You are my Freedom

Kick Off

Stefan is at the bar drinking when Elena arrives. He sets down his drink and waves to her, "Hey!"

"Hey. How are you?"

He kisses her on the cheek forcing her head to turn slightly, she spots Damon and Clara.

"Wait is that Clara, is it safe for her to be here, around all these people?" Elena asks concerned

"Its fiiine, nothin to worry 'bout."

"Are you drunk?" Elena asks, kind of amused seeing her boyfriend act like a typical teenager.

"Okay, I know it's a little weird but it's really helping me. The alcohol takes the edge off." He explains.

Elena smiles, "You're totally that drunk high school guy at parties sneaking booze."

"I totally am, yeah." Stefan whisks her onto the dance floor, and Elena decides just to get the most out of Stefan's carefree attitude although it did concern her to see Stefan use compulsion on the DJ to change the music, it was something Damon would do not Stefan.

Elsewhere at the party...

Damon brings Clara over to Sheriff Forbes wanting to introduce her to one of the few people in this town he actually likes.

"You know I love a woman in uniform but I have to side with this one, you certainly clean up well."

Elizabeth chuckles, "Thank you, Damon. Cheers!" (They clink glasses.) "And who is this lovely beauty?"

Damon wraps his arm around Clara's waist and pulls her closer, "The reason I came over, I would like to introduce you to my wife."

Sheriff Forbes nearly chokes on her champagne.

"I'm sorry did you say, wife?"

"Shocking I know."

It certainly was but Elizabeth quickly regained her composure "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Salvatore, can't imagine why Damon never mentioned you before."

Clara smiled shyly, "You as well, and please call me Clara. And I imagine my lovely husband was simply trying not to brag."

"Sassy too, she'll keep you on your toes. How long have you been together?"

Damon looks at Clara proudly, "Indeed she will, and we've been together since we were children... she was my best friend growing up and I've been completely besotted since the day I laid eyes on her." Clara ducks her head into Damon's chest slightly embarrassed and surprised by how sweet he is being, but loving every moment of it.

"Wow, I feel like I am seeing a whole new Damon Salvatore. You know I had my doubts about you at first but like everyone else on the council you've won me over."

"Thanks, Liz. I don't really want this talked about, but I consider you a friend and know you well enough to know not to try and sneak anything past you but the truth is we have been separated for a few years... that's why I never mention her before."

"It's alright you don't owe me an explanation." Elizabeth tries to tell him.

"No really, it's okay you should know. I was young and stupid and I made a horrible mistake that nearly cost me the best thing that ever happened to me. Truthfully I never expected to get a second chance and I am just really thankful I am getting one now." He explains looking at Clara with such love and devotion Elizabeth Forbes sees nothing but a repentant husband determined to make his marriage work, a rare thing nowadays.

"Well welcome to Mystic Falls Clara, I hope you both are very happy here."

"Yes, I hope so as well, and thank you for being so welcoming."

"Actually would you mind if I spoke to your husband alone for a minute there is some council business we need to discuss?"

Damon turns to Clara, "Why don't you go check on Elena, seems my brother is making a spectacle of himself."

"Of course, again it was lovely meeting you," Clara tells Sheriff Forbes.

"You as well," Elizabeth tells her genuinely meaning it.

Clara joins Elena at the bar watching Stefan dancing with Kelly Donovan.

"Is he gonna be okay?" She asks a little concerned for her brother in law.

"Exactly what I would like to know." Elena huffs.

Damon watches making sure Clara is alright without him and then turns back to Sheriff Forbes.

"It's really nice how welcoming the council has been. I like my life here in Mystic Falls. Starting to feel like home again."

"Well, you're not gonna like what I have to tell you. Jonathan Gilbert's claims check out. Blood bank, the missing people, all of it's true. We might have a problem."

Seriously Stefan, couldn't go one damn day?! Damon is very frustrated and annoyed but tries to only let his concern show on his face to not tip-off to the Sheriff he is privy to anything.

Elena, Clara, and Jenna are laughing together. Clara is thrilled at how well this evening is going. She is having to constantly keep drinking to keep the cravings under control around so many humans, but being as she is married to Damon no one has thought twice about her alcohol intake, plus she certainly handles her booze a lot better than Stefan.

Matt comes over and joins the girls...

"Hi, I don't think we've met." He says to Clara holding out his hand for her to shake.

"Oh uh Matt, this is Clara Salvatore, she is Stefan's brother's wife," Elena says making their introduction.

"You're married to Damon?" Matt asks shocked. Clara shakes his hand.

"Please don't hold it against me."

"Yeah uhh sure." He notices the unprecedented amount of grinding happening at a founder's party due to the music change up. "When did this happen?"

"DJ had a change of heart."

"Do you want to dance?" He asks Elena still harboring some feelings for her.

"I don't know."

"How about you Mrs. Salvatore?" Matt asks with a dramatic bow. Clara giggles and gives him her hand.

"It would be an honor but I am afraid I don't know this dance." Matt is confused by her phrasing but takes her out on the dance floor anyway.

"Relax, there's nothing to it, just follow my lead and don't think about how ridiculous you might look."

The two make there way over to the dance floor

Damon spots his wife dancing with Donovan and wants to go over and take her out of the quarterback's arms but Jeremy arrives and interrupts him.

"Excuse me, Sheriff. I was curious if there's been any more information about what happened to Vicki Donovan?"

Elizabeth sighs, "It was an overdose, Jeremy."

"Yeah, but her body was buried. Somebody must have done that."

"We're aware of that. The investigation is ongoing but there's nothing more I can tell you at this time. I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

Well, this could be a problem Damon thinks to himself before making his way over to his bride.

"Care to take a stroll, my lady?"

"It would be an honor." Damon secures her arm through his and they walk out onto the balcony together enjoying the night air.

"I am sorry we never got to do this back then."

"We're here now that's all that matters." Clara turns around in Damon's arms ready to kiss him but notices a man behind them.

John joins them outside...

"Damon, right?" John asks.

"John."

"And I am afraid I have yet to make this lovely young woman's acquaintance yet," John says looking a little too eager for Damon's liking.

"And you're not going to, what do you want?"

"We didn't get the chance to meet at the council meeting."

"Are you enjoying the kick-off?" Damon tries to change the conversation.

"Oh yeah. I forgot how much fun these small-town celebrations can be. How long have you been in town?" John directs his last question to Clara.

"Oh, not long at all. Why do you want to know?"

"Just making friendly chit-chat."

"Except we're not friends," Damon replies causing John to get a tight smile on his face

"No, I tend not to be friends with vampires." he looks at both Damon and Clara pointedly. Damon moves Clara behind him trying to shield her from John's threatening stares.

"And you're telling us this why?"

"I just thought we'd get the introductions out of the way."

"You know that I could rip your throat out before anyone would notice?" Damon asks liking the idea more and more.

"Well I am on vervain... but why don't you take a bite to find out?"

Clara tried to intervene, "This man hardly seems worth our time Damon, perhaps we should go back inside."

"I must say, Mrs. Salvatore, you speak as if you were from a different time... say 1864. It wasn't such a good time to be a vampire then you see they were running amok and we were forced to hunt them down, throw them in a church and burn them to ash."

"I wasn't aware you were quite so old Mr. Gilbert, perhaps you can share with me your skincare regimen?" Clara asks.

John lets out a sarcastic chuckle and Damon is losing his patients with Elena's tool of an uncle.

Damon and Clara start to leave but Damon changes his mind at the last moment and rushes towards John, breaks his neck, and throws him off the balcony.

When Damon and Clara re-enter the party it seems they have missed something there has been commotion over Kelly Donovan and Tyler Lockwood.

They ignore the small-town drama and make their way over to Elena who is watching Stefan with concern.

"You wanna hear the bad news or the really bad news?" He asks her.

"Actually, I don't want any news, Damon," Elena replies really not in the mood for anything Damon has to say.

"Alright, let me rephrase. Do you want to hear how the council is back in vampire killing mode or how I just killed Uncle John Gilbert?"

"What?!"

"Uh honey," Clara tries to get Damon's attention as John Gilbert walks in very much alive.

"You gotta be kidding me."

Later Damon walks up to Alaric who is also staring at John...

"Look at his right hand."

"Whose?"

"Towns favorite's son. Look at his ring."

"Well, it looks like mine."

"Yeah, and that would be a big coincidence if he didn't just come back from the dead five minutes ago. Where the hell did you get that ring?"

"Isobel, my wife," Alaric explains.

"Who gave birth to Elena, under the medical care of the esteemed DR. Grayson Gilbert, John's brother!"

They look at John.

"Do you think John knew Isobel?" Clara asks.

"I think John knows a lot of things."

Later Damon and Clara are enjoying a slow dance

"I am sorry tonight was ruined." He says trying to apologize

"Ruined please, all this excitement and intrigue... I've had a fabulous time, and I get to recover from it all day tomorrow while I avoid the sun."

"Lucky."

"Very," Clara replies and pulls Damon down for a deep kiss.

Damon sees John is leaving and asks Clara to stay inside as he and Alaric follow him

"Not a chance." She tells him.

"Yeah, I figured come on,"

The three of them catch up to him outside.

"Going somewhere?" Damon asks.

"I've never liked to be the last one to leave a party. It's too desperate. You're going to kill me again or you're gonna let Mr. Saltzman do your dirty work? Perhaps the Mrs's would like a go?"

"Tempting," Clara replies.

Alaric steps forward, "Okay, you obviously know who I am."

"I do. Alaric Saltzman, a high school history teacher with a secret."

"Sure know a lot for someone who just got to town," Damon remarks.

"More than you can imagine, Damon. My knowledge of this town goes beyond anything that you (He looks at Damon) or you (He looks at Alaric) or even you (he looks at Clara) knows. So, if you're planning on some clever high-speed snatch ring vamp kill move, know that if I die, everything I know goes to the council including the fascinating little tale of your wife's resurrection."

Clara has to hold Damon back from doing something stupid.

"How did you get that ring?" Alaric demands to know.

"I had inherited one, my brother Gray had the other. This was his (He shows his ring to them) and I wouldn't have given mine to Isobel if I had known she'd hand it over to another guy." John explains taunting Alaric.

"What do you want?" This time it's Clara that tries to regain control of the situation.

"So many questions. It was a pleasure meeting you, Ric. And Clara, I've heard so much about you."

John leaves. Damon, Clara, and Alaric look at each other and watch him.