Oh wow, thank you everyone for the amazing response to this story. You guys seriously rock! Sorry about the cliff-hanger… I just couldn't resist.

Anyway, there are some more twists and turns, ahead – but I reckon 2 more chaps until I am done.

NB, there's a bit of bloodletting in this chap.

Enjoy!

Finding the Strength

Chapter 6: Closer

"Damon, I…" Elena began, when they were interrupted.

"Wow, it smells like sex in here." Katherine had strolled into Damon's room as though it were open season for unwelcome visitors. Elena grabbed the sheet to cover herself with as the vampire vaulted onto the end of their bed. "Oh my goodness, well don't let little old me interrupt you! So, you finally bagged your brother's girl, Damon. Oh well done. Bravo." She performed a slow hand clap. "Not very original, but…"

"Get out of here, Katherine!" He shouted angrily, chucking a pillow at her. She easily dodged the missile, leaned forward and pulled down Elena's sheet. Elena shrieked and hurried to grab it again.

"Wow, you really are just like me, plus a couple of extra pounds. Don't worry, I am sure it's just water retention." Katherine winked and got off the bed, a wide smile spreading across her face. She strolled to the window and gazed through it. Damon got to his feet and marched over to her. He was completely naked, but couldn't have cared less. Elena tried not to feel riled, after all it was nothing Katherine hadn't seen before, but the principle of it irritated her. He should care about things like that when it came to his ex.

"I told you to leave." He said forcefully, spinning Katherine around to face him. She took her time to look him over, pursing her lips.

"God, you need a shower, you smell like human." She said the word as she would 'dog-shit'. Elena felt her temperature rising.

"He said get out!" She shouted, rather more bravely than she felt. "Who do you think you are just barging in here? You have no right!" In a second, Katherine was by her side in the place Damon had vacated. She stretched her out her legs in her tight wet-look leggings, crossed them, and leaned in conspiratorially to Elena. It was Damon's turn to frown. He hated seeing them together like that. The girl he loved, the girl he hated, both identically beautiful and alluring - together in his bed… It really messed with his head.

"Well, aren't you just the sweetest? All protective over your new man. Well, sister,…" she said looking over at Damon and languidly taking in his naked body once more, "…I hate to tell you this, but I've been there, done that, bought the t-shirt."

Damon growled and was on the bed in a second, pushing Katherine off her feet and up against the wall by her throat. She merely laughed, albeit croakily. Him losing control was just another of her little victories. Elena was cross that he didn't realize that, (or if he did, that he was foolish enough to keep doing it anyway).

Katherine slipped her hand between his legs and gently squeezed. Damon dropped her like a hot coal and jumped off the bed.

"Touch me again and I will kill you, I swear it." He said over his shoulder, striding to his closet and pulling on some jeans. Elena could tell he was genuinely rattled. Katherine still knew how to push his buttons and get a rise - probably literally. It worried her.

"He likes it rough sweetie." She whispered to Elena. In a flash she was at his door again, about to leave. She looked at them both then said what she had come here for.

"Oh, in all the excitement, I almost forgot to tell you why I dropped by. I just wanted to let you know that I heard about the little Ninja training school you have been running here. Interesting. Very interesting. And now this sexual tryst too… My, my, what an interesting morning it's been and its not even noon!" She closed the door behind her as she sauntered out.

Damon was still in an absolute fury, his face showing the external signs of the vampire she brought out in him. Elena merely sulked.

"Why do you let her get to you?" She said. He was embarrassed and fought to control himself, his teeth retracting and his face returning to its normal, handsome self.

"I don't know, she always has." He replied miserably.

Elena was surprised at the honesty, but it didn't bring her any comfort. God she wished Katherine was still in that tomb. She didn't hate many people, but she really hated that bitch. She got out of the bed and began to gather up her discarded clothes, putting them on whenever she retrieved a new item. Damon went to her and placed his hand on hers as she dressed.

"Stay."

She shook her head.

"I need a shower and I really need some sleep Damon." She looked at him, he was totally aggrieved. She wondered how much of that was her leaving, or Katherine arriving.

"I'll see you later, okay?" He moved his head giving her the smallest of acknowledgements.

"Sure."

She stepped towards him, placed her arms around him and gave him a gentle kiss.

"Last night was amazing, the best of my life. Seriously, Damon." He nodded his acknowledgment, but there was no warmth to it. He was still in a funk. "We'll talk later, okay? About everything."

Suddenly it was like the barriers came up again and he became the old Damon.

"Sure." He walked away from her and strode into his bathroom and shut the door.

She felt sad that it was the way he chose to end things after the night they had shared, but if that's how it was going to be, then so be it. She stepped out of his room, and closed the door behind her.

It was Damon's training day, so she knew he would understand why she was not there. Or so she thought.

He must have let her have three hours sleep before practically banging down her door. She got up, groggy with sleep, slouched over to the door in her pajamas and opened it. When she saw who it was, she turned around and went straight back to bed, complaining all the way.

"What do you want, Damon? I was asleep."

"It's time for your training. In fact, it's three hours past the time for your training."

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm going back to bed!" She pulled her duvet up around her ears and the pillow over her head.

He switched on her MP3 and ramped up the volume. She jumped out of bed and pulled the plug out of the socket.

"Why are you being an asshole?" She said.

"Because you're late and you know I can't tolerate lateness." She sank into the chair beside her bed.

"Is this because I wouldn't stay?"

"This is because Katherine is dangerous and now she knows about you. And if she knows, we don't know who else does. You don't know how sick she is, Elena. You have to be ready for anything."

She shook her head.

"Come on, really? I can't fight now, I'd be useless."

"You sound defeated already." He turned to her fencing uniform which was hanging up on the back of her door. He ripped open the plastic of the dry cleaning packaging, and tossed it over to her. She caught it and placed it on her lap.

"Just one more hour's sleep?" She whined.

"You've got five minutes to get dressed. I'll see you in the training room."

He walked out and she fell back onto the bed with a groan.

That evening, Stefan returned to the house. They all ate dinner together. There had been no awkwardness, or at least if there had been, she was too tired to notice. To be honest, what she mostly remembered from dinner was the brothers endlessly discussing Katherine and what it all meant. How did she find out? What would she do with the knowledge? Did it make Elena more of a threat to her, or less? They talked themselves round and round in circles. She stifled yawns all evening, but figured neither of them particularly noticed, as they were caught up in their discussion.

When she got up to clear some plates, she was surprised when Stefan followed.

"I take it you had a late night." He said, a hint of sadness to his voice. She blushed, but equally she felt her anger surface. Perhaps her lack of sleep and Damon's insistence in working her like a horse, had built into a rather aggressive mood. It wasn't really any of his business how she spent her evening. He shouldn't prod her for information, if he didn't actually want to know the details. She refused to say anything.

Wisely, he kept any questions to himself. Instead, he helped her load the dishwasher. It was an old routine of theirs, but one that suddenly felt uncomfortable - as though doing domestic chores together was a sign that everything was the way it once was.

"How's the fencing going?" He asked, changing the subject.

"Okay, I guess. Only I still haven't managed to lay a single touch on him. I guess I'm pretty bad."

"I doubt that. Do you know how many duels he's fought? A lot!" He laughed. "You are probably the only person to ever fight him and walk away to tell the tale." She looked at him to see if he was kidding or not, but deep down knew he wasn't. She felt a smile creep over her face despite herself. Yes, dueling over a woman or two, that would be just like Damon.

"I suppose he should feel lucky I haven't slapped him with my velvet glove and called him out!" She said and it was his turn to smile.

"I guess he should." He looked at her and then said what he was thinking. "You do realise that he trained with Louis Rondelle at the original French school don't you? I mean he has told you that hasn't he, that a master trained him? He helped set up that school." Stefan looked at her, puzzled by the color draining from her face. She shook her head to indicate that he had told her no such thing. He gave her a little half smile.

"If he thought you weren't any good, Elena, I think he'd have given up on you long ago." He reached out and held her chin in his hand affectionately. "I expect you are doing brilliantly." He then kissed her forehead and left the room.

She slid a snippy note under Damon's door that read, 'We'll talk tomorrow – strangely I am tired this evening.'

She made her way to her bed, where she intended to sleep for a full ten hours come what may.

After a full day at school, Stefan asked her to join him in the pool for his combat lesson. She dove in and swam to the side, bobbing there until he joined her.

"You're doing well, but you think like a human, you have to start thinking like a vampire. What would you do if you could jump me from a height of thirty feet without making a sound? Or had the speed to outrun a car? Come on, I'll show you. Attack me."

She came at him with a straightforward frontal attack, but as taught, feigned and then struck from a different angle. He caught her arm and held it.

"Good, but let me show you what I would do."

He made as if to attack her using the same style she had chosen, but when he feigned, he leapt up into the air and came down behind her, using height to his advantage. She reacted well and when he landed she got him in a grip, but she knew that had he been out to kill her – she would have lost the battle.

"What was the difference?" He asked.

"Well, you came at me from above, I wasn't expecting that."

"That's because we think differently. To you, attacks are ranged from every side of you, but I have above too. Do you see?" She nodded, yes she did. This was useful.

"Ok, today I want you to defend yourself if I come at you from above. Well do several reps of each attack and then we can swap things round. Are you ready?"

They fought until it got dark and when the pool lights automatically switched themselves on. Stefan told her she had done a good days work and said she should go and dry off before she turned to ice.

That evening, Elena went to see Jenna and Jeremy. She was missing their easy company and to be honest, some of the comforts of her old room. She knew she would return to the boarding house that evening as she had promised she would speak to Damon. In the meantime, she left the boys together.

When she left, Damon settled back into a chair, a glass of his favorite whiskey in his hand. Stefan came to join him.

"You know, you should ease up on her." He chastised his brother. "She's not like you, she doesn't thrive on insults."

"I don't insult her!" He made a dismissive sound with his tongue.

"You don't exactly encourage her either. She'll fail in this if you don't treat her right. She needs to be nurtured, Damon. Give her some kind words every once in a while." Stefan looked at his brother and Damon frowned.

"Are we still talking about her training, baby brother?" He asked, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"You tell me." Stefan said and then looked away.

Damon leaned forwards and nursed his glass. "Your problem is that when you treat her like she's fragile, made of glass, then she's going to start thinking she is. She's more robust than you give her credit for."

"I don't doubt it Damon, but do you have to push her all the time? Ease up, is all I'm saying. She's not Katherine."

"Don't you think I know that?" Damon jumped to his feet. Stefan realized he had touched a nerve, was surprised (and slightly worried) by that, but he backed off nonetheless.

"Look, all I'm saying is that why don't you try a bit more carrot and a little less stick. The results might surprise you."

Damon snorted, tossed his drink down his throat and walked out, throwing out a final comment as he did so.

"'Cause that worked out so well for you."

"So, what are you going to do?" Jer asked her. She was sat in his room, looking through his old yearbook photos and messing with his stuff. She picked up a book on Wicca and looked at him. "I'm interested. So sue me." She put the book down. "Stop changing the subject anyway. What are you going to do about Stefan and Damon?"

"I don't know if I really want to talk about this with you, Jer. I mean, you're my baby bro. It's kind of gross."

"And dating brothers isn't?" He said. She blushed. He had a point.

"I'm not dating them both…. Exactly."

"Well, it sure sounds like you haven't made your mind up and you can drift between the two of them forever. It's just not fair."

"Well, I can't make my mind up just like that! Nor could you! There's history, feelings, stuff. You know…" She felt cornered.

"Yeah, I could actually." He said contradictorily. "I'd pick Stefan." She raised an eyebrow. Huh?

"And I suppose you are going to tell me why?"

"Because he is so dreamy, with those cute eyes and that button nose, and –" He ducked as she tossed his catcher's mitt at him.

"Shut up will you!" She laughed and he gave her his most mischievous smile. She had to come over more often, she really missed him sometimes.

"But seriously, sis, you've gotta make a choice, 'cause its not fair to either of them. They're guys, you know. Guys don't deal well with emotional turmoil. And anyway, if you don't mind me saying so – I don't think you are that kind of person, El. You know what I mean. You just aren't."

She looked at him.

"I'm not like Katherine you mean." He shrugged. "You got smart, when did that happen?" He raised his eyebrows, and she gave him a smile. She rolled off his bed and made to leave.

"Catch you later li'l bro."

"Yeah, later."

It was a quarter to eleven when she finally knocked on Damon's door. He told her to come in and she was surprised to find him quietly reading a book. She had never imagined him as the bookish type.

"You said you wanted to talk. So, let's talk." He said, brusquely. He put the book face down on his desk and pushed it out of the way. "Have you come to tell me that you regret everything that happened?" He sounded flippant, but his eyes told another story.

She moved closer to him. "Is that what you thought? That I would spend the night with you and then that would be it? 'Thanks hon, I've got my kicks, but now I'm outta here'?"

"Something like that."

She looked at him; he seemed a little tired. She noticed that when he hadn't drunk blood for a few hours, his skin went like alabaster. Perhaps this was more evidence of a fragility that other people weren't allowed to see.

"You need blood." She stated and he looked at her, a touch surprised.

"Actually, I was just about to go and get a bag." He admitted.

"Damon, I think you believe that I don't trust you." He looked into her burnt umber eyes and paused for a long moment before he answered.

"I've given you many reasons not to."

"But things have changed."

What she did next he wasn't expecting and perhaps that's why he seemed so scared when she did it. She grabbed his épée from where it rested by his desk and drew the sharp edge quickly across her forearm. Her blood came fast, blossoming into bright red blooms before dropping to the floor into big Rorschach splotches. He immediately put his hand on her arm to stem the flow.

"My God, Elena!" He said, looked rapidly around for a cloth to tie her with, but she lifted his chin in her free hand and looked him in the eyes.

"Drink."

"But, I…"

"I trust you, Damon. Drink." He looked at her, unsure what to do, she was bleeding through his fingers and the smell of it when he was hungry was like an abandoned opium pipe to Sherlock Holmes.

He started to panic, he had to stop the bleeding before he lost control; but far from letting him stem the flow, she thrust her arm closer towards him. "Please."

"I don't want to hurt you." He said, but his eyes and teeth responded automatically to that hypnotic smell. He forced himself to change back, but she took his chin into her hand and fixed his gaze on her.

"You won't."

"Oh God!" He said, feeling his vampire self take over as he wavered. He took one final look at her, and when he saw her smiling, he pulled her arm to his face with both hands. As he drew the blood from her she breathed deeply, taking on the pain with a slight moan (that seemed to excite him, he sucked more strongly). She began to feel light-headed and looked at him, knowing he should stop soon. He was sucking and looking anguished - he wanted to stop, but he was battling himself to do so. Eventually, he pulled away and she fell back against his dresser. He jumped up and ran to his bathroom getting a clean cloth that he brought back and quickly tied around her arm. She smiled at him fuzzily.

"Why did you do that?" He said almost angrily. "You knew I hadn't eaten. I might not have been able to stop. It was dangerous." He said, concern filling his voice. She reached out and touched his face.

"What other way could I show you that I trust you Damon and have you believe it?" His cheeks flushed, his lips became a shade of dark rose and his eyes sparkled an alluring sapphire color. Even in old blue jeans and Timberwolves t-shirt, she still looked stunning. He took her uninjured arm and pulled her gently towards him.

"Do you know what you do to me?" He asked, his voice deep with emotion.

She nodded. "I think so." She leaned in to kiss him, but he only allowed her the lightest of pecks before he put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her slightly back.

"And Stefan? Where does he fit in this picture, Elena? I have to know."

She looked away for a moment and then met his eyes again.

"You and I, we have something special. Don't we?"

He took her hand and kissed it. Such an old-fashioned gesture to go alongside his dueling… She loved him for it.

"So, you're with me now?" He asked.

"We need to talk about Katherine." She replied.