Author's Note: So, for weeks, now, I've been struggling with a seriously bad case of writer's block regarding this story. No, matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't make the characters tell me what was supposed to happen next. Then, today, an idea popped into my head, and I just started writing . . . and I couldn't stop! That's why this chapter is so darn long! I figured if I didn't get it all down now, all these ideas would leave my head tonight, and never come back. . .

The chapter itself is inspired by the song "Need to Know" by Kris Allen. The song was featured in the Season 2 episode entitled "Kill or Be Killed." I hope you enjoy it . . . well, the chapter, I mean. But the song is pretty good too. ;)

7: 45 p.m. - Sam Merlotte's Office

Eric Northman peered at the younger vampire and his human companion from across the divide of Sam Merlotte's desk. They both looked solemn, and determined. He hoped that trusting them would not turn out to be an error in judgment.

Yet, somehow, despite his misgivings, he was not worried. Should Damon or Elena be stupid enough to betray him, they would be the ones who would suffer for it . . . not him. One simply didn't survive on Earth as a vampire for 1,000 years (as Eric had) without learning a thing or two about the sweet and satisfying taste of revenge. In fact, the Sheriff of Area Five had become somewhat of an expert at meting out poetic justice to those who deserved it most . . .

As far as Damon and Elena were concerned, this conversation was over. Eric's strategy to defeat Klaus and his hybrid army had already been revealed to them. Each of the three individuals in the room, knew exactly what was expected of him or her, in order to carry out this plan. But the Viking Vampire still had one more, very important, matter to discuss. And he needed to discuss it with Damon, alone . . .

"So, is everyone clear, on what they have to do?" Eric inquired, looking almost bored, as he leaned backward in his chair, and rested his uncommonly large feet on Sam's desk.

"Crystal," replied Damon, as he and Elena rose from their chairs in unison . . . an idiosyncrasy of the couple that didn't go unnoticed by the Sheriff of Area Five.

"Thank you . . . for everything" Elena said politely, extending her hand for Eric to shake.

Eric smiled seductively, a bit of fang peeking out from the corner of his mouth. "Oh, trust me, Miss Gilbert, the pleasure was all mine," he replied, his voice sounding smooth and sultry, like silk,

Eric took Elena's hand, as proffered. However, rather than shaking it, he kissed it slowly and purposefully, relishing the feel of her skin on his lips, and the spicy scent of her blood in his nostrils. While doing this, Eric made sure to hold Elena's gaze, causing a deep pink blush to rise from her neck to her cheeks. After a few moments of this, she awkwardly pulled her hand away, and shoved it behind her back.

Eric's brazen gesture didn't go unnoticed by Damon, who made a point of firmly resting his hand on the small of Elena's back, as he guided her out the door. Eric laughed upon seeing this. For someone who refuses to claim his human, he sure acts mighty possessive of her, Eric thought to himself. Elena too seemed secretly pleased by the undoubtedly jealous response Damon had to the older vampire's flirtation. A small smile curled the corner of her lips. But the minute she saw Eric looking at her, it vanished.

Now was the moment. Eric had to act fast. The second Elena had crossed the threshold - and was standing outside of the office - the former Viking used his vampire speed to slam the door closed behind her, and lock it, leaving him alone in the office with Damon. Damon eyed the recently locked door, in shock. Interestingly enough, his first instinct was to worry for Elena's safety, rather than his own.

Damon's eyes immediately glowed red, and the veins on his forehead became visible. "If I leave this office, and find out that one hair on her head is out of place, I swear, I will . . ."

Upon hearing this threat, Eric laughed uproariously, which only served to make Damon madder. "She's fine, Damon. She's talking with her friends right now. I'm sure I'm not the only one who can hear them."

Damon let his anger boil over enough to train his ears on the door. Eric was right. Elena was chatting intensely with Bonnie and Caroline about something. In fact, his own name was being brought up quite a bit, during the conversation. Elena was safe. HE was the one in danger.

Acting fast, Damon boldly charged the older vampire. But Eric Northman was quicker and stronger, pinning the Elder Salvatore brother to the floor, as if tackling century-old bloodsuckers was the sort of thing he did for fun, every day (which, it probably was).

"I suggest you calm down, Young One," Eric said through gritted teeth. "I have no reason to hurt, you . . . though, surely, by now, you've figured out that I easily can. It's just that I happen to have a very important matter to discuss with you, in private. And this was the easiest way I could think of to separate the two of you."

Once Eric was certain that Damon was not going to fight him anymore, he released his grip on the younger vampire. The Sheriff of Area Five then rose to his feet, extending his hand to Damon, who was still lying on the ground. Tentatively, Damon accepted the blonde vampire's hand.

"What matter could possibly be so private that Elena can't be in here to hear it?" Damon asked breathlessly, with just a hint of humiliation and frustration in his voice.

Eric's reply sent a chill up Damon's spine: "It involves your brother . . . Stefan Salvatore."

7:50 p.m. - Merlotte's Bar and Grill

About two seconds after Elena found herself, alone, on the wrong side of the closed door to Sam Merlotte's office, she felt four small hands insistently dragging her away. "What the hell?" Elena exclaimed in confusion, banging futilely on the closed door with her fist. "Guys, get off me! I think Damon might be in trouble in there."

"I'm sure Damon can take care of himself, Elena," said Bonnie, with obvious annoyance.

"And, besides, we REALLY need to talk," added Caroline, her eyes wide with intensity and excitement.

Eventually, Bonnie and Caroline managed to wrench an unwilling Elena far enough away from the office door to regain her undivided attention.

Never one to mince words, Bonnie cut right to the chase. "We think you are cheating on Stefan with Damon," she said flatly.

"BONNIE!" Caroline exclaimed, lightly poking her friend in the ribs with her elbow, before addressing Elena again. "It's not like that exactly . . . it's just that . . . well . . . since we've arrived here, we noticed that you two have seemed kind of . . ."

Caroline struggled to put a kinder spin on Bonnie's bold statement. Unfortunately, she found herself in the exceedingly rare (at least, for her) situation of being at a complete loss for words. "We think you are cheating on Stefan with Damon," she muttered, echoing her less sensitive friend's harsh words, with a reluctant sigh.

Elena's first instinct was to be furious with her friends, for having the nerve to accuse her of this - especially, after all she and Damon had put themselves through, on Stefan's behalf, in the past 48 hours . . . the days of school missed, the money spent, the hours of sleep lost. "Excuse me?" She asked pointedly, her brow furrowed in anger, as she tensely wrapped her arms across her chest.

Bonnie stepped toward Elena, her voice softer this time, more tentative. "Listen, we saw how you two were acting together on top of that bar. The way you fought with one another. . . the way you touched one another . . . Elena . . . we saw what you did to Damon, after I made his clothing disappear."

Elena face burned with embarrassment. She had desperately hoped that no one had noticed that. "That was an accident, Bonnie," she seethed. "An ACCIDENT! How could you two even think that about me . . . that I would DO that to Stefan? Do you have any idea what I've been through these past few days? Do you even care? I thought you two were supposed to be my best friends?"

Caroline took a step back, her hands raised in a placatory gesture. "Sweetie, there's no need to get defensive. We aren't judging you . . . well . . . Bonnie might be judging you a little bit . . . but . . . I'm not. I mean, I know, first hand, how . . . persuasive . . . Damon can be when he wants something. And he's ALWAYS wanted you! We're only bringing this up, because we're your friends, and we're worried about you."

Elena sighed and shook her head. It was always hard to stay mad at Caroline, when she played the doe-eyed innocent, Barbie girl, card with her. Never mind the fact that Caroline was a vampire, who could probably rip Elena in half with her teeth, in about two minutes flat, if she was so inclined!

"Well, I appreciate your concern, guys. But I assure you that there is nothing scandalous is going on between Damon and me. So, I suggest you stop worrying about me, and start focusing on your own relationships . . . which, last I checked, could both use some work," she concluded pointedly.

"A-ha!" Caroline said triumphantly. "So, you admit that you and Damon are in a RELATIONSHIP! I knew it the minute I saw the way you looked at him! The eyes never lie."

"NO, Caroline, we aren't in a relationship! Damon and I are just . . ." Elena was about to say "friends," when a sharp pang of guilt suddenly stabbed her in the gut, taking her completely by surprise.

Suddenly, Elena was assaulted with blurry images of herself kissing Damon . . . undressing Damon . . . straddling Damon . . . and grinding against Damon's rock hard body with her own. Yes, she was drunk, at the time. And yes, she was upset about Stefan. But was that an excuse? And if Damon hadn't stopped her from doing so, wouldn't she have continued right on doing what she was doing? Wouldn't she have had sex with Damon, last night? And if THAT's not cheating than what is?

And yet, the physical ramifications of Elena's actions were the least of her problems . . . What about the emotional ones? Even she had to admit that, recently, her feelings for Damon had changed. But the question that she wasn't yet willing to face was: How much?

Elena shook her head vigorously, finding that she could no longer look her friends in the eye. "I love Stefan. It will always be Stefan," she said, repeating her mantra out loud, in hopes that she could still convince herself of its truth. "I love him . . . even if he doesn't love me anymore."

"What?" Caroline exclaimed, rushing to throw her arm around her friend's shoulder. "That's ridiculous, Elena. You know that Stefan loves you. He loves you more than anything in this world."

"Not more than blood," Elena muttered bitterly, surprised by how angry she suddenly felt at her boyfriend for how he treated her the night before at Fangtasia. Given how badly Stefan had behaved, it was just as much HIS fault what happened between her and Damon, last night, as it was hers. Wasn't it?

"Elena, did something happen between you and Stefan that you haven't told us?" Bonnie inquired, as she forced her friend's eyes to meet with her own.

Elena nodded sadly. "I don't know why I didn't tell you guys, before I made you come out here. I just . . ."

"Elena, you can tell us anything. You know that! You'll feel better when you do," Caroline insisted.

Elena took a deep breath, and then began to speak. "I saw Stefan last night at a bar around here. I swear, he was like a different person . . . It was worse than it was at the Miss Mystic Falls pageant. He was just so dark, and cold, and angry. He told me he wanted nothing to do with me. And then . . . he . . . left with another woman."

Elena had decided to leave out the part about Stefan's potentially murdering that woman, and someone else, that night, because she still wasn't sure whether it was true. In fact, she wanted with all her heart to believe that it wasn't. After all that the two of them had been through together, Elena felt that she at least owed it to Stefan to give him the benefit of the doubt.

"That must have been awful, Elena. I'm so sorry," Caroline cooed, hugging her friend tighter to her chest.

"Listen . . . I know Stefan hasn't been himself lately, and I know that you are upset. But you can't let Damon take advantage of your situation, and manipulate your emotions. It's not like he hasn't done it to you before," piped in Bonnie.

"Nobody is MANIPULATING me, Bonnie . . . least of all Damon! Why do you always insist on seeing the worst in everyone?" Elena sputtered, surprised at how defensive she sounded. Why was she acting this way? Why did she feel so obligated to stick up for Damon, against her friends' accusations? Was it because he protected her virtue, the night before? Or was it something more complex than that? Elena wasn't so sure, anymore . . .

Noting her friends' wide-eyed stares, Elena realized she was going to have to do some damage control. "I'm sorry, Bonnie. I didn't mean that. It's just that . . . these past few days, have been really difficult for me. And Damon . . . well he . . ."

"What about Damon?" inquired a familiar voice, from behind her.

"Oh . . . Damon . . . we didn't see you there," Elena responded, twirling in the direction of the voice. She should have known he would be right there listening in on this conversation.

"We need to talk . . . in private." He said sternly.

Damon Salvatore had just finished his meeting with Eric Northman. And judging by the troubled expression on his face, things most certainly did not go well . . .

8:00 p.m. – Random Forest Area

Stefan and Katherine were lying naked together, underneath a blanket of stars . . . their bodies still slick and wet, from their recent underwater adventures. Katherine nuzzled closer to Stefan, resting her head contentedly in the space between his chin and his chest, as she lazily traced her fingers across the taut muscles of his stomach. When Stefan began to run his fingers through her long dark hair, she sighed deeply, and closed her eyes, unable to remember a time when she felt this happy . . . which was odd, considering an army of monsters was currently out to KILL THEM . . .

"Wouldn't it be great if we could stay like this forever?" Katherine whispered, raising her hand to Stefan's cheek, and stroking it softly, "Lying in the sun during the day, and screwing in the river, at night? We could live on each others' blood . . . and snack on unsuspecting sunbathers . . . There would be no obligations, or responsibilities . . . no annoying girlfriends, brothers, or doppelgangers to judge us . . . or make us battle against super villains, on a regular basis. It would be pure perfection."

Stefan laughed, and smiled ruefully. "You know I would kill to live that way with you. Unfortunately, that isn't in the cards for us."

Katherine rolled her eyes, and poked Stefan in the ribs. "Oh, you're no fun! So, tell me, Oh Wise One, what is in the cards for us?"

Stefan sat up on one elbow, a solemn expression on his face, "You know what I'm going to say."

"Please don't tell me you plan on going back to them, not after everything that's happened between us," Katherine groaned.

"I have to warn them about Klaus . . . I owe them that much. And if they plan to fight him, I plan to fight right alongside of them."

Katherine folded her arms across her chest, and stuck out her lower lip in a pout. "Riiight . . . because that's what this is all about . . . Klaus. And this wouldn't have ANYTHING to do with your wanting to get back together with that little, dull as dishwater, human girlfriend of yours, now, would it?"

Stefan turned abruptly, and grabbed Katherine's face in both of his hands, so that it was just inches away from his own. "No, Katherine. That is NOT why we are going back. And you know it. How can you possibly doubt how I feel about you?"

"I have 165 years of practice . . ." Katherine replied pointedly, avoiding Stefan's eyes.

"Look, I handled things badly with Elena. I'll be the first to admit that. I thought I loved her. I really did. But then the Sacrifice came and went, and Damon was dying. So, I turned to the blood, because I thought that it was the only way out."

"And I SAVED my brother's life by doing that, Katherine. We both did. And, if I had to, I'd do it again, in a heartbeat."

"But I didn't have to stay with Klaus all this time. No one was keeping me with him. And no one was forcing me to become the monster I became when I was with him. I realize that now. And I think a part of me stayed, because there was something I was missing in Mystic Falls. I had a hunger I couldn't satisfy. I used to think it was for blood. But now I realize . . . that hunger was for you."

Katherine rose abruptly and stood, with her back facing Stefan. "Katherine?" Stefan called out, racing to stand in front of her once again. "Katherine, are you actually crying?"

"NO!" Katherine insisted, stubbornly wiping the tears from her cheeks.

"Yes . . . yes you are!" Stefan exclaimed amusedly, placing his hands on both her shoulders. "Katherine Petrova . . . a sappy romantic! Who would have thought?"

"Shut up, Stefan," Katherine whispered, pulling his body close to hers, and kissing him so deeply and passionately, that the younger Salvatore brother nearly forgot his own name.

"Come on, Dopey," she exclaimed, smirking at the dazed expression on his face. "Let's go save the world from were-vampires!"

8: 07 p.m. - Merlotte's Bar and Grill

Damon grabbed Elena's hand, and walked briskly with her to the other side of the room. Elena looked back at Bonnie and Caroline. Of course, they were watching her with knowing, and exceedingly judgmental, looks in their eyes. Thinking fast, Elena put her hand on Damon's chest and pushed him forcefully into the kitchen behind the bar. Damon's eyes widened with surprise, wondering for a second whether Elena was planning on kissing him, like she had the night before . . . well, hoping, was more like it.

But when the pair reached the privacy of the bar kitchen, Elena was back to being all business, unfortunately. "Now, talk," she said determinedly.

Elena noticed that Damon was unusually skittish around her, for some reason. He kept running his fingers through his hair, and couldn't seem to stand still, for more than a few seconds. What the heck is wrong with him? She couldn't help but wonder.

"Do I smell bad to you? I feel like these clothes are making me smell bad?" Damon asked, tugging uncomfortably at the grey Merlotte's t-shirt he was wearing.

Elena smirked, and rolled her eyes, recalling how, Eric Northman had begun unapologetically rummaging through the owner of the bar's personal belongings, as soon as they had entered his office, a few minutes ago. Eventually, he came upon a t-shirt and pair of khakis. Eric then threw the items of clothing at Damon, insisting that the latter put them on, before resuming "business."

Damon - who, as it turned out, was surprisingly finicky about wearing someone else's clothing - balked at the idea. Of course, the fact that the original owner of the clothing in question, was shorter and stockier than Damon, in addition to being a shape-shifter of some sort, certainly didn't help matters.

"You smell like a bar, Damon . . . but that's only because we're IN a bar. Now, please tell me you didn't interrupt my conversation with my friends . . . who came all the way out here to see me . . . just to talk about funky smells," Elena challenged, unable to hide the mirth in her voice.

Damon laughed. "Awww, my apologies, Elena! How rude of me to prevent you and your friends from gossiping about me?" Damon snarked, switching to an exaggeratedly high pitched voice, in order to mimic Bonnie and Caroline. "Ohhhh, that Damon Salvatore is SUCH A BAD BOY! I think he deserves a spanking!"

Upon hearing this remark, Elena punched Damon hard in the stomach, causing a resounding SLAP sound to reverberate in the air around him. Damon gasped, and lowered his eyes at Elena with feigned annoyance. "Oh, you're going to pay for that, Little Miss Gilbert," he said, grabbing her by the waist, as he began tickling her stomach and arms, with a vengeance.

"STOP IT! LET GO OF ME!" Elena squealed with laughter, as she struggled under the pleasurable pain of Damon's unrelenting fingers.

Eventually, she managed to grab hold of both of Damon's arms, and twist herself around in them, so that she was facing him. Holding his arms aloft, in her own, Elena looked up at Damon, as her body, crashed into his. When Elena caught the look of desire and passion in Damon's large piercingly blue eyes, her laughing stopped abruptly. Suddenly, she found herself unable to move, mesmerized as she was by the powerful sensation of Damon's body against her own, combined with the burning power of his seductive stare.

They stood there like that for a few moments, locked in one another's gaze, until, finally, Elena slowly extracted herself from Damon, to self-consciously tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "This isn't like you," she said, her voice so breathless that it was almost a whisper.

Damon smiled lasciviously, before replying, "I assure you, Elena, this is EXACTLY like me."

Elena shook her head. "You know that's not what I mean. What I mean, is that it isn't like you to avoid a difficult conversation, just to spare somebody's feelings. Now, obviously, Eric said something to you behind those closed doors that you think is going to upset me. And I suggest that you tell me what it is now, so that we can work it out. Contrary to popular belief, Damon, I'm not this fragile little girl, who's going to fall apart at the first sign of trouble. Whatever you have to say to me, I can take it."

Damon nodded sadly. He knew full well how strong Elena was. But how much more strife was a girl like that expected to endure, in such a short lifetime? He hated to be the one to add to her unhappiness. And yet, at the same time, he knew that, sooner or later, he was going to have to tell her what he knew.

"You know how Stefan . . . hurt those girls at Fangtasia, last night?" He began.

Elena sighed, unable to deny that fact any longer. "Yes," she replied, in as calm a voice as she could muster. "I know the cops are probably after him. But I'm sure he could handle them, through compulsion or . . . other means," she concluded with a shiver.

Damon shoved his hands in his pockets uncomfortably. This was going to be harder than he thought. "It's not the cops I'm worried about. You see, the vampires may be 'out' in Louisiana, but, lately, they've run into a little bit of a 'public relations problem.'" He continued, throwing air quotes around the phrase public relations. "Apparently, one of their kings butchered a newscaster on live television, causing a whole lot of fear and hatred of vampires to spread among the local human population."

"That's pretty understandable, under the circumstances," replied Elena. "But I still don't get how . . ."

"I'm getting there," interrupted Damon. "In response to this growing hatred, the heads of state in the vampire community here have adopted a 'no tolerance' policy, when it comes to public displays of vampirism. And Stefan, well . . ."

"He ate those girls in public," Elena finished Damon's sentence for him, as was becoming an increasingly common occurrence between the two of them, recently.

"Yes," agreed Damon. "He did. So, these Big Important vampires, many of whom are three or four times Stefan's age, are out to get Stefan. And if they find him before we do . . ."

"Don't say it," argued Elena, with tears in her eyes.

"They're going to kill him, Elena."