A few days later Elena was trying to pick a dress to wear to the Founders day party thing. She had a hard time deciding between the dark purple knee length dress and the white dress that was shorter in the front and longer in the back.
Her phone started to ring and she walked over to the bed to answer it. "Hello... Oh, hey Mrs. Doeley... Sorry Grammy... sure... absolutely... I'll just ask for Jeremys help... It's no problem Mrs. Doeley... I'll see you soon... Bye Bye."
Elena smiled as she hung up the phone and put on a pair of jeans and a top and made her way to Jeremys room to knock on the door.
"Lena?" Jeremy asked as he opened the door.
"Hey Jeremy." Elea smiled and then she saw Anna sitting on Jeremys bed and waved enthusiastically. "Hey Anna."
"Hello Elena." Anna smiled back.
"What can I help you with Lena?" Jeremy chuckled.
"Mrs. Doeley called and asked if we could go to the supermarket for her." Elena informed him. "Anna, you can come to if you want."
"Who's Mrs. Doeley?" Anna asked as she stood up from the bed.
"She's this sweet little old lady that used to babysit me and Elena when we were younger." Jeremy explained and then, without being asked, handed Elena a hoddie.
"We help her buy groceries every now and then." Elena beamed at Jeremy and pulled on the hoddie.
"And she's okay with you bringing me along?" Anna wondered as they walked down the stairs.
"Why wouldn't she be?" Elena looked puzzled.
"I'm an unknown and you are bringing me to her home, which I won't be able to enter without an invite." Anna shrugged.
"You leave that up to me." Elena smiled and then she tossed the car keys to Jeremy. "Jeremy's driving."
"Times like these I'm very happy that you didn't sell your car when you bought your bike." Jeremy chuckled as he caught the keys.
"Me too." Elena laughed.
Fifteen minutes later they were standing on Mrs. Doeley's porch, waiting for her to open the door.
"Elena, Jeremy." Mrs. Doeley smiled brightly as she opened the door. Mrs. Doeley was a short, white haired lady that acted like everyone's grandmother and she's dearly loved by most of Mystic Falls.
"Mrs. Doeley, eh... Grammy." Elena beamed and hugged the elder, then she stepped back to introduce Anna. "Grammy this is Anna, she's Jeremys girlfriend. Anna this is Abigale Doeley, Mystic Falls resident grandmother."
"Well, aren't you a pretty little thing." Mrs. Doeley smiled at Anna. "As I've told Elena and Jeremy several times," Here she paused to mock glare at the Gilbert siblings, "You can call me Grammy or Abbi."
"It's nice to meet you, Grammy." Anna smiled bashfully, sounding a little awkward calling a woman who was, at least, a century younger than herself Grammy.
"Come in, come in, my dears." Grammy stepped back and started to lead them to the kitchen and offered them some freshly baked cookies.
"Aww thanks Grammy." Elena smiled and then she moaned as she bit into the gooey cookie.
"I wrote everything I need on a piece of paper." Grammy handed the paper over to Elena. "I might be a lot but Jeremy has grown into a strong young man so it won't be a problem, I think."
"We shall brave the supermarket and get everything you need, Grammy." Jeremy laughed even as he blushed and Anna giggled.
XOXOXOX
A few hours later Elena made her way into the Founders Hall and saw Stefan drinking at the bar. She smiled at him and walked over, hoping he wasn't going to run away.
"Hello Stefan." Elena said gently.
"Hey Elena." Stefan smiled awkwardly. "You look beautiful tonight."
"Thank you." Elena looked down on her white dress and silvery heels. "You don't look so bad yourself."
"Thanks." Stefan then looked at her sadly. "I am so, so sorry for biting you."
"Hey, it's okay." Elena placed her hand on his arm. "The only thing that really bugs me is that I know that it wasn't really something you wanted."
"You are an amazing young woman." Stefan breathed out with a weird look in his eyes.
"And you are totally buzzed right now." Elena giggled.
"Yes I am." Stefan nodded. "The alcohol takes the edge off."
"As long as you're okay." Elena smiled at him.
"Do you wanna dance?" Stefan asked.
"To this." Elena frowned at the music choice.
"I'll be right back." Stefan made his way to the DJ.
"That is not going to work." Kelly Donovan said as she came up to Elena. "I already tried to bribe the guy with 20 bucks and a date, he said that Carol Lockwood has complete control over the music choices."
"You'd be surprised at what Stefan can accomplish when he puts his mind to it." Elena smirked as she saw Stefan compelling the DJ at the same time she thought, 'I wouldn't change the song for you either, especially if you offered a date.'
"Thank God!" Kelly exclaimed as the music changed and walked out on the dance floor to dance with Stefan.
"Have I entered an alternate universe where Stefan is fun?" Damon teased as he walked up to Elena.
"I just wish he could be this happy all the time." Elena admitted softly.
"He'll be fine." Damon said but it sounded like he was trying to reassure himself more than anything. "One way or another."
"And we will be here for him whatever happens." Elena smiled.
"You look beautiful, Elena." Jenna said as she walked up to them.
"You look very beautiful to, aunt Jenna." Elena smiled.
"She's right, you look radiant." Damon kissed the top of Jenna's hand.
"Well, aren't you a charmer." Jenna laughed with a small blush.
"History teacher at three o'clock." Elena whispered to Jenna.
"Is my makeup okay?" Jenna asked worried.
"It's perfect." Elena reassured just as Alaric came up to them.
"I was looking for you." Alaric smiled awkwardly at Jenna.
"Here I am." Jenna shrugged. "I haven't seen you in a while."
"Well, uh..." He looked at Elena through the corner of his eye. "Things have been a little crazy but I'm here now."
"Oh, you mean the whole saving Stefan from a bunch of revengeful vampires?" Jenna asked nonchalantly.
"Uh...but...ehh..." Alaric spluttered.
"What? You didn't think my niece would tell me what was going on?" Jenna smirked.
"Do you want to get a drink?" Alaric asked hesitantly. "We could talk about all off...that?"
"Sure." Jenna smiled and walked away with Alaric.
"That was hilarious." Damon chuckled.
"It was." Elena giggled. After a while she turned to Damon. "Hey Damon?"
"Yes Elena." Damon smirked at her.
"Could you maybe come with me to the courthouse tomorrow?" Elena asked softly.
"Why are you going there and what do you need my help with?" Damon turned fully towards Elena.
"I'm getting emancipated, with Jenna's permission, so that I can make decisions regarding all the properties owned by my parents." Elena explained. "And it would be really helpful if you were there with me to do some compelling if it is needed."
"You only want me for my powers!" Damon mock accused.
"Yes." Elena nodded and looked at Damon seriously, then her lips twitched and they started to laugh.
"Sure, I'll come with you tomorrow." Damon agreed.
"Thank you!" Elena hugged him.
"Now, would you do me the honor of accompanying me around the party?" Damon offered her his arm.
"I would be delighted." Elena smiled and placed her hand in the crock of his elbow.
Together they walked around the party slowly, talking and laughing and just having fun. After a while they bump into the sheriff who is for once not in uniform.
"You know I love a woman in uniform but I have to side with this one." Damon smiled at Sheriff Forbes. "You look... you look smashing."
"He's right Sheriff Liz." Elena beamed at her. "You look very nice."
"Thank you, Damon, Elena. Cheers!" Liz blushed as she clinked her glass with Damons. "I needed that. You know I had my doubts about you at first, Damon, but like everyone else on the council you've won me over."
"Thanks Liz." Damon chuckled lowly. "It's really nice how welcoming the council has been. I like my life here in Mystic Falls and it is starting to feel like home again."
"Well, you are not going to like what I have to tell you." Liz frowned. "Johnathan Gilbert's claims check out; the blood bank, the missing people, all of it true. We might have a problem."
"More vampires?" Elena did her best to look scared.
"Elena look at me." Damon looked at her and winked when Liz couldn't see his face anymore. "I'm not going to let anything hurt you, okay?"
"You promise?" Elena asked in a small voice, trying not to giggle.
"I swear on my fathers grave." Damon smirked because they both knew he hated his father.
"I believe you." Elena smiled.
"Elena." Jeremy came up to them, with Anna on his arm.
"Jeremy, Anna." Elena hugged them both, shocking Anna. "You look lovely in that dress, Anna."
"Thank you." Anna smiled. She was wearing a black and red punk dress with long sheer arms. "I like your dress to."
"We seem to be the exact opposites to each other." Elena laughed and walked away from Damon and Liz arm in arm with Anna.
"Like yin & yang." Jeremy chuckled.
"Actually Anna, there was a thing I wanted to talk to you about." Elena smiled.
"Okay?" Anna looked curious.
"I heard from my aunt that your mom wanted to buy the office that used to be my fathers?" Elena asked.
"Yeah, my mom actually owned an apothecary there back in 1864." Anna nodded.
"Well, it turns out that because both me and Jeremy are minors our uncle has the last say as he is the estate's trustee." Elena almost growled. "And he is refusing to sell!"
"Oh, that's..." Anna looked down sadly, knowing how much that apothecary meant for her mother.
"I have a plan to solve that actually." Elena smirked. "With aunt Jenna's permission I'm getting emancipated tomorrow."
"Really? Aunt Jenna agreed?" Jeremy looked very happy about it.
"Yes, she did." Elena smiled at Jeremy then she turned back to Anna. "So, if you could set up a meeting between your mother and me the day after tomorrow, we can discuss price and such."
"Thank you so much!" Anna pulled Elena into a hug. "You have no idea what this would mean to her."
"You are very welcome." Elena hugged back. "Me and Jeremy agreed to sell it to your mother and uncle John can's say shit about it after tomorrow."
"Thank you." Anna repeated as she pulled back from Elena.
"Hey, what are friends for?" Elena smiled.
"I...I've never actually had any female friends or friends at all, really." Anna admitted quietly.
"You do now." Elena beamed at her.
"Please dance with your alcoholic vampire best friend." Stefan grabbed Elenas hand and dragged her laughing to the dance floor.
After they had dance for a while a man accidentally bumped into Elena.
"Wow, watch it!" The man glared.
"Excuse you!" Elena glared. "You could watch were you are going!"
"You bumped into me!" The man lied.
"Well apparently you are delusional as well as clumsy." Elena sneered back at him.
"Why you..." The man raised his hand as if to hit her.
Stefan stepped in front of her and grabbed the man's arm. "I wouldn't do that if I were you!"
"What are you going to do about it?" The man asked, acting tuff and trying to be intimidating.
"This," Stefan hissed and looked the man straight in the eyes. "You will apologize to Elena and do it like you mean it."
"I'm really, really sorry." The man turned towards Elena.
"Now walk away." Stefan compelled again and the man left in a dace.
"I wanted to kick his ass." Elena pouted. "Damon has been teaching me."
"Are you okay?" Stefan asked softly.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Elena assured him. "But I think I need something to drink so I'm going over to the bar."
Elena left Stefan on the dance floor and made her way over to the bar where she saw Damon standing and decided to join him. "Can you order me a raspberry mojito, please?"
"Underaged drinking?" Damon mocked gasped but did order her the drink she wanted, compelling the bartender to think he had made a virgin drink instead of one with alcohol.
"Thank you." Elena beamed at him. "So, have you noticed what your brother has been up to?"
"No, I have been a bit too preoccupied with yours." Damon hummed.
"Oh?" Elena asked intrigued.
"He was asking me if I could train him in self-defense to." Damon shrugged.
"Are you going to?" Elena looked at him with a small smile.
"Yeah." Damon groaned. "Seriously, since meeting you I have started to lose all my bad ass points."
"Don't worry Damon." Elena kissed him on the cheek. "You are still the number one bad ass in this town."
"And don't you forget it!" Damon called after her as she left.