Hey guys. Sorry you didn't get an A/N last time, I was kind of excited to write the chapter. Did you guys like it? *cough, reviews, cough*

Damon gave me a smirk and tipped his head to the side, towards his wrinkled bed. "We should talk."

"Yeah." I sat down on the edge of his bed. "I wanted to ask you something."

"Do you always start your questions with kisses? Because I could get used to that."

I smiled and looked down. "Why didn't you tell me that it wasn't you who attacked Jer and Vikki?"

He sighed and flopped onto his back. "Because, Elena, you're so much better off without me. I wanted you to be angry with me, to hate me. I wanted you to let me go, and live your own life." His eyes darkened a shade or two. "I may be innocent in this particular crime, but I've done things to other people that were far, far worse than what was done to your brother and his friend."

I didn't like this conversation, but I knew we had to have it. I went on uncomfortably, "So...you've killed people?"

"I've tortured them. And it's been for fun, Elena."

"Fun! How can you say that?"

"Because, Elena, I don't feel bad. It's a switch in my head, and I can turn my guilt on or off. I don't have to feel pain or remorse." His eyes were pleading; he wanted me to understand.

I blinked. "...Oh. Do you...is it on or off right now?"

"It's been on since the first time I saw you. You-changed me."

I considered that. "When was the last time you...killed someone?" Oh, God, what was I even asking him?

He frowned. "Why does it matter?"

"I...don't know."

He sighed. "Listen, Elena. I don't kill anymore. Not for a few years. I drink from blood bags, or sometimes from the vein-but I don't drink enough to hurt people, and afterwards, I make them forget. I'm no Stefan, though. I don't just feed from animals. I don't have a hundred clean years under my belt. But I do...really want to make you happy. It's your choice whether or not you can live with that."

I turned to look at him. One strong arm was thrown behind his head, and he looked at me with wide, hopeful eyes. His lips were set in a faint, irresistible pout.

Slowly, I smiled at him. "I think I can."

He broke into a grin and in a flash, wrestled me on top of him. My hands were pinned to his chest, and my long hair hung over his shoulder. "Good, that was easy. I thought it was going to take some...convincing." He winked.

I laughed, but rolled off of him. I had more questions for him, and I couldn't let him distract me. "But, if it wasn't you who attacked Jeremy, and you said Stefan hadn't killed in at least a hundred years...who was it?"

His eyes hardened. "That's exactly what I've been wondering."

I tucked my hair behind my ear. "So, you don't have any idea as to who it could've been?"

His lips pressed together. "Well...Stefan told me that you know about Katherine. She was a vampire, I think he told you that. When she died, Stefan and I had-"

"Wait, who?" I stopped him. "Stefan told me it was your grandparents..."

He made a sound that was almost a laugh. "Who do you really think it was?"

"I guess...you." It sounded so weird to me, to think that in 1860, Stefan and Damon had been very much alive.

"Anyway, Stefan and I had made sure she would live by getting Emily Bennett to lock her in an enchanted tomb underneath Fell Church."

"Emily Bennett...did she enchant your ring? And Stefan's? Is that how you both walk in the sunlight."

He nodded appreciatively. "That was a good catch. However, those rings are just about the most well kept secret amongst vampires. Very few are in possession of them, and it's important that you keep the information about them to yourself."

"How few is the number of vampires that have them?"

"I don't know of anyone besides Stefan, Katherine and I even having any idea that the rings exist."

"Wow," I sighed. "That few."

"Yeah," he agreed. "Back to Katherine. I became obsessed with getting her out of that tomb. I found out that it was spelled, and it could only be broken using a very important stone, and with the help of a very powerful witch. Your friend Bonnie would've had to be the one to get her out."

"Why are you telling me this? Not that I'm complaining, but it seems like if you wanted to get her out that badly, you wouldn't be sharing all this with me."

"I'm telling you because I know for a fact that she's not in the tomb."

"How would you know that?" I asked. "And how did you know about Bonnie?"

"I know Katherine's not in the tomb because I tried to kill her a few weeks ago, and I know about Bonnie because I did my research."

"Wait, why did you try to kill her? I thought you were in love with her?"

"So did I, but things change." His voice was bitter.

"So, what, you tried to kill her because she doesn't love you anymore? Or because you don't love her anymore?"

"No, I tried to kill her because she pissed me off."

I flipped onto my side to stare at him. "What did she do?"

"She threatened you."

"Me?" I exclaimed. "Why?"

His smooth shoulders shrugged. "She wants something from me."

"Well, what does she want?"

"You ask too many questions."

"Are you going to answer me?"

"Nope."

I sighed and sat up. "Fine, but...are you saying that Katherine attacked Jeremy?"

He jumped up next to me. "I'm assuming that Katherine attacked Jeremy."

"Now what?"

"Now we find out for sure."

Sorry this was kind of a filler chapter. More to come. :)