N: So, finally another chapter for you guys and this one has Damon…yay!

Thank you Zoraya Windwalker, for putting up with my many mistakes since I'm now writing at school…not enough time to do it elsewhere!

Enjoy!

Why a ring?

Damon walked over the liquor cabinet and picked up a bottle of bourbon. He poured himself a generous helping into a tumbler and raised it to his lips. He stopped half way and looked at the glass like the answers to the world's biggest mysteries were hidden in there. He let out a sigh and slammed the glass back down, nearly breaking it in the process.

He returned to his desk, letting his body literally fall down on the big black leather chair, crossing his arms over his chest.

Three days…three fucking days he had been avoiding her and he didn't even know why. It's not like he was ashamed; Damon Salvatore does not do shame. He is a cold hearted monster…a vampire; he is not supposed to care about others, especially not about her.

But despite all the valid point he just made up in his mind, he was ashamed. He almost raped her for crying out loud…and what did she do? He consoled him she fucking consoled him! She held him in her still trembling arms, whispering kind words into his ear like he was a heartbroken child. Her hand had cupped his face, her eyes locking with his and she smiled…her smile had been enough to calm him down and no matter how many times he'll try to convince himself it was because of her unmistakable resemblance to Katherine, he knew it wasn't true. That sweet, shy smile had nothing to do with Katherine…nothing.

That wasn't supposed to happen, he wasn't supposed to get close and she was supposed to hate him…hate, he could deal with. Hate was pure and easy to take. And she will hate him…she had to.

So lost in his though, he almost missed the sound of her chaotic heartbeat coming from the other side of the door.

x-x-x-x-x-x-

Elena didn't knock; he knew he would just yell at her to go away so she just pressed her hand to the handle and pushed the door open.

"You are a brave one, aren't you?" Damon drawled sarcastically as soon as she stepped inside. He got up from his chair, slowly making his way towards her.

Elena seemed to have frozen to the spot; her heart was beating so erratically that she was convinced he would hear it even if he'd been human; as it was, she was sure she would have a heart attack any moment now. She bit her lip nervously and asked herself what the hell was she doing; coming after him after what just happened a few days ago.

Her hands were trembling uncontrollably and she grabbed the edge of her shirt in a failed attempt to stop them. She didn't want him to know just how nervous she really was.

"I can still hear your heart; not much you can do about that," he said. His voice sounded amused, which only scared her more.

"You…you've been avoiding me," she said in a weak voice.

"Did Rose put you up to this?" he asked.

"No," Elena answered quickly. "She doesn't know I'm here."

"Oh I very much doubt that," he said and a smile flashed across his face.

"You've been avoiding me," she said again with more… 'feeling' this time. She wanted to get straight to the point, get her answers and head out of there.

"Well…that didn't work very well now did it?" he asked sarcastically.

"Why? I want to know…why…"

Damon took another step in her direction…then another…and another until he was close enough that Elena could feel his cold breath on her temple.

"Because I don't want to rip your throat out, since I need you alive; obviously," he whispered in her ear and a shiver went all the way from the tip of her nose to her tiptoes.

"Yeah, I know. You need me to have that witch friend of yours transform me into your wife. I…understand…" she murmured.

"Understand? Now you understand me? I thought you hate me…I thought you hate our kind…"

"I do…" she interrupted him, "…your kind took my mother away from me."

"Your mother is our kind kid!" Damon shouted. He regretted the words as soon as they came out of his mouth.

"Excuse me?"

"My wife…she killed your mother… or rather…she turned her. Your mother's a vampire, Elena. Just like me."

"No…no…it can't…you're lying!" Elena started as she was shaking her head in denial.

"Isobel…your mother, she found my wife. Actually, she found Emily; Emily was Katherine's best friend and a very powerful witch; she's the one that send your mother to my wife.

Flash back

"Katherine?" a woman's voice asked.

"Who's asking?" Katherine asked as she turned around to face the woman that dared to disturb her down time.

"My name is Isobel. We have a friend in common that seems to think we can help each other out.

"We do?"

"Yes…Emily," Isobel answered.

"I gather you know what I am, then…?" Katherine mumbled with a smirk.

"I do."

"Good, that means you know that if you're trying to trick me, you'll be dead before you realize the thing that gave you away."

Isobel nodded and Katherine smiled, satisfied. She loved having the upper hand, in a fight or in a conversation; actually, she liked to have the upper hand no matter what the circumstance.

"Ok, I'm listening."

"Emily found a way to help you. I know you're afraid the vampires that are after you will find and kill you…"

"Are you going to get to the point any time soon? Because really…patience, so not one of my virtues. I tend to snap people's necks when I get bored and you, my dear, are about three phrases away of doing just that: bore me." Katherine said impatiently.

"She found a way to bring you back if you get killed," Isobel said and Katherine's eyes started to sparkle.

"How?"

"Well, she can create a spell that will keep your spirit alive even after you die. So…you'll be dead, but your spirit won't; it will just be trapped in an object. The object can be a locket, a charm, a ring…any object that you must always wear."

"Interesting… and then I'm going to rise from the object?"

"Not really; now comes the tricky part, the part I can help you with." Katherine raised an eyebrow at her, making a sign with her hand to continue.

"Well, the spirit…your spirit is going to need a body, but it will only recognize yours…and the body must be alive…"

"But…"

"Emily has a spell for that too. She can create an exact replica of you…a doppelganger, but it needs to be carried to term and born…"

"Like a baby you mean? But I can't…vampires can't procreate," Katherine said confused.

"I know, that's my part. I will carry and give birth to the child.

"And what will you get out of this?" the vampire asked.

End of flash back

"What did she want?" Elena asked and Damon raised an eyebrow at her.

"What do you think she wanted? A popsicle?"

"She wanted to be…like you…" Elena said softly.

"Yes, Elena; she wanted to be a vampire."

"But why?"

"Because she was obsessed by them; she married your father because she knew he was fighting them, she knew that he was her chance to get in contact to one…and so she did."

"And I'm the…I'm your wife's doppelganger?"

"Yes…and so will your first born child and its first born child and…you know how it goes."

"And the ring…the ring is the object she chose; it's what holds her spirit, right?"

"Bravo! You got it all figured out."

"But you don't have the ring."

"Yet, I don't have the ring yet. I will find it even if it takes me forever. If I have anything it's time, after all."

"Great; and you're planning on keeping me here until you do?" Elena asked.

Damon ignored her question and walked to his desk; he opened a book and stared at her. Curiosity got the best of her and Elena found herself advancing towards him. She bent over and looked at the open book.

"It's that the ring you're looking for?" she asked.

"Yes…that would be the one."

"It's very…pretty…" Elena said touching the page with the tip of his fingers.

"It's the gemstone that makes it special. It's called Painite and it's very rare," Damon said, his eyes still stuck on the notebook in front of him.

"Oh…" was all Elena managed to say.

"It's not polite to eavesdrop Stefan," Damon said suddenly, turning around just in time to watch Stefan open the door. "Elena, my brother will escort you back to your room now. Good night!" Damon said returning to his chair behind the desk.

"Good night," she mumbled, making her way towards the door. She stopped just a few steps in front of it and turned to face Damon, "thank you for answering my questions and for being honest with me," and with that she got out and watched Stefan close the door behind them.

Four and a half hours later, Elena was in her bed, staring at the ceiling. She just couldn't get that ring out of her head…she was sure she had seen it before. Just as she was about to fall asleep, she remembered where.

N: Hope this chapter meets your expectations and the explanations are clear. If you have any questions, just go for it! Please leave a review to let me know you liked it!