'Jeremy, what did you do?'

Jeremy turned to look at Damon a frown on his face.

'I…I don't know why…'

'Sit down.'

Damon pointed to a chair and Jeremy sat down letting out a sigh. Damon poured two drinks and handed one to Jeremy. He sat down across from Jeremy and sipped on the Bourbon.

'Right, tell me everything.'

Chapter Six:

Jeremy ran a hand through his hair and looked around the room.

'Damon…I…I'm…like you now.'

'Yes well I gathered that much already Jeremy,' Damon replied, his eyes widening a little as a smirk appeared on his lips. 'I want to know how you became a vampire and why?'

Jeremy sipped the drink and looked down into the glass, swirling the alcohol around for a few moments before he set the glass down on the table.

'Anna gave me some of her blood in a vial. I…I wanted her to turn me but,' he sighed and shook his head. 'But I started having doubts, I wasn't sure if I really wanted to do this. I kept her blood just in case I decided I wanted to do this. She told me how.'

'So what, you decided to do it and now you're having regrets? Well I'm sorry Jeremy but this isn't something you can just…undo. You're a non-living…living person now. Deal with it,' Damon replied a frown on his face as he stood up to pour himself another drink.

'Do you always have to be such an asshole?' Jeremy hissed at Damon.

'Yeah, it comes part and package with my arrogance, good looks and charm.'

Jeremy stood up and walked over to Damon.

'Look, I didn't come here trying to find a way to undo this. I know that it can't be changed. I…I came here wanting you to help me turn it off.'

Damon frowned as he looked at Jeremy. 'Turn…what off exactly?' he asked taking a sip of the drink.

'Turn off all the pain. I don't want to feel any of it. Anna told me vampires can do that. You did it. Tell me how I can do that too.'

Damon let out a sigh as he looked Jeremy over.

'It takes a while for it to go away completely. The quickest way though to do that is to just…act on vampire instinct. Vampires don't feel anything. We're meant to be cold, ruthless hunters. That's what we are. We don't feel anything for our prey at all,' Damon replied, shrugging his shoulders slightly. 'The quicker you learn that, the easier it will be to switch it all off.'

Jeremy frowned slightly as he took in everything that Damon was telling him, nodding his head slowly.

'I…I can't be around my family. Not right now at least. Could I ask you to do something for me?'

'Do I look like someone who just hands out favors?'

Jeremy shook his head. 'Well don't it for me then. Do it for Elena.'

Damon frowned and rolled his eyes. Was he that transparent? Could everyone see just how he felt about Elena?

'Fine, what do you want?'

'Could you please just tell Elena what's happened and…just do that mind control thing with my aunt. Tell her….I don't care what you tell her really but just as long as she knows I'm safe that's all that matters. Tell Elena I'm sorry for…being such an idiot towards her and that I'll see her soon.'

Damon frowned and nodded his head. Jeremy smiled slightly and then turned to head for the door. 'Jeremy, wait.'

Jeremy turned around and looked at Damon. 'Yeah?'

Damon walked over to a cupboard and took out a small box. He opened it up and took out a ring like his own.

'Here, take this and put it on. It'll help you to walk around during the day. And, why don't you get cleaned up here. I'll go and get some clothes from your house for you.'

'Why are you being so nice to me?' Jeremy asked, looking down at the ring as he slipped it on then back at Damon.

Damon looked around for a moment, sighed and shrugged his shoulders slightly. 'Because Anna would have wanted me to and…I'm sure your sister would be happy and more at ease knowing that I at least helped you where I could.'

'Thank you.'

'Yeah well don't get used to it. I don't offer out favors and a helping hand every day and for every Tom, Dick and Harry around town so...just consider yourself lucky.'

Jeremy smiled slightly.

'Where can I wash up then?'

'Upstairs in my room, first door on your right, just don't touch anything in there if you value your new found undead life,' Damon replied.

Jeremy nodded and headed off up the stairs.

Damon let out an exhausted sigh and shook his head.

'If I knew I was going to become like a damn priest in a church where everyone comes to confess their sins I would have never stayed in this damn town,' Damon muttered to himself as he picked up a shirt he had left downstairs a few nights ago. He threw it on and went upstairs to grab his shoes. Once they were on he left to go and get a few clothes from Jeremy's room. As he packed a few things into the bag Damon heard Jenna shuffling out of her room, obviously getting up to go to the bathroom or get something to drink.

'Oh well, I'm here now,' he mumbled to himself.

Damon stepped out of Jeremy's room and stood in Jenna's way. She bumped into him in her still groggy state and looked up at him with a frown on her face. Damon looked down at her, holding her gaze as best he could.

'Wha-'

'You have been worried about Jeremy but there is no need to be. Jeremy is fine. He called tonight to tell you that he needed some time alone and has decided to do a little traveling. He will check in with you when he can but you do not have to worry about him because you know he can look after himself. '

'I won't worry about him,' she replied in a dazed, dreamy voice.

Damon frowned slightly and then let go. He moved into the room, grabbed the bag and was on his way back to the boarding house in a matter of seconds. That was one thing down. Now he had to wait for Elena to wake up in the morning and deal with having to tell her about her brother too. Damon shook his head as he thought about this.

'It was so much better when I didn't care,' he muttered into the cold, silent darkness of the night.

When Damon returned Jeremy had cleaned up and Damon handed him the bag for him to get some clothes out. Once Jeremy was dressed he came out of the bathroom and looked around the room. Damon sat down at his desk and watched Jeremy.

'Right, a few things to remember is to act normal, keep a low profile and when people start to notice you're not getting any older well then that's a good time to leave town. You don't have to always hunt humans, you could always choose to adopt Stefan's diet of bunny rabbits and squirrels but then your powers won't be as strong.'

'How do I not draw attention to myself when hunting though?'

'Compulsion, the mind control thing, that's what it's called. You can compel your prey to follow you somewhere secluded; you can drink from them and then just wipe their memories away. Make them forget it all happened. Or if you'd prefer to kill you prey and don't want the burden and guilt of knowing you killed someone with a family then find out all of that before you decide to pick them as your meal.'

Jeremy sat down on the edge of the bed, letting it all sink in.

'You said I don't have to hunt humans all the time?'

'No you don't. Go to a blood bank ever so now and then, compel the staff, take what you want and then get out.'

Jeremy stood up and walked over to the desk. 'Do you have paper and a pen? I'd like to leave my sister a letter.'

Damon nodded and opened up a drawer. He pulled out a piece of paper and a pen.

'I'll be downstairs.'

Damon headed out of the room and down the stairs. He poured himself another drink and stood by the fire place, watching the last few flames of the fire dance around. He looked at the clock on the mantle; it was already one am in the morning. Damon knew he didn't really need much sleep, being a vampire and all, but after the last day or two he felt like he could sleep for a week. He finished off his drink and turned just as Jeremy came down the stairs with his bag.

'I left the letter on the desk for Elena; please give it to her to read.'

Damon nodded his head but said nothing.

Jeremy held out his hand and Damon took it, shaking it firmly.

'Thanks Damon, for helping me and…thank you for…whatever it is you're doing for Elena. As always my sister's judgments and thoughts on someone were right…you're not a complete asshole.'

Damon smiled slightly and shook his head. Jeremy turned and headed for the door.

'Jeremy…I'm really sorry about what happened to Anna and…I just wanted you to know that if I could have saved her I would have. I could see she just wanted to live a normal life here in Mystic Falls. I wish they had never found her. '

'Thanks,' Jeremy replied and then disappeared out the door into the early hours of the morning.

Damon walked up the stairs and to his bedroom. He kicked off his shoes, took off his shirt and pants and collapsed onto the bed. He needed a few hours sleep before the next lot of confessions started. He pulled the covers up over him, got a little more comfortable and within minutes he was fast asleep.