "No, we're safe here," she argued, desperately trying to hold on to her life on the beach.

"You're not," Mason replied, sounding almost regretful. He turned around and grabbed a folder from the sideboard, handing it to his wife. "This was slipped under our door this morning." With nervous fingers she opened the file and felt her heart drop. Inside was an array of photos: her and Vicki lying on the beach; her, Caroline and the kids building a sand castle; her running with Bonnie; her training with Damon. Tears shot into her eyes at the blurred image of Damon holding her from behind. The moment looked a lot more intimate through the telephoto lens than the exercise had been. He was teaching her how to escape by breaking his foot at that moment. But looking at the picture now, you might think he was whispering sweet nothings into her ear. And from the reaction her body had to the memory of feeling his skin pressed against hers, he might as well have been.

At the bottom of the thin pile of papers was another printed out note, "You think she is safe?" it read. "Think again."

Elena let her hand with the papers drop to her side and lifted tired eyes up to her husband's. "They were here," she said, not reacting as Bonnie took the folder from her hand to take a look at the images. Vicki leaned over her shoulder to take a look as well and a shrill scream escaped her throat at the first picture.

"Oh my God! They took a picture of me!" she exclaimed, waving the photo of her and Elena sunbathing in the air.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Lockwood." It was the first time Elena heard Damon's voice and it sounded almost defeated. "Mrs. Lockwood," he said, almost as an afterthought and the formality made her heart clench.

"Yeah well, it seems like this house really wasn't such a good idea after all, doesn't it?" Mason stated and Elena thought she heard satisfaction in his voice. "We're moving into the Plaza. I already cleared it with the authorities."

"Mr. Lockwood, a hotel is really inadv-" Damon started but was cut off by Mason immediately.

"We tried it your way, Mr. Salvatore, which, quite honestly, was a huge bust. So now we do it my way, alright?" Elena could tell that Damon had to bite his tongue, saw a vein pulsate in his neck, elevated by him clenching his jaw tightly. "Pumpkin, go pack your bags," he then said to her, though not looking in her direction. She felt bile rise up inside her but was too emotionally exhausted and overwhelmed to start an argument. Instead she walked up the stairs without another word.

Elena dressed in the dark, packed her bags in the dark, roused her children in the dark and forewent breakfast in the dark, having lost her appetite. When the cars were packed and ready to go, the sun was just about to rise on the horizon. Elena threw one last glance behind her at the rose color tinting the dark sky, promising a new day, before turning her back to it and leaving it in the rearview mirror. By the time they had left the forest and were out on the open highway, clouds had gathered and turned all light into an indistinguishable shade of grey. Mason and Elena were driving alone in his car, as per Mason's request. Bonnie was driving ahead with Tyler and Vicki while Caroline and the children were riding with Damon in the car behind them.

"You could have called and warned us," Elena said into the silence.

"I tried calling. But no one answered," Mason returned, his voice hard. Elena didn't reply and only kept staring at the endlessly stretching fields outside her window. "Elena," Mason finally said and she could tell from his tone of voice that he had had to work up his nerve to address her this time and that what was to follow was not going to be pleasant.

"Yes?" she encouraged him nonetheless.

"That picture of you and Mr. Salvatore…" he let the sentence hang in the air.

"Yes?" she asked again, not wanting to have this conversation in which she would have to deny what had happened, while at the same time she wanted desperately to turn around and search his burning blue eyes through the windshield of the car behind them.

Mason took a deep breath, obviously annoyed that she made him voice his concerns. And he was concerned. She could hear the fear and the sorrow in his voice. "What were you doing?" she was surprised at how vulnerable he sounded.

"He was teaching me self-defense," she said. And she was glad she didn't have to lie to him. She knew that she would if she had to, but she preferred not to, even though she felt in her heart that withholding the truth was, in this case, the exact same thing.

"That's not what it looks like," Mason pushed on.

"Well, that's what it was," she returned with an edge to her tone.

They drove in silence once more, Mason staring at the road ahead and Elena at the clouds outside her window, until he turned in her direction again. "I'm sorry," he said, to which she only nodded absentmindedly, never taking her eyes away from her window. "I've just missed you," he added. Elena turned around and looked at him with pain in her eyes.

"I've missed you, too," she said quietly. He leaned over for a kiss but she drew back. "Watch the road!" she exclaimed, earning her a puzzled look from her husband. But he did withdraw. "I'm sorry," she said. "Just… drive carefully, please." Before he could answer her, she had turned away again, leaning her head against the window. She knew her reaction had been harsh. But she also knew Damon was riding in the car behind them and she couldn't bear the thought of him seeing her kiss Mason. She closed her eyes to shut out the world. She was in a horribly messed up situation.

The day dragged on endlessly. They arrived at the hotel before dinner and Elena sat uselessly on the couch in their suite and watched their luggage being carried in and unpacked by strangers. Mason had Caroline take the kids to their room and entertain them there. Every once in a while Elena caught glimpses of Damon as he and Bonnie walked through the suite with the police, verifying camera angles, alarms and exits. But he never looked at her for more than a second. Elena wanted to unpack but Mason demanded she rest and not preoccupy herself with unnecessary chores. She wanted to check on the children but again he insisted she let Caroline handle them and relax. When she offered to cook, she could hear him heave a heavy sigh. "Let me take you out tonight," he said, circling her from behind with his arms, resting his chin on her shoulder. She felt trapped; felt the need to run away boiling up inside of her as his body heat pressed against her, suffocating her, "Just down to the restaurant. So you can have a real meal again. This hotel has a great chef." When she felt him kiss her neck softly, Elena wanted to scream but instead she just nodded.

She got ready for dinner by herself. She stood in the bathroom, watching herself in the mirror, nothing audible but the slight buzzing of the electric light. No waves, not her children's laughter, not Caroline's humming. She thought that she had not felt so alone since she had been a kid. Mason smiled at her widely as she stepped out of the bathroom in her black satin dress. He guided her down the long hallway that was completely empty. The police had closed off this floor and made sure it was only accessible by elevator with a specific chip card. Most of the rooms were empty, but behind one of the many identical doors was a man she desperately wanted to talk to. Mason nodded to the security guy positioned at the elevator and they stepped into the shiny metal box. The descent seemed endless as Elena stood there, watching one number after the other light up on the display.

"So, pumpkin, don't you feel safer here?" he asked, his hand resting possessively on the small of her back.

"Well, I'd say the President's security's got nothing on you," she replied, which made Mason chuckle.

"Well, with the right amount of money you can buy everything nowadays, even safety," he explained just as the bell announced their arrival at the ground floor. When they stepped out of the elevator, another security detail started following them into the dining room.

"Who are all these people?" Elena asked Mason in a hushed voice. "Where are… Miss Bennett and Mr. Salvatore?"

"I gave them the night off. We will need them for the ball tomorrow. And I thought they deserved a night off after the last few weeks, don't you?"

"Of course," Elena agreed as he led her into the brightly lit hotel restaurant.

"Mr. Lockwood," she heard a deep, sonorous voice next to her and when she turned around, an incredibly tall, friendly looking, white-haired man with a protruding belly beamed down at them.

"Senator," Mason returned and pushed past his wife to shake the man's hand. "Honey, sit down. I'll be right there."

Elena was guided to their table by the Maître d' and served a glass of champagne in the same instant. Absentmindedly, she let her eyes wander through the crowded room filled with undoubtedly either rich or important people, maybe both, and wished nothing more than being able to drink this champagne on a cliff, with salty wind ruffling her hair.

"Elena," he whispered in her ear. She could feel the mattress dip behind her as he leaned over and rested a hand on her shoulder. "Are you awake?"

She made a noncommittal sound, hoping against hope that it would discourage him enough to go to sleep. After dinner she had gotten ready for bed quickly while Mason still had to make a few business phone calls. But now he was lying next to her and his scent and body shape felt almost foreign to her.

"I've missed you," he whispered again, tugging on her shoulder until she was forced to roll onto her back and look at him.

"I've missed you too," she returned automatically. He bent down to kiss her neck and proceeded down her unmoving body until he reached her breasts. Elena felt heat spring into her eyes. "Mason?" she asked, hoping he couldn't hear the suppressed tears. "Baby I'm really tired, okay? Can we not do this right now?" she let her hand rub his arm soothingly, hoping he would believe her and relent.

"Are you serious?" he asked; the shock obvious in his voice. "I haven't seen you in ages."

"I know," she returned and before she could continue, he had returned to kissing her chest and his hand had started wandering down her side. Elena pressed her eyes closed. She had done this a thousand times. She just had to relax. She tried to shut off her mind, tried to feel his touches as touches only, not a connection, not an exploration of her body, just a soft caress on her skin, disconnected from her, a mere physical sensation. But she couldn't do it. Not even twenty-four hours ago, her body had begged to be touched, her skin had buzzed with the sensation of other skin pressed against it, his every kiss had ignited a fire inside her and it all felt so different from what she felt now. She had been desperate to let him in, while now she was desperate to keep him out. She had given herself away to another man, who had to be only feet away from her now and still unreachable, had given herself to him in her mind at least and now it was unbearable to her to be taken by someone else.

"Mason, please," she said, willing her tears down. "Not tonight." She turned away and sat up, her back turned towards him.

He groaned in frustration and dropped back against his pillow. "What the hell is wrong, Elena?" he asked, rubbing at his temples. "You're my wife."

"I'm sorry," she replied, barely audible. She could hear him scoff behind her. "I need a glass of water," she then said and got up before he could protest or, worse, agree and come along. On her way out of the bedroom, she grabbed her bathrobe and wrapped it tightly around her body as she stepped into the suite's kitchen.

The cool water running down her throat helped to calm her somewhat, but it didn't make her feel ready to go back to bed with her husband. She took a deep breath and stared at the moon outside her window, round and pale in the starless sky above the city, willing it to give her some advice, but none was forthcoming.

Without knowing what she was doing, she was taken out into the hallway by her feet. The bright light made her squint. Down at the far end of the corridor, she could see the security guy by the elevator look in her direction, waiting for her to give him an order. She turned around, looking at the many closed doors, no idea what she was even doing here, but unable to go back inside. She heard sounds coming from the room right across the hall, voices, probably from a television set. She knew this was probably the worst idea of her life, but she had to knock. The door was opened almost immediately and her bodyguard looked at her, first surprised and then concerned.

"Elena, what are you doing here?"

Elena shook her head, desperately fighting back the tears she had been holding in for the past half hour. "I don't know," she pressed out, her throat scratchy.

"Come in," and with that Elena was pulled into the room by her hand and then wrapped in a comforting embrace. When she heard the door fall shut behind her, she couldn't hold the tears back anymore. The two of them sat down on the bed, facing each other. "Were you looking for him?" Elena looked up and met warm but disapproving eyes. She shrugged, helplessly.

"Bonnie, I'm sorry. I know it's wrong." She dropped her eyes to her hands.

"Don't apologize to me…" Bonnie looked at her somewhat confused.

"I know what you must think of me," Elena started, being immediately cut off by her friend.

"No you don't," she said, shaking her head emphatically and taking Elena's hands in hers reassuringly. "I don't care about your marriage," Bonnie started again, making Elena look up in shock. "I'm sorry but I don't care about your husband. I don't care about your morals. I don't care why what happened, happened. It doesn't concern me." Elena swallowed thickly. "What I do care about is Damon. More than almost anything in the world. And he's been hurt. Badly. And I can't let him go through that again and not say anything."

Elena nodded. This had to be about the ominous fiancé he had spoken of before. "Of course," she agreed.

"So that's why I disapprove," Bonnie explained, her voice firm. "I mean… you're not leaving your husband for him, are you?"

A/N: Reviews are my crack! Please support my habit :)