Hi everyone! I know I really don't have a lot of readers on this fanfic, but the ones who ARE reading it, you are wonderful. never stop. :)

but I do want to constantly load new chapters, so here we go, Chapter 2!

But first... some business. I had one person say that they wanted the translation from Damon's Italian to english, to see what he really said to Katherine, (may she rest in pieces). Here is the rough translation,

"My love, my beautiful love. I loved you with my soul, the broken soul. I trusted you with my heart, the dead heart. I loved you, I did.
I loved you, you selfish woman. I needed you, you heartless woman. I protected you, horrid woman. But I forgive you. I forgive you, you selfish woman. I forgive you, you heartless woman. I forgive you, horrid woman. and I lay there, broken, asking your forgiveness too. I ask for you to forgive me for loving you, first."

and that really was the gist of his whole speech :)

And I admit to stealing the "go to hell" conversation (not the stab, but the convo) from the books, i'm a sinner!

And incase you were, well, dumb, I don't own TVD... if I did, do you think that KATHERINE would have been the one kissing Damon? yeah, not likely in my case. The things Elena'd be doing to Damon would be ILLEGAL in some states.

Enjoy your read!

A sense of deja vu passed over Elena as they drove up the pebble and dirt path to the old Salvatore mansion. She had gone there with Stefan, she remembered the trip. He had told her the truth, the whole truth to the Salvatore family. The trip to the house alone was otherworldly, had Mystic Falls ever been so green? So lush?

Elena rolled down the passenger's side window and laid her head on her arms, pulling her knees close to her chest.

Stefan offered a hand to hold, and Elena gratefully intertwined hers with his, as he applied a slight pressure to her delicate palm. Elena returned her attention to the outside, she was positive she could hear a stream somewhere, birds proudly chiming their bittersweet songs along the banks of a river, and the sunlight reflecting through the almost translucent leaves casting a surreal glow to the atmosphere. The beauty was breath taking, Elena shut her eyes lightly, allowing light to still pass through, and felt the warmth of the sun's rays soak into her already tan skin. A small smile graced her lips, and the movement of her lips turning upwards was welcomed, she hadn't had a moment of relaxation or pleasure in a long time... a very long time.

The next thing Elena knew, she was plunging into another troubling thought, being dragged under into a hopeless, endless dream...

v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v

After the founders day events, Elena returned to her house after reassuring her boyfriend with an "I love you, Stefan".

She walked in the house, calling upstairs to Jeremy to check on him, before she heard someone clumsily moving around in the kitchen. Elena wasn't sure why Jeremy would be in the kitchen, if that was him. She doubted it being Jenna, she wasn't the late night snack person. She was more of the stay up late and scream at Jerry Springer kind of person.

Elena hastily moved towards the kitchen, slowly inching her way closer with every step. She held her breath, feeling the naseau in the pit of her stomach as she rounded the corner and saw someone's fingers on the counter... someones fingers on the counter, but the rest of their body in a bloody pit on the ground.

That's when she could smell, almost taste the coppery scent in the air that filled the kitchen, blood was everywhere. And someone was laying there, on the ground, in a disturbing heap.

Elena was about to let out a startled scream when a hand clamped over her mouth. Assuming the worst, Elena kicked and screamed for dear life, struggling in this person's strong grasp. The person physically turned Elena around, and Elena feared the face that would be shown to her.

"Elena!" Damon whispered aggressively. Elena let out a sigh of relief, then soon realized that she didn't know who the person was in the kitchen... or who had done it for that matter.

Damon saw the accusing glint that was shown in Elena's eye when she turned back to the kitchen and then back at Damon. Damon scoffed, "You seriously think that I did this, Elena?" but even his sarcasm could not mask the true hurt laced into Damon's words .

Elena shook her head, tears threatening to overflow any second, "I know, but I just...I got home and then I heard someone in the kitchen moving around. I went to go check, and... oh god, Damon!" Elena bawled, "Someone is in there, they're hurt and the person was invited in... oh my god, Jenna, Uncle John, Jeremy!"

Elena went to move around Damon to get to the kitchen, but as fate would have it, he wouldn't allow her to go anywhere alone. Not when it mattered most to keep her safe from whatever unknown force was lurking in the dark. Damon tried to push Elena back, but she was stubborn and refused to be held back. Especially not by Damon.

"Elena!" Damon nearly yelled, trying to get her attention as she mumbled incoherent half sentences of distress.

Elena knew that Damon was not very good with interacting with humans. She knew that it asked a lot of him to be pleasant to most of them, and that he was naturally uncomfortable when dealing with true emotions. Not just lust, or some half drunken concerns of girls he had picked up at a bar. Damon didn't have to tell her that he wasn't very good at being a good conversationalist with a human emotionally.

Elena just knew.

She knew that when she broke down in front of him, he didn't understand how to react, he just did. A century of turning off your emotions will do that to you. It was so easy to let your emotions control you, go into a frenzy due to the lack of experienced emotions. In life, when you react to something, if you are overtaken by emotion it is so much easier to have your clear thinking leave you. You have to live in the moment and experience everything. The disposition is intensified in that moment, making it difficult to see clearly.

But Damon, in a panic, did the first thing that came to his mind. His hands reached upwards and then found Elena's face, and he softly grazed his fingertips on her cheeks. He forced her to look into his eyes, to see that he was faced with indecision and couldn't be the white knight for her, couldn't do the right thing for her.

She became light-headed under the intensity of his gaze, flushing a soft, dainty red. His palms landed timidly on her cheeks, and he gathered a shaky breath, looking as if he was about to do something he would regret. Elena's gazed wandered from his eyes to his lips... those lips looked... like nothing else. Her heart beat quickened, and she forced herself to look only into his eyes.

The strangest thing was in his eyes. The thing she loved about Damon's eyes was that it was a contradiction to who he was. He wore leather coats and drove a mustang. Elena never saw him not wearing a black article of clothing and he seemed so dark, mischievous. But his eyes, they were so honest, so pure. It was difficult not to trust Damon when you looked into his eyes. They were looking directly into her, breathing her in. She could feel Damon inside of her, and she read his beautiful features.

His eyes illustrated what looked to be... defeat.

"I can't be your savior, Elena" he whispered brokenly, "but I want to be, and that is why you have to call Stefan, now, he's going to help you..."

Elena understood what he was doing. He was giving up the hero role to his brother, allowing himself to go back into the shadows once all attention was turned to Stefan.

"promise me you won't leave me," She whispered, loud enough so only he could hear. Elena almost expected Damon to smirk at her, almost.

But instead his eyes flickered an unreadable light. There was warmth and happiness and rejoicing in the one moment his eyes met hers, and he sobered a bit at the intensity and gravity of the situation.

With his hands that still graced her cheeks, he moved his thumb up and down lightly as a comforting gesture.

"Elena... you are...my home" Damon breathed intensely. Elena noticed how warm his hands were, how incredibly warm...

Damon pulled his hands away from Elena's face almost instantly, and the move was almost painful for Elena.

Elena didn't understand the meaning of Damon's words, and she had made a mental note to ask him what he truly meant by that, but there was no time to defy him.

"Stay here, and call Stefan" Damon ordered. Elena simply nodded her head, and he went into the kitchen. She heard him gasp, and he ran quickly back to where Elena was standing.

"No one is in there, Elena, there's only blood, but you said-"

"What?" Elena gasped, "What do you mean no one's in there? I saw... I saw the body! I saw the body lying there!"

"Stay here" Damon ordered, "I'm catching someone's scent, It seems familiar, but I don't know..."

"be careful" Elena murmured, suddenly aware that if someone was still in the house, that he could be terribly hurt.

Damon glanced at Elena, a glance that showed longing and fierce protection all wrapped up into one. But for the smallest of moments, he looked at her lips longingly, as if he remembered something about them, something Elena was unaware of.

"Always am" he replied gently.

Then he was gone. Elena never felt more alone in her life, never felt so bare, and unprotected. It was sad, but terribly true, and she was left there to wonder how she had ever grown so weak.

Damon appeared in front of her, panic etched all over his features, looking at Elena painfully.

"Elena, I'm so sorry, I looked upstairs and Jenna is there but-"

"They took them, didn't she?" Elena sobbed, "Jeremy and John, oh my god, the vampire took them-"

He gracefully walked over to Elena and with his long, slender fingers, grabbed her phone from her pocket and called Stefan himself.

Elena wondered what caused her to forget to call him so easily...

"Stefan, you have to come over here, now... please stop the jealous boyfriend role and get over here, it's Elena..." and with that, Damon had to say no more before Stefan appeared minutes later, running through the door, in a heroic, cliche, over-dramatic looking way. Elena would have laughed on any other occasion...

"Elena!" Stefan said, shocked to still find her in one piece, "Damon, I thought you said...

"A vampire was here, and we need to find them. You look downstairs, I look upstairs."

"What about me?" Elena asked compulsively.

"I... where do you want to go?" Damon asked with much struggle, trying not to get overly angry with her. She was just trying to help him, and that was all that mattered.

"Upstairs," Elena muttered almost silently, "in my room."

Stefan looked at Elena strangely, then turned his head away from, not being able to look at her.

"Alright" Damon whispered, and with that he was upstairs in the blink of an eye, most likely checking her room for danger.

"All clear," Damon said when he returned downstairs. Without another look, Elena walked up to her room, feeling both the brother's eyes on her back as she ascended the staircase, walking into her room, away from Damon and Stefan.

She entered her room and collapsed onto her bed. She was incredibly tired and had only a wink of sleep in the past few nights, strange feelings overcoming her and making it impossible for sleep to come. She was restless every night.

The feeling overcame Elena again, that feeling of... a presence in the room. Her head darted up and her curls cascaded down her back, draping elegantly on her. Elena walked to the mirror, allowing herself to do a once over, to check her makeup and make sure she didn't look too hideous. She examined the curls, trying to revive their beautiful bounce, but let them fall into loose waves around her face. She turned from the mirror to turn off her lamp, she was extremely tired.

"Curls look best on me" a very feminine, seductive voice said from behind her, obviously someone in front of the mirror.

Elena was too startled to move or look, and being slammed into the mirror behind of her, she was met with blackness.

v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v

A bump in the trail woke Elena from her reverie. She snapped back into reality, just in time to meet the anxious look of Stefan. He pulled the car to a stop, a mile or so from the front gate.

"I don't want to disturb the original path," Stefan mentioned as we slid out of the car, "It's already damaged enough as is."

"It's beautiful, Stefan. And I don't mind walking, it's a wonderful day out," Elena said lamely, she truly had no words to describe the enchanting glow this place seemed to have.

Stefan smiled at her warmly, grabbed boxes from the car, and they began to walk towards the mansion. Elena and Stefan walked in companionable silence, each other's presence being enough for each other.

Why did Elena feel as though someone were missing?

"Let me help you with that," Elena mumbled, grabbing a box from Stefan who was balancing four on top of each other.

"Thank you, love," Stefan murmured appreciatively, "Okay, so I will show you my old room, we will get my old stuff and put it in the boxes, then we'll go through the rest of the house for the 'grand tour' and throw out the rest-"

"Wait," Elena interrupted, dumbfounded, "we're only saving your stuff?"

"...isn't that what you wanted? We couldn't possibly save all of it-"

"What about Damon's stuff?" Elena questioned him strangely. Why wouldn't they save some of Damon's old momentos?

Stefan sighed and set down the boxes, and gathered her tiny, soft hands in his graceful, large ones. "Elena... I don't think..." Stefan gently paused for a moment, obviously wondering how to tell me whatever he was planning on telling me.

"What?" Elena persisted. Why is Stefan so against saving his brother's belongings?

"...he never truly had a great past here, Elena. And, he just had to kill the woman he loved who lived here with us, many many nights," Stefan paused shortly and continued, "I don't know what does or doesn't remind him of Katherine. I can't cause him any more pain than I already have..." Stefan finished uncomfortably, as if acknowledging the fact that he caused him anger was painful for him.

"Stefan..." Elena began uneasily, "Damon has bad memories here, as do you, but that doesn't mean that one day he won't want to remember where he came from... I think we should gather his things, and he can throw them away if he wants to, but if not, at least he'll have the option of having them" she spoke gently to Stefan, always cautiously guarding the words she wanted to truly say. She had to be careful, he was insecure enough already, and she didn't want him questioning her bond to him.

Stefan gazed at her strangely for a moment, then picked two boxes up and handed them to Elena, "Alright," he said pleasantly, "you pack Satin spawn's, I'll pack my own, and once we are done we'll both do a once over of the house" Stefan sounded playful, and Elena enjoyed the fact that his memories made him happy.

Elena nodded stubbornly, and began running towards the house in a full sprint, "last one to the house loses!" she called over her shoulder. When she turned around, Stefan was already standing on the porch, holding his two boxes.

"I win" Stefan bragged childishely, although his voice still sounded too mature for the act.

Why did she yearn for him to wiggle his eyebrows suggestively? Why did she crave his genuine smile to turn into a 'high and mighty' smirk... For his green eyes to turn lighter, and lighter yet, until they were the purest of light blues...

Elena shook her head abruptly, foolishly trying to shake Damon out of her.

She couldn't, he'd gotten under her skin, far more under. He'd gotten into her bloodstream...

"You, mister Salvatore, are a cheater" Elena gasped for air stubbornly... she would live in the moment and not dwell on troubling thoughts, "Why am I having a hard time breathing, and you don't evem have a god damn hair out of place?" Elena gasped incredulously.

Stefan chuckled in return, "come on, Elena, let's get to work."

Elena followed him into the old Salvatore house, stunned by the beauty of it. The house was so elegant, so... regal. She could hardly believe that Stefan had ever lived in it.

Stefan allowed a low chuckle himself, and he sighed wistfully and painfully, most likely focusing on memories of 1864...

"Okay," Elena said, eager to pull Stefan back from any painful memories, "Let's get started. Just show me where Damon's room was, and I'll get what I think to be-"

"Elena, wait," Stefan interjected. Elena looked up, a considerate confusion lining her features.

Stefan continued, "Maybe I should get his stuff and mine, and you could go see the rest of the house... I just don't know-"

"If I can do it?" Elena spat, overcome with emotion, "You don't think I understand him, Stefan?"

Elena understood. Stefan didn't know if she could get Damon's belongings because she wouldn't understand him enough to get the right things. A tidal wave of anger washed over her, and she felt a feirce spark ignite in herself.

She knew Damon.

Stefan ran his hand through his hair, and his brows knit together, "Elena, I have been his brother for 162 years-"

"No," she nearly yelled, "You have not been his brother. You have been a controversial fraud, fighting against his nature, who refuses to accept him because you believe you are too high and mighty to show an ounce of caring for your own flesh and blood. No, Stefan, you have not been his brother. He may have been a sinner, a devil, a killer, but he was your brother, your mentor, your only friend as a child! He needed to trust you... he needed to trust me, and no matter what we do, we can never ensure him that he will be okay! Telling him that he can trust us has either had him emotionally betrayed, but more recently, it could turn out like last Thursday night that had him nearly killed! We can never do right by him, but I understand him. I know who he is and while I may not always agree, I care enough to stand behind him as he fights. He could be fighting for the Devil or for God, and no matter the choice I would stand by him until the bitter end, which you have proven you cannot do!" She finished gasping, putting a hand to her chest to calm her pulse.

She looked at Stefan then, fearing what his reaction was to her ranting, and was confound by what she saw.

He was just standing there, politely, listening to her scream at him about his faults, and his calm facade hadn't even faltered.

She became stunningly aware of the depth of the words she had said to Stefan, what had come over her?

"Stefan, please forgive me, I am so-"

"No," Stefan interrupted kindly, his voice still gentle and warm. A hint of a smile returned to his face, "You are right, Elena, and I love you for that...because I love Damon, too. I had to consider the idea that someone understood him while all I had been doing was pushing him farther away... taunting him. My own brother..." Stefan trailed off then, and tears glistened in Elena's eyes.

"It isn't your fault," Elena began, "but can you be there more? I am not asking for a full fledged best friendship, but I'm talking an understanding," Elena smiled a bit at this last memory,

You and I... we have something... an understanding

"an understanding is the foundation for any relationship, not just boyfriends and girlfriends, but friendships and families need to understand each other... It will be very difficult Damon, but please... please... try." Elena finished lamely.

Stefan merely nodded, and kissed her forehead.

She closed her eyes as he did this, and for a moment, for the smallest of moments, she imagined a different pair of lips putting the faintest pressure on her head, those lips afraid to go too far, to ruin the moment...

She opened her eyes. That was enough of that.

She smiled faintly at him, and he smiled back broadly, "Okay, Elena, when you're done, come back down here and we'll do a once over, okay?"

"Okay," her smile turned a little stronger, realizing that she had changed Stefan's mind and got him to come to his senses. She turned slightly and grabbed her two large boxes, then made her way up the staircase gracefully.

Stefan felt something pull at his memory, it was the first time Katherine had walked up those steps to her new room. He had offered her assistance, as did everyone, but she wanted to do it on her own, in that incredibly large dress of hers. She was so stubborn...

Stefan shook his head, pulling the memory loose. I will not dwell on the past, rather focus for the future, me and Elena's future...

But Stefan was feeling a tad nostalgic as he walked the staircase alone. Completely, devastatingly alone...

Potrebbe essere possibile, mi manchi, amore mio demone, Stefan thought regretfully

Okay, I was definitely skeptical when it came to writing Stefan. I will never put him out of character, at least that is not what I want to do. Sorry kiddies, but the Damon&Elena process will be slooooooooooowwwwwww...

But was it wayyyyyy too O.O.C? I feel like I MAJORLY screwed up the characters, but it is very difficult to put them IN character, and still have them slowly progressing...weird. And as I've said before, most of my inspiration comes at night. But what I'm doing now, preparing for school, is going to bed... *gulp* earlier...

it sucks ass, let me tell you that.

Alright, this chapter is a teensy weensy bit shorter than the first, but the first was kind of an opening, this chapter ISN'T a filler, but more of a lead in. And you should also know that I am thinking of just doing once every THREE days. I'm sorry and I hope I am not severely disappointing someone, but I have a vacation coming up and I don't want to leave without a warning. If I don't have a new chapter posted once every three days, then vacation has caught up with me. ugh. I don't even wanna go! urglyburg!

(and p.s. the translation is "it may be possible I miss you my demonic love" awwwww, kinda sad. Just cause I'm writing for Damon&Elena doesn't mean I automatically hate Stefan, I actually admire him)

(and p.s.s, NIGHTLYEVILTM, are you the vidder NightlyEvilTM? Because if so... um, can I have your virtual autograph? Your videos are beautiful and everyone should check them out RIGHT NOW. I loveeeee them! eeep, I was so excited!)

Alright thats it, peace, love, and lots of chocolate! -Taylor 3