Hey everyone! Here's another update as promised. Thank you to all who have followed, favorited and reviewed. As always, your support means the world to me!

Elena's head was spinning with all the new information that had come to light. She didn't know how to take everything that Ric and Damon had told her. The events of the past few months had been so harried, so blurred that she was having trouble getting past the confusion, especially with Damon. Their whatever it was had been so up and down that she had no clue how to take it. Sure, they had just admitted that they had feelings for one another, but he'd also tried to kill her. Twice. She didn't know how she was supposed to feel about the entire situation.

She'd been hesitant to let him stay, but even after two murder attempts, she felt safer knowing that he was there. As long as he kept his promise not to hurt her, she wouldn't stake him, but she had a pencil hidden on her just in case she should need it. He might be faster, but Elena wasn't going to go down with a fight if he decided to attack again.

Ric's assurances that she would be perfectly safe had put her somewhat at ease, so she had decided to let it go to the best of her ability. She could talk with Damon later about what had happened and why he had made attempts on her life. She was still angry with Ric, but even so, she trusted him. It had bothered her that he had insisted on her coming back to her home while a vampire who was trying to kill her was living in it, but she had to let that go now and try to believe what she was being told. If she didn't, then that meant two of the men she loved the most had completely betrayed her and she couldn't handle that possibility. It was overwhelming.

Bonnie didn't show up a moment too soon, and she had a man with her that Elena didn't recognize. However, it appeared Damon did because he was staring. Blue eyes looked wide at the other male, pale with dark hair and dark eyes. It was a person that he had thought dead for years. And he was smirking at Damon, happy to observe that he looked like he'd just seen a ghost.

"Damon," he said in a thick British accent.

"Enzo," Damon greeted back. The last time that he'd seen the vampire, he had been about to barbecue in a fire, but now here he stood in front of his old friend. Both Elena and Bonnie could feel the tension in the room and decided to make their way into the kitchen to give the two some space.

"Enzo?" Elena asked as she looked at Bonnie.

"Apparently you're not the only one that Ric decided needed the protective services of a vampire," Bonnie stated with a laugh. "Enzo was placed with me to make sure that nothing bad happens to me. He's really sweet. It's obvious that he was a bit lonely when we met, and we've gotten really close. As close as Damon and you."

"Bonnie Bennett! Are you telling me that you're dating a vampire?"

Bonnie smiled and nodded at Elena, who giggled at the thought.

"Apparently we both have strange taste in men," Elena stated.

Over in the living room, Damon was still dumbstruck. He had no clue what to do or say to the person that he had left behind all those years ago, a person he had once loved. He'd had to turn his humanity off in order to leave Enzo behind, and now here the other vampire stood before him, watching him with a grin that said he was pleased at the waves he was making. Apparently, Damon's discomfort made him happy.

"I'm sorry Enzo. I can't focus on this right now. Elena's in danger and we need to make sure that she stays safe."

"I know, Mate. I'm here for the same reason that you are. You aren't the only one that Ric called for a favor. The witch is surprisingly good company too."

"Don't let him fool you, he has a thing for her," Ric cut in. Enzo shrugged.

"He's not wrong."

They made their way into the kitchen where the girls were currently chatting and giggling. Great, they were probably up to some evil scheme that involved Damon getting hurt knowing his luck. As soon as they noticed the boys, they stopped talking and laughing, Bonnie immediately becoming serious. She looked between them, then nodded to Ric.

"You mentioned having us stay here for a few days?"

"Yeah, until Esther can figure out how to unlink Klaus from his sire line. I figured you could help with the research."

"Okay. Elena, are you all right with us staying here?"

"Yeah, it's fine with me."

"Do I get a say?" Damon piped up, causing Elena to glare at him.

"No, you don't." At her glare, he pouted a little, then smirked.

"Fine, have it your way."

Damon sat in the bedroom he had stayed in for months, looking around at it. Even though he was back in the house, it somehow felt different. He wondered if it was because he knew that the threat of death was hanging over Elena's head. Sure, he wouldn't win his freedom if they succeeded, but at least Klaus wouldn't have the ability to complete the ritual, and the threat of a hybrid who could make other hybrids would be eliminated.

"Damon?" he heard Elena's voice call from the other side of the door. He lifted his head as she entered the room, blue eyes taking her in. She looked a little nervous, and he wondered what it was that had brought her here. He gave her a half-smile, noting how she kept her distance as if still unsure about where they stood.

"What can I do for you Elena?"

"I was hoping we could… maybe talk a bit… about what happens if I…"

"If you die?"

"Actually, if I don't die was what I was going to say."

"Oh. What about it?"

"Well, if I'm still here, breathing, where does that leave us?"

"I already told you what I had to say, Elena."

"Damon, you tried to kill me. Twice."

"Because I was under someone else's influence. I haven't tried to hurt you since I came back, have I?"

"You've been back for an hour."

"The point remains that I haven't made any attempts on your life. Elena, I was compelled. When Elijah released me, he removed the compulsion. I'm back to normal. I know that it might be hard for you to wrap your brain around all of that, but it's the truth. I never wanted to hurt you. I didn't have a choice."

Elena came further into the room, standing in front of him with her arms folded over her chest.

"Like I said, I'm trusting you. However, you break my trust again and you'll get a stake through the heart. Am I clear?"

"Of course."

With that, she turned around to leave, but Damon caught her hand before she could take a step forward. She froze on the spot, not sure what his intentions were. Her free hand was ready to grab the sharpened pencil she'd been keeping with her. He moved so that he was in front of her now, a gentle smile on his lips.

"Even if nothing happens between us, you have my loyalty and my protection. I promise."

She nodded, peeking up at him slowly. She didn't realize how much she had needed to hear that until just now. She had so many doubts running through her head about him, about them, that she hadn't been sure what she was feeling.

"I promise that as soon as this is all over, I'll make sure you get your freedom."

"I don't even care about that. All I want is for you to be safe. Can't you see that?"

"I can, but there's no guarantee that this works, and if it doesn't, then the deal with Elijah is still on. I'll be dead one way or another, and at that point, I would much rather take the person who's probably going to show me mercy."

"I don't get a say in how you negotiate my freedom?"

"It's already been done."

"So undo it!"

She moved forward, pressing her lips against his. Her eyes closed and she threw her arms around his neck. He placed his hands on her waist and deepened it, reveling in the moment. He ran his tongue against her bottom lip, asking for entry. She opened her mouth and he began to explore it. She was so caught up in him that she hadn't noticed there was someone in the doorway. Bonnie had heard the yelling and had come to check on them and make sure everything was all right.

"Don't let me interrupt you," she said with an amused expression. A moment later, a pale hand appeared on her shoulder and Enzo came into view.

"Bonnie, love, perhaps we should leave these two to work out their differences," he stated with a chuckle. With that, they turned and exited the room.

"Oh, let me know what you want for dinner! It's on us tonight," Bonnie yelled as she walked off.

"Where were we?" Damon asked.

"You were explaining to me why you killed Jeremy," she said, raising a brow at him.

"Part of the plan," Damon stated. "We needed to test the Gilbert ring and see if it worked."

"You killed him without knowing if he would come back?"

"Actually, he drank my blood."

"Then shouldn't he be a vampire?"

"No, the Gilbert ring cancels out all other possible magic when it resurrects someone. We wanted to make sure that the one he had was genuine and that it's what the Founder's Council was after. It's another perk of getting you out of the way. Then they have easier access to your brother."

Elena was trying to wrap her head around this new information. So not only were they trying to kill her, but apparently, they were trying to get access to Jeremy's ring as well. This was all too much and she found herself plopping down on Damon's bed, staring ahead at the doorway. Damon knelt in front of her, grabbing her hands to get her attention. She looked down at him and he could see that she was trying to process all the new information she'd been given over the past hour.

"I know it's a lot, but everything we've done was to ensure that Jeremy and you stay safe. And Jeremy was in on his death, of course."

"I'm going to kill him."

"I already did. It's not that satisfying. Try to put your trust in me Elena. I know my recent actions say otherwise, but I only want what's best for you."

That's the chapter. Feel free to let me know your thoughts with a review, and as always, see everyone on Tuesday!