Elena knocked on the Salvatore boarding house door and willed her heart rate to slow down. She didn't want the sensitive vampire hearing to pick up on how nervous she actually was. The door opened revealing a very, very good looking vampire with a smirk playing across his godlike features. Elena felt her heart skip a beat as those incredibly blue eyes looked at her with amusement.

Get a hold of yourself Gilbert, he's a vampire. You hate vampires, you hunt vampires. Stop ogling him!

Those thoughts sobered Elena's wondering mind and she quickly composed herself.

"Elena," said the vampire's velvety smooth voice as his eyes started to unashamedly rake over her body.

"Damon," Elena replied in acknowledgement blushing slightly at his roaming eyes, "do you mind?" she asked a bit harshly as his eyes continued to take in every womanly curve on her body. I should've worn a hoodie and sweatpants instead of skinny jeans and this tight shirt.

"Not at all," Damon replied with his smile growing as he stepped aside gesturing for Elena to enter his home.

Elena rolled her eyes at his arrogance and stepped into his home, trying to ignore the intoxicating scent of his cologne that hit her as she walked by him. She walked in and sat down at the couch in his living room. She had been here a few times before when council meetings were held here. Damon, being a founding family member, was part of the council that worked to hunt vampires. Unfortunately, the council was made up of a bunch of idiots who had no idea that Damon, or his younger brother Stefan, were vampires. Elena learned the truth through her history teacher Alaric, who had also become a father figure and mentor to her. He and Elena meet up once a week for private vampire hunting training sessions. Alaric and Elena are the only ones aware of what the Salvatore's really are. The four had come to a mutual agreement that as long as the vampires aren't out killing the residents of Mystic Falls the hunters wouldn't expose them to the council.

Elena started training as a vampire hunter under her late father tutelage at the age of fourteen. Her training was done in secret due to her late mother disagreement with the training. Her father had felt that it was better to be prepared; especially since Elena was a doppelganger to another vampire. Her dad taught her all he knew about vampires and the supernatural world. He was also planning on training her younger brother Jeremy as well once he turned fourteen but their parents tragically passed in a car accident before he got the chance. Jeremy is well aware of vampires' existence but has no training against them. Elena offered to teach him herself but Jeremy had gotten into the wrong crowd after the death of their parents a couple years ago and continues to show no interest in being around Elena or their Aunt Jenna at all.

"So, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" Damon asked as he walked over to his liquor and filled a glass of bourbon for himself.

"A little early to be drinking isn't it? It's barely noon." Elena said with her eyebrows raised watching Damon take a seat in the chair across from her.

"It's 5 o'clock somewhere," Damon muttered, "and besides drinking helps with the….cravings." he said doing that eye thing that's always causing the blood to rush to Elena's face while he looked intently at her long slender neck.

"I need your help Damon," Elena said after taking a breath to calm herself down ignoring his lingering stare at the pulse in her neck.

"And what makes you think I would help you?" Damon questioned, his eyes snapping back to hers.

"I have something that you want."

"Honey, I may want to fuck you but not that bad. I could get sex anytime and without having to do favors first," Damon said while leaning back into the chair a little more.

"I'm not talking about sex!" Elena almost shouted not expecting him to so casually mention that he would have sex with her and not expecting how her stomach twisted in reaction to it, "believe it or not, not every woman on earth wants to have sex with you Damon."

Damon looked at her amused with her flustered reaction. "Well sweetheart, what else could you possibly have that I would want?"

"I guess I should say someone, not something. And this person is in a location only I know of, in a place I guarantee you will never locate. And even if you were able to locate it there is still the matter of entering the place in which only I have the key to enter. And the key is also hidden in a location only I know of. And before you start to think that it's a lock you can easily break with your vampire strength, you should know the lock is bewitched with a spell that will only open with the key I have in my possession. Hidden. So either you help me or you will never see this person again." Elena said as fast as she could aware that she was also rambling so that Damon wouldn't interrupt her. She looked him in the eyes and saw that he was slightly shocked by the fact that she was indirectly threatening him.

"And what person could possibly warrant such a response in me?"

"Your brother," Elena responded a little above a whisper watching his reaction intently, "Stefan."

Damon's face turned from shock into anger, his eyes were a mixture of spite and rage. But Elena wasn't afraid of him like she should be; she was well trained and prepared to handle vampires. So when she realized that a second later her back was lying down on the couch with Damon on top of her, his vampiric features prominent, his one hand gripped over her throat while the other was holding him up, she was prepared.

"Ah, ah, ah," Elena said with a small smile playing on her lips, her eyes flashing with excitement and adrenaline pumping through her veins, "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

It was then that Damon noticed there was something small and metallic pressing into the side of his neck and he realized Elena was holding a vervain dart in her hand. Slowly he released his grip on her neck and moved his hand so both were holding him up and his vampire features slowly disappeared to reveal his ocean blue eyes showing he was very amused, impressed, and something else she couldn't figure out. Now that the threat had dissipated, Elena became very aware of the position they were in. Elena had her legs wrapped somewhat around Damon and every inch of their bodies were touching. Elena's heart rate started to pick up for an entirely different reason than it had moments earlier and her breath hitched as Damon lowered his face to her neck and breathed in her scent.

"Mmm," he murmured against her skin, causing goosebumps to arise all over her body, "you smell delicious."

Elena had lost the ability to talk at that moment and quickly moved her hand that was holding the dart away from his neck to his chest and instead tried to push him off of her trying not to revel in how sculptured his muscles felt under her touch.

Get a grip, Elena!

Damon allowed Elena to push him away and he chuckled at her obvious reaction to his proximity. Then he sobered himself up remembering the situation that they were in. Focus Salvatore, this isn't a time to be flirting. Especially not with the woman who has your brother held captive. He walked around the couch grabbing his leather jacket off a nearby chair and heading towards the door.

"Wait, where are you going?" Elena asked finally finding her voice as she rushed to the front door that Damon just walked out of.

"Out," he replied with a stony face and cold eyes that sent shivers down Elena's spine,"Don't wait up." And just like that he was gone.

Elena let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. He'll come around, he has to. He just needs time to cool off and think.

Holding one vampire captive while ambushing his vampire brother into helping you. You really know how to make a mess of things don't you Gilbert.

Later that evening back at home, Elena was busy packing a backpack full of clothes, weapons and essentials needed for this trip. Damon has not yet agreed to help, but she was confident that he would. And even in the off chance he doesn't Elena was still going to go no matter what; she would just feel safer if he did come along for backup. Normally Ric would be her number one choice but he was in another country after having received the opportunity to teach history abroad for a summer program and Elena didn't want to bother him.

There was a tapping on her bedroom window causing Elena to jump. Looking up she saw Damon standing on a tree branch outside her window and she rolled her eyes. Of course he can't just knock on the front door like a normal person, but she sighed guessing this was for the best because this way Aunt Jenna wouldn't be aware of anything.

"Well, aren't you gonna invite me in?" Damon asked after Elena opened the window with an innocent smirk plastered across his face.

"In your dreams Salvatore, meet me on the front porch." Damon sighed and nodded in reply. Vampire hunting 101, never invite a vampire into your home.

Elena stepped outside and noticed Damon already sitting in one of the white wicker chairs on the porch. Elena took a seat in the chair next to him.

"Umm, would you like a drink?" Elena asked trying to get him as comfortable around her as possible. If it even is possible for a vampire and a vampire hunter to be comfortable around each other.

"What exactly are you offering?" Damon asked in a husky tone his eyes flashing with a desire that had Elena catching her breath in her throat and blushing furiously as she looked down trying to hide her flaming face behind a veil of her chocolate brown hair.

"Nevermind," Elena mumbled.

Damon was highly amused with the reactions he was causing Elena to have but he decided not to push her further since he really did want to get down to business, "Where is Stefan?"

"He's safe, and I promise you nothing will happen to him and you'll get him back as soon as you help me."

"How do I know you're telling the truth?" Damon asked in a quiet voice and Elena immediately picked up on the tension in his voice. She could tell that he was someone who does not trust easily. And of course, she was just making it worse by actually holding his brother prisoner. Why would he trust her?

Before Elena could help it she reached over and put her hand on top of Damon's which was resting on his knee and looked him in the eyes.

"You'll just have to trust me," she said softly while showing him that all she had was honesty in her eyes. He gave her a small nod and moved his hand away from hers. He could still feel the lingering heat that was burning on his skin from her touch but he couldn't focus on what that meant right now. Elena moved her hands back to her lap trying to ignore how warm his hand felt in hers.

"Two days ago my younger brother Jeremy didn't come home. I didn't think anything of it at the time, just assuming he was staying at his friend's house. But then I got this note." Elena pulled a note out of the back pocket of her jeans and handed it to Damon.

My dearest Elena,

My brother and I have been trying to get to you for some time but you have proven to be quite the elusive creature. All those years training as a vampire hunter have been helpful no doubt. My brother Niklaus and I are what you would call the original vampires and we are indeed very powerful. It turns out that we are in need of your assistance as you are the doppelganger to the vampire Katherine, your blood is very valuable to us as it contains supernatural entities that we desire for future plans we have. I promise you that no harm will come to you since we would need you very much alive in order to carry out our plans. It is rather unfortunate that we have had to stoop to the level of kidnapping your brother Jeremy as leverage for your willingness to help us but you have proved yourself quite the spirited vampire hunter. I give my word that Jeremy will not be harmed in any way so long as you cooperate with us and turn yourself over. We will return young Gilbert home safe and sound once you are by our side. Our current location will require some traveling on your behalf I am afraid.

Best regards, Elijah

Damon wasn't all that surprised by the news that Elena was trying to be kidnapped by vampires. When Damon and Elena first met a couple years ago he tried to attack her himself before realizing she wasn't Katherine. And that wasn't the first or last time she was attacked because of the likeness to his former maker/lover. But the fact that she had supernatural blood that these original vampires wanted to use her for made an uneasy feeling grow inside of him.

"I should've known something wasn't entirely right when three different vampires tried to attack me out of nowhere in one week, but I guess I was just preoccupied with getting ready for college to begin to really think about it," Elena said recalling her hectic week of staking three vampires while preparing to begin school in three weeks as a freshman in college. "Anyways, I already knew Stefan from some classes we shared in high school. As soon as I got the letter I formulated a plan. I pretty much seduced Stefan and locked him up before he could realize what had happened," Elena said shyly with a twinge of guilt glancing up to Damon who was sitting there with what appeared to be a surprised look on his face.

"Why didn't you just ask Stefan for help? You know he would have. You know he's one of the good guys."

"I know what kind of….diet Stefan is on and I need someone with their full potential to help me. And I had to use Stefan as leverage because I knew you would never willingly help a vampire hunter." Damon only nodded in understanding.

"What makes you think that when all is said and done that I won't just kill you after I have Stefan back?"

"I guess I'll just have to trust you not to," Elena replied while shrugging and their eyes locked. Damon was in disbelief that someone, especially a vampire hunter, would put trust in him. Trust him to take her to Chicago safely, save her and her brother, and to not kill her when it was all over. Nobody ever trusted him, ever. Damon tried to push away the growing knot that was starting to form in his stomach at the thought.

"You are something else Elena." He said mostly to himself but Elena heard him and smiled softly to herself.

"Before we leave, can you do me a favor and just compel my Aunt Jenna into thinking that Jeremy and I are away for a while and not to worry. I took her vervain bracelet off of her while she was napping so it won't be an issue. She doesn't know vampires exist anyways."

After compelling Aunt Jenna and grabbing her backpack Elena hopped into the passenger seat of Damon's blue Camaro. Damon had already gone home and packed a bag of essentials for himself as well.

"Ready to go?" Damon asked peeking over at Elena.

"As ready as I'll ever be."