(A/N: IDK if I can restrain myself with this one either, to wait for 5 reviews for ch. 4, but I'll try XD, not that you'll appreciate that… ANY ways, here's chapter 5. Thanks for all the reviews BTW, ENJOY~

~KKCopper)

S POV

I was walking slowly around the house, now paused in front of the fire place, when I heard laughter outside. I listened and could tell that Damon was one of them, but the other…

"Of course," I groaned under my breath. Take a pretty girl (I wouldn't deny that, but I didn't have any feelings for her THAT way), help her, let her spend the night on your couch… and Damon will find out.

I rushed over to the door and opened it just as they stepped onto the front porch. Kristi looked bewildered at my sudden appearance, but Damon looked a bit upset.

"Of course!" he shouted at me. Kristi (who had been holding onto his elbow) let go of him and took a step back. She was smart not to get in the middle of us.

Of course, maybe she wasn't.

"You instantly assume I compelled her!" Damon snapped at me accusingly.

I growled. "Well of COURSE I assume, it what you usually do! Either that or you just bring her home to have SEX with her! You're a whore and we both know it!"

Kristi seemed a bit taken aback by my statement and Damon was snarling. He lunged a step forward, obviously furious, when Kristi darted in between us. Damon instantly calmed down his snarling, though a scowl was still on his face. It shocked me at how he was reacting to her…

"First of all," she started, flashing glances between us, "he didn't compel me, and secondly, we AREN'T going to DO IT and he KNOWS IT. In fact, he offered his bed to me, and HE was going to sleep on the couch." Then she turned to face only me. "I don't know how he is around you, or how he was before, but he's been only a gentleman to me. We simply met while I was on my walk and he escorted me back. He didn't compel me once; he hardly even flirted, minus simply behaving like a gentleman. Besides–" she flashed a smile at him "– I had a good time."

Damon smiled warmly at her… and then it hit me; why he was acting the way he was, the look in his eyes, the over ferocity at my accusation…

He was falling for her… and he didn't want to hurt her… He ACTUALLY cared.

I would have to speak with him about that after Kristi went to sleep…

"My bad… I'm sorry, I jumped to conclusions," I apologized, mostly to Kristi. She nodded in response.

Then I sighed and stepped aside. Kristi came in, followed closely by Damon, and stopped at the place where the hall way split off in two directions. She turned to face him.

"I'm afraid I don't know where you're room is kind sir," Kristi said, grinning.

"This way malady," Damon said with a sweep of his arm, gesturing towards the left. Kristi giggled and headed in that direction. Damon quickly followed and they went down the hall.

D POV

I walked with her down the hall, leading her through our house and to my room.

I opened the door and let her inside. Her eyes widened as she took in my room. I smiled at her reaction, happy that she was happy.

Boy was I softening up… I couldn't believe it either, I had to block out my emotions… or, at least, try to…

"Do you like it?" I asked as she walked towards the center of the room, still looking around, slowly turning in a circle.

She nodded, pausing to look at me. "It's beautiful," she whispered, a bit awestruck. "I love it."

I smiled a bit more. "Good, because you'll be staying here tonight."

Kristi went over to my bed; her back faced towards it, and fell back onto it. She sighed in contentment.

"It's so soft…" she commented in a soft voice, her eyes closed as she lay there. Then she opened them to look at me. "This is way too comfortable to take away from you… It's YOUR room anyways. I can sleep on the couch."

"No, no," I argued, walking closer to her. "This argument is already over. I don't mind sleeping on the couch –"

"Well neither do I!" she snapped, springing up from the bed so she could look me in the eyes.

"You're the guest, there for you should have the better sleeping arrangements. What kind of host would I be if you slept on the couch?" I asked her sternly. The question was rhetorical, but serious.

"The SMART one!" she told me, answering anyways. "You were here first; it's YOUR house, so you should get to –" she began to say, but I cut her off.

Suddenly, I'd pulled her into a kiss, one of my arms going around her waist, holding her close.

The kiss was gentle, warm, but short.

Kristi pulled back, a shocked expression on her face. She looked a bit shaken. I almost instantly regretted giving her the kiss…

"I – … I –" she tried to say, but she couldn't find the words.

"I'm sorry," I instantly apologized. A sheepish grin came to my face. "I've wanted to do that since we started our walk."

And now I was being honest… I was losing it…

Kristi still seemed a bit shocked. She didn't speak for a bit.

Finally, when she did speak, she whispered, "I need to be alone… please…"

I nodded solemnly and went out of the room, shutting the door softly behind me. I was a bit upset by her reaction… yet concerned about her reaction, and for her, all the same.

Yes, I was concerned… yes, I was falling for her… and no… there wasn't anything I could do about it…

K POV

When Damon shut the door behind him, I fell back onto the bed. My mind was buzzing with thoughts… and almost ALL of them revolved around Damon… I couldn't get him off of my mind.

Half of my Damon thoughts revolved around his kiss… I'd LIKED it, too… but I hardly even knew him… or anything about myself even!

I knew I liked him… the second I'd met him I'd liked him… which is why I'd offered my blood….

I also knew that he probably was what Stefan had said he was… yet, that didn't bother me either…

My emotions were all jumbled up; it was making me not think clearly…

I had to get some rest…

I sighed and kicked off my shoes before curling up under the soft comforter, my head on the down pillow…

…which smelled like him…

I growled under my breath and threw it on the ground, grabbing the other pillow instead before laying my head back down on it and closing my eyes.

I was asleep in minutes…

D POV

I headed down the hall and into the Living Room, plopping down on the couch with a sigh, closing my eyes at the same time… My thoughts were so mixed up… I was so confused… My conscience was telling me one thing… my emotions another… and my instincts something totally different…. It was hurting my head.

Just then, goody-two-shoes Stefan walked into the room. I only knew because I heard him… my eyes were still closed.

I sighed in exasperation. "What do you want brother?" I asked in a harsh tone. "Shouldn't you be at Elena's house right about now?"

I heard Stefan sit down on a chair behind my head. My eyes snapped open and I sat up, turning around to face him.

"WHAT do you want?" I asked. I was not in the mood for any of his "soul searching" talk.

Stefan got right to the point. "I saw the way you were acting around Kristi. You care for her don't you?"

I scoffed, but I knew it was true… no matter how much I wanted to deny it.

Which I would deny it, especially to St. Stefan who cares about everyone.

"No, I was simply behaving like a gentleman like any good man would," I replied.

Stefan rolled his eyes. "Damon, I'm not daft… I saw the way you were looking at her… and your gentleman act was more than just that, it wasn't just an act… I've been around Elena enough to know how it feels, to know how a person would act… You like her and you can't deny it."

I scowled at him, rising quickly from the couch so that I towered over him. "I do NOT care for her. I've only known her one day, no one hour! Get that through you thick skull Stefan. I have NO feelings for her! None!" I snapped.

Stefan only stared up at me, his eyes almost blank. He sighed, closing his eyes, looking at the ground, and shaking his head.

I towered over him still, breathing slowly in and out until he rose.

"I swear, one of these days brother, you are going to fall for someone… or you are going to admit it to yourself that you fell for HER… and they (she) won't fall for you… or she'll chose someone else when she realizes what you are… If you never let anyone in… or even let your emotions in… eventually, no one will let you in either," he said, and then he walked away without another word.

I continued to scowl as I sat back down on the couch. I hated it went he went all sensei on me…

Of course, it seemed he was usually right… but I would never admit that… and it annoyed the crap out of me.

I hoped he wasn't right THIS time though… because I knew that I WAS falling for her…. I just didn't know if she fell for me… or even liked me after what I pulled this evening.

I laid back down on the couch, closing my eyes as I thought about her… Her pretty blue eyes… her smile… her continuous laughter…

Then, Elena entered my thoughts… I scowled and stood up again… I needed to… take a walk.

I headed out of the Living Room, down the hall and out the front the door, shutting it quietly behind me.

Then I ran into the woods… I didn't quite know where I was headed yet… so I just ran.

The woods was so… alive at night… I listened silently to the sounds of nature as I ran…. It helped calm me down… and made me realize where I needed to go.

I changed my direction and ran a bit faster…. I slowed down only when I neared where I wanted to go… the tomb.

I slowed down even more as it came into view. Then, I stopped completely… I couldn't believe I'd come here… but who else knew what it was like to be in love with 2 people at once… or not… I didn't have anything to lose… except maybe my sanity.

I headed slowly down to the tomb.

Katherine was waiting.

"Hello Damon," she purred, but her voice was hoarse from lack of blood.

"Katherine," I said, my voice clipped.

She smiled and then gave out a cough. "So what's your problem?" she asked.

"What makes you think I have one?" I snapped and Katherine laughed.

"I know you'd never come to ME unless you needed something… and was very desperate," she purred again. "So what is it?"

I scowled at her… but then I sighed.

"How do you love- care… for two people at once?" I asked in a hard voice, still a bit upset that I'd actually come to her for help.

Katherine laughed and I growled.

"Damon, your emotions are showing," she teased.

I about lunged at her then, I even lurched a step forward, but then I managed to control myself. I couldn't get trapped in there with her.

Katherine grinned. "Well… it's not that hard to care for two people… I cared for both you and Stefan… I just didn't love both of you…" she started to say and I scowled at the memory, of all my lost years searching for her. It disgusted me.

"So… follow your heart… who do you care for more?" Katherine questioned.

I growled. "I don't know… I care for BOTH of them…"

Katherine rolled her eyes. "Then which one is easier to get?" she questioned.

My eyes widened a bit. "Well…" I tried to say.

"One of them is obviously Elena… who is happily taken–" this time Katherine scowled "– so the other girl will obviously be easier."

"But the decision shouldn't BE that way," I snapped. "I shouldn't choose one simply because she's EASIER, I should genuinely care for her more!"

Katherine smiled. "Look who's learning," she sang. "And now I repeat myself, which do you care for more?"

I paused, genuinely thinking about it… sure I practically loved Elena… but Kristi… she was so much different than Elena… she was daring… very care free… trusting… sweet… indecisive… and Lord I was falling for her….

"I know who…" I whispered to myself.

Katherine leaned forward a bit. "You can tell me who this mystery girl is, can't you?" she purred.

I growled instantly, whipping my head around to face her. "No, and you know why? Because you will never see her, talk to her, or touch her, so why even bother with names?" I snapped protectively.

Katherine only smiled. "A girl needs gossip after being locked up for so long."

I rolled my eyes, barked out a short laugh, and then left her without another word.

(A/N: This particular part here at the end is going to be playing a bigger roll later on the story, so remember it ;D Thnx for reading! Plz review!

~KKCopper)