Elena

Elena woke up in the middle of the night. Her window was closed, there was no storm. It was 3 AM, so she couldn't help wondering if it were the "tomorrow" when Damon said he would talk to her.

"Damon," she said softly. It was as loud as she had used before, when he was nearby and thought she needed his protection. He came with one call then. But he did not come tonight.

"Katherine?" she said in the same tone. Katherine's visits had never been welcome, but would be tonight.

"Stefan," she said very softly. This one wasn't a summons or a question. Just an expression of regret.

She turned over and closed her eyes, trying to sleep, never having felt so alone.

Stefan

Damon was home, sitting in front of the fireplace, thinking. He had spent a long time with Katherine, and he had a lot to think about.

Stefan entered – returning from hunting.

"You're back. Elena and Bonnie said you were with Katherine. Is that true?" Stefan demanded without any other greeting.

"Yes." Damon just stared at the fireplace.

"What does she want, Damon? Did she tell you?"

"She told me. I don't know if its what she really wants."

Stefan stared at him. "Well?"

"Well what?"

"Well what did she say?"

Damon did look at him now – his face hard. "What she said to me is between her and me."

The harshness surprised Stefan. "I mean, did she say what she wanted with Elena?"

"Still between her and me."

"Damon, something's wrong. Elena won't tell me what it is, but I can't help thinking you're behind it."

Damon looked back at the fireplace. "Been thinking a lot about me lately? I wasn't here. Whatever it is, I'm sure it's between you and Elena."

"You were with her before you took off with Katherine. What happened?"

"That is between Elena and me."

Stefan was angry. He moved to try to grab Damon. Damon just flung him aside.

Stefan landed on his feet. "Tell me. If you've been manipulating her, turning her against me…"

"I live in your head, don't I? You think about me, Katherine, everyone but Elena. Try concentrating on her for awhile."

"I have a right to know, Damon. If you or Katherine has put her in danger, if something you did threatened her, I'll…" Stefan did not finish that sentence.

Damon glared at him. "What. You'll do what you did when you threatened her? You'll beg forgiveness and blame everyone but yourself?"

Damon was up now, staring at him. "Do you even know who she is? She can't be intimidated. I've tried. She can't be controlled. You've tried. It doesn't matter what you want or think. She will do what she thinks she should. She'll walk into a house – or a tomb - full of vampires, her only thought being about what she came to do, who she came to help. Do you understand that about her? She's not afraid of being threatened."

"I'm just worried about her." Stefan said. "I don't know what she is thinking."

"Let me give you some advice on that, Brother. With Elena or Katherine or any woman worth chasing, you do not get to understand her by talking to anyone else. If they find out you've been asking others about them, talking about them behind their backs, you're toast. If you want to give Elena a pleasant surprise, talk to her yourself. You want to know what she is thinking, how she feels? Ask her. Think about her for a change."

It stung. Stefan went to his room. He had been trying to talk to her, hadn't he?

Damon returned to staring at the fireplace, thinking.

Both of Them

Elena hadn't planned it, really she hadn't. She did want to see Damon, to talk to him. She had left things with him in a manner she could not tolerate. Not that she had done any better with Stefan. She knew he was trying in his way. And she would have made concessions or allowances before. But things were changing.

She hadn't seen either all day, not until just after supper. She had found Katherine's phone on her bed when she returned her room to clean up for the meal. It was ordinary-looking. Nothing special. Of course it wasn't hers – the difference was obvious. She would need to come up with a system for her two phones now – she was going to keep both on her always.

Stefan came as she finished helping Jenna with the dishes. She was actually glad to see him. She had sometimes thought before that she wanted a normal life – a life without vampires. But she was lonely today.

"Hey," Elena greeting him at the door.

"Can we talk?" Stefan asked.

"Of course. We probably need to after the time we've had the last few days."

"Upstairs, or at my place?"

"Let's do the porch," Elena said. Upstairs would send the wrong message, the wrong current message, anyway. His place might have Damon, and she was going to tread carefully with him. He would find her when he was ready.

"I know I haven't been at my best the last few days," Stefan began as they sat next to each other. "I need to apologize for that."

"Yeah." Elena said. "I've noticed."

"I've just been worried about you. Believe it or not, Damon helped me see I was treating you badly."

"He did, did he?"

"Yes. I worry about him and Katherine and what they're doing to you. He told me I was thinking of everyone but you. He's wrong. It's all about you."

"Then why did he come up, Stefan?"

"Because I'm worried about you, how he's affecting you. what he's doing to you."

"What he's doing to me?" Elena's voice was rising. "Do you know what happened at that house you burned down? He stood by me. He faced the ugliest vampires I have ever seen with me. And when it went bad, he got me out of there. And then he carried me away from them – when I was unconscious. When I woke up, he was bandaging me – stopping the bleeding. And then he carried me farther, away from the vampire that was chasing me. When we were caught, he put himself between me and the vampire, and he kept it away from me until help came. That's what he's doing to me."

"I would have done the same." Stefan said, after processing what Elena had said.

"I think you would have. I'm just not sure you would have been there with me. Damon was."

"Elena, I'm here for you, whenever you need me."

"I know Stefan. But Damon is there for me wherever I need him."

"Elena what are you saying. Do you not love me?"

"Of course I love you. I have told you that time after time. How can you doubt it?"

"Damon then. Do you love him?"

Elena shook herself. "I don't know."

They sat in silence for a minute before Stefan spoke.

"I just don't understand some things, Elena. Katherine is dangerous. Everything she does, everything she wants you to do is a threat to you."

"Katherine is not a threat to me. Things happen. But my deal with her is the only way I have of protecting my family, Bonnie, and anyone else I care about. Damon understands that. Do you?"

"Where does that leave us? Do you not want to see me anymore?"

"Of course I want to see you. I love you. I want you to be you, and I want you to let me be me. There are things I have to do now. You may not approve, you may not agree. But please, don't make it harder for me. It's hard enough already."

"I'm sorry," Stefan said. "I just worry about you."

"Worry doesn't help, Stefan. I don't what's going to happen, I don't know what's coming next. I do know Damon will help me. I hope you will help me. And I know I will love you. But you have to give me a little space – just a little. I would still like to meet, talk, eat together, do things with each other - even more. Just slower. Just for now."

"I wish I knew what was going on in your head. I'm not good at puzzles."

"It's not a puzzle, Stefan. It's just what I need. We just need to agree to meet or do something ahead of time."

"Whatever this is, I just don't want you to have to do it alone."

"No one else can do it for me. And believe me, I'll call if I need you."

"OK." Stefan tentatively moved in to kiss her. Elena was willing.

They were interrupted by Jenna.

"Elena, you asked me to let you know about these. Come to the TV."

Elena and Stefan followed Jenna. There was a story about a man killed in an animal attack.

"It's happening again," Jenna said. "Did you suspect it would?"

"Not suspect. I was just worried. I'm a worry-wart you know," Elena said, pulling Stefan back outside.

"Is there another vampire here?" Elena asked him.

"I don't know. Maybe. We don't greet each other or anything when going to a new town or passing through. You know that."

"I told Katherine her 'protection' would have to feed. If this is one of her people..."

"Katherine?" Stefan asked. "You think it might be her doing?"

"I don't know, but I am going to find out." She gave him a kiss on the cheek "Call me tomorrow, OK? We'll do something then."

Elena went upstairs, pulling out the phone Katherine had given her for emergencies.