A/N - So this chapter is a little longer to make up for that last one. Things are finally really starting to pick up.

Shout out to Cavalialover for reviewing. Reviews are amazing.

Also, I'm just curious, as a major shipper myself, who you guys ship, in TVD or really anything. Who are your OTPs, BROPTs, and anti-ships? Do you have any multifandom ships? Let me know!

The morning was young, and the sun wasn't quite yet peaking over the tips of the trees. Elena was about to head out the door to get some hunting done before school when she heard a noise. She wouldn't have heard it if it weren't for her super hearing, but there was a creak in one of the upstairs rooms. Someone was in the house.

"Whoever you are, know that I am armed and dangerous." Elena yelled, letting her voice flow through the house. "Show yourself."

"Was that supposed to be a threat?" Elena spun around to face the speaker and was meet with a face identical to hers.

"Katherine." Elena hadn't seen her twin in years, and she had been hoping that her sister would let it stay that way, especially while she was in Mystic Falls. But obviously she had had no such luck.

"Hello Elena," Katherine tilted her head. "Enjoying your new human life?"

Elena glared at her twin.

Katherine let out an amused sigh. "Well, I hope you at least liked my little gift to you yesterday."

Elena was standing in a defensive position. "So it was you that attacked that Jeremy kid last night. Why?"

Katherine shrugged. "Boredom. Hunger. The works." Katherine walked over to the mantel over the fireplace and ran her finger along the edge, before bringing it up to her eyes, as if checking for dust. "And I also enjoy watching you squirm." Katherine looked back up at her sister. "It's quite funny to watch you struggle to keep a lid on your true nature."

"Why are you here Katherine? What are you doing in Mystic Falls?"

Katherine feigned hurt. "I missed my sister. Do I have to have another reason?"

"Look. I don't have time to play games with you right now. I'm going to be late for school. So either leave, or -" Elena never got a chance to finish her sentence. Her twin sister was already gone.

Stefan shut his looked around. He spotted Elena Pierce with Caroline and finally worked up the courage to approach her.

"-know what it is, but for some reason, she has been pretty secretive lately." Caroline was saying.

"Well, maybe she is just working through some things?" Elena suggested. "I think you should keep giving her her space, at least for now."

"Hello Elena." The brunette's attention snapped to Stefan.

"Hi." Elena said with a smile.

Stefan smiled back. "We were interrupted when we were talking the other day at the bonfire and I was hoping I could make it up to you. Are you free to come over to my place for dinner tonight? I am a rather good cook."

Elena nodded. "Yeah. Sounds like fun."

Jeremy threw his backpack down on the couch before flopping down next to it.

"Hey. Don't hurt the couch." Jeremy's aunt Jenna scolded from the kitchen. Jeremy rolled his eyes.

"Hi Jeremy." This time it was a different voice. A voice Jeremy hadn't heard in a long time. Jeremy turned in his seat to see the person who was approaching him from behind.

"Uncle John? What are you doing here? My parents are researching something abroad. They won't be back for who knows how long."

John shrugged. "I was in town and decided to pay my nephew a visit." Jeremy squinted at his Uncle. He knew better than to believe a lie as thin as that. "Okay, I'll admit. I'm looking for something. It's a pocket watch from the 1860's. I was hoping that maybe you knew where it was."

"Oh, you mean Johnathan Gilbert's watch? Why do you want that?"

"Nothing important really, I just want to borrow it. Do you know where it is?"

Jeremy sat up. "Yeah. My dad gave it to me right before he left. I can go get it for you if you want."

"Could you?"

"Sure." Jeremy got up and headed up to his room, returning shortly with the watch in his hand. "Here you go. Just make sure you bring it back."

"Of course."

Elena pulled her car up to the old boarding house. She rechecked the address to make sure she was in the right place. The house was huge and looming, sitting in isolation away from the rest of civilization. She got out of her car and walked up to the door, knocking twice.

There was a moment of silence before she heard movement inside. The door swung open. Elena had never seen the man before. He was about average height and somewhat messy black hair.

"Um . . . I'm here to see Stefan?" Elena said, wondering again if she was at the right house.

"He's right upstairs. Come on in." The man stepped back, pulling the door open even farther, giving her room to step past.

Elena let out a small sigh of relief when she stepped over the threshold. She had been invited in. She continued into the living room, trying to take in all of the large house around her. The man watched he curiously, as if he had never seen someone come to visit Stefan before. It least, not someone female.

Elena couldn't help but wonder who exactly the man was. "So are you his . ."

"Brother." The man finished her sentence for her. He smiled. "I'm Damon."

"I'm Elena. It's nice to meet you."

Stefan's footsteps echoed as he came down the stairs. He was wearing a purple dress shirt and Elena immediately regretted the decision to wear the same clothes she had worn that day to school. "Hi Elena."

"Well, I'm going to take that as my cue." Damon said. He turned and nodded at her. "See you later Elena." Then he headed out the front door, leaving Stefan and Elena alone in the house.

Stefan noticed Elena admiring the house. "Do you want to see more? I can show you around the house."

"Oh yeah, I would love that." So Stefan lead her to the study and library, both of which were bigger than most she had seen before. Then he showed her up the stairs to a row of bedrooms and a gigantic bathroom at the end of the hallway.

"This one is my room." He said, pointing to one of the rooms on her left. She looked at him, as if asking for permission and he nodded. Stefan's room was fairly large, like the rest of the rooms of the house, but somehow it seemed more personal. Elena ran her hand along the side of his bed, looking around at the large amount of books he had on his shelves. She looked down at his nightstand and noticed what looked like a book sitting there, with a pencil laying next to it. If she didn't keep one herself, she may not have recognized it for what it was. She picked it up and showed it to Stefan.

"You keep a journal?"

Stefan blushed and looked down at the floor. "Yeah. I mean, I like to be able to remember things. And I've found that journaling has helped me with that."

"Really?" He nodded. "I keep one too."

He walked up to her. "You keep a journal?"

Elena looked back down at the book in her hands. "Yeah, I keep a journal. I've journaled for all my life." She turned to him, looking up into his eyes. "It helps keep me grounded."

"Do you generally find you have a problem with staying on the ground?"

She smiled. "Not in a long time."

He reached up and brushed her hair behind her ear. "Has anyone ever told you that you are beautiful?" he whispered.

"Not in a long time." The distance between them lessened until they were inches apart. Then centimeters. Elena wanted this. She wanted a normal life and that was what this was. Normal. But as she felt the pull of her hunger and heard the rush of his blood in her ears, she was forced to pull back. She couldn't hurt him. No matter the consequences.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Elena shrugged as she stepped around him, toward the door. "Nothing, I just, can't. Right now." She turned to face him. "Okay?"

He looked a little hurt, but nodded all the same. "Okay."