CHAPTER 4
Schemes and honesty


Elena realized evoking Aaron's past wasn't a good defense, it would bring back in mind he had a long criminal one. A few infringement could be put on the bad choices of a lost kid but he wasn't a kid anymore and this wouldn't take.

So she put a bit of faith on her idea about the roads and what would explain the guy had to cross the border. The charges were really stupid but it followed the same logic as getting Capone on his unpaid taxes and, hey, it was a condition of Aaron's parole, he'd been warned. She'd have to check if the cousin had health problem too. Aaron's real phone records - though he had none on him when he got arrested. Oh and she had to make sure Aaron wouldn't be linked to the others - more than he already was -, they couldn't be mentioned at the trial, it was clear the county wanted to put down one member and probably extend to a few more, it would only piss them off and things could go downhill… No they had to be put down all at once at the right moment. So much to check, so much to think about…

She had to prioritize so as she looked up from the table she was occupying in the library she wondered where the old road maps could be. She was in for a long day of researches.

Text: Call me we need to talk. E.

The phone rang a few seconds after she sent the text.

-« Your wish is my… hmmm… not really. What do you want?» Damon low voice said as she took the call.

-« What was Aaron doing on his bike that day?» If he wasn't going to bother with a hello she wouldn't either.

-« Stuff, why?»

-« Cause I found something and if you want me to be at my full potential at court you have to tell me the truth»

-« No I don't have to, you just want to know. No need to lie.»

It took her a few seconds to answer «I want to know and you'll tell me then I'll tell you what I found and how it might keep Aaron away from jail.»

This time he was the one who took a moment to answer «We were supposed to make a deal, got sold, we split, he crossed the border.»

-« I got the border part covered but I needed to be sure about say you got sold, you know who by?»

-« No.» He said in a biter tone, if he had known, he or she would be in a bad shape right now.

-« I watched the highway footages or what was left of them, some got erased, they still use tapes for a portion of the road, you have to like how the state uses the money. Anyway you better list your friends and enemies… within the MC.» She dropped the bomb, right there, on the phone, knowing it'd make one hell of an impact.

-« No game Elena. Speak.» The irony of the «no game» didn't escape him but right now he was one second away from punching a wall and his voice translated the feeling pretty clearly. -«Keep me in, swear and I'll send you the footage.»

-« Define 'keep me in'.» His grip on his phone tightened because he usually set the rules, he didn't follow them - except his father's - but in all this there was something very interesting happening.

-« As in I want to know. If I'm to deal with a MC, I want to know who I have to avoid at all costs. I'm not stupid, Aaron is not the only one I'll have to defend and I value my life. I don't know if I can or should trust you but since you picked me to clean your dirty laundry, you, at least, can give me keys not to be found in a ditch somewhere because you have a black sheep in your own barn.» This was a fair trade to her opinion.

-« If I can identify the person on the footage, trust me, you won't have to look behind your shoulder. » No need to say the words for whoever it was they wouldn't live long enough to put anyone else in a bad situation, doe eyed lawyer included. Through the anger he felt at the idea he could have a rat in his own rank he wondered why Elena was giving him this information. It couldn't be because she worried about herself, the young lawyer would be low on the list of someone wanting to hurt the Club. It was the move of someone who wanted to buy his trust and through him, the whole MC. This was an interesting turn of events. But saying Damon had trust issues and liked to be in charge was a bit fat understatement.

-« Then I hope your eyes are not just pretty but also functional, the footage is not of the best quality but you're way more qualified than I'll ever be to see details on the bike or whatever.» She paused a second «There, sent. Remember, I want to be in the loop and don't want to get in the crossfire ok?»

-« You will and you won't. I'll call you back.» He didn't say when and he didn't say goodbye either.

He watched the footages over and over and just couldn't believe his own eyes. This was crazy, he had to be sure if what he thought he had seen was real. If it was, things were about to escape his control for there were other players in the game.

Things had to be set in motion. Now.

After looking up every plans in the library archives, got to the sherif office and Mystic Falls town hall to watch the footage of the highway, Elena had a massive headache and was exhausted. She got in her apartment, changed into her PJ and threw herself in her bed, she fell asleep almost immediately.

Her head was resting on her pillow, her hair a black curtain draped on the cover tucked under her chin. She looked like a porcelain doll. He leaned against the doorframe still pondering if he really should put the deal in her hands. It wasn't only a deal, it was his name and basically his life. The only thing that he knew was she was close to Stefan, if he had told even a tenth of how the MC stole his youth - because hell, he was such a drama queen - she'd side with him. He'd rather not think of what he'd have to do if she refused.

He pushed himself away from the door frame and walked to the bed, she was about to freak out. He turned the lamp that sat on the bedside table on and prepared himself to have to shut her up if she screamed. But she didn't wake up right then. The hand he was about to use to cover her mouth ran gently on her cheek, he did it without thinking, she looked so peaceful. The touch made her move her head a bit and suddenly her whole body froze as she opened her eyes. They widen when she realized someone was there and as expected she tried to move away probably to grab something to defend herself. For all he knew she could have a gun under her pillow or a knife in the nightstand so in one swift movement he grabbed her wrists with one hand and put the other on her mouth.

-« It's Damon, I'm not here to hurt you.» He said as if it'd make it ok he picked the lock and showed up at 4am in her bedroom. She looked at him for a long moment pondering if she was in real danger then nodded, she wouldn't scream so he let go of her wrist and mouth and kept his hands up to emphasize the words he had said before. «I'm here to talk.» He kept his yes on hers to let her know he was serious about it. She sat up and moved away from him, she definitely wasn't happy about the whole situation, for good reasons.

-« How the hell did you get in here.» She said in a cold tone as she crawled to the other side of the bed, as far as possible from him. She wouldn't look away in case he wasn't really here to talk.

He moved away from the bed hands still in view. He had had to wait for years, now he wanted things to change, she could be the key to his cell. And the said key was getting out of bed like a scared cat ready to attack, for as small and precious she looked he didn't doubt she could inflict damages. To give her peace of mind he moved closer to the corner of the room and away from the door, he wasn't trying to trap her and he wanted to make that very clear. -«I picked the lock, it wasn't difficult really and as I said, I'm here to talk nothing more. You probably have one hell of an opinion of me but I've never hurt a woman in my life or not the way you think I could. You read my file you know that, I'm no angel but I don't have this in me and yes I know it's the middle of the night, I know everything you're going to say about boundaries and privacy but right now I have important things to say to you and I'm using the time I have out of my father's sight so hear me out» ok less bossy would be a good idea, probably «please» better. -«It's not because you played that conversation in you head and think you've covered it all that I won't tell you that it's not ok to be here, in my room, in the middle of the night. First I have a phone, second, thank you for letting me know I have to add more locks on my door now that I've been sold to a MC. Bloody hell Damon…» She sighed and ran a hand through her hair in frustration «What can you possibly need to say right here, right now?» She looked away, took the robe she had left on the chair near the window and put it on. She was pissed but she wasn't as scared as she should be. «It's the second and last time you sneak in my house like that.» She walked past him giving him an angry side look, if they were to talk they'd do it in the living room.

She led and he followed, it was obvious the young lawyer needed a few minutes to recover…and wake up properly. «Something's telling me it might take time. Sit down.» She pointed at a chair in the small kitchen area and busied herself making coffee, she had to so something to calm her nerves. He obliged and kept silent until she put two mugs of coffee on the table and sat opposite him. «So?»

-« So…» He wrapped his fingers around the mug, yeah, this was probably going to take a while and he wondered what he should start with, she was pissed so better start with the part she'll like the least. «I'm using you, been from the second I heard your name and saw your picture a few months ago and I intend to use you more…»

-« What the…» Elena frowned she looked as unhappy as she should be and he raised a finger to shut her up, he wasn't quite finished. She closed her mouth and bit the inside of her cheek for she really wanted to insult him right now but it'd do no good.

-« I keep tabs on my brother, I know you're close, have been, then not, then close again, then not that much… anyway, knowing my brother I'm sure he's talked to you about us, about the MC and his big fat trauma» He smiled bitterly and leaned back on his chair «It got confirmed when you took my case, you're reeking of ambition Elena, you could have taken any case but you took mine as sort of a favor for my brother or because you're thinking of yourself as a knight in a shining armor, Stefan has a tendency to put people in impossible situations…»

-« Go to the point Damon, you're not making any sense.»

-« Oh but I am, ambition plus Stefan's past, one hell of an opportunity for you right?» He looked right into her eyes and she clenched her teeth again, she was busted, he knew what was in her head, what she wanted to do about the MC. Was he here to tell her not to get there or worst, to stop her, was he threatening her? «And now you're wondering if you should have taken a knife when making coffee. Don't worry I'm not here to harm you. I got you a foot in our shit with my case and now Aaron's, you're in and I want you to get in as deep as you can.»

-« Wait, what?» Ok this definitely wasn't what she had expected him to say but what was he saying exactly? «Im not sure I'm following you or maybe I am but it raises a thousand of questions.»

-« I know and I'll answer a few for you got what I said. I want you to keep going with what you intended to do and I'm going to help you but for that you'll have to be very sneaky, I hope you took drama classes.»

-« Ok let's use the proper words now, you want to help me put down the MC. Why?» She was trying to sound professional but it was clear she was, indeed, freaking out. She still couldn't tell if he was toying with her or not.

-« Because in spite of what you think you know, Stefan isn't the only one who wants Giuseppe and his close circle to pay. Now there are things you need to know and rules you'll have to follow, or at least fake following. Don't frown and listen.» She was frowning, this was crazy, she didn't know if she should believe him but it wouldn't hurt to listen, at least for a little while, she motioned for him to continue «Good. As I said you already have a foot in our shit. You can keep the 'You bought me and I'm not happy about it' face on if you want, it's fine plus it's true but if you want to drag dirt you're gonna have to get your hands dirty. First, you make sure Aaron won't fall for too long, second, you take every case we give you and you do your best, then, you fall for me.»

-« What?» She sat straight on her chair and gave him a look of disbelief and, again, he raised a finger so he could elaborate.

-« I told you you'd have to be a good actress.» He smirked, he had expected that reaction «Don't worry you can fake it, it won't hurt my pride. The fact is you can't have a real taste of the MC from Atlanta, you have to get close to the club and the members in Mystic Falls, as a lawyer you have no real reason to go in our lair, as my girl, you'll be welcome to wander around, not everywhere but still… I already have a shit load of papers and stuff you can use but you'll need more, things I can't give you without burning my non angel wings. I'm the VP I have to keep a low profile if I don't want my beloved father to put me 6 feet under. You'll have to act, I've been acting for 15 years, trust me it's not as easy as you can think but with me near you I think we'll manage.»

-« I have so many questions but I'm going to ask this one first. Why me?» She crossed her arms giving him a hard look. She hated that what he just said made sense, in a weird way, except why he picked her.

-« Elena, you think you chose to represent me at court but it was fifty per cent luck, fifty per cent pure scheme. As I said I kept tabs on my brother, his life, where he lives, who he dates…» He paused to look into her eyes «and I kept tabs on the said dates, you're the one that stayed around the most, became real close to him, when a little bird told him I was in trouble it was clear he was going to tell you. You took the bait, I pulled the hook. I managed to get my father on board just showing him a picture of you with Stefan, he wants him back so much» those words were really sour in his mouth and it showed on his face «he let me pick you for my lawyer, I made a show in court to let him know you were under my protection and he obliged pretty easily when I suggested to get you in the pool of the lawyers we have under our boots. Anything that could keep us close to Stefan. But it wasn't about Stefan at all. It's all about, me, Aaron and 15 years of waiting to be free. You're a mean to an end. You were at the right place at the right time.»

-« So you spied on me and you used me.» She said through greeted teeth «I shouldn't be that surprised» She had been way too confident in spite of Stefan's warnings but worst than that, it had started way before she even put a finger in it. «I won't lie, it's hard to swallow, it's taking everything I have right now not to slap you but you know what? It just confirms what I thought all along, you're a nuisance, the MC is a nuisance, the way you do things is a nuisance and it's renewing my need to exterminate the source of it. I'm gonna swallow my bile right now, believe me I'm not happy about it, you already know you hurt my pride but what you don't know is what I'm capable of when I'm back against the wall. I could give you up to your father it'd be easy but, well, you're just the byproduct of all that filth, so, yeah, I'll help you. I'll set Stefan free and you, you'll do whatever you want, I don't care. As for the falling for you part, I understand the twisted way things seem to work in your world, I'll play but don't you dare trying to push that part of the act too far, this is not for sell and never will be. Am I being clear enough.»

-« Cristal clear.» He got on his feet and Elena's body stiffen but he just turned his back on her «First Step, Aaron's trial. Goodnight Elena» and with that he left the place. The young lawyer felt like she had been hit by a truck, she was shaking from head to toe, stuck between relief and rage. To hell if it was her place and would have to clean up, she grabbed the mug of now cold coffee, threw it through the room and it cashed on a wall.

Damon did't let himself drift often but after his heavy chat with Elena, after putting his fate in her hands, the locked himself in the room that was behind the bar at the MC HQ and downed half a bottle of bourbon.

TBC