"Damon, grab me a blood bag from the fridge... please!" Ana yelped, pulling her leather jacket over her shoulders and peering in the mirror. Pleased with the comfortable outfit for the day, Ana gave a small smirk, bouncing down the grand Boarding House stairs afterwards.

Slowing her pace at the sound of muttered voices, Ana frowned when she heard Damon call back "Not now, honey! I've got a guest!" Ana rolled her eyes at the exaggeration Damon put on 'honey', like he knew a stupid nickname like that would make her skin crawl.

A guest?

Curious at who could possibly be at the Boarding House, Ana sauntered into the lounge to find a blonde guy sat in one of the lounge chairs, his hazel eyes flying up to take in the Petrova's appearance and his eyebrows knit.

"Who's this?" Ana asked, her fingers wrapping around the whiskey bottle left on the side; she didn't miss Damon's huff at how she was drinking his alcohol... again.

"A friend of Damon's." The guy stated, his lips pursed as he glanced Ana up and down. "Who are you?"

Smirking at the encounter, Damon stepped forward and slung his arm over Ana's petite figure. "This, Alaric, is my girlfriend. Ana meet Alaric Saltzman, the best vampire hunter in town."

"Ah, you flatter me." Alaric tilted his gaze to his friend, the caution still evident in the way that his fingers still grasped the stake in his back pocket. What? A hunter always has to be prepared.

Her eyebrows raised at Damon, Ana repeated "A vampire hunter? Don't you think it's a little, gosh I don't know, strange that you're friends with someone who usually hunts people like you?"

"Not really." Damon replied, sauntering over to Alaric. "You do realise that you live in Mystic Falls, a supernaturally inhabited town, right? These things happen everyday."

"Right." Ana shook her head in wonder, walking over to where the hunter was lounging and perching on the side of his armchair. "So, what are you boys up to today?"

Gesturing to his friend, Damon said "That's just what I was about to find out. What are you up to today, Mr. Saltzman?"

"Well, Jenna and I were supposed to go to her family's lakehouse, but somehow we both got roped into doing this historical society thing at the Lockwoods."

Damon's head shot up at this, and Ana could tell that whatever he was thinking, wasn't good. "Where Elijah's the guest of honor."

"Seriously? We can't have one nice day without you plotting anyone's demise? It's a stupid tea party, Dame! There will be humans!" Ana exclaimed, her brown eyes wide at the thought of Damon driving a stake through Elijah's back. Okay, so maybe this wasn't about the safety of humans as much...

"Tell me you're not planning on killing him at the tea party." Alaric told Damon, sending a fed-up gaze to Ana, letting her know that he understood.

Scoffing loudly, Damon frowned "No. That would be stupid. I want to know his endgame before I kill him, but I do think it's time Elijah and I officially met."

"This won't end well." Ana rolled her eyes, rising from the sofa anyway. "I wanna be there to witness this go down in flames. Dame, mind if I go as your plus-one?"

Eyes scanning over the youngest Petrova sister, Damon sighed "Why not. As long as you don't interfere with my plans to get to know Elijah. Be on your best behaviour, honey."

Ana simply gave Damon a light slap across the shoulder, giving him a smile that could send even the coldest to their knees. And inside, Damon felt himself smile back.

★·'¯'·★

"Damon, what are you doing here? And... who's this?" Jenna exclaimed, rushing over to the pair and grinning wildly. Beside her, stood the news woman from the other day, the one who Damon harshly rejected. Awkward.

His arm firm around Ana's waist, Damon mused "This, is Ana, my girlfriend. Ana, this is Jenna, Elena's aunt."

"Aren't you a little... young?" Jenna asked Ana, her eyebrows raised in judgement as she crossed her arms opposite the couple.

Standing a little taller on her heels, Ana snapped "I'm twenty, thanks. I have a baby face, I know..."

"No. Of course you don't." Damon cooed playfully, bending his head down and placing a gentle kiss on Ana's forehead. "Well, it was nice seeing you Jenna but we have errands to run, people to meet. Toodles."

The couple linked arms, strolling over to Mrs. Lockwood, and immediately Carol's face lit up when she noticed Damon, though she furrowed her brows at Ana. "Damon, and...?"

"Ana, I'm Damon's girlfriend." Ana introduced herself, extending a hand for Carol to shake.

Seemingly impressed by the girl's formality, Carol happily shook Ana's hand, leaning into Damon so the vampire could place a polite kiss on her cheek. "What a surprise."

"Hi." Damon greeted, pulling away from the mayor and standing next to Ana again, letting his diamond eyes wander over to where Elijah stood stiffly.

"Hi." Mayor Lockwood uttered once more, turning her attention back to the original who stood inches from her. "Elijah, I want you to meet Damon Salvatore. His family is one of Mystic Falls' founding families."

Damon hummed along, smirking at Elijah with untamed cockiness. "Such a pleasure to meet you."

"No. Pleasure's mine." Elijah greeted, turning to Ana and bending down to place a soft kiss across her knuckles. "And it's an honor to see you again, Ana."

★·'¯'·★

Watching Damon follow after Elijah into a separate room, Ana turned to Alaric, a soft smile etched on her lips. "How long before he tears Damon apart?"

"Maybe a minute, and that's counting Damon not being arrogant about it." Alaric chuckled, but his light expression falling when Jonathan Gilbert sauntered up to the pair, wearing his leather jacket and that same brooding expression upon his face.

"What's Damon doing with Elijah?" He demanded at the pair, his eyebrows raised in question.

Turning his head with a sarcastic frown, Alaric replied "How would I know?"

"Because you're his little helper." John said, leaning in so the other members couldn't hear how much of a jerk he was being.

Scoffing, Ana responded "What, so Damon's Santa now and Alaric is his elf? This town isn't as tightly knit as you seem to think, Damon can do what he wants. You have to get your nose out of people's business, Jonathan Gilbert."

"Shut up, Ana, the only thing you know how to do is turn your damn humanity switch off." John retorted, and Ana flinched slightly, narrowing her eyes at the older man.

"Go away, John." Alaric demanded, feeling uncomfortable after seeing how harshly Ana took Jonathan's words.

Leaning his head inwards so other people couldn't hear his threats, Jonathan murmured "Does Jenna know about your extracurricular activities? Maybe it's time we tell her. I mean, she can't stay in the dark forever."

"Here's another suggestion." Ana whispered, subtly pulling the gun she had in the side of her jeans out and jabbing it into John's stomach. The older Gilbert didn't move an inch. "Maybe we end your pathetic life here. Do you enjoy making other people feel small, John?"

Slowly turning his head to face Ana, Jonathan smirked "You wouldn't pull that trigger. You wanna know why?" Remaining silent, Ana nudging John with her gun a little harder, causing the man to stifle a grunt. "Because there's humans here, and you just love humans, don't you?"

Sending one last death glare to John, Ana pulled her gun away, still standing close to the man so she could snap his neck if need be. And trust me, she would.

"I don't think you should sleepover anymore." John stated to Alaric, though watching Ana from the corner of his eye. It's inappropriate with children in the house, and that ring that Isobel gave you, that's mine. I'm gonna want that back."

"Leave, John." Ana spoke through gritted teeth, sending Alaric a look that told him she was not happy.

And eventually, John did leave, after sending one last intimidating glance at the vampire and the hunter.

★·'¯'·★