A/N: Yup. I haven't updated in a while (I think), so I might as well now. I'm not much of a football fan, and since the Superbowl's on today, I have about three or four hours in which I'll be forced to not watch TV. Good for you guys :) not good for me, but I'll live.

Damon's POV

I watched her very closely after that night, but I never actually went back. I felt like I had stepped over a line that wasn't meant to be crossed. Elena was Stefan's, not mine, and I had promised Bonnie that I only wanted to help Elena. I wasn't supposed to be falling for her again. Not like this. Stefan was so happy and I didn't want to ruin it for him, but I wanted to be with Elena. Just being around her made my skin feel like it was on fire. I hadn't even called her, and since it had been almost a week, I felt guilty. I didn't want her to think that I'd abandoned her.

Elena's POV

Had Damon forgotten about me?

It had been a week since Caroline had turned, and I was starting to feel so alone. Stefan was always busy with Caroline, and Bonnie was always staying with her Grams to learn more about magic. I knew it was good for her to control her power and for Caroline to control her hunger, but I missed them. I would have given anything for him to call me, or even come over. How he made me feel… well, I didn't know what it was, but I was determined to stay friends with him despite the feelings I had. I loved Stefan.

I rolled onto the bed and listlessly scrolled through the contacts on my phone. I should have asked him for his number, so that way I wouldn't be left waiting here. I was desperate enough that I was about to go find him when my phone rang. The number was "unidentified" but I knew it was him.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Elena, it's Damon." He sounded worried.

I grinned. "Hey!"

"I'm sorry I didn't call earlier, especially after what happened. Are you okay?"

I bit down on my lip, quieting any thoughts of telling him how sad and alone I was. The last thing I needed was breaking down in his arms. "Uh, yeah. I'm fine. Are you okay?"

There was along silence. "I've been trying to figure something out, that's all. It's about Katherine."

"You want to talk about it?"

"Yeah, I do. Is Stefan there?"

I shook my head even though he couldn't see me. "No, he's out with Caroline. Trying to convince her that if she's fast enough the bunnies won't notice when she kills them."

"Poor guy." I could tell his sympathy wasn't completely real.

I laughed. "He is in way over his head. I don't think he's ever been around someone that talks so much."

"No, I don't think so either."

It just then occurred to me what he was asking. "Did you want to come over and talk?"

"Sure." He said. "I'll be there in a few minutes. Bye."

"Bye."

Damon's POV

I had no clue what I was getting myself into, but I figured that Elena might be able to help me out. With no way to find Katherine or find out what she was up to, I had no way to protect Elena.

When I reached the door she smiled as she opened it and let me in. "Good to see you." She said. She blushed just a little and ducked her head as she stepped aside.

"You too."

She made sure that Jenna and Jeremy were both in their rooms before dragging me to hers. I remembered the times when I would have protested loudly. "No, Elena, I will not go up to your bedroom." Those days were long gone. Instead I stayed quiet until she shut the door.

"So, this problem?"

I sat down on the bed next to her. "Katherine."

"Yeah." Her eyes flashed with the briefest hint of rage. "Her."

"I don't where she is or what she's doing, just that she wants Stefan out of her way. I thought she came here for… for this stone. It's called the moonstone, and I was sure she would come here to break it's curse. The thing is I haven't seen her in weeks."

"A moonstone? What curse?" When I noticed how confused Elena was I realized she would need more of an explanation than that.

I sighed. "It's supposed to hold the curse of the sun and the moon, keeping vampires slaves to the sun and werewolves servants of the moon."

"Wait, there are werewolves involved in all of this?" she groaned. "Aren't vampires bad enough?"

"None live here." I explained. "The Lockwoods have the gene to be werewolves, but they're not. To become one you have to kill someone. Anyway, I thought Katherine would be after it, but she's not. She's just disappeared into thin air."

Elena nodded. "And you want me to help find her?"

"I thought maybe you could help me figure out where she would go."

Elena frowned, nose crinkling in the most endearing way. "Where would I go if I was psychotic?"

"Don't you mean a psychotic bitch?" I asked, batting my eyelashes innocently.

She giggled. "Yeah, that."

I let her mull it over for another five minutes and then stretched, casually leaning back on the bed. "Who knows, maybe she skipped town. It's better for the both of us."

"I don't think so." said Elena. She propped herself up on her elbows and glanced at me. "You thinks she's here for a reason, and if you know about this moonstone then I'm sure she does too. She wouldn't just leave."

"Exactly, and here you see my problem." I said. "Otherwise my plan to protect you would be flawless."

"Your... your what?"

Of course. I knew I would say something stupid sooner or later. "Well, it's—it's just that—I don't know how to say this without out it coming off as stalker-y—" She would never speak to me again, I was sure of it. Who would?

"You're trying to protect me?" she asked, and I noticed that her eyes were shining with tears. Her voice was thick, but it was grateful. She wasn't angry with me. "Why me? You could keep anyone safe, why would you choose me?"

Because I love you. "Because my brother is very attached to you, and you're not half bad. I think you deserve to live. Besides, how many people are able to say that they're the doppelganger of a crazed vampire that probably wants them dead?"

"Three people." Elena teased. "Four, counting me."

"Liar." I said. "But that's why."

She contemplated my words in silence, wiping her face free of the tears. I noticed how tired she seemed, the circles under her eyes and the smudged but dry mascara; proof of earlier tears. The old Elena had never let me see this side of her. Had I been so manipulative that she had been afraid to let me? That had been my old tactic; I took advantage of people's weaknesses, and when they were at their weakest.

"Maybe she's with someone."

"What?" I had been so distracted I hadn't realized she had spoken.

"Maybe Katherine had to go ask someone for help with the moonstone." Elena repeated.

Klaus. "Or maybe she wanted someone to know she would have it soon…" I slid off the bed. "Elena, I want you to stay here as much as you can."

"Why, what's wrong?"

"I think I know what Katherine's up to."

She looked crestfallen. "So you have to leave?"

"Well, yeah."

And then I dashed down the stairs, throwing a hasty "goodbye!" back at her.

Elena's POV

"Goodbye." I mumbled unhappily. I knew I didn't have any right to pout, but I had wished that he could have stayed. I still didn't have his number, either—

My phone vibrated and I picked it up. One new text message?

Damon: Hey, in case you ever want to call me – 234-501-3372

I smiled. I wouldn't call him now, but it was good to be able to.

A/N: My muse has left me. Sorrry.