Couple of weeks passed and Stefan hadn't been at school. I was actually surprised that the school hadn't contacted anyone about his attendance. But once again I was safe and Damon was the one to save me this time. Damon was at school with me every day and most of my afternoon's before going home with Damon were spent with Elena. We talked a lot and hung out more than I had ever done with Stefan. I mean loved hanging with Stefan, but sometimes I wanted to hang out with girls. We were getting close; almost sister close. But I didn't want to break the news to her just yet; I wanted proof that we were biological sisters.

Anyways Damon and I sat down on a beautiful autumn Saturday while holding each, trying to relax and figure out how we could find the truth behind the relation of me and Elena. This was so hard for me to concentrate on while staring up into Damon's deep eyes. My heart fell from the heavens and landed in hell as everything about me wanted him and his soul. Damon stared down at me, still thinking about Elena and my relation as sister; he was more focused than I was. He had seen her too, just like Stefan and it startled him. Stefan had taken it as a sign of danger and that I was being endangered, but his stupidity and feelings got in the way of protecting me from himself. But Stefan was gone for the moment and he wasn't going to find me here with Damon.

"So Aly, do you have any suggestions on how to reveal the truth behind the bond of you and Elena?" he asked as he brushed his fingers across my cheek. He was trying to keep me relaxed about this whole affair and it was working.

I blushed, trying to regain focus, "Do you know where we can find a DNA lab? If we had one of those, I could get a piece of her hair and then take my own and have them scanned. What do you think?"

"I like the idea, but how are you going to do that?"

"I can see if I can go for a physical at the hospital and then while I'm up there, we can sneak into the DNA lab and check the samples." I explained.

"I like the sneaking part." He grinned as he kissed my forehead.

"But, it might take awhile for the samples to be cross-checked." I sighed.

"Don't worry; we've got plenty of time." Damon smiled as he leaned down and kissed me. His lips felt so smooth and cool against my warm skin that burned with fluttering butterflies. I was no longer focused and my emotions had now gone savage as his hands touched me. Damon made me feel so different, so alive with the exception that he could kill me at any minute, but he wouldn't. Everything about him changed me from a shy yet determined young girl to a vicious lustful teen.

"I wish I were human. I could do so much more with you." He sighed in between kisses.

"Damon Salvatore, the vampire bad boy. Are you telling me that you would give up eternity to be human again?" I smirked pushing him away for a moment.

"Yes. For you I would walk to the end of the Earth and jump off the edge."

"Really?"

He nodded as he embraced once again in his strong arms. My cold felt his cold skin caressing my heated soul as I melted away his blackened heart. Damon was in love and he was in love with me. I never wanted him to leave, this was my sanity right here; a hot vampire bad boy going soft for me.

"So when do you want to go for your physical?"

"Probably on Monday, since I don't have to be at band practice that night." I replied as I hung on to him.

"And afterwards…"

"What ever you want…" I grinned nibbling at his ear.

"Sounds like a good idea." A voice from the shadow exclaimed. That wasn't Damon's voice that I heard coming from the autumn forest that rested before us. I heard a low growl rise from the depth of Damon's throat as he released from the kiss. My eyes stayed close as I processed the voice in my head; deep yet airy to the tone, it was Stefan. Oh shit, here we go again and again; trapped in between the boys again for the second time. I hated this; I wasn't going to put up with this hell again.

"Hello Alyson, still trying to hide from me?" He laughed as I buried my head in Damon's shoulder. Hell yes I was hiding from him. I wasn't going to let him rape me or attempt to do anything to me again while I was here. I opened my eyes slowly, finding myself now standing behind Damon while Stefan stood motionless in front of us. My heart didn't have time to catch up with my fear as I ran into the house and slammed the door. I locked it as I ran to the window and watched the boys take their positions.

"How long did it take you to find us?" Damon shouted as he pushed Stefan to the ground, but he was pushed instead. This was unbelievable; Stefan was stronger than Damon. Uh-oh, Stefan had been drinking human blood making him strong. Damon hadn't been drinking since he had met me, except from what he got at the hospital the last time I was there. Yes, he stole them.

"It didn't take me long to find her and besides I have a surprise for all of you. Guess whose back?" he grinned as blood dripped from his lips. My worst nightmare had come true; Catherine was back and she was looking for us.. I screamed as Damon rushed in and grabbed me. He carried me to the back where the car was parked and threw me in.

"You have to go! Don't look back and just go. Call me when you are safe and out of harm's way." Damon said kissing me one last time before I roared up my VW. I didn't want to leave him in this situation, but if Catherine one of us, she would be able to find the other. We couldn't risk anything with her, and apparently she had gotten a hold of Stefan and given him the blood. I had never seen him filled with such lust, especially for blood.

I drove as fast as I could without breaking the speed limit and I didn't look back as I cried with fear. I didn't know where to go, who to turn to…but wait I did know where to go and who I could turn to; Elena. But this meant I was going to have to tell her the truth; this was going to be difficult. So I pushed my VW to its climax as I raced towards Elena's house.

~OOOOOOOOOOOOO~

"Alyson, what are you doing here?" Elena exclaimed as she rushed out of the house as my car pulled into the drive.

"We need to get inside before dark. I'll explain everything." I said without any breath as she grabbed me and carried me inside while the sun slowly began to set. She closed the door and I locked both the knob and bolt as she took a seat in the living room.

"Where is everyone?"

"On vacation, I volunteered to stay home and watch the house. What's wrong Aly, please tell me what's going on?"

"Elena, please do not be angry with me or frightened by what I tell you. This came to a shock when I first of it, but there is proof for this allegation." I pause taking a deep breath and trying to find my words.

"A long time ago, we lived here in Mystic Falls and we were sisters by birth. We were different from most children of our time; we were vampires and we had a mother who was a vampire as well. But somehow before we came to this lifetime, we were killed and then reborn as humans. We can remain human as long as our biological mother doesn't find us and changes us back to our original form." Elena stared at me with fear and un-realization; she didn't understand and she frightened by the tale of our past.

"I know this is a shock and it doesn't seem realistic, but it's the truth and I can prove it." I confidently spoke.

"What are you saying; that there are vampires in Mystic Falls?"

"Yes and we both know two of them."

"Who?"

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

"I'll get it." I ran to the door and glanced through the peep hole; it was Damon. Unbolting and unlocking the door, I felt his presence enter the house before he even entered.

"You're safe…" he said as he tried to step forward, but couldn't.

"You may come in, Damon." I hugged him, pulling him close to my heart. Elena closed the door as I held Damon in my arms and didn't let go.

"Does she know?"

"I was about to tell her the rest when you got here." I sighed.

Elena and I sat back down as Damon took guard at the front door. Fresh blood was dripping from his lips; yuck I had just kissed those lips. He must have gone and drank before coming to defend us. Either way, it didn't matter at this moment in time.

"So the Salvatores are…"

"Yes."

"And you and me are…"

"Yes, we're sisters."

"How?" she whispered.

"Have you ever felt like you knew something about another person or heard what they were thinking? Do you sometimes break down and cry and don't understand why?" Tears began to roll down both our cheeks as our eyes focused on each other. Elena nodded and grabbed me in her arms.

"It was you that I heard in the night; it was you that I recognized the first time we met. It was you who saved me from the dead and helped me heal when I needed healing. You were the voice inside my head and the confidence that pushed me forward." Elena smiled as tears continually caressed our faces.

"Yes, and you've been my stepping stone to surviving hell. And now we can be together and nothing can stop us." I praised as we embraced.

Elena smiled grabbing my hand as we began to glow. Damon stepped away from us we filled the house with light and wonder. Our light then faded as we both sat down upon the stairs, staring at each other then at Damon.

"What are we?" we both exclaimed.

~Message to readers: Ready for more? Please review and contact me on what you think should happen next in "Closer Than You Think."