So I really really hate to beg but I didn't get that many responses to the last chapter which made me pretty bummed, I'm really really hoping that there are more for this chapter. I enjoy writing this story and I'm hoping you're all enjoying it as well. I'm starting to get discouraged, I know not very much has happened so far but I have this story mapped out and trust me it's gonna be good. So please please review this story.

Thanks.

Four

The Other Salvatore

Damon seemed to disappear for a few days and life seemed to return to normal in Mystic Falls. Before we left his house that day he asked Bonnie for her grandmother's contact information so he could find her. Before we left I stopped at the door and asked him why he was helping her and he looked at me with an unreadable expression and paused. "Simple, self preservation. I've come across a lot of witches in my time and I know not to mess with them and I can see that your friend Bonnie could potentially be dangerous if she doesn't learn how to control her temper." He said. "So do me a favor and watch her while I go get granny."

"You think Bonnie could be dangerous?"

"She has powers that she doesn't know how to use and her emotions are all over the place. Yeah your friend Bonnie is dangerous." he said then looked at me, he blue eyes boring into by brown ones, "so be careful."

I hadn't seen Damon since and I was growing increasingly wary. Bonnie was on the edge because of her new powers although according to her it had subsided a bit, however, when she starts staring out into space and the lights start flickering unexpectedly, it makes you wonder what else could happen because of Bonnie.

I asked Alaric if he had heard from Damon and he told me no and with school out, Bonnie going haywire, Caroline talking non stop chatter about Damon, Jeremy's moodiness, and Matt politely ignoring me, I was going slightly stir crazy.

I found myself one afternoon at the cemetery in front of my parent's headstone. This had become the place I went to when I most needed to feel peace and their advice. How I desperately missed them and how I wished there was someone I could talk to about all that was happening.

I don't know how long I sat there unmoving until I suddenly sensed someone behind me. I hadn't heard anyone but the hairs on the back of my neck were standing up. I stood up and turned around quickly and sure enough a few rows of headstones back a young man with light brown hair and a lean muscular build was staring at me intently. From this distance I could tell he was handsome with his strong chiseled jaw and soft eyes, but there was something disconcerting about the way he was standing there staring right at me.

"Can...can I help you?" I asked tentatively aware that I was alone in a large cemetery outside of town with no else nearby and a stranger in front of me.

He didn't say anything just continued to look at me. His gaze made me feel uneasy but at the same time I couldn't help but feel as though there was something familiar about him.

He took a few steps towards me and I instinctively backed up.

"Ka...Katherine?" he stammered.

"What? I'm sorry who?" I said confused.

"Katherine is that you?" he said again.

"Um...no my name isn't Katherine, you must have me confused for someone else sorry." I said feeling uneasy. I started to pick up my diary and bag off the ground and wondered what the best way to get back to my car was to get around him.

"What? But you..." he said then paused for a moment and didn't say anything, "Oh yes of course, I'm sorry. You just...you just look very much like someone I once knew."

"It's uh ok...I um...I guess we all just look like someone else don't we." I said lamely, "Well um I should get going."

"Of course. I'm sorry if I disturbed you. You looked so peaceful." he commented. "I'm sorry that sounded weird, I was just laying some flowers down visiting a relative and I looked over and saw you immersed in your journal and you looked…you looked peaceful."

"Oh uh well I don't know about that, more like trying to find some peace." I said looking down and my parent's headstone. "They always seem to help with that."

"Were you close?" he asked taking a few steps closer to me. "I'm sorry to pry, it's just you had this happy faraway look on your face."

"It's ok." I said, "This is my parents - they died last year in a car accident. I just... I just really miss them."

"I know how that feels. I lost my mother when I was very young, I don't remember her very much, but I still feel that ache from her loss and my father has passed as well." he said and a sad thoughtful look passed over his face. "I'm sorry you said you need to go I'm keeping you."

"Oh uh yeah um well it was nice to meet you. Um I'm Elena." I said introducing myself and extending my hand even though a few minutes ago I was ready to bolt out of here as fast as I could but there was something familiar about him.

"Stefan." he said extending his hand, "It was a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise." I said smiling before looking at the twig that broke under my foot as I stepped on it, "Maybe I'll see you around?" I looked up but he was no longer there and I was alone. Where the hell had he gone and why did I feel like I had heard that name before?

The following night I was waiting at the Grille for dinner with Jeremy but he was either running late or he was standing me up...again. I really hoped it wasn't the latter.

I was absentmindedly drumming my fingers on the side of my glass of soda when a shadow fell over the table from behind me. I turned slightly and looked behind me and was surprised to see Stefan behind me.

"Stefan?"

"Hello again Elena. I was just about to have dinner but then I saw you sitting here alone. Do you mind if I join you or are you waiting for someone?" he asked politely.

"Unfortunately I'm waiting for my brother Jeremy who is late, half an hour late now." I said looking at my watch. "But if you don't mind waiting with me until he gets there."

"Of course." he said before sliding into the empty booth seat. "You must be a good sister."

"Why do you say that?"

"Well you're still here waiting for a brother that you obviously believe isn't going to show up." Stefan said, "You have faith in him."

"I think you give me too much credit. I'm really just hopeful." I said, "He hasn't been the same since our parents died and well we used to have these family dinners at the Grille the first and last Wednesday of the month. I can't even remember why and even though they're gone I just..."

"I get it believe me." He said with his own faraway look in his eyes.

"Do you have siblings?"

"Yes one older brother. We had a falling out and aren't very close anymore."

"That's too bad. I hope Jeremy and I don't get that way but I feel like we might be." I say sighing then my phone buzzes in my pocket, "Excuse me." I say as I check my cell.

From Jeremy

Not gonna make dinner

Great stood up again.

"Well it looks like I've officially been stood up." I say frowning before looking at Stefan sitting across from me, "Since you're already sitting and you were going to eat anyway, would you like to stay and join me for dinner?"

"I'd love to." he said smiling, "So what's good here?"

We sat there for awhile making small talk and I was surprised to find myself enjoying Stefan's company. He was smart and he appeared to have an old soul feel to him. In a small town where you've known everyone your entire life, it was refreshing to talk to someone who didn't know your entire life story.

"So what are you doing in town Stefan? Mystic Falls isn't exactly a huge tourist hot spot." I say.

"Well actually I was just passing through but who knows I may stay and catch up with the family I have that live here."

"Oh you have family here? What's their name, I probably know them?"

"Um the Salvatores." he says looking at me.

Salvatore. Stefan Salvatore. Of course Damon mentioned him the other night. Does that mean...

My eyes fall to his hand and I spot a similar ring on his hand as the one on Damon's. Oh no. I look up to see Stefan looking at me intently. "Uh Salvatore...well then you must be related to Zach and... and Damon." I added and I nearly miss the flash of surprise that crosses over his face before it quickly disappears.

"Damon's here?" he asks tentatively, watching me closely." I didn't realize he was back."

"Yeah he arrived just a few weeks ago." I said, "You seem surprised?"

"It's just I haven't seen him in a very long time." he said with a far off look in his eyes then he turned to look at me again, "I should get going, there's still some errands I need to run. This should cover dinner." he said putting a few bills down. "It was a pleasure to run into you again Elena."

"Yes thanks for coming to my rescue and having dinner with me." I said plastering a smile on my face.

He smiled and then turned and walked away quickly. Once he was out of sight I breathed a sigh of relief. Stefan Salvatore. I certainly didn't have any proof but I'm pretty damn sure I just encountered another vampire.

I spent the next day thinking about my encounter with Stefan. Up until the moment he had told me he was Salvatore, I was engaging in some serious flirting and knew I was attracted to him, but with the presence of the ring on his finger, the very same ring that Damon wore that protected him from the sun, I couldn't ignore the fact that he was most likely a vampire. Just like I couldn't ignore the fact that I was attracted to Damon but knew that I would never pursue anything with him because he was dangerous. He fed off of people to survive, had killed people. Those things can't be ignored. Vampires were dangerous.

Sweet the two most attractive guys I've encountered lately were vampires. Just my luck.

I couldn't help but wonder if I was wrong to mention that Damon was in town when he actually wasn't. Although he tried to hide it, I knew he had been extremely surprised when I mentioned Damon was in town. I wonder what the relationship between the two was.

Damon had briefly mentioned a Stefan during one of conversations but immediately changed the subject when I asked him who that was. He didn't say much, but I definitely got the impression that it was someone that had been important to him. Considering Stefan wasn't exactly a popular name, I'm pretty sure the Stefan I met and the Stefan he had been talking about were one in the same.

There were now potentially two vampires in Mystic Falls. What the hell was I supposed to do now?

My cell started ringing and I checked the caller ID and was surprised to see Damon's face and name appearing on the screen.

"I don't recall ever saving your number and taking your photo for my cell." I said answering my phone.

"That's because I did it while you were otherwise pre-occupied. It also gave me the opportunity to obtain your number in the process since I knew you'd never give me your number willingly." he replied and I could here the smile in his voice.

"And yet you're calling me despite the fact that you know I wouldn't want you to." I say getting up off my bed and taking a seat next to the window so I can look out.

"Well how else do you expect me to tell you that I'm back and I come bearing grandmotherly goods?"

"You got Bonnie's grandmother to come back with you?" I ask incredulously.

"Well duh." he replied and I rolled my eyes. "Did you really doubt that I would be able to?"

"No but...Damon you didn't do anything did you?" I ask warily.

"Like what compel her?" he asks, "No. Sheila came all on her own. Don't worry I didn't trick her into anything."

"Good. That's good." I said, "So can I come over now?"

"Anxious to see me are you? Did you miss me?" He says I just imagine the smirk on his face.

"I mean with Bonnie."

"Oh, well that could be fun too."

"Damon be serious. I know Bonnie is anxious to see her grandmother," I said before hesitating, "She's really not doing very good, she hasn't done anything but..."

"I figured as much and so did Sheila which is why she's in the kitchen helping me create a culinary feast so you'd better grab your witchy friend and come over here and eat this food because I'm watching my figure and all these carbs are not good."

"Thank you Damon." I say before quickly hanging up the phone and wondering why I suddenly felt better after talking to Damon.

An hour later Bonnie and I were standing outside the Salvatore Boarding House. From the moment I showed up at Bonnie's house and told her that Damon had come back with her grandmother I could feel the nervous excitement radiating off of her. I really hoped that Bonnie's grandmother had the answers Bonnie was looking for and could teach her how to use her powers.

A moment after I knocked on the door, Damon opened the door and wordlessly stepped aside as Bonnie went in first and I followed after glancing at Damon who looked right back at me. I couldn't help but take in his appearance, how his dark v-neck t-shirt fit him and dark wash jeans. I heard a gasp from Bonnie and as I turned to look I saw an older woman who resembled Bonnie appear from one of rooms.

"Grams?" Bonnie said unsure.

The woman didn't say anything, I just nodded and opened her arms and Bonnie ran to her grandmother as a sob escaped her mouth and she was enveloped in a tight hug from her grandmother.

"Ah how sweet." Damon said and I just glared at him. "How about we give them some space to talk and catch up. You can help me check on dinner."

I didn't move at first but just stood frozen watching Bonnie and her grandmother. I felt awkward just standing there after a few moments so I followed Damon to where I had seen him disappear to and was surprised to find him in front of the stove in a large spacious kitchen stirring something in a pot.

"Where's Zach?" I ask looking around the kitchen.

"Don't know, hot date maybe...hopefully. He is in desperate need of some action." Damon said smirking looking at me through his lashes.

"I uh...I didn't know you could cook." I say watching him move around the kitchen.

"Well when you've been around for as long as I have, you're bound to pick up a few things."

"You eat food. How...how is that possible? I thought ...well don't you need blood to survive?" I ask feeling stupid.

"I do but as long as I keep a health supply of blood in my system then my body is able to process the food which is a good thing because I have always loved food. The smells the taste...I'm a foodie." he says as he tastes the sauce he has been stirring before smiling and offering me a taste. I was surprised to find that it was actually really good.

Neither of us said anything for awhile while Damon buzzed around the kitchen doing one thing after the other. It was odd but it was like watching a strange and intoxicating dance. I could hear the faintest sound of Bonnie and her grandmother talking in the other room.

"So how did you get Bonnie's grandmother to agree to come?"

"It actually didn't take very much convincing. Sheila was starting to wonder if Bonnie had realized her powers yet and was just planning on a visit but she kept hesitating because of her son. Which is why we came straight here, opposed to Bonnie's house."

"So if you were able to convince her quickly, then what took so long? You've been gone for over a week."

"Well we had to track down the grimoire. That took awhile and when we finally tracked it to Lucy, well let's just say that was slightly complicated as well." he said taking a bag of blood out of the fridge and pouring it into a cup.

"What do you mean?"

He hesitated and took a sip of his blood and I cringed a bit watching him, "Lucy and I have a bit of history. About ten years ago when was new to the witch world, she rebelled a bit and got involved with a crowd that included some bad vamps. I happened to come across her the same day that they had decided she wasn't powerful enough for them." he explained. "I saved her, although I didn't realize she was a Bennett, just luck and we uh...we were involved for a bit after and then one day I decided I was bored and just left. Needless to say when she saw me again, she wasn't too thrilled and didn't want to give up the Grimoire to me."

I shook my head not entirely surprised. "So how did you finally convince her to give it to you?"

"I didn't. I disappeared and let Sheila do all the talking." he said putting a plate of food in front of me and I looked down at it and it looked really good.

"Shouldn't we call Bonnie and her grandmother?"

"Eh they're pretty deep into their reunion. They'll come in when they're ready." he said, "Now eat."

I took a bite and reveled in how good it was. I looked at Damon and couldn't figure him out. One minute he was this vampire who didn't seem to care about people at all, treating them like they were some kind of nuisance but then he had helped Bonnie, even went so far as to get the Grimoire from a spurned ex-lover, he was here making sure I ate, he was Alaric's best friend, he apparently didn't feed and kill people anymore. Who the hell was Damon Salvatore?

"So how is it?" he asked making a plate for himself as well.

"Really good." I said and I saw the triumphant look on his face. "But don't go getting a big head or anything, any cooking compared to Aunt Jenna's is a culinary masterpiece. She's not exactly known for her abilities in the kitchen."

"And yet Alaric still wants to marry her." Damon said and I just nodded my head and took another bite. He didn't say anything for a moment and I looked up and found him looking at me.

"What?" I asked grabbing my napkin and wiping my face. "Do I have sauce all over my face?"

"No." He said putting his plate down next to me then quickly came around to sit next to me. "You heard me talking about you the other night didn't you?"

"You mean the ice queen comment? Yeah, I heard that." I said remembering that night but I also remembered he had said something else...something else what was it?

"If I were human, I would apologize, but I'm not." he said, "But I would like to explain if I could. When I met you, I could feel the judgment coming off of you and I was very sure that no matter what I said or did you would never give me a chance."

"If you're trying to tell me that you were wrong, you' don't have to." I said, "It's not like I can figure you out either."

"What's there to figure out? I'm a hot sexy vampire not much more to know there." he said smirking, "But you're not entirely the ice queen that I originally thought you were. I think your resemblance to someone threw me and well she was definitely an ice queen."

That's what I've been forgetting, Damon said I looked just someone and Stefan had called me Katherine in the cemetery. Were they talking about the same person?

"Are you talking about Katherine?"

His face suddenly went stone cold, "How... how do you know about Katherine?" He asked angrily, "Did Alaric say something to you? I'll kill him."

"No Alaric didn't say anything to me about Katherine." I say furrowing my brow confused as to why he was suddenly so angry.

"Then how do you know about her? Have you been snooping around my things while I've been gone?" he said standing up, towering over me.

"No of course not." I say alarmed at how angry he was.

"Then tell me how?" he snarled, his face just inches from mine.

"St...Stef...Stefan mentioned her." I say tensely and he suddenly stepped back and I couldn't make out the expression on his face.

"Stefan. You...you saw Stefan?" he asked evenly through clenched teeth.

"Yes I ran into him in the cemetery the other day and I saw him again yesterday at the Grille. When I saw him the first time, he called me Katherine." I explained but Damon was looking everywhere but at me. Damon what's going on? Who's Stefan?"

He looked up at me then and a sort of pained expression appeared on his face, "Stefan is my little brother."

Oh well that explains a lot which also means that my assessment was right. "So I was right he is a vampire." I say and he looks at me questioningly, "I noticed the ring and he couldn't be your brother if he wasn't a vampire."

"Yes." he said then grabbed my arm and started inspecting me with his eyes, "He didn't hurt you did he?"

"No." I said shaking my head, "In fact he was perfectly polite."

He let go of my arm and he seemed to think about what I had said then mumbled, "He must have changed his diet again."

"Damon." I said quietly when he didn't say anything after a moment. He looked at me then and there was something in his eyes that I couldn't quite place but then it was suddenly gone.

"You said you saw him at the cemetery the first time?"

"Yes, that's where I saw him." I said trying to figure out what was going on. "He said he was visiting relatives."

"You should uh finish you dinner." He said and I looked at my plate of half eaten delicious food. "If you'll excuse me, I need to go." he said then I felt a rush of wind and when I looked around the kitchen Damon was nowhere in sight.

A/N: Please, please, please review