(1) Just Magic (D. Salvatore)

Chapter One Hundred and Three

Elena stands in front of a mirror in her bedroom, dressed in one of those old fashioned, big skirted dresses. It's hideous. And Cassandra is loving that. Elena lets out a breath as she puts her necklace on as Cassandra helps Elena get into her dress.

"Okay, hang on" Cassandra offers and steps back. "Deep breath" Elena glances at her through the mirror.

"Why? What are you doing?" Cassandra shifts her hands, drawing them together and then apart using her powers to pull on the laces on the back of Elena's dress. "Ouch, this dress hurts" Elena complains.

"Suck it in," Cassandra tells her with a smile as she shifts her hands, tying up the laces on the dress. "Ah. There" Elena touches her stomach and tries to breathe.

"Oh..." She complains, Cassandra chuckles as she grabs her jacket.

"Okay, Jenna is going to give you a ride because her car has more space for that monstrosity of a skirt" Cassandra teases, Elena smirks at her. "And I am meeting...Ally"

"Ally?" Elena asks.

"Don't worry, she's going disguised, she's just sick of being stuck in that house" Cassandra offers. "And I figured, considering, that she kind of deserves a day of fun" Elena nods in agreement. "Oh, about the whole John thing"

"Oh don't start with that again" Elena argues.

"I know you don't believe me"

"It's not that" Elena stops her. "I do believe you, it's just proving difficult to get my head around the fact that that man is our dad....especially after what he did to you" Elena takes Cassandra's hand. "What dad would do that to his daughter simply for being extraordinary?" Cassandra smiles at her and then hugs her. Elena hugs her back.

"Okay" Cassandra pulls back and clears her throat. "I should go..." Elena nods a little and then watches Cassandra leave the room.

...........

Everybody is preparing for the Founders' Day parade at the high school, Carol Lockwood is supervising all the gathered students and volunteers. Stefan stands watching them, all dressed up for the parade.

"No, no, no, no, no! It's all wrong!" Carol scolds "The marching band should be in front of the Historic Society. Matt, get up on the float. Boys, I asked you to put chairs on the Founders' Float. Ladies! Time to get on the float" Stefan is standing alone, waiting for Elena as the rest of the Founder's Court take their places. Damon walks towards his brother.

"Look at you, all retro" Damon teases.

"What are you doing here?" Stefan asks.

"Why wouldn't I be here? Bonnie deactivated the Gilbert invention, Isobel is gone and it's Founders' Day! I'm here to eat cotton candy and make out with my girl" Damon teases and waves across at Cassandra who waves her fingers back and then leans closer to the woman at her side. Hidden beneath sunglasses and a baseball cap. She lowers her sunglasses to reveal Ally. Damon gives the two of them a look but Ally just smirks back at him.

"Don't start with me, Damon." Stefan scolds.

"Oh, you started this Stefan with that whole "Leave Cassandra alone" speech" Damon argues and folds his arms over his chest. "You think so little of me, that I would hurt her?"

"Yeah" Stefan answers. "If history is anything to go by" Damon gives him a look and shakes his head. It's different this time, because he isn't being controlled into feeling something for someone. He knows how he feels about Cassandra, and he knows this time it is real, this is his choice, he is choosing to feel that way about her. Damon and Stefan see Elena approaching. In her period dress, she looks strikingly like Katherine. She smiles at them and curtsies before walking towards them. Stefan smiles at her before giving her a small kiss. Cassandra and Ally join them, Ally looking at Elena weirdly.

"Ally?" Elena asks.

"Oh, boy" Ally comments and then shifts her feet. "I need to walk away" Elena frowns at her. "Sorry, it's just you look a loooott like Katherine right now and I...I suddenly have the urge to maim you. So I gotta walk away..."

"Yeah, okay" Elena assures her. Ally hums as she walks away. Cassandra gives Elena a small shrug. "I get it" Elena assures them. She knows that out of all of them, Katherine probably screwed up Ally's life the most. It must be hard for her to be around Elena normally, let alone around her when she's dressed up in that dress. 

............

Cassandra sits on a bench alone. She's bored. This isn't really her thing but she is here for Elena. To support her through this so she is going to see it through. Damon drops onto the bench next to her and lets out a breath as he looks at her.

"You look bored" He comments, she hums in agreement. Cassandra presses her fingers to his lips when he goes to kiss her.  "Oh come on" He mumbles against them. "Just one?" He pouts.

"I'm just not...comfortable with...you know" She glances around. There are a lot of people around. This is very public and she can already feel that unease creeping up inside of her.

"What is that about?" He asks as he pulls back, understanding.

"I don't know" She answers. "I've always felt this way. Even watching my own parents being affectionate grossed me out"

"You think that's maybe why?

"Maybe...I just..."

"Don't feel comfortable" He repeats and she nods.

"We can snuggle all you want in bed" She assures him, he smirks at her. "You can touch me where ever you want, okay?"

"Is that a promise?" He teases, leaning closer to her, she hums and gives him a look. His eyes shift down her. "Ah, man" He leans back. "When can we go home?" She chuckles and turns to watch the parade.

"Not for some time" She answers. He groans again and then leans up.

"Where's Ally?" He asks.

"She went back to the house" She answers. "Got overwhelmed by how many people there are here."

"Right because she has only just gotten back on the blood diet and still struggling with her cravings" Damon realises, she nods in agreement.

"You really like having her back, don't you?" She asks him, but there is no jealousy in her tone, she knows that Ally is completely in love with her Kol, and has no interest in Damon as a romantic pairing, and Damon has only ever had platonic feelings for Ally.

"Yeah" He agrees. "I like having her around, she makes me feel sane" He teases, she smirks. "Plus you two seem to get along well" He points out.

"She's....different" She offers tactfully. "But I do like her, she's very good at making me feel better about my powers"

"Well, she's lived with them longer than you," He tells her, she hums and nods. "She's probably been where you are"

"Yeah" She whispers and nods. The two of them share a look. He sets his hand next to hers on the bench, brushing his little finger against hers. She smiles a little. She's not comfortable with PDA, but this little thing is different. It feels more intimate. More meaningful somehow. Because he's not going over the top. It's a little thing. But it is enough.

A/N - SO GOING THROUGH THE OPTIONS FOR ELENA IN SEASON 4. 

- DAMON'S BLOOD TURNS HER. SIRE BOND WITH DAMON. ONE SIDED. ELENA THROWS HERSELF AT DAMON. TIME AND TIME AGAIN. BUT HE BRUSHES HER OFF. TIME AND TIME AGAIN. PROVING LOYALTY TO CAS. 

- STEFAN'S BLOOD TURNS HER. SIRE BOND WITH STEFAN. 

 AS FOR ELENA'S FINAL PAIRING, IT CAME OUT AS A DRAW BETWEEN MATT AND STEFAN. SO I THINK IT WILL COME DOWN TO EITHER ONE OF THEM.