Another update! Thank you for all the reviews - there were a lot of good guesses on who's trying to kill Elena, but none were right so far! Thank you for your reviews!

Here's chapter 17.

Chapter 17:

Elena's POV

Seeing Damon get shot had changed something in me. While it had been scary to wake up to my room being on fire, it was hard to understand that it wasn't just an accident. This time, I had seen him get shot, I had heard the gun go off and I had known the shooter wanted to hit me.

It seemed to have affected Damon a lot too – he never let me be alone, when I was in the house and he insisted I slept in his room.

I definitely wasn't complaining about that part.

I loved sleeping next to him and I definitely noticed how much closer we were getting, even though he tried to maintain a cold facade. I knew that was a lie. He was worried about me, and the thought of that warmed my heart in a way, that should probably concern me.

But it didn't.

In a manner of a very short time, I had let him consume me, in a way that seemed too mature for someone my age. What was blossoming in my chest, wasn't some silly high school crush. It was adult, it was supernatural and it was so confusing, that I had a hard time figuring out how to act around him. Strangely enough, that was only something I was only worried about when he wasn't there. When he was, it all seemed to come so natural to me.

Deep down, I knew that it wasn't normal. I knew that had we just been a normal boy and girl, it would have taken months to develop feelings like this. I knew, that under normal circumstances, I should be giddy around him and trip over my words and act weird. I knew, that something about the connection we shared, was special, but I was too scared to ask.

Because maybe he would have an answer I wasn't ready for. My world had been turned upside down in a matter of very few months, and I wanted this to stay the way it were – I wanted to enjoy that connection, without thinking about how weird it was and I wanted to look to him for comfort when I needed it, and know he could calm me down like nothing else.

So, for the time being, I let it be and enjoyed it while I could.

Damon had definitely not been kidding, when he said we were going to start training that same day. Once I had calmed down and made sure that he wasn't actually hurt (I should have realized vampires have some special way of healing), I went to take a long shower, put on workout clothes and went to a room on the top-floor with Damon. He had spread out weapons and training gear all over the huge room, and a training mat was located in the middle of the floor.

Seeing all the equipment, almost made me want to back out. I noticed a line of metallic stakes lying on one table and almost wanted to vomit.

He didn't actually think I'd be willing to kill anyone, did he? I just wanted to defend myself.

It turned out that I had a lot to learn – before our first training session, I had never even thought that a vampire might attack me. But Damon put the idea in my head, and suddenly all I could imagine was someone killing me so fast, I wouldn't even know what happened.

The night after that first training, the nightmares started again. At first, I was back in my parents car. Dad was looking back at us, while we were talking and suddenly we were swerwing and going over the bridge.

And the cold water started rising in the car, while I sat as the only one alive, but outside my window was a dark man with a gun and I was screaming, but then, Damon woke me up.

His icy-blue eyes were focused on mine and his hands were on my shoulders, as if he had just shook me awake. I was sweating, tears were staining my cheeks and as I grabbed onto his t-shirt, I found out that I was shaking as well.

From then on, he let the vampire training wait and helped me get into normal shape. It was hard to balance training and doing school, but lucky for me, I had my very own vampire, private tutor to help me. We fell into a comfortable rhytm of driving to school together, him picking me up, then doing our defense classes, take showers and then do my homework.

After that, we would sit together in the library, often on the same couch, with books or I would sit with my journal. At night, we would sleep in the same bed, although he was trying his hardest to not cuddle with me. For some reason, it seemed to bother him. A part of me was hurt, but another part of me was beginning to understand his person. He wasn't fond of showing feelings, and when we were cuddling, it was obvious how much he cared about me. So, I didn't protest, but I did notice that we seemed to wake up cuddling.

Damon span around faster than my eyes could follow. I barely ducked in time to avoid collision with his leg, but unfortunately, landed firmly on my ass. Damon was shaking his head as I looked up.

"You have to focus, Elena."

"I am!" I assured him, "It's not my fault that I can't see you when you vamp speed."

"That's the point of this," he reasoned. We had been training for almost 2 hours at this point, and I was getting frustrated with myself, because he kept using his vampire speed and I had no idea how to defend myself against that.

We had been training for almost 3 weeks now, and I was making progress. While I definitely wasn't amazing at it yet, I was beginning to get punches and kicks in, that actually had an effect.

"Dodging drop kicks?" I shot him a look, standing, "It's useless. Teach me something I can actually use in a fight."

Damon's eyes were focused and taunting. I had learned that this meant he was considering something and I was curious. I crossed my arms, hoping to further prove my determination. Damon watched my defiance and smirked.

His face looked better when he smiled, lighter. I preferred it that way. My eyes left his lips then, and took in his gorgeous face, then down his perfect physique.

Sometimes I had a hard time deciding if he was a monster or an angel. His appearance would suggest the latter, but his voice, his demeaning tone reminded me of what he was. I had a sudden flashback of his vampire face. The veins under his bloody eyes, his fangs sharp and elongated. The immensity of his power so evident.

Something in me stirred as I thought of that power. How easily he could have killed me, over and over, yet he never did. And even now, when I knew he was tempted to, his eyes would darken, and I'd get the feeling that he was just as likely to kiss me than rip my heart out.

Sometimes, I wish he would do one or the other. It seemed inevitable that it was going to happen in some way eventually. But he is only capable of doing one. Sometimes, I could actually believe that he loved me, in his own way, but he made it hard to be sure. He was a mystery I couldn't figure out, and that I couldn't stay away from. I watched a bead of sweat roll down his flawless stomach, going down to his trackpants. Maybe I didn't want to stay away at all.

"Are you listening?" He asked, his tone harsh. I blushed immediately. Had I really just gotten so distracted by his looks, that I hadn't been listening?

"What? Yes...I am. Sorry." He sighed, a little dramatically if you ask me, but when was Damon not overreacting?

"What did you say?" I asked calmly, hoping he would forgive me. He moved faster than I could blink, and suddenly, he was pressed into my backside.

"Seems it would be easier to just show you," he purred in my ear, as his hand trailed down my rib cage. My breath caught, and my heartbeat pounded beneath his fingertips. They traced upward, just under my breasts. He pressed down on the bone there.

"Do you feel that?" He asked, his own voice a little breathless. I nodded.

"It's the sternum," he explained, "Solid bone. But this," he moved his hand across my side, to my back, hooking under a rib, "It's a clean shot."

He spun me around, our bodies still pressed together, "That's your way to a vampire's heart, Elena." For a moment, I wondered if there was a double meaning behind his words, but then those blue eyes darkened, and his teeth caught his lip, before his gaze trailed down to mine. And fuck, I wanted him then.

Without giving my brain a second to talk myself out of it, I wrapped my arms around Damon's neck, and jumped. He caught me on instinct, his hands grasping my ass, and my legs wrapped around his waist.

Then I kissed him.

He seemed too shocked to respond, as I first attacked his lips, something I was momentarily proud of, but he caught on quick. Just as I expected him to throw me on the floor, his arms tightened, one moving up to wrap around my back. And he was walking backwards, to the arm chair in the corner.

My knees planted on either side of him, as he sat, and my hands shot to his hair. His lips kissed across my chin, then down my neck. I shivered as he bit me, with blunt teeth, but realized this was a reminder.

Of what he was, and what he could do. By all means, I should be running away from him. From those veined eyes and sharp teeth. But instead, I was only curious. Curious as to how those teeth would feel, plunged into my neck, how tight he would feel, buried inside my body. The thrill in the danger of loving this man overwhelmed me. But all I could focus on now was the heat of his breath on my skin, and the taste of his sinful kiss on my lips. And just maybe, he is an angel. Because surely, this was heaven.

When we broke free again, Damon looked at me, with the most emotion I had ever seen in his eyes. Adoration was shining from them and he was looking at me, as though I was a priceless treasure he had to protect, no matter the cost. He reached up and took out my hair-band, so my hair fell down, then threaded his fingers through it.

I had just begun believing that he was happy about it, when he sighed and his expression changed. I could hear the words before he even said it, so instead of letting him, I bent down and kissed him again. His immediate response was to kiss me back, but it only lasted for a short time, before he pulled away again.

"Elena, we ca-"
"Yes, Damon, we can!" I interrupted him, refusing to leave his lap, even though he had put his hands on my shoulders, as to push me off.

"No, Elena. I'm-" I interrupted him again
"A vampire, yes, I know, and I don't care. You've taken care of me ever since the accident happened. I've been bleeding around you before, I've seen your vampire face and I. Don't. Care." I said, cupping his face, to try and get him to understand what I was saying.

"Would you stop interrupting me?" he asked, "I'm too old, Elena. You're 16. You aren't ready for what a relationship with someone older means and you're not ready to settle down yet. And you shouldn't. I'm bad for you," he said, putting his hands over mine and gently pulling them away from his face.

I wanted to cry. I thought we had both felt how amazing that kiss was, how right it had been. Maybe he didn't really want me.

In the end, I got off his lap and walked towards the door, tears beginning to stain my cheeks. I didn't head down to his room, because I was done sleeping with him. Instead I went downstairs, right after fetching my diary, hurried through the parlor and up the stairs to Caroline and Stefan's wing. There, I found one of the guestrooms, went in and locked the door after me. Then I went to the bed, sat down and started writing.

Dear Diary

I kissed Damon. I don't know what came over me, but we were doing my defense training and suddenly this urge came over me and I just couldn't not kiss him. He kissed me back, but then after he said that we can't.

I don't understand him. We've been building up a relationship over the past few months and it's been in the makings. I cuddle with him every night, for Christ's sake. But as soon as we kiss, he gets all gloomy and say that we don't work and that I'm too young. I don't get what there is to be too young for.

We're already living together, he's a vampire, so he clearly can't have children and I'm not afraid of having sex with him. What part of me isn't good enough? Do I look too much like a kid?

I don't know what it is, but for now, I'm gonna put some distance between us. Maybe it will make him see that he needs me, when I'm not clinging to him all the time. If that doesn't work, I'll have to come up with a new strategy.

Maybe Caroline will help me.

Her and Stefan aren't here right now. They left for Chicago almost a week ago. Caroline told me Chicago is very special to them, because that was where they met. Apparently, he saved her from starving to death. I had never thought of Caroline as an old soul, but apparently she was turned in the 1920's. I don't have a hard time imagining Caroline in the time of jazz and small dresses.

That does however mean, that I'm all alone with Damon for another 3 days. It hasn't been a problem up until now, where we suddenly ran into this unexpected barrier. How I wish he would just give into me.

I pretended to be asleep when Damon yelled dinner was ready. I didn't go to sleep with him either, and when morning came, I got ready for school, without talking to him. I called Bonnie to come pick me up and just left a note to say that I was going to go swim with Bonnie and Matt after school.

Bonnie was on the swimming team, so she was able to let us into the pool after school, and we usually had a lot of fun – and fun was exactly what I needed.

"Is everything okay?" Bonnie asked, when I got into her car and closed the door quickly, before Damon could come after me.

"Damon is being stupid, that's all," I said, putting on my seatbelt. Bonnie pulled out from the huge driveway.

"What has he done now?" she asked, looking at me quickly.

"We kissed yesterday," I said, deciding to tell her the truth. She was my best friend after all. Her mouth dropped, but luckily her eyes stayed on the road.

"You did what?!" she said, a big smile spreading on her lips. I was happy that was the reaction she was having. She didn't know Damon was a vampire (obviously), but she did know he was older and taking care of me, so I wasn't sure if she was going to approve.

"It was spontaneous, but as soon as we stopped kissing, he pushed me away.. he said we wouldn't work because he's older," I said, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Well, he is a bit older, I guess," Bonnie said slowly, driving through downtown, to get to school.

"I know, but it's not like we're not already living together. He doesn't want kids, so that won't be an issue. I don't see what the problem is," I said, huffing slightly as we turned onto the road the school was on.

"Maybe he just needs time to get used to the idea. Give him space," Bonnie suggested, speeding up, so we would get a good spot.

"I'm gonna ignore him for a while. You know, let him see how much he misses me when I'm not there," I said, grabbing my bag from the floor.

"Ooooh, I like it!" Bonnie said, parking the car. We both got out and went into the school. Sadly, we only had one class together, so I wouldn't get to see her until lunch time.

School was boring and uneventful as usual. I was doing better, after Damon had been tutoring me, but that didn't make it any less uninteresting.

After school, we got changed and went to the pool together. We were the only ones there and we splashed around for almost 2 hours, before Matt and Bonnie had to get to work. They were both working at The Grill, since Matt's mom had left for good on Christmas and Bonnie liked shopping.

"You coming, Elena?" Bonnie asked, as she grabbed her bag and headed to the locker room.

"Nah. I'm gonna do some extra laps," I said, not wanting to get out of shape, from not training with Damon after school. They both left and I was alone in the big room.

I floated onto my back for a while, letting my mind wander about Damon and that kiss we had shared. It had been so special and so surprising for both of us.

If only he hadn't ruined it.

After floating for a while, I started doing laps, timing myself on the waterproof fitness-watch I always wore to the pool. I had to keep track of it, somehow.

Half an hour later, I did my last lap, swimming to the end of the pool to get up.

I was surprised to notice a pair of big black boots on the edge, but before I could look up, someone had grabbed my head and pushed me under the water.

I instantly panicked, having flashbacks to the accident, when the car had gone over the bridge. I grabbed onto the arm holding my head and tried to pull it away, but whoever it was, was strong.

Not vampire strong – and not vampire-cold either. I almost expected Damon to show up, to save me, because he was always around me. But I was running out of air, and I needed to do something – this was just showing me that I couldn't always count on him saving me.

Remembering something Damon had taught me, I felt my way to his fingers, and bent the pinky backwards, until he let out a yell and let go. I resurface, drew in breath and started screaming. His hand was quickly back on my head, and I felt it collide with the edge of the pool, before everything went black.

Something liquid was in my mouth. It was thick and it had an amazing taste, I have no way to describe. It tasted like the sun, like love and strength. It seemed to warm up my entire body, and I couldn't get enough.

Reaching up to hold onto whatever bottle had to be pressed to my lips, I caught a hairy arm, but I didn't care. I just needed more. I grabbed onto it, and pressed it to me, sucking harder and harder, to get the flow running. As more and more went down my throat, a weird sensation overtook my body. I felt as though I was connected to Damon in a way that we had never been before. His thoughts were in my head, his feelings... I was one with him.

"Elena..."

I opened my eyes, as I recognized the voice. The wrist currently attached to my mouth, was, of course, Damon's. His eyes were filled with emotion, with fear, and he was stroking my wet hair. I gasped and pushed his arm away.

"What did you do? Am I going to turn into a vampire now? I can't be a vampire!" I said panicked, trying to figure out if I was feeling any different. I was definitely colder than I usually was – did that mean I was going to be like him?

A warm feeling spread through me at the thought of being like Damon, just for a moment, I imagined spending the rest of our lives together. It was quickly replaced by fear of being 16 forever.

Damon chuckled at me, still stroking my hair and look at me with emotional eyes. The feeling of his emotions and thoughts being my own, were still lingering in me.

"No, Elena, you won't. Becoming a vampire takes a lot more than drinking my blood," he said, as his wrist healed.

"Where were you, Damon?" I asked, the shock from the murder attempt still present in me. His face fell and he looked away. I saw a quick flash of guilt in his eyes.

"I was trying to give you space. I figured you needed it after the way I treated you," he said, bitterly, "if only I hadn't. Then I could have killed that son of a bitch on the spot."

"Killed him?!" I asked horrified. I knew Damon was angry that someone was trying to kill me, and it was scaring me too, but I couldn't let him get killed.

"He's been trying to kill you, Elena. The moment I catch him, his heart comes out of his chest," Damon said coldly, sneering through his teeth. Bile rose in my throat. He was talking about killing another human being, with so little caring. And suddenly, I realized that might not be the first time he had killed someone.

"You talk about killing as if it's something you've done before," I said, in a small voice. He looked at me again, with a cold look. For the first time in my life, I didn't feel the warm connection, I always felt towards him.

"Don't ask if you don't want the answer, Elena." The bile didn't disappear. Instead, I vomited, right then and there. Damon sighed and looked around.

"I need to get you home. Your lips are blue and you need rest." He leaned down and somehow got his hands under my knees and back and suddenly, he was carrying me, bridal style. Even though I felt sick, at the thought of him taking someone else's life, I put my arms around his neck and leaned into him. I instantly seemed to calm down and I felt safe again, being in his arms.

He had that weird effect on me – even when I'd just been in the accident, and woke up to him sitting next to me, a stranger, I felt safe. I didn't know what it was, but I knew that the stranger next to me, was going to take care of me and it had probably helped me to make such a speedy recovery.

"I know you don't like this, Elena, so please, close your eyes." Damon was whispering to me and looking at me with pleading eyes. I knew he was going to speed us home, so instead of being curious, I closed my eyes and let my head rest on his chest, focusing of the sound of his heart beating and his presence.

"You can open your eyes again," he said softly. We were standing in his bathroom, and I was momentarily confused.

"What are we doing here?" I asked, looking around. I did very much like his bathroom – he had the biggest tub I had ever seen, plus a shower and a lot of floor space.

"We need to warm you up," he said, letting me down. I stood for a moment there, feeling very naked in my bikini. He started walking around, getting soap and filling the tub.

"Why were you giving me your blood?" I asked, hugging myself, while I watched him walk around. The water was already steaming and fogging up the bathroom.

"Our blood heals, Elena. You were bleeding from your head. A lot. I couldn't risk losing you," he said, sticking a hand in the water to feel the temperature. I noticed the nice gesture and it made me smile, just a little. Then I remembered our kiss and the smile disappeared.

"Why not? It's not like you want me," I mumbled, hugging myself even tighter. I suddenly felt very uncomfortable, being so naked. He looked at me for a second, and then walked to me, gently cupping my face. I looked down at my feet, scared I was going to cry, if I looked him in the eyes. The embarrassment from his rejection still stung hard.

"Elena," he said softly, "look at me."

I forced my eyes up and was surprised to see that once again, emotion was clear in his eyes. He was letting the mask fall for me, and that alone made me want to kiss him again.

"Don't ever think that I don't want you. Or don't care about you. But you're 16. Physically, I'm 24 and mentally a whole lot older. We have all the time in the world. Don't rush it. You need to be young and have a chance at having normal teenage-years. I'm not going to strap you down. Live your life. I'm not going anywhere."

I was speechless. I wasn't even sure I had understood the point of his speech, but I didn't get more time to think about it. He kissed my forehead and gently lifted me again, then lowering me into the bath. I had expected him to leave, because he always seemed like he didn't want to risk seeing me naked, but instead, he drew up a chair (yes, he had chairs in his bathroom – Italians are weird people) and sat next to me.

"He was human," I said after a while. I wasn't sure what to respond to what he had told me, so instead, I changed the subject to something easier to talk about.

"Elena, you don't have to-"

"He wore big boots and a hoodie, and he was strong, but not a vampire. I used the pinky-trick you taught me, to get myself above water," I said, staring at the wall opposite me. I was already beginning to recall the traumatic experience, and my entire body was shaking with anxiety and shock. If Damon hadn't come, I wouldn't have been alive now. If Damon hadn't been a vampire, I wouldn't have been alive.

"Thank you for saving my life," I added, my voice still strange and the words feeling weird in my mouth. I didn't feel like me.

It was like everything that had happened, was just now catching up with me and my brain was so overloaded, it couldn't react.

"Are you okay?" he asked. I looked at him with a raised eyebrow. What kind of a question was that?

"Well, Damon, I've just survived the 3rd murder attempt, I've been living with a vampire since my entire family was killed in a car-accident, that only I survived, and said vampire is sending mixed signals and makes me confused about my own feelings," I said, looking down at the water, "no. I'm not okay."

He didn't answer, and I felt a short pang of victory, for making him feel speechless. Usually it was the other way around.

"I'm sorry," he said. I turned my head quickly and looked at him. In the few months I'd known Damon, he had never ever apologized for anything. I had even talked to Caroline about it – after he had kept me in the cellar, I asked why he never apologized for it. Caroline told me, plain and simple, that Damon doesn't apologize.

Yet, here we were. Damon had just said those two words to me and I was awestruck.

"I haven't been making this easy for you. You went through a lot, and I've been... well, an ass. I should have tried to..." he said, running his hands over his face. It may not have sounded like a lot, but I knew, that this was big for Damon. These past few weeks, had been big for him, because he was showing emotion even more than he'd done through I don't know how many years.

I wanted to hug him, but I didn't know if it would be too much for him. I didn't want him to close up again.

"Thank you," I said quietly, trying to smile at him. I then looked down and realized my bikini was soaked with blood, and bile rose in my throat again.

"Damon, would you... could you... I need to take this off," I said, looking at my bikini. He looked at me, and realized what I was looking at.

"Elena, you don't have anything undernea-"

"I don't care, just get it off me, please," I said, my breathing coming faster and faster, as I realized my once blue bikini, was blood-red. He looked at me for a while, before he reached into the bath and ripped the bikini top from behind. He slowly took the shattered top off me and I breathed out in relief, as the bloodied fabric was gone from my body.

Damon was sitting awkwardly in his chair, obviously trying not to look at my breasts. I should be embarrassed and I should care, but I couldn't do it. He stood up and started to walk towards the door, and I felt panic rise.

"Please, Damon, don't leave me alone. I can't," I said, my voice quivering. I hated being like this, but it seemed I had reached my breaking point. And sadly, this whole ordeal didn't seem to be over yet – whoever had been trying to kill me, was still out there and he could be coming for me, anytime of the day.

"Elena, this isn't appropri-"

"I don't care, please, don't leave me."

He took one good look at me, before going back to the chair and sitting down next to me. He looked at me, as though I could faint at any given moment, and to be honest, I probably could. We sat like that for a while, me just trying to find comfort in his presence and the warm water before I spoke again.

"When... when you were feeding me your blood," I whispered, remembering how it had been like, just moments before, to feel so connected to Damon, "I felt... It was as though we were one. I could hear your thoughts... your feelings seemed to be mine."

Damon looked down at me and sighed. He opened his mouth, about to say something, but he closed it again, thinking.

"Yes. That's normal," he said, although a part of me didn't believe him. I decided to let it go – if he thought that was best, he probably knew what he was talking about.

"I liked it," I whispered, leaning my head back on the tub and closing my eyes, "I like being close to you."

After that day, the nightmares got worse. It was a mix of the mysterious, hooded killer, my parents' accident, my room being on fire and everything else I had gone through. I was back in Damon's bedroom, but I rarely slept through the night anymore. When I did, it was only because I had been so exhausted from being up all night.

Damon didn't get much sleep either, but I guess that he doesn't really need it, being a vampire. I had expected our relationship to change dramatically, but somehow, it didn't. We went back to our old routine of being there for each other, but keeping it as friendly as possible – while cuddling up every single night.

A week later, when we were about to head to bed, Damon stood by his drawers and had something in his hands, I couldn't see what was.

"Damon?" I asked, putting my journal aside and looking at him. He turned around, a little orange jar in his hands, as he walked to the bed. I frowned and looked at it. Vampires didn't get sick, did they? I thought they were immune to everything.

"Are you sick?" I asked, worried, and reached for the jar. As he crawled into bed, he let me have it, and my heart skipped a beat when I read the label.

"Gilbert, Elena. To help with sleeping. 2 before bedtime"

"You got me sleeping-pills?" I whispered, looking at the jar. Damon sighed.

"Yes, Elena. You haven't slept through the night in a week, and you need your strength to go through this. You need to sleep," he said, taking out two pills for me. I looked at him with worried eyes. I didn't like taking medicine - not unless it was really needed. I guess Damon was right, though.

"Are you sure about this?" I asked quietly, looking at the two little pills in my hand.

"Yes. Trust me."

And I did. So I swallowed the pills and took a sip of the water bottle I always kept next to my bed. Well, Damon's bed. He smiled at me and kissed my forehead, before letting me curl up under the covers. The pills definitely worked – it took less than 5 minutes for me to fall asleep, and when I woke up again, light was shining through the blinds and I was alone in bed. I was just about to go looking for Damon, when he came walking in through the door, looking dirty and tired.

"Where have you been?" I asked surprised. He shot one look at me, and then went to his drawers to find new clothes.

"Just out. Elena, I don't want to be rude or anything, but I really need to sleep," he said. I was surprised at this sudden harsh Damon, but instead of saying something, I grabbed my journal and hurried out of his room, down the hall and into my own bedroom.

I was shocked at the way he had talked to me. Damon had never asked me to leave a room before and he had always answered my questions. And why had he looked like he had been missing all night?

Caroline and Stefan had been back for a few days, and I really felt like I needed to talk to Caroline, to have her help me clear everything up. Even though she was a vampire, and had been for a while, she was still so close to being human and in contact with her human side, that she was able to help me.

I grabbed a quick shower, trying to gather my thoughts, before I went downstairs. Lucky for me, Caroline was sitting by herself, looking over the plans for a wedding she was planning. She really was very good at her job, which was also why she made so much money doing it. People were always so surprised, that someone as young as her, could do their job as well – little did they know, that she was way older and knew exactly what she was doing.

"Care?" I asked carefully, not wanting to disturb her. She turned around immediately, smiling at me.

"You're up early," she said, "are the nightmares fading?"

I gave her a weak smile and sat down on the couch.

"Damon got me drugs so I could sleep through the night. Are you busy?" I asked nervously.

"No, of course not. What's up?" she said, turning around to give me her full attention. She somehow knew that something was wrong. I breathed in deep and then started telling her everything that had happened the past month.

I hadn't realized just how much I needed to tell someone, who knew Damon and knew what he was. Telling Care, was like removing a huge stone off of my chest, and as soon as I started, everything just came out, with tears. She sat on the couch with me, giving me hugs, while I told her about our kiss, about how I didn't know what to make of Damon's actions and of Damon's feelings and I told her everything about what I was feeling for him.

When I was done, my mouth was dry and my eyes were red from crying so much.

"I'm so sorry you have to go through all of this, Elena, but I can promise you, that it will all be worth it. Damon is... a special person. He doesn't like letting people in and he doesn't like showing them his emotions. But with you, he can't not. You have a special bond and he can't stop himself from letting you in, even though it scares him." I marveled at the thought of Damon scared. The only time I had seen him scared, was at the swimming pool, when he was feeding me his blood.

"In his own way, he cares about you, more than he's ever cared about anyone before and that's scary. He's conflicted, because you're so young and because you have the means to hurt him – and badly. That's why he's pushing you away," Caroline said, rubbing my back gently, "you just have to give him time and show him, that you're not going anywhere. Someday, he'll tell you all about his past and it'll all make more sense to you."

I looked up at her. This was the first time I had heard someone else mention Damon's past and I was immediately intrigued. The one time I had asked him, he hadn't wanted to indulge me, and I had been disappointed. I knew he was old, and from Italy, and I could imagine all the exciting and interesting stories he would be able to tell.

I had never imagined that something harsh had happened, which had turned him into who he was today.

"Can't you tell me?" I asked, hopefully. I didn't want to betray Damon's trust, but I was so hurt by the way he was treating me, that I wanted any information that could help me understand, just why he was acting this way.

"No, Elena, I'm sorry. It's not my story to tell. At some point, Damon will trust you and he will let you in and tell you about it. But until then, you're just going to have to trust me, when I say that you need to be patient," she said, smiling sadly at me.

"Do you think he'll ever trust me?" I asked. Right now, it seemed like all Damon wanted to do, was to push me away and keep me far away from him. But if Caroline was right, I just had to keep pushing back.

"Yes, Elena. I think he already does, but he's scared. He hasn't had an easy life," she said.

"How come you know?" I asked curiously. As far as I had seen, Caroline and Damon weren't the best of friends. Most of the time, he was running around, calling her barbie and she was yelling at him for something. But then again, I had only known them for a few months, so maybe I didn't know that much about their relationship.

"Stefan and Damon are brothers. When Stefan told me his story, it was intertwined with Damon's. They've always been around each other, more or less, even though their relationship is rocky. It's getting better, though, now that you're here. You're bringing out the good sides of Damon," Caroline said with a smile.

I did know that Stefan and Damon were brothers, but I had always had the strangest feeling that they hadn't really spent any time together. Of course, that might be because Damon kept me at an arms length all the time. It's hard to get to know someone, when they won't let you in.

"Thank you, Care. That really helped," I said, feeling very grateful towards Caroline.

"Anytime, Elena. We're both rooting for you and we like what you're doing to Damon. If you ever need anything, you know where to find me," she said and gave me a hug. I was lucky Stefan had found such an amazing girlfriend. Without her, I'd be truly lost.

So, yeah, that just happened! What do you think? Was that what you expected from their first kiss? Did you like the Caroline/Elena bonding? And Elena survived yet another attempt... do you think there'll be another one?

Let me know what you're thinking in a review! I draw major inspiration from those! See you in a week's time!