Sun&Apocalyptic: Thank you to all those who reviewed! It truly did drive us to type up this chapter. It's extra long, just for you kind people!

S.W.

Eroding in the wind. Breaking apart in the sharp breeze. Suffocating without air. Listening to messages carried on a breath. The fur of dead bunnies floats in the air, going towards Stefan in a hope to kill him in retribution.

Elena hit her head against the desk, the resulting pain in her skull nothing compared to the mass of emotions twisted up within her. She took her time raising her head, grimacing when her eyes immediately went to Stefan. He hadn't spoken to her since the night before. Could she blame him, after what she had done?

But... to him, didn't it look like Damon and I were just hugging? In fact, there hadn't been any groping or kissing or anything of the sort. It could have been completely innocent without the electrifying sensations.

She had to make things right. She couldn't let things progress like this. Could she really date the brother of an almost-boyfriend?

Yes. She shook her head. What was wrong with her? And who's to say he'd even want to date... no, be with her? If she was to be with him at all, she couldn't imagine no longer being with him.

Elena tried to pull herself out of her chaotic mind to focus on the foreign language, but to no avail. She was still thinking about how she could make things right with Stefan. It would also be nice to know if the feelings of interest were one-sided or not... No, Elena scolded herself, you don't even know your own feelings for Damon. Once again she was thrown into the conflicts of life.

She cast her gaze to Stefan once more. He had his chin on his fist, staring blankly into space. She had never seen him appear so melancholic. She had to fix things.

S.W.

Bonnie tried her best to listen to her friend, holding back what she so desperately wanted to say. She was waiting for the right moment to break something strange to Elena.

"...Can you believe it? A stain on my brand new dress." Caroline seemed rather distressed about something so unimportant. It was nothing compared to the urgent matter Bonnie had to discus with Elena. She didn't really know why it was such a big deal... but when do you touch someone and feel Death?

Elena seemed distracted, holding the same apple, unbitten, for the past five minutes while staring into space. "Elena?" Bonnie cut off Caroline and searched her friend's face for some sort of recognition that she had spoken. She frowned upon seeing none. This time, she reached over to tap the brunette on the shoulder. The moment her fingers came in contact with her friend's bare shoulder she froze. An image of a bird flashed across her mind, along with that of fog and a man emerging out of said fog in a cemetery.

"Bonnie?"

Zapping out of her trance, two pairs of brown eyes met. Both of the two friends had been zoned out in some sort of way during the lunch period and Caroline was now frowning at their lack of interest in her fashion disaster.

"I'm..." Bonnie was confused. "When I touched you just then... I saw a bird."

"A... bird?" Elena stared at her friend blankly. "What?"

"Well... I saw a man and fog as well," she confessed. "You know what, never mind. Just forget I said anything." She paused for a second before looking up, a new flame kindling in her eyes. "But, the other day, when I touched Stefan at The Grill I got this bad feeling."

All of this was just a little bit too weird for Elena. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that when I touched him, a feeling washed over me. It was cold and desolate and... it was death." Bonnie was so certain of this and desperately wanted to keep her friend out of harm's way. Elena simply appeared taken aback to her though.

"Um... guys? I'm glad you're taking this time to have some creepy bonding or whatever, but I was talking..."

Bonnie glanced at the blond, trying to follow Elena's example and smile. She doubted hers looked nearly as sincere as Elena's. Bonnie had been attempting to get something urgent across to Elena, after all.

It was only when Elena said, "Would you like to come over for dinner tonight?" to them both that Bonnie realized the girl had actually been listening. Her voice was saccharine, eyes flashing briefly to Stefan. Something told Bonnie she and Caroline wouldn't be the only ones invited.

If there was one thing Elena had never been able to stand, it was conflict between her friends.

"I don't know. I'm really busy," Bonnie tried.

"Come on. You told me earlier you have nothing to do today," Elena said, encouragingly.

Bonnie couldn't help but let out a sigh. "Fine," she said in defeat. "Anyone other than..." She nodded in Stefan's direction. "...coming?"

"Well..." Elena bit her lip in contemplation. "I was thinking about inviting Damon."

"Damon?" Both girls seemed confused.

"Right, you guys haven't met him yet. Damon is Stefan's older brother. I think they have some sort of feud going on between them. It might be nice for them to spend a relaxing night where they could put aside their differences." She seemed to be working her thoughts out aloud.

"I'm in," Caroline said with a smile. "I only hope that this Damon is as hot as his brother."

B.G.

Matt searched through the city hall records via a computer. Stefan had said they had distant family that had lived here. They even had a house, so perhaps they had lived in Mystic Falls in the past. He typed Salvatore into the search engine.

There were a few articles, mostly involving how the Salvatore's had been part of the founding families. Their line had abruptly tapered off about 150 years ago, however. He paused at a particular video. He wasn't quite sure what it had to do with the Salvatores. It was about how an animal had attacked a man.

He realized the man that had been attacked was a Salvatore, and examined the black and white video closely.

Wait... He paused the video, rewinding a few frames. There... in the background... He zoomed in, examining familiar features. Was that Stefan Salvatore? He glanced at the date. 1952. He felt his features twist with his confusion. What could this mean? It has to be a relative.

Vicki's words came back to him, and, try as he might, he couldn't shake them. "It was a vampire."

S.W.

The dinner party was drawing closer every passing minute. Elena was nervous. She dumped the store bought food into fancy dishware, hoping that it could pass as gourmet. Smiling at this accomplishment, she called to Bonnie, asking her to find the big serving spoon for her. She had been surprised when in the next second, the very spoon she had been thinking of was thrust into her hand.

Elena didn't ponder her friend's quickness in finding the plastic-ware. Her mind was back to the Salvatore Boarding House earlier that evening. She remembered inviting Damon to the get-together. The way his eyebrows had quirked, and the phantom smile that wanted so desperately to grace her with its presence... They had her heart fluttering in her chest.

"Elena! I brought something for the dinner!"

Elena glanced at the clock upon hearing Caroline's voice. 5:25, and five minutes early. Bonnie must have let her in. "I thought you said you don't cook."

"Oh, I don't," said Caroline, coming into view. She handed a plate with chocolate chip cookies over. "The neighbors brought them over to my house."

Elena adjusted the silverware atop the kitchen table. Everything was almost perfect. There was a knock on the door and she froze. They were here. Maybe this wasn't such a grand idea. Maybe she should cancel...

"Coming!" Elena forced herself to call out. She wiped off her hands on a paper towel before heading to the door. She took a deep breath, standing between the one thing that separated her from the two Salvatore brothers. She reached forward and turned the cold metal knob. Opening the door, slowly two pairs of shoes were revealed. One pair was black and shiny, while the other a light brown. She forced herself to raise her eyes and look at her guests.

"Hey, Elena," Damon greeted, seeming a bit tense upon seeing her again. Yesterday's events were still fresh in both of their minds; Elena was sure. Their brief meeting earlier, when she had invited him over, hadn't helped. There had been no touching, as Stefan was there as well, but that didn't make it any less awkward.

"May I come in?" Stefan asked politely.

"Of course." Elena moved out of the way and Stefan entered, seeming a bit smug for some reason. Damon stood there, staring at the door's frame with a small frown. "Are you coming?" she asked.

"If that's alright with you."

"Yeah, come on in." She glanced between the brothers, trying to figure out why entering seemed to be such a big deal to them. Damon had flashed a toothy grin at Stefan, who now seemed irritated.

It took them a while to take seats at the table, everyone seeming to fight over the spots. Elena had taken the seat beside Bonnie, and Damon and Stefan seemed to be having a silent fight for the chair next to her.

Bonnie seemed irritated. "Just sit down already."

Damon's eyes flashed with what seemed to be realization, as he took the seat across from Elena. Stefan seemed confused as to whether he had won or not as he took the previously-desired seat beside his 'girlfriend'.

An outsider looking in would think the dinner was going well. Caroline and Damon took turns at keeping a conversation going. Really, things were tense and awkward. Elena fought back a twinge of jealousy when Damon and Caroline spoke back and forth, remembering Caroline's earlier words. "I only hope that this Damon is as hot as his brother."

Then there was Stefan being his usual self. He said, "I'm glad you're wearing your necklace."

She didn't even try to keep from rolling her eyes. Not because he was protective of her and apparently superstitious (which was actually quite cute), but because he had cast an accusing glare at Damon.

It was with relief that Bonnie and Elena collected emptied dishes, the Never-Ending dinner disproving its title. Thank God.

She placed the dishes in the sink, turning the water on and turning it to hot so the temperature could adjust.

"Need help?"

Elena smiled upon hearing Damon. As awkward as it might have been with Stefan around, when alone all discomfort faded into the background.

"Here," said Bonnie, shattering the shared illusion of being the only ones in the world as she handed Damon a plate. For not the first time, she froze as her hand brushed against someone's skin. Eyes narrowing, she said, "She's with Stefan."

"Bonnie," Elena reprimanded, flushing red. What was with the random comment and sudden hate?

Bonnie glanced between them, before muttering an insincere apology and an excuse at why she had to leave. Elena made an attempt to convince her friend to stay, but she was already out the door.

"That was weird," Damon stated when Elena returned to the kitchen. She cast him an apologetic glance before picking up another dish and running it under the hot sink water.

"So, about the other day," she said, handing him the dish. Damon rose an inquiring eyebrow. "I'm sorry. Caroline and Bonnie were just talking to me about 'doing' and I just..."

"Did?"

She forced a small smile. "Yeah." She paused as she handed over another wet dish. Until then, she had been careful to avoid direct skin-to-skin contact, since the slightest brush of skin sent her senses swirling. Lost in her thoughts, she had failed to be so careful this time.

Actions seemed slowed as the space between them was closed. Thinking back at a later time, she wouldn't be able to recall when their lips had met, or who had started it. As for that very moment, she was drowning in sensation. Nothing seemed to matter outside of getting more of this man before her. Slender fingers tangled in dark brown hair, yanking him closer to her, deepening the kiss. Her friends being in the very next room had fallen from her mind entirely.

The sound of a dish falling, shattering, and clattering against the floor barely managed to pull Elena out of the daze. Such was apparently the case for Damon too, as he appeared just as drugged and intoxicated as she felt.

Still staring at each other, dazed from their trance, the two didn't realize that Stefan had walked in at the sound of the clattering dish until he made his presence known. "Elena, are you alright?" he asked, concern evident in his voice.

Being completely snapped out of the previous moment, Elena shifted slightly away from Damon. She noted Stefan staring hatefully at his brother and instantly her heart rate increased. Had he seen? No, he couldn't have. Could he?

Turning away, she went to get a broom and dustpan, mumbling something about her well-being and the dish slipping. This didn't seem to satisfy Stefan, for when she turned back around, broom in hand, he was still shooting daggers at his brother with his eyes.

"Are you sure you're ok?" he asked, and she could have sworn that he had glanced at her neck. She raised a hand, unconsciously feeling where his gaze had been. Fingers brushed the cold metal of her necklace.

"Yes, I'm fine. I guess I didn't get all the soap off the dish." If he didn't know then she wasn't going to tip him off, and if he did... Well, there was nothing she could do about it.

"Damon, why don't you go and talk to Caroline, I think she wanted to ask you a couple questions."

At the sound of this, Elena's heart dropped. Don't go to her. Damon and Stefan locked eyes for a moment. In a silent conversation, maybe. Without a word, the older Salvatore left the room.

Immediately, she found Stefan at her side, green eyes looking her over. She shivered under his intense gaze. She couldn't help but think he was looking for specific things. What things, she couldn't even begin to fathom. Lifting her hands, she said, "I told you, I'm fine."

It was another long moment before he looked her in the eyes. "You should stay away from Damon."

Elena raised a brow at this. "Yeah, I'll just ignore him completely. It's not like he's your brother, and always around."

"I'm serious, Elena. He's not what he appears to be."

She searched his eyes for where this was coming from. Perhaps he had seen more than she thought. Perhaps he was the possessive-boyfriend type. Perhaps he has a right to be, she thought, grimacing. She was angry at him for being so jealous, but she had just been kissing his brother. While Stefan was just in the other room, on top of that.

She allowed him to take her hands into his. The lack of sparks left her feeling empty. This wasn't who she wanted to be with. Guilt tugged at her, however, and she found herself agreeing to go on a date with him the following night. Just the two of them, this time.

Good going, Elena, were her sarcastic thoughts.

B.G.

Listening in on Stefan and Elena's conversation, Damon couldn't help but glare at the kitchen door. She had agreed on having dinner with his little brother right after kissing him, Damon.

The dark haired brother barely stopped the growl building in his throat from escaping his lips. Caroline seemed ignorant of his lack of interest in her words.

The door opened and Damon swore he could have murdered his brother right then and there. They walked through the door, fingers interlaced. He didn't know why it was bothering him so much. He should be happy. Maybe if she made him angry enough he would stop getting those tingles and his emotions when around her would stop swamping him... He needed to think about the sole reason for his return to Mystic Falls.

Katherine.

Still, when they sat down on the sofa across from him, he couldn't help but bring her up. Katherine was Stefan's ex as well and Elena ought to know about her. "So, Stefan, I see you're moving on nicely."

The look on his brother's face was priceless. He immediately looked up, eyes pleading Damon not to do this.

"Moving on?" Elena asked in confusion. She looked at Damon for him to continue; to tell her something more of Stefan's past.

"Hasn't he told you about Katherine?" Upon seeing her glance at Stefan, Damon bit back a smirk. "Oh, haven't had the awkward ex conversation yet? Well, I'm sure it would have come up eventually. Why don't you tell her about Katherine, Stef?"

"Katherine is the past. That was a long time ago."

"It couldn't have been that long ago..." Elena commented, seeming to be doing math in her head of how long Stefan could have been dating.

"Yeah, it feels like yesterday to me," Damon chipped in, pleased at the glare that elicited from Stefan.

Elena's eyes were suddenly analytical, and Damon wondered if he had said something he shouldn't have. "So..." Her voice sounded innocent enough. "...which one of you dated her first?"

"What?" The word was spoken before either Salvatore could answer. Caroline had gone to the bathroom, presumably to fix her makeup, without anyone noticing. Now that she returned, she seemed to have only caught the last sentence of their conversation. "Who did they both date?"

"We should leave," Stefan said, abruptly. For once, Damon agreed with his brother. Bringing up Katherine had taken an unexpected turn, dragging up painful memories. How had Elena figured it out so easily? And the last thing he wanted to do was discuss the complicated relationship he and Stefan had had with Katherine, for Caroline's eager ears. "Zack's probably worried," Stefan added, when Elena gave the younger Salvatore a strange look.

So, saying a quick goodbye to Elena and ignoring Caroline, he made his way for the door. He blocked out Stefan's sickeningly sweet parting words to Elena. Otherwise, he might just rip his brother to shreds.

Reaching his original goal was going to be a lot harder than he had thought.

S.W

Apocalyptic: Whoo, managed to finish this!

Sun: Yay for nocturnal animals! (Clock reading: 1:26 in the morning! Which is actually the night!)

Apocalyptic: So, please review. We'd love to know what you guys think. Was it any good?

Sun: Like my sis said, we really would love to know what you thought of the chappie.

Disclaimer: We do not own The Vampire Diaries... However, I (being Sun) do own that sherbert ice cream that I ate earlier today. You know, the one in the cone that I ate with all it's tasty goodness... Yum.

-Apocalyptic and Sun resigning for some sleep