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I got up early, before work today, to post this for you all since you're so good to me. If you knew anything about how I feel about mornings you would realize how amazing that is! ;)

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Damon paced around the living room; drink in hand, concluding his love triangle story and the tale of the Salvatore brothers' death. I was trying to wrap my mind around all of it when I realized he was scowling by the fireplace.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I sat back, crossing my hands over my chest.

"Just waiting for you to realize I'm damaged goods and leave." He said nonchalantly, sipping from his glass.

I frowned and what somewhat offended that he'd think I'd just leave after hearing all of that. "Damon, no guy I meet would have a crystal clear history. Given you've had 140 some years I expect you to have an even longer history." Damon shrugged as if he was unhappy with my response. I stood up, moving toward him and put a hand on his arm. "I am human, you have to give me some processing time. Ok?"

He made 'hmm' sound and took another drink. "Take your time." He broke from my grasp and sauntered back over to the drink cart. Something had put him in a bad mood and I wasn't sure what it was. I spun around.

"So where is Katherine now?"

"Dead in the tomb, I suppose." He said, pouring.

"Oh." I breathed. I wasn't sure how to react to the news that Damon had once upon a time had a girlfriend who was identical to me, a vampire and she was now dead. Oh and Stefan loved her too. Complicated didn't even begin to explain it. Was it weird to feel jealous of someone who was dead and practically your twin? Pretty much all of this was weird.

"So can I ask what you do?" I decided to change the subject. "Do you work anywhere, like Stefan?"

Damon scoffed. "I don't really have a career Elena, if that's what you're getting it."

"No," I shook my head and sat down on the edge of the couch, elbows on my knees. "I mean you've been alive for over a century. What do you do with all that time? I get bored with an afternoon to myself I can't even imagine."

Damon smirked as I could see a memory flash over his expression. "I find ways to stay entertained." I made a face, assuming he was referring to women. "I travel, bug Stefan, feed. Time goes faster than you'd think." He took another drink, finishing this one in one gulp and sat the glass down. "And I've been working on something. Well at least I was."

"Working on what?"

"Aren't we the curious one?" He grinned, sitting next to me. His face turned serious. "Let me see how can I explain this…I spent my first 120 years as a vampire trying to find a way to resurrect Katherine. She wasn't exactly dead. John Gilbert and his vampire hunting gang locked several vampires in a tomb under the church, but they didn't kill them. They locked them in there to starve. I planned on finding a witch and getting her out in order to reunite and live-forever. That was the plan. We were in love and that's why I was turned, or so I thought."

I felt disgusted for a moment. I was so stupid thinking that Damon would actually want me when this Katherine, my vampire self, existed. I knew it was all too good to be true but still I listened.

"Before you get that jealous look let me finish." He said, as if reading my thoughts. Ugh, I needed a better poker face. "In the early 1980s, while you were just a glimmer in your mother's eye, I learned that Katherine was still alive."

"Right, under the tomb…" I finished.

"No." His face darkened. "She had lied to me. She was never locked in the tomb. I was in a nightclub in Paris when I overheard other vampires talking about her. I figured they were just very old, reminiscing until one of them started talking about how pissed off he was at her for turning him and then leaving him. Apparently I wasn't the first and definitely not the last. Katherine is a heartless wench and lied to me and deceived countless others. She was never in danger, never hurt, never near death. So you can see my confusion and anger when I first saw you. I knew after all the lies Katherine would never come back into this area unless she had a good reason. But of course you're not her. Thank God." He smiled again and any anger or frustration or jealous left in my mind melted away.

"I'm so sorry Damon, that must have been hard for you. To realize someone you loved lied to you." I met his eyes and saw a coldness there I'd not seen before.

"Its fine. I'm over it." He shrugged.

I didn't buy it but I didn't want to push the issue. "So what about Stefan. How did he handle all of this?"

"Well I told you Stefan was compelled by Katherine during most of their encounters. He claimed he never loved her but Stefan's journey as a vampire has always been a bumpy one. Who knows what he's thinking…"

I knew I didn't have the entire picture but I felt like Damon had done enough emotional purging for one evening. I scooted closer to him and put my hand on his knee. "Thank you." I began as our eyes met. "I'm sure that wasn't easy for you to share with me but thank you for telling me about your past. I imagine it was hard enough to live through all that let alone have to rehash it for me."

Damon looked shocked for a moment and then smiled softly.

"I should probably be going home." I stood up, knowing if I stayed much longer Damon would expect something else and I would want something more as well.

He nodded but stood up and hastily pulled me into his arms, brushing my hair out of my face. My breath caught in the back of my throat. "Damon." I whispered.

"You look so much like her it's amazing. Yet I don't see her when I look at you." He whispered as if he were talking to himself. "You're nearly the opposite of her. You have everything Katherine lacked; patience, depth, hope, compassion."

I smiled but wondered if he asked me to stay if I'd have the willpower to say no. If Damon took me to his bed at this exact moment, would I be able to keep my clothes on? Probably not. Damon began kissing my face, softly starting at my cheek, moving to my jaw line and then to my earlobe. All my complete thoughts vanished from my head and I could only think about his hands roaming my back, his lips teasing my neck. God he had a thing for necks that drove me crazy. I knew I should be worried about the neck thing. I mean he was probably considering me a meal. I was mere sustenance to him…just the way I would eye a snickers bar in the line at the grocery store. Right? Something told me I was wrong about that when he pressed our bodies together, pulling me closer. I gathered all my energy, blocked out the fact that his tongue was doing naughty things to my skin, making me feel downright hazy and pulled myself a few inches from his mouth. "Damon." Great, I sounded breathless and needy. Try it with a bit more gumption now Elena, I thought. "Damon I should go."

He pulled back looking sinfully disappointed for a moment and then stoically nodded. "Want me to walk you home?"

"I'm sure I'll be fine." I said not trusting myself alone in the dark with him. A flash of concern crossed his face and I leaned my head to the side, smirking. "Aww, you're worried about me."

"Last time I let you walk around alone at night my brother nearly drained you." He frowned.

"Stefan is still at work, right?" I said, wavering a little. Maybe he was right.

"Stefan isn't the only other vampire out there." He began, holding onto my shoulders.

"Right, but you said there weren't any others around here." I wasn't in the mood to live scared. I had enough depressing emotions to deal with. "How about I text you when I get home. So you know I'm okay?" I finished not giving in.

Damon raised an eyebrow. "I think you're just finding a clever way to ask for my digits."

I reached for my phone and laughed. "Sure you'll make out with me but won't give me your phone number…"

Damon smirked, knowing I had him there. He rattled off his number and I snuck out the door after giving him a peck on the lips.

I breathed a sigh as I left, suddenly wishing he were by my side. Get a grip, I thought. I had known this guy two days and that was not long enough to feel the way I felt about him. I was not a gushing romantic like Caroline so I didn't believe in love at first sight or fate and all that stuff but I did believe in crushes. I had a crush on Damon. That was all. It might turn into something it might not. I was doing the girl thing where you try to minimize something in your head but somehow you start thinking about it in depth when I heard a twig snap behind me. I stopped in my tracks, whirling around to look for the source of the noise. The path was quiet; I only heard the distance laughter and chatter of boaters on the lake. I turned around again to walk forward and ran into what I thought, at the moment, was a brick wall. It was Stefan. I am ashamed to say I screamed just like a girl would scream with a killer in her path.

"Elena, Elena, calm down." Stefan attempted to gently take my hand so I turned to run, escaping his grasp.

I ran as fast as I could, thinking he only wanted to drink from me like the night before, when suddenly he was in front of me again. This time I bounced off of him, landing in dirt and leaves on my ass. Ugh, this guy.

I stood up, noticing he didn't look at me with hunger in his eyes like last time. "What do you want?" I dusted off my backside and glared at him.

"I just want to talk." He had his hands up and looked like the calm, polite boy I'd met the first time I'd seen him in the diner.

I wrapped my arms around my waist and backed up a bit. "About what?"

"About Damon. Please. I promise I won't hurt you. I feel awful about last night. I let the other side of myself take over and I have that under control now." His eyes pleaded with me.

I tried to believe him but it was hard not to remember clearly what had happened between the two of us in these woods, just the night before.

"Then talk." I said flatly.

"Damon told you about us, about vampires." I nodded. "So he also told you about Katherine?" I nodded again. "So did he explain why he's back? Here in Virginia? So close to Mystic Falls?"

I didn't move. This felt like a trick.

"Did he tell you about Katherine being stuck in the tomb?"

I thought back to all the vampire knowledge that crowded my brain over the last few days. "He said she was out. He said you both knew she lied about being in there in the first place."

Stefan shook his head and looked deflated for a moment. "He's twisting things Elena. He's only here to get her back. He's hell bent on finding a witch to open the tomb so he can see for himself. He believes she may still be in there. You shouldn't be getting involved with him."

I scoffed. "So how do I know you're not twisting things? And why would Damon even be talking to me if he was still trying to find Katherine?"

"Because," he sighed again, "He saw you and thought of Katherine. He's just using you Elena. He wants her, he always has. He always will."

I felt like someone punched me in the gut. I didn't know Damon that well but what little we had between us felt so real. More passionate and true than anything I'd ever experienced before. If Stefan was right, well I didn't even want to think about that.

"Why should I believe you? You tried to kill me just last night?" I narrowed my eyes at him.

"What other motivation would I have to tell you all this other than to reveal the truth?"

"Maybe you want me." I boldly stated. "Maybe you're upset because Katherine loved Damon more than you and you don't want him to have that again."

Stefan looked at me like I'd crushed him and I didn't even know him. "Elena, Katherine toyed with both of us. None of it was real. Damon believes it was and I can't convince him otherwise but I know the truth. Besides if you knew me you'd know that I would never take what belonged to someone else. I may struggle with the bloodlust but I'm not a complete monster."

I sighed, not knowing what to think. The look in Stefan's eyes told me he was telling the truth but I didn't want to believe it.

"Look, I'm sorry Katherine hurt both of you but I don't really want to get in the middle of all of this. I'm headed home. I'd appreciate if you let me go."

Stefan stepped out of the way. "I'm sorry I hurt you Elena but please, just ask Damon about the tomb."

I stepped forward a few paces and look at him out of the corner of my eye then turned and headed for home.

Oooh, a little angst there. I promise this will NOT be a Stefan/Elena story. They will not even come close to getting together but Damon is still Damon in my story so Stefan still has to be a bit Stefanish. Hehe.

So I plan on updating at least one more time before my vacation next week and several times this summer!

I love your reviews, keep 'em coming! xoxo