A/N: Hey guys! Here is the next chapter. It's a bit short I know but it's more of a filler chapter. The next one will be better I promise :)

Damon POV

We rode back to the estate in silence, though Elena held tightly around my waist. I was still trying to overcome the shock of the night's events. I had watched her kill someone. I was not entirely sure how I felt about this. He had to die, of that I was certain but it disturbed me still. She was not the young, innocent girl I had been absolutely convinced she was. She had lived a long life and she had killed God knows how many more before this night. She was still everything to me though.

After leaving my horse in the stable, I walked with her back to her room. I didn't attempt to speak and neither did she and I was not sure if the silence was uncomfortable or not. As we stopped outside her door a thought occurred to me.

"Do you think there could be others in town with vervain?" I asked quietly and Elena bit her lip before nodding.

"Katherine and I must be careful from now on. I'm pretty sure that the man tonight had no idea about vampires which can only mean it was given to him by someone who does. This means someone in town has a supply of vervain and we do not know who has been given it. I will tell Katherine tonight before I retire."

We stood silently for a while before I reluctantly decided to leave to avoid anymore awkwardness. I was surprised though when I felt her small hand on my arm. I looked at her questioningly but I did not get a verbal answer.

Her kiss had taken me by surprise and it took me a second to respond. When my mind caught up I kissed her back with equal fervour. She pulled away too quickly and I groaned in protest but I watched her silently afraid that if I spoke this would all fade away proving it was the dream I suspected it to be.

"Spend the day with me tomorrow?" she asked looking up at me from under her lashes. I couldn't help my relieved smile and I hastily nodded. I paused for a moment before leaning down and capturing her lips in another kiss and I was once again relieved when she returned it enthusiastically.

Elena POV:

After I said goodnight to Damon I turned towards Katherine's room. I could not deny the amazing relief I felt now that I had given in. I was still worried though, especially since Damon and I had not discussed how he felt about the fact that I had killed someone in front of him but I had a feeling things would be easier from now on.

I rapped on Katherine's door hastily. There were footsteps on the other side and then the door swung open to reveal Katherine clearly naked with only a thin robe covering her. I peeked behind her and sure enough Stefan was nestled compliantly under the sheets. She looked at me expectantly.

"I was out feeding tonight at the tavern and someone had vervain in their system. It was lucky Damon was there or I might have been exposed," I explained seriously. Whatever reaction I was expecting it was not the casual shrug of shoulders from Katherine.

"Hmm vervain? That's an interesting turn of events. I'll look into it. On another note I see you've taken to spending more time with a certain gorgeous older brother..." she trailed off invitingly, clearly trying to get me to feed her some gossip. I gave her an incredulous look.

"Katherine the town is in possession of vervain! Clearly someone knows. How can you be so casual about this? We should leave while we still can!" Even as I spoke Katherine was shaking her head defiantly. Stefan watched innocently from his place on the bed, clearly having been compelled to stay quiet.

"No. I refuse to let a few petty humans run me out of town. I like it here and I want to stay. Now if that's all, I'll say goodnight Elena."

I could not believe what I was hearing. The most important thing to Katherine was her own wellbeing so I did not understand why she was not taking this more seriously. I walked back into my own room and slumped onto my bed. I needed to figure out who is supplying the people with vervain and I needed to convince Katherine it was time to leave. How I was going to do that, I had no idea.

The next day Damon and I sat in the bright sunshine under a tall oak tree in the gardens.

"Elena? Did you hear me?" My mind snapped back to the situation at hand. I looked into Damon's concerned gaze and I felt terrible. I must have missed everything he had been saying. I just could not stop thinking about the vervain and Katherine. I sent him an apologetic smile.

"Sorry what were you saying?" I asked, turning my full attention back to him. He frowned.

"I was just asking if everything is okay. You've been really out of sorts today."

"I'm fine it's just I'm worried. I told Katherine about the vervain last night and she acted so casually about it. It really was not like her. And then there is the bigger question of who is supplying the vervain." I frowned trying to get my mind to solve this puzzle but it was useless. Damon pursed his lips and seemed to think.

"I can't be sure but the woman who works at the apothecary in town sells all kinds of strange substances. Maybe she knows about it." I considered this thought. I could not believe I did not think of it myself. The woman, Pearl, did act rather strangely around Katherine when we were in town.

"That's a really good idea. Thank you," I said smiling at him gratefully. He smiled and looked down slightly modestly. I leaned my head against his shoulder comfortably. I felt him hesitate but soon his arm wrapped around my side, bringing me closer. I smiled contentedly and grasped his hand near my waist and held it tightly. I suddenly heard his heart speed up considerably and I lifted my head to stare into his eyes.

"Are you okay? You're heart is very erratic, almost like you're...nervous?" I asked carefully. I watched as he blushed a little and breathed out a nervous laugh.

"I completely forgot about your special hearing. The truth is I am nervous. I wanted to ask you something."

"What is it?" I was confused as to why he was so nervous. He had asked me many things today and had not been very hesitant about any of them.

"Well the founder's ball is next week and I was wondering if maybe you would allow me to escort you?" He looked at me hopefully and I had to laugh at how nervous he looked. Honestly, who else would I have gone with?

"Of course I'll go with you. There's no one I would rather go with." And to prove my point, I leant across and brushed my lips across his softly. Before I could pull away, he held me tighter and deepened the kiss. I soon felt his tongue begging for entrance, which I gladly granted. I moaned and kissed him harder before soon I pulled away because I knew he needed to breathe. He smiled at me breathlessly and leaned in to place a small kiss on my lips.

"I love that I can do that whenever I want now," he said giddily and I giggled happily.

"Me too. We should be careful though. Your father has been sending me some very cold looks as of late and I don't want to make him angrier," I said as I recalled the constant glares I had been on the receiving end of. Damon scoffed and a scowl crossed his face at the mention of his father.

"Let him be angry. That's all he ever is anyway. I don't want to hide the fact that you're mine and I don't know if you noticed but he has also been sending a few unkind looks at your sister." I had not noticed it but I wondered why he had such animosity towards us. We had only been courteous and polite toward him (even though honestly I could not stand the man).

"Oh I should tell you: Katherine and I aren't really sisters. She's actually my great, great, great grandmother. It's a long story but there was a witches curse and now every hundred or so years a female child is born into the Petrova bloodline; a doppelganger. I'm not really sure if Katherine was the first but I think I am the last because there is no one to carry on the bloodline." He looked a little surprised at the news but he listened raptly. It felt strange but good to be able to tell him everything.

"Katherine and I have become as close as sisters though, I guess but there are parts of her that she keeps from me. Sometimes I wonder if she has a past that she is running from but to be honest I've never seen her afraid of anything." It was true. Sometimes when we had stayed in a place for too long, Katherine had insisted that we leave as soon as possible. I had never objected but it had always aroused my curiosity.

"Well maybe she is keeping things from you to protect you. I for one would not share some of the tales from my time in the confederacy with Stefan. He does not need to hear about terrible things like that." I smiled inwardly at the clear protectiveness over his younger brother. It makes my mind wander to thoughts of Jeremy. My heart clenches. Oh how I miss him.

"Maybe."

A/N: I know, uneventful but coming up soon will be the Founders Ball, The rounding up of the vampires and possibly some mentions of Klaus :)