Brave (Damon Salvatore x OC)

Monsters*

Damon, Ember and Elena are in the Gilbert kitchen cooking. Ember is taking spinach puffs out of the oven and Elena is making chili and arguing with Damon.

"I just don't know why you want to bring chili to a potluck. Everybody brings chili." He reasons as Alaric comes in. "Hey, Ric."

"What's up?" Ric nods.

"What time do you want to go to the Lockwood party?" Elena asks.

"Ah. Those founders parties aren't really my thing." Ric begins.

"When you show up, there's going to be nine other people that brought chili." Damon refuses to give up.

"Damon leave her alone. I love that she wanted to cook and it's an old family recipe, okay?" Ember asks.

Damon steals a pastry. "Yeah! I know. I knew your old family. They made sucky chili." He gives her a look and smiles and with a grin as she pushes him out of the way. Alaric looks at them confused.

"Why are you here, exactly?" He asks.

Ember gives him a glare. "I do still live here you know." Both Damon and Elena snort in laughter. "What? I do."

"Really?" Ric asks. "I've been using your room for  almost a week, there are no clothes, no personal items and no books in there." He points out.

The realization that he is right stops Ember.

"He's right, even your stuffed unicorn is at my place." Damon points out and she glares at him next and then looks at her sister.

Elena shrugs. "All your books Em... just saying."

Ember changes the topic. "Elena knows why we're here." She tells Ric.

At Ric's curious expression Elena sighs. "They think I'm going to break. I'm not going to break. I am just going to keep making chili, pretend like I didn't just spend the entire summer looking for someone who didn't want to be found."

"She's in denial." Damon proclaims.

"She's not in denial." Ember contradicts him. "She is doing what she does best, compartmentalizing. It's a Gilbert speciality and when the inevitable crash comes I don't want her to be alone." She explains and heads to the pantry to get the crock pot for Elena's chili.

Damon leans closer to the older Gilbert twin and nods towards her necklace. "You're still wearing the necklace. Isn't it a reminder of your unbreakable bond with Stefan?" He asks and Elena gently touches the small piece of jewelry. "That's what I thought. Denial." He insists.

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

In Chicago, Stefan is completely freaking out having realized that the item Gloria needs from Rebekah is Elena's necklace! He walks out of a high end boutique and notices Katherine on the sidewalk.

"What the hell are you doing here?" He demands.

"You two look chummy. Klaus your new bestie?" She mocks.

"You know, if he finds out you're in Chicago, you're dead." Stefan reminds her.

"Happy to know that you still care." She scoffs. "So tell me if I'm wrong... Rebekah's necklace that Klaus is looking for... That's the necklace that you gave to Elena."

"Goodbye, Katherine." He starts to walk away.

"Hey, hey. Wait." She dashes after him. "You're up to something, tell me..."

"They don't know where the necklace is. I just have to keep them from figuring it out. I have it all under control." Stefan insists.

Katherine looks doubtful. "Please, tell me you have a better plan than that."