Disclaimer: Anything familiar is probably owned by L.J. Smith or any of the companies that deal with the Vampire Diaries

Alrighty people, I will not be posting anymore chapters till I get at least 10 reviews. Reviews keep the typing going smoothly and let me know if it's been worth posting

Damon's POV
Some time I wonder how stupid Stefan really is if he thinks that I did not hear the exchange those two were making? I mean seriously, I'm a vampire for god-sake, he thinks to himself as he sets to work in the kitchen making something to eat for Elena. I do wonder what brought about this change, but it's not something that I plan to question too much, after all, I have a feeling it's going to be fun watching my brother be tormented by desiring a woman who doesn't want him.

As Elena enters the kitchen he turns and smiles at her, "Morning, now that you're not looking all serious, how are you?" he asks as he fries up an omelet with cheese, ham, and diced vegetables.

She chuckles softly, sitting with the journal on the table in front of her, "I'm awake Damon, how are you?"

He waits a moment to answer, first flipping the omelet than putting it on a plate and setting it in front of her, "I'm good, there is a plan and maybe things will go right," he answers.

"Damon," she asks, "Do you ever wonder why you want her so much?"

It startles him because it's not the question he was expecting. He thinks about it a moment before replying, "she wanted me," then he shrugs as if to say that was reason enough.

For a few minutes neither says anything and instead sits eating in companionable silence. Finally, Elena glances at him and inquires, "Do you think I could read your father's journal some time?"

If breathing was important to him, he would have been choking at that point from his coffee going down the wrong tub as he swallowed wrong in shock. That really was not what he was expecting her to say. He just studied her for a minute before getting up, before she even could comment on his being gone he was back and sitting the old journal down in front of her.

"I don't know why you want it," he tells her, "but here it is."

It is not long after that that Stefan comes down from his room, the look on his face when he sees them sitting there eating is one of jealousy and anguish. That should have been him sitting there with her according to his look.

The two finish up and Elena thanks him for the meal before saying she wanted to get home, a quick glance at him and she lifts the journal up, sitting it on top of hers before picking both up and hugging them against her chest. Right before she leaves, she sends him a small smile of thanks.

All he can think about is how different it was to be sitting at a table with someone who was not trying to degrade you and was willing to be friendly, the only time he could remember getting that type of easy going companionship was with his cousins the Septies. Perhaps it was time to give them a call again, after all, one of these days his foolish brother would need to meet them.

Perhaps, he thought, just perhaps, I can have my own happy ending here. Maybe I don't need Katherine to have someone who wants to be around me. Maybe it is time to move on. Lost in thought, he did not hear them leave.

Elena's POV
She was surprised at how well Stefan seemed to have taken the news and her decision. It was startling her to tell the truth because she figured he would try to argue with her or dissuade her. He fast moved them to her house and stopped out front, standing there as if he was not sure if he was still welcome or not.

"Well come on," she tells him smiling, "I am not going through all of those old boxes by myself."

The next few hours pass in a blur as they dig all of the boxes out of the attic containing the family's things. Many of the items found are small mementos of times since past that's purpose can only be found in the journals from their respective owners. However, the one journal that they want to find seems to be nowhere in sight so far.

"Do you think he believes you, that you want to help him?" she asks as she goes through yet another box.

Sighing, Stefan sits in a chair with his arms resting on the back of it and the one next to it. "I don't think Damon knows what to believe anymore. Trust isn't something that comes naturally to him."

Something in his tone of voice tells her that it's not so much that it does not come naturally to him, as it is that he has been hurt to many times to trust. When she makes a comment about him doing what he is doing in for love, she is surprised by Stefan's answer.

"There are other ways to get what you want, you don't have to kill people, Damon has no regard for human life, he enjoys inflicting pain on others." He pauses for a moment, leaning forward with a serious expression on his face, "For one-hundred and forty-five years, every single time that I have let my guard down and let Damon back into my life he's done something to make me regret that. I'm not going to make that mistake again."

Like his previous statement, this brought the clarity spell into full swing as she realized that no matter what Stefan would always portray his brother in the worst possible way, with that she had to wonder what else he had said about his brother that might not be completely accurate or that he was not telling her the entire story of. Something in what he is saying rings false but she cannot figure out what it is without more facts. One thing she does know is perhaps Damon isn't the dark brother that Stefan tries to make him out to be.

Sighing she says nothing and continues to look through the box until she comes across an old sepia picture of a man with a beard, suit, and hat. Stefan stands up and comes over to look over her shoulder, saying, "That's Jonathan Gilbert."

As she looks down, she sees a small chest and picks it up muttering, "What's this?" as she opens it. Inside of it she finds the tools needed in order to slay vampires, or at least the tools he would have used in order to slay vampires, Stefan stands up with a shocked and worried expression on his face.

Moments later, Jeremy comes walking and spots what they are doing. "What are you guys doin'?" he inquires looking at the boxes and the stuff that she is going through.

"Hey," she begins, closing the box, "just going through some stuff, feeling sentimental, dad had this old family journal from years ago that I thought that I'd dig it out."

Jumping up on the counter he queries, "Jonathan Gilbert's journal?"

She tilts her head to the side and replies, "yeah what do you know about it?"

He motions to the boxes, "I just did a history report on it."

Both Elena and Stefan are surprised by that, but Elena still manages to comment, "Oh, so where is it now?"

Jeremy glances at her curiously, "I gave it to Mr. Saltzman he wanted to see it."

Elena glances at Stefan. She is sure that he understands what her look is. A few minutes later he excuses himself, probably to go see about getting that journal back from him. Meanwhile she decides to go upstairs to her room and work on writing in her journal the thoughts that are still going through her mind.

Now that she no longer has to worry about breaking up with Stefan other issues come to the forefront of her mind, the first is that she needs to explain the entire situation to her brother and aunt. She is not sure when she is going to do so, but it will be soon for the simple reason of she wants them protected and realizes that the best way to protect them in this case is for them to know what is going on. Her second thing that she feels she needs to do is spend more time with Bonnie, because she has not been spending as much time with her as she used to and she is sure with all of the changes that are going on in both their lives right now it would be a great thing for them both. While the third thing she wants to do is spend time with Caroline because she has been spending even less time with her than she has Bonnie. Another thing on her agenda is speaking with Damon about that first meeting, she wants to know why he had kissed her and why he had made her forget that they had ever met each other before.

Shaking her head, she notices the time and decides to get cleaned up before dinner. When she is done she heads downstairs to discover Damon in her kitchen cooking and speaking with Jenna. She is almost startled when Damon greets her. Glancing between the two of them, her aunt excuses herself and goes to her room to relax while Elena takes over helping Damon.

The first thing she does is grabs the plates to set the table. As Damon walks over to the kitchen sink, Elena and him run into each other. She continues to walk to the counter with the plates while he looks up for a moment before finishing what he started.

"Don't do that," she says, smiling as she sets the dish down.

"Do what?" he inquires turning to face her before turning back to the stove.

"You know what, that move was deliberate," comes her slight snobbish reply. The clarity spell is still working, forcing her to realize that she enjoyed when his body brushed against hers. Stefan might have given her feelings like a sibling but Damon did not.

"Well, yeah, I was deliberately trying to get to the sink." His answer comes as he motions to the sink with one hand while stirring the food with the other.

A sound between a sigh and a snort escape Elena as she turns to face him shaking her head before turning away again to continue what she was doing. When she is done, she turns back towards him and watches him carefully. The clarity is keeps making her think she is missing something but the pieces have not yet connected as to what she might be missing from his actions.

"Speaking of Stefan, where is he? He's missing family night which I am enjoying immensely." Damon turns to face her as he comments, a smile on his face that seems surprisingly genuine.

For a moment there is silence as she watches his features go from the smile in regards to the family night to a sadder, thoughtful look. That feeling that Stefan had not portrayed his brother accurately makes her desperately wish she had a chance to read the journal before having to see him. She thinks that whatever it is that keeps Damon the way he is will be reveled in the journal's entries and wants to discover it sooner than later.

Finally, the sad look still on his face, Damon asks, "Is it real?"

With a sigh, she asks, "Is what real?"

"This renewed sense of brotherhood," he answers as he tests the food. Turning, still looking sad and serious he continues, "Can I trust him?"

As she watches the emotions play across his eyes, she debates about whether to tell him the truth or not. It's so hard for her to decide, because this is Damon, she has seen and heard horrible things about him, and yet something is not adding up. The clarity that she sought keeps telling her to trust her instincts and her instincts keep telling her to trust him. After all, he has never lied to her or tried to hide what he is, unlike Stefan. Before she can answer she turns back to the counter and walks over to what she was doing. Her internal debate has caused her not to answer him, so he does the speed movement to right behind her.

As she turns to face him, he looks her straight in the eyes and asks, "Can I trust him?"

His startling blue eyes are studying her face. A concerned look has replaced the sad one of before.

Snarkily she answers, "I am wearing vervain, Damon, it's not going to work."

A slightly confused look causes him to narrow his eyes at her, "I'm not compelling you."

Startled, her expression changes to shock, her mind is reeling but it makes sense with the other behaviors that he has shown. A flash of memory shows her the changes to his eyes when he is compelling and she knows that he is telling her the truth.

"I just want you to answer me," he tells her swallowing, "honestly."

For a time she stares at his face so close to hers, thinking and trying to make the right choice. According to Stefan, Damon is nothing but an evil bastard who will do anything to get his way, yet the proof in front of her is the fact he is not trying to force her. As her mind whirls, she tries to process and just stops to watch his expression as he watches her intently. Eventually, she realizes that the only answer is to be perfectly honest with him. Stefan will be mad at her, but Damon has never lied to her and she does not wish to repay him with lies. The last piece of the puzzle falls into place within her mind, perhaps the reason he seeks Katherine so much is because she was the only one to show any sort of affection or care towards him. Things could have gone so very different had someone looked for the good instead of the bad within him.

It's on the tip of her tongue to lie to him, instead she finds herself replying, "No, you can't. I wish I could say you can but you can't." She pauses for a moment before continuing on, "I want that spell book too, though for a different reason. You want it to open the tomb, Stefan wants it so you can't have it, and I want it because it belongs to Bonnie and I want to give it to her."

He studies her in shock that was not the answer he was expecting. Before he has a chance to say anything more she goes to step away from him, leaving him remembering the past and when his brother had sworn to him that he could be trusted then.

Eventually he states, "There is a time I trusted him more than anyone..."

Before he gets to finish the sentence Elena interrupts to say, "Trust breeds trust," she pauses for a moment to try what she is making before continuing to say, "You have to give it, to get it."

Startled again, he inquires, "are you lecturing me?" his tone sounds like that is a novel concept.

Turning and walking towards him with a bowl in one arm, she puts her other hand on her hip and snobbishly answers, "do you need to be lectured?"

"I just want her back, I am sure you can understand that," his voice is soft, the sadness back in it.

"I can understand that you would do anything for her, yes." She answers as she walks past him, "I am not sure that is the right thing though, since from what both you and Stefan have said she was selfish and didn't really care about you, only herself."

Turning so he is directly behind her, he speaks softly by her ear, "then you understand what I will do if anyone gets in my way."

Shocked at the feel of his breath against her neck and ear, and at what he had said to her, she can do nothing more than stand there as he walks into the other room. She was honest with him, she had already told him that Stefan could not be trusted, yet he had not commented on that which she found surprising. Now she had to consider the implications of what he had said.

The only thing she could think was, it's a good thing that clarity spell has not worn off yet.

Damon's POV
After warning Elena, about what he would do if anyone got in his way, he joined Jeremy in the living room to play on the x-box. His thoughts were going a thousand miles an hour. What had she meant when she said he could not be trusted? Was she lying or telling the truth? In what way could he not be trusted? It was driving him crazy, but he refused to ask, instead he would see how far his brother was going to go with this farce before calling his bluff. Elena, he sighed mentally, what are you doing? Can I trust you?

Chaos swarmed through his mind as he played with the x-box and chatted with Jeremy, this was the first time that he could remember someone being so up front with him. It was also the first time he felt as if he might belong. He could only hope it would not be crushed.

He might not agree with her about the spell book, hell he didn't even agree with her about Katherine but it did give him something to think about. She could have lied to him, and he wouldn't even of known it until it was too late, but she didn't. Though really, telling him she wants the book just for Bonnie makes him want to chuckle. Maybe she is right. Maybe he needed to think carefully about his choices before he made them. Something in the way she said it makes him think that maybe things aren't always what they seem.