Hey there :D this snippet is set some time in season three, in a meeting of the town council being held in the Salvatore's house. Alaric and Carol Lockwood both star.

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Rick was starting to find it incredibly annoying that despite practically being a kid, Elena seemed to have immediately fit right in with the other council members. Meanwhile, despite supposedly being a responsible adult member of the council himself, Rick sat alone, staring morosely into his cup of coffee.

He wondered if he needed to get a life.

His eyes wandered over to where Elena was chatting away happily to some boring looking old men, and then to Damon who was pouring himself a drink. An alcoholic drink. An alcoholic drink that Rick was banned from drinking.

Rick moaned and put his head in his hands. This alcohol diet was killing him. Killing him. 'Kill me now,' he muttered.

'I wouldn't go round saying things like that in this town,' said Sheriff Forbes, leaning on the back of the polished wood chair beside him. 'There are a number of people who might take it as an invitation.'

'Yep, me - and with pleasure,' said Damon, giving them a friendly wave of his glass. 'Only then I'd have no-one to get shit-faced with on Saturdays.' He clapped a hand to his forehead. 'Oh wait – I don't anymore!' This seemed to perk him up significantly. 'Okay then, I can kill you.'

Liz Forbes rolled her eyes, and Rick glowered at Damon. 'You'd better get on with the murdering, because the meeting starts in approximately ten minutes.'

'Nobody's doing any murdering,' Elena said she came to join them.

'Meeting starts in ten,' called Mayoress Lockwood, walking brusquely over to the group. Seeing quite how Alaric Saltzman was quite publicly suffering from being confined to non-alcoholic beverages, she not for the first time wondered if she should intervene on the staffing for Mystic Falls High. 'I suggest it's time Miss Gilbert leaves.'

'You've got to be kidding.' Elena said, 'You're going to kick me out?'

Rick shrugged apologetically and caught Damon's eye. 'Sorry, but that's the rule. You're not on the council.'

Elena folded her arms. 'So how did you get on the council when you're not even a founding family member?'

Rick stifled a long suffering sigh; he'd been hoping Elena wouldn't bring that up. He gazed around for support, but both Damon and Liz seemed to have become incredibly fascinated by the woodwork of the mantelpiece. Carol Lockwood was examining her fingernails.

'Look,' he said, 'If you want to get on the council, you'll have to get Mayor Lockwood here to approve a vote.'

'Excuse me? Votes need your approval?' Elena looked incredulous. 'What happened to every council member being equal?'

Rick winced.

'Elena, honey, I'm afraid you are going to have to go,' said Carol. A good question in fact, would be why the girl was even here. Damon knew the council were about to meet. 'Damon, please ask your guest to leave.'

'I'm the only surviving adult of the Gilbert family, one of this town's founding families,' said Elena with surprising gravity, her eyes calm and mature. 'And I'm invoking my right to remain here and sit on the Town Council.'

Mrs Lockwood narrowed her eyes. This girl was smarter than she'd given her credit for.

'She has a point,' said Damon Salvatore breezily. Carol was instantly suspicious. 'Mayor?' Damon asked. 'Shouldn't we put this to a vote?'

Carol pursed her lips. She knew well enough that Elena wasn't naïve as to the town's situation, and it might be useful to have another council member with… certain sympathies. But on the other hand Carol balked at the idea of including a girl no older than Ty in meetings with such a deadly serious agenda. It was clear from Elena's stance wasn't planning on going anywhere until Carol made a decision, and Damon was making no moves to remove her from his house. What on earth was he doing trying to let her stay? There was clearly lot more to the girl's tangled relationship with the vampire than she'd realised.

'It's your decision whether or not we're able to vote on this,' said Elizabeth Forbes, care lined eyes turned to Carol. 'But Elena, though I know you're an adult and fully aware of what we're dealing with here,' Damon snorted, and Liz ignored him, 'I don't know if it's appropriate for you to be involved in something quite so serious. Forgive me for sounding patronising, but you're still young and already have an awful lot on your plate. Focussing on school should be a priority, and you have your brother to take care of.'

Carol saw to her satisfaction that other members of the council were gathering round, nodding at what Liz was saying.

'But that's exactly why I should be on the council,' said Elena, 'Focussing on school, keeping an eye on Jer – who's old enough to look after himself, by the way, and Rick's been helping -' she glanced at the history teacher, who inclined his head, 'None of that matters if we can't find peaceful and sensible solutions to the problems in this town. Because until we figure them out, I can't just focus on my life. I can't be normal – none of us can.' She leaned in to Carol. 'And no offence, but I'm a lot more informed than most of the people here. Exactly how many of them know what's really going on?'

'Elena,' Carol hissed. 'I don't understand why you think it's appropriate to be bringing this issue up now,' she added more loudly, acutely aware of everyone watching them, and aware most of all of the supportive hand Damon surreptitiously placed on the small of Elena's back.

'I'm more than experienced enough with all of your business to be valuable,' Elena continued more loudly, looking around at her audience. Pastor Young gave a cough which sounded an awful lot like a snort.

'Yes, I am actually,' said Elena, and turned back to give Carol a smile which she did not return. 'Mrs Lockwood of all people should know that.'

Was the idiot girl trying to blackmail her?

Carol swallowed.

'It seems there's nothing much to discuss, so why don't we put it to a vote? All those in favour of Elena Gilbert joining the council… oh,' she broke off, putting on a concerned tone, 'I'm sure you won't mind if we call the vote straight away. It's just that we've got some real business to be getting on with.'

'No, that's fine,' Elena smiled sweetly. Carol's eyes flicked to Damon, who stood close behind Elena and looking for all the world as though he was entirely unconcerned. He had definitely planned this.

'All those in favour of Elena Gilbert joining the council raise their hands.' Of course that sop Alaric would raise his hand, wouldn't he. Carol pursed her lips as Liz' hand also went slowly into the air. Damon lazily raised his hand with a grin which made her narrow her eyes. Carol didn't want two people so obviously close on the council – two people who could easily plot behind the back of the other members. Within the tight circle of those on the council who really knew – there could be no room for secrets. She had her son to protect.

To Carol's surprise, hands were going up all over the room. More hands than weren't.

'Well, it seems that the motion's been passed,' said Damon, with a nonchalance that was obviously feigned. 'Guess Elena gets to stay after all.'

Carol forced her lips to form a smile. 'Welcome to the council, Elena Gilbert,' she said. 'The session is about to begin, so take your places please.'

She nodded tersely at Elena, and the milling council members began to sit down at the loose circle of chairs and sofas. Carol straightened out her skirt as she took a chair beside Alaric. Fantastic. The newest council member was an impetuous teenager who was probably involved with a dangerous vampire.

'Tell me what's happening between those two,' she hissed at Alaric Saltzman. 'And don't you pretend you didn't hear me.'

'I… don't know,' said Rick, after long deliberation, and seemed inordinately self-satisfied with his answer. He held up his mug of coffee. 'Drink?'

'No, thank you,' said Carol with clenched teeth.

Carol's first priority was to her son, but her duty to Mystic Falls came a second so close as to be albeit equal. And in order to protect her town, she allowed nothing to happen in the council which she didn't find out everything about. She watched as Elena took a place beside Damon on the sofa, clearly at home in her surroundings. Damon lounged on the sofa like a cat who'd caught the cream, eyes following Elena as she tucked a long strand of brown hair behind her ears.

Carol was going to discover exactly what was going on between Damon and Elena. And if a time came when that knowledge became useful… well. Then she would not hesitate to use it.

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