A/N: Before we get going, I want to say thank you to everyone who has read and/or reviewed so far. I really appreciate you taking the time to do so. I hope everyone enjoys this next chapter.

I shot a look over at Damon, but he was obviously avoiding my eyes. The longer we went without telling Stefan what happened, the harder it would be.

"So Jeremy's one of us now. I didn't see that coming. I'm assuming we have Anna to thank. How's he handling it?" The concern in Stefan's eyes started the guilt flowing.

"He isn't as freaked as Vickie was, but I don't think he got what he was expecting. It's like he wanted this transformation to erase all of his problems, but…" I wasn't sure how to finish explaining Jeremy's reaction.

"Actually, Stefan, I told him I would bring him blood. That's the safest thing at this point. I know what you're thinking, but I doubt Jeremy's the type to suck on Bambi." Damon's wording made me smile.

"Damon, we need to talk about what Katherine's return means for this town, especially for Elena." Stefan and Damon were both looking at me with the same expression on their faces: concerned and possessive. I simply couldn't do this. Deciding between the two of them would be tough, but I knew I had to do it.

"Someone needs to stay here with Jeremy. I can't go in there, though. There's no way he's biting me. He needs to learn the ropes of being a vampire." I finished my thought while looking squarely at Stefan.

"Sure, I can do that. Damon, would you mind taking Elena with you? She can stay in the car while you… do your thing." The last words were said with disgust.

"I guess I could take her, but I would really rather go by myself. She can be such a talker," he said teasingly.

I gave Stefan a quick hug and started walking toward Damon's car. The thought of being alone with Damon now made me nervous. I turned around to watch Stefan close the front door behind him.

"After you," Damon smirked as he opened the car door for me. He got in, started the car, and took off. After we were a few miles away from the house, I thought it was time to continue the conversation we started earlier.

"Damon, what is this between us?" I was curious what his answer would be.

"Well, it's called a bench seat, Elena, so that space between us is where another person could sit." His sarcasm wasn't helping, but it didn't surprise me.

"You know what I mean." I wasn't about to let him off that easy.

"Can't we just enjoy ourselves? We get to go on a field trip without Stefan the buzz kill." Damon wasn't going to make this easy either.

"Where are we going anyway?" I had a hunch, but I wanted confirmation.

"I'm pretty sure Stefan's stock of blood is still in the house. I wanted to keep it in case there was an emergency." Damon grinned at me devilishly. Before I got my next question out, we were pulling into the driveway. He drove way too fast.

Damon got out and opened my door for me. He took my hand to help me out of the car. Instead of letting go like I expected, he kept hold of it as we walked up to the house. I could almost feel the hormones his touch triggered as they rushed through my body.

As we walked through the front door, I was surprised to find that Damon was leading me to his room.

"I stowed the blood in here. Didn't want Stefan to be tempted."

"I've never been in your room before." My voice was shaky. I didn't know what I had expected to find in Damon's room, but it wasn't this. Everything looked so… comfortable.

Stefan's room held his entire past and that fact tended to be suffocating. Damon's room held… peace. There was an overstuffed chocolate leather sofa, a worn mahogany desk, a bookshelf full of classic literature, and a huge sleigh bed with snow-white sheets. I guess this is where he went to forget his past rather than bathe in it.

Damon had turned to watch as I studied his room. "Elena, I'm not always the monster I try to be. There aren't any bodies in the closet or people hanging on meat hooks above the bathtub while I drain their blood. I know what you think of me, and…" His sentence trailed off as he shifted his focus to the floor. At that moment, he looked more human than I had ever seen him.

I closed the distance between us and put my hand on his cheek. At my touch, he looked up.

"Damon, I know you're not a monster. I know that your 'bad vampire' act is to protect the humanity you have hidden inside." I moved my hand to rest on his chest. I knew he had a heart in there.

There was discomfort in his eyes. Damon wasn't used to people understanding him at all. He looked like he felt exposed.

"You know I care about you, Elena. I just want you to know what you're giving up if you choose Stefan." With that, he kissed me. It wasn't as gentle as the first time. His mouth was purposeful in its movements. Damon wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me as close to him as he could.

What scared me more than anything was how much I enjoyed this. I abandoned my thoughts and guilt in favor of the kiss. Damon picked me up and put my legs around his hips. When he started backing toward the bed I broke the kiss and looked deep into his eyes.

He sat on the edge of the mattress and I could feel his hardness pressing between my legs. I knew where this was going and, like a runaway train, I couldn't stop it. Every nerve in my body was screaming out for him.

"Are you okay with this?" Damon looked genuinely concerned. The burning in my core answered the question for me.

"More than okay," I whispered.