A/N: Thanks to all of your reviews for the last chapter, especially to Lizzy! We only have a few chapters left, so I might not post mid-week anymore. We'll be back to some action, soon...

ELENA

We stayed safely locked inside the boarding house for a week, without any sign of life from Katherine. Stefan suspected that the hunters were still on her trail and giving her trouble, which wasn't really a reason to rejoice, considering our bond. But Damon assured me that Katherine was cunning, and not caught easily. Otherwise, he'd have been more successful in locating her himself. He had searched the entire town for her, checking foreclosures and hotels, asking around, compelling people to watch out for her. All to no avail.

But even if we should find her, we still had no idea what to do about the bond. Bonnie had come up empty-handed, and it was looking less and less likely that she'd find something helpful in those diaries. The only plan we had so far was locating Katherine, somehow taking her down and locking her in the basement. Which, apart from lacking crucial details like the 'how', was not really an ideal long-term solution.

Damon did his best to cheer me up and take my mind off things, distracting me with – well, mostly, with him. Admittedly, it worked. Despite the dire circumstances, I had spent the last few days in a bubble of passionate bliss. For Caroline, it had been a pretty exhausting time, with lots of ups and downs in the process of learning, adjusting and accepting.

She had called her mom and told her that she had spontaneously decided to visit her dad and stay with him for a while. To support the claim and to make her more comfortable here, Matt had gone to her house while Liz was on duty and had packed a suitcase for her. For once it was a good thing that her mom and dad weren't on speaking terms, and that the mother-daughter relationship was bumpy enough to make a spontaneous trip without so much as a hug and a goodbye believable.

Once she returned home, she'd probably have to tell her mom that she had undergone minor beauty surgery while in California, changed her diet and started to work out. Or we simply had to tell Liz the truth. But that was a notion no one dared to bring up with Damon just yet. He had been unusually meek and benign those last couple of days, and no one wanted to shake him out of that mood.

He was funny, often joking and smiling, and to the casual observer, he would probably appear relaxed and totally at ease. But underneath his careless, complacent appearance I sensed something else that I couldn't define. Every once in a while, an unfamiliar graveness briefly shadowed his eyes. He always chased it away before I could examine it closer, making an extra effort to seem perfectly happy.

His unusual demeanor thoroughly rattled Alys, who claimed that she had never seen Damon in such a affable mood, not even as a human. "Just what kind of pot-smoking people have you been feeding on, lately?" she asked him, when he sat comfortably on the sofa with my feet in his lap and a contented smile plastered on his face – all through the chick flick we had all been watching together. "Honestly, you're scaring me! A wicked and vicious vampire such as you, going all sentimental and goofy over a movie... Next thing I know, you'll be singing out of tune in the shower and writing cheesy love poems, dotting all your 'i's with hearts."

"Don't judge him for that," I chided Alys, barely containing my laughter. "Caroline is a big scary vampire now, and I know for sure she's doing all of that, too."

Almost instantly, I had both vampires on top of me, Caroline squealing in outrage and beating me with a cushion, and Damon tickling me mercilessly. Though I was hitting at them and begging for mercy, it still felt incredibly good to be able to laugh in all this messed up drama. Moments of simple and silly pleasures had been too scarce, lately.

I finally managed to wriggle free of Damon's hold and fled to the kitchen. Thirsty, I searched the fridge for something to drink – shoving aside anything that looked like cherry, cranberry or grape juice. Just to be on the safe side, I settled for a bottle of ginger ale and swung the door shut. On turning, I found myself face to face with Damon, who had noiselessly crept up on me. I gasped, and a quiver of excitement ran through me at his unexpected nearness. He had always had this effect on me.

He fixated me with a stern, glowering expression. "Are you looking for trouble again or did you not just insult my manhood right in front of your friends?" he inquired, purposely invading my personal space and successfully trying to look intimidating. It almost could have fooled me. Having seen him smile so often lately, I had almost forgotten just how menacing he could look if he so chose. But I had also come to know him too well to not detect the mischief playing around his eyes just now.

"It wasn't really me..." I said, biting my lip and playing along. "Strictly speaking, it was Alys. I just thought it was pretty funny..."

"Funny, huh?" Damon pressed closer, using his body to push me with my back against the kitchen island. "Do you realize that a bad, scary and thoroughly male vampire such as I has a reputation to lose? I'm afraid I need to re-establish my standing with you now..."

"Really? And how are you going to do that?" I asked a little breathlessly, playing through a few promising scenarios in my mind.

Damon propped his hands on the counter, caging me between his arms. Even those were actually worth admiration: perfectly sculptured with clearly-defined muscles, sinews and veins, bespeaking strength and predatory grace.

"Hmm..." he mused, as if pondering his options. "The obvious way to prove my manliness and ruthlessness would be to put you up on that counter and ravish you right here in the kitchen..." The wicked glint in his eyes made parts of my body gasp for air that weren't even known to need oxygen.

"But you're not going to do that?" I asked, feeling excitement rush through me, right along with a note of disappointment that it obviously wasn't going to happen.

"Not with guests in the house," Damon answered in a husky voice, leaning forward and breathing soft kisses on my eyebrow and across my cheek, before nuzzling my ear. "We both know that you can never keep quiet. But then... being in the kitchen here with you again... it reminds me..."

"Yes?" I asked, my heartbeat picking up pace as my mind wandered back to the evening Damon had cooked dinner for me in this kitchen. I had already felt the undeniable heat and tension between us back then. Now it was shooting currents of electricity along my spine, alerting all relevant body parts to the likelihood of impending action.

"... that I'm really, ravenously and maddingly hungry," Damon finished his sentence, devouring me with his eyes. My heart skipped a beat, yet I managed to maintain my cool. "How about a peanut butter sandwich?" I suggested teasingly, though my mind was already reeling with other possibilities.

"No," Damon said, trailing his mouth down to my neck. "I'm in the mood for something more nutritious, more succulent – something hot." I could feel his fangs come out, nudging my skin with light pressure, making perfectly clear what he had in mind. He gave me another three seconds to object, which I let pass by. I just let my head fall back in surrender. With a low, rumbling sound that resonated from deep within his chest, he bit down harder, piercing my skin. I stifled a groan, my hands gripping his arms in search of something to hold on to. The tiny flash of pain was instantly swallowed by his mouth, his lips, his tongue on my flesh. All I felt was incredible heat spreading over my entire body, setting me on fire.

My eyes fell shut of their own accord and I was lost in sensation. I could actually feel the blood rushing through my veins, caressing them on the inside, as if I was being touched everywhere at once. It was ebbing on and off with every pull, going up and falling down, consuming me. And suddenly I understood the true danger in this, something Stefan had never really known to explain: That even for the alleged victim, it was all too easy to lose control, to give in to sensation and not even want this to stop. Someone had to maintain control and not allow himself to be carried away, and right now, that someone clearly wasn't me.

I was yearning to feel him against me, but he was holding himself slightly distanced, his hands still resting on the counter. The only thing touching me was his mouth, and it was not enough. Getting frustrated, I threw arms around him, trying to pull him closer, but he subtly resisted, holding his lower body carefully away from mine. I was getting breathless, needing more contact, touch, friction anything that would bring release, but still, he wouldn't move or get closer. He just continued taking long, smooth and unhastened draws of my blood, clearly relishing and savoring every pull. For a moment, I had to fight the urge to bite him back.

Just when I thought I might actually snap under the tension, Damon suddenly stopped sucking, but continued kissing, licking and nuzzling my neck. Then he withdrew and lifted his gaze, sporting a very pleased and satisfied expression and a slightly mischievous grin. What the hell?

"Well, I guess that proves my point..." he said, licking his lips and having the nerve to smirk at me. I could only stare at him, stunned and confused. Which point? Then I remembered what he had boldly claimed and what I had refused to believe up to now: that women could get off on being bitten. With the evidence of my arousal probably scenting the air by now, it would be difficult to deny that my doubts had been thoroughly refuted.

"Damon!" I exclaimed in a frustrated wail, not believing that he could be standing there like this, utterly serene and perfectly in control while I was aflame with need and want and almost ready to beg.

"Elena?" he asked, clearly enjoying this. No way! And then I also remembered what I had found out not so long ago on a dance floor: He might be a master at disguising and hiding what he truly felt, but the feelings were there nevertheless. And his response was always passionate and intense. Feeling reckless, I slung my legs around his hips to pull him closer and boldly reached for his groin. "Well, I guess that proves my point!" I muttered triumphantly. He might have eaten, but he clearly wasn't sated, and I found immense gratification in that fact.

I saw his eyes light up in surprise, but before I had a chance to savor my victory, we were caught by Alys, who had walked into the kitchen unnoticed.

"Geez!" she muttered, staring at our most compromising position before quickly shading her eyes. "Get a room already!"

With a chuckle, Damon grabbed my thighs and scooped me up from the table. "Will do!" he said to Alys, and – with me practically riding his hips and probably flushing crimson – headed for the stairs.

*'*'*'*'*'*

By the end of the week, I got a call from Jenna, inquiring if I was planning to come home for the weekend. It became pretty clear from the way she was asking that she obviously wanted me to. She had planned on another family dinner with me and Stefan, while Ric had suggested going on a bar prowl with Damon. Jeremy wanted to introduce Alys to Jenna, and had invited her, too.

Since Damon felt we shouldn't risk leaving Caroline and Matt unsupervised just yet, we asked Stefan and Bonnie to come over and 'babysit'. Both of them, especially Bonnie, felt confident that they could handle Caroline if the need arose. I had no idea if the fact that Stefan had given Caroline his blood to live through the change was responsible for it, but the two of them had definitely bonded, and he was more than willing to help her in any possible way. So the four of them decided to go on a double-date, while Damon, Alys and I were headed for Mystic Falls.

I was wondering why Jenna had been so eager to see me. Given that nothing in her demeanor had evoked a feeling of impending doom, however, I felt no dread, just mild curiosity.

Damon was reluctant to leave my side, but he and Ric hadn't been hanging out ever since Damon had come back from Fells Church, and I knew that he wanted to have some guy-time with his friend. "I have Alys and Jeremy with me," I said, encouraging him to go. "We'll be in the house, and since we have renewed the protective spell, Katherine can't get in here. I think we'll be perfectly safe for a couple of hours."

He wasn't entirely convinced, but lacking arguments, he finally relented. Jenna, who wasn't really the homey type, had bought a pre-cooked dinner that only needed to go into the oven. It tasted reasonably well and was a little more classy than the traditional pizza. After completing our meal with a dessert of ice-cream, I helped Jenna clear the table and load the dishwasher.

"I really like Alys," she confided in a whisper, after she and Jeremy had gone up to his room. Jenna had quickly learned to keep that extra keen vampire hearing in mind. "She seems like a nice girl, sensible and mature. I'm a bit amazed, though – up to now, Jeremy has never been particularly attracted by these qualities..."

I shrugged. "Until recently, I have never felt attracted to the dangerous bad boy type. Maybe we've both been looking in the wrong department for something we didn't really need and care for in the first place. They do say opposites attract for a reason, I guess."

"You're talking about Damon," Jenna stated the obvious. "He is... well, I guess he's a whole lot to take in. I'm not sure if I'd be able to handle him. But he's ridiculously hot!" She grinned, but there was a twinge of nervousness in her demeanor all of a sudden.

I eyed her curiously. "Is there a reason why we are discussing boys respective girls right now?" I half expected her to ask me if I knew what I was getting myself into – which frankly, I didn't – or to tell me that he was too old and experienced for me – a gap that Damon was trying hard to bridge by teaching me thoroughly. Maybe it was that? "You're not planning on giving me the talk about the birds and the bees now, right?" I asked a little incredulous.

Jenna laughed. "No way! Frankly, with that vibe between you and Damon, I guess that'd be coming a bit late now..."

I blushed. "Do you mind – me and him, I mean?"

"Goodness, Elena – I wouldn't dare to judge you no matter who you decide to be with. You possess much more common sense than I ever did. After leaving the state because of one guy and being left behind by another, I'm hardly in a position to dish out relationship advice. Though admittedly, I'm still hopelessly romantic and... well, I do believe in third chances..."

Something in her voice and the light color that rose to her face made me listen up. "Wait, are you saying..."

"Ric has proposed to me."

"Oh my God, Jenna!" I squealed, throwing my arms around her. "That is... awesome!" I smiled in happy amazement. "I'd never have guessed that I would live to see the day!"

"I guess that means you're okay with it?" she inquired, just to make sure.

"Of course I am! Ric is great, he's been good for you – and for Jeremy, and he's been incredibly supportive with everything that's going on. And a professor, too, who would have guessed!"

"I know," Jenna grinned. "Not really my usual type..."

"Well, that's what they call serendipity: Finding happiness in places we never ever would have thought of looking for it. I'm really happy for you. When are you going to get married? Does Jeremy know already?"

"Yes. He's totally cool with it. I mean, he thinks Ric is pretty cool, so that spoke in his favor. As to the date... we thought maybe at the end of summer. Ric is probably asking Damon right now if he wants to be his best man. And I would like for you to be my maid of honor."

My eyes filled with tears when I embraced her again. "I'd be very honored! I love you, Jenna." We clung to each other, both of us sniffing now, our thoughts invariably with the part of our family that wouldn't be here to witness. And although this was a moment in which I missed my parents as much as Jenna probably missed her brother, I felt grateful for having her. She had been the best guardian, best big sister and friend I could have wished for.

"Uh!" came Jeremy's groan from the stairs. "That's exactly why I asked Alys to come up to my room. I already figured that you two would end up in tears. What is it about weddings that makes women cry? It's supposed to be a joyful event, you know?"

"This is us expressing joy," I said indignantly. "You just have to know how to read the signs, Jer."

"Yeah, whatever. Once you're done with getting all sappy and soapy – what's with the movie?"

"Go ahead and get it set up. I'll just quickly run upstairs and grab a few things that I want to take back to Greenville. It'll just take a minute."

Jenna put a bowl of popcorn on the table and excused herself. "All right, guys, make yourselves comfortable, I'll go and take a shower. Those angsty thrillers are really not my thing. One would think that you had enough of a thrill in your own lives already..."

"That's the beauty of American movies, Jenna," Jeremy lectured, "knowing that the good guys always win in the end. It's kind of comforting, actually."

Alys and Jeremy snuggled up on the sofa while Jenna and I headed upstairs. I got one of my overnight bags out and quickly added a few more clothes and personal items that I had missed in Greenville. I wondered how long they would end up at the boarding house this time.

I had just zipped the bag closed when, all of a sudden, there were sounds of chaos and mayhem coming from the living room. I simultaneously heard glass shattering, something that sounded like gun shots and, most horrifying of all, Alys and Jeremy screaming. For a second I stood frozen in shock, the frantic beating of my heart almost drowning out the noises from below – splintering of wood, overturning furniture, running feet. And Jeremy's desperate calls for Alys, coming from somewhere outside now.

I yanked my door open and rushed for the stairs as fast as my limbs allowed. Only then did I register that it might not be the wisest thing to do to and halted. My heart nearly jumped out of my chest when the bathroom door suddenly swung open behind me, and I let out a startled scream. But it was only Jenna, still dripping wet and clad in nothing but a towel, fear in her face. I threw a finger over my mouth and we both just stood and listened. All was quiet now. More cautiously, I crept down the first steps, dreading what I might find.

As much as I strained my ears, there was nothing to be heard now. Dead silence had fallen. On shaky legs, Jenna and I slowly made our way down the staircase. The front door was wide open, the wood around the lock splintered as if something really heavy had brutally shoved it out of the frame. The living room window was shattered, glass covered the floor, the sofa was overturned. But there was no one there. Whoever had forcefully entered our house had left as rapidly as they had come.

There was no trace of Alys and Jeremy, either, except for a little blood on the sofa and another few spots on the kitchen floor near the back door. I gasped at the sight of it, and an icy cold spread through me, chilling me to the bone.

What the hell had happened to Alys and Jeremy? Were they hurt? Had they been kidnaped? And what in God's name was I to do now?

Mean cliffy, I know... But as fanfic goes, the story get's the most attention whenever I post a new chapter, so I have to draw it out a bit ;)