Wow.

Thank you guys for the support, ya'll are awesome! Things are getting a little better, but still kinda out of wack :P

However, I did manage to get this chaper wrote, so that's a plus :)

Really hope ya'll like it!

Present Day

Elena took a deep breath, as she held the necklace in her hands.

It had taken a moment to find it, hidden in her carpet, but she did.

And it was still in perfect condition, despite the fact that the chain should be snapped from her fit the night before.

But no.

It was as it always had been.

And she was terrified.

Stefan, who was waiting outside in the car, had made it sound so important, so powerful.

Had promised that it would protect her.

But he hadn't felt what she felt last night.

The emotions tied to this amulet were consuming; dictating.

How could she possibly think straight with it on?

She sighed.

What other choice did she have?

If it was as powerful as Stefan claimed, it would be stupid to leave it lying on her bedroom floor.

He was right.

It was safest hanging around her neck, despite the burden it carried.

With this decided, she slipped it back around her throat, fastening the clasp.

It's familiar weight rested on her chest, and she took a breath.

Nothing felt different.

No emotional surges or random bursts of power.

She was almost disappointed, and reached up to feel the stone.

It was cool to the touch, much like it usually was, the fire from the previous night all extinguished.

Elena blushed, unable to stop her eyes from trailing over to the wall, where Damon had pinned her so roughly.

Where he had kissed her.

Touched her.

Claimed her so wildly.

And his promise to return to her, to finish the job.

The air in her lungs caught, and heat once again filled the necklace, pressing against her skin.

Oh sure, now it works.

With an annoyed huff, she did her best to push Damon from her mind.

She was mildly successful.

Throwing a quick glance at the mirror, she figured she shouldn't keep Stefan waiting, and hurried back downstairs, out to the car.

He was still waiting.

"You found it?" He confirmed, his eyes slipping to her neck.

She nodded, "Yeah, right where I left it."

"Good," he nodded, "Now we go talk to the Bennett witch."

Elena tried not to flinch at Sheila being addressed as such, but it was hard not to, especially considering how crazy her life had become, quite literally, overnight.

But either way, she needed to know what to do now, and maybe Bonnie's grandmother had answers.

"Let's go," she agreed quietly, and could only pray that the woman knew something they didn't.

Sheila Bennett had a simple house.

Two bedrooms, a cute little kitchen, and more books on the supernatural than anyone else Elena had ever known.

But as an occults professor at the nearby college, that had made sense enough.

An interesting job, she was sure, for an equally interesting woman.

A job that Elena, unfortunately, had forgotten all about in her rush for information.

"She's not here," she groaned, noting the lack of Sheila's little silver car in the drive.

But Stefan was hardly paying attention; something else capturing his focus.

A shiny blue camaro sitting on the curb, opposite of the drive.

Elena had never seen it before.

"Stefan?"

He glanced at the house in front of them, before opening his door.

"Stay in the car," he ordered calmly.

Her brows furrowed, "What's going on."

He still wasn't looking at her, "I'm not sure."

He shut his door, then cautiously walked up the porch.

Elena watched him, debating.

When his hand reached out to the knob, and the door fell open, her mind was made up.

Something was happening, and she wasn't going to sit and watch, like a child.

In a few easy strides, she was stepping inside, falling into place behind her boyfriend. "Elena," he groaned as they walked into the empty living room, "I told you to wait."

"This is Bonnie's grandmother, Stefan. I'm not just going to sit in the car."

"It might not be safe," he cautioned.

She shook her head, "I don't care."

"Elena, please go back to the car," he pleaded, and she had to resist the urge to cross her arms.

"Not gonna happen."

Stefan sighed, "Elena-"

But a low chuckle cut him off, which was followed by a slow round of applause.

Elena and Stefan both froze, as Damon entered the room, from the shadow of the hall.

"Well done, brother, well done," he mocked, "Your negotiating skills are as impeccable as ever."

"Damon," Stefan's voice dropped, "I wish I could say that I'm surprised to see you here, at the house of a Bennett witch, but..." He trailed off, leaving everyone to make the obvious conclusion as to why Damon's appearance wasn't surprising at all.

Elena swallowed, as Damon's gaze fell to her, Stefan's statement not affecting his demeanor one bit.

"Did you get the answers you wanted?" He asked her, and she blushed, but stood her ground.

"Some," she admitted, "But mainly I just have more questions."

He took a step closer, and Stefan stiffened, moving forward, so his body was between hers and his brother's.

Damon smirked, "Really, Stefan? You want to play this game again?"

"No games," Stefan reminded him, "But you aren't going to touch her."

Damon only smiled wider, his eyes shooting to Elena, "Maybe I shouldn't be surprised that she didn't tell you, but there has already been plenty of...touching, so your threat is a little redundant, don't you think?"

Stefan's face was hard, "What I think, brother, is that you need to leave Elena alone."

Elena watched Damon's expression flicker, but he never lost his arrogant gleam, as though this was a prized match, and he'd already won the championship.

"Leave her alone?" Damon considered, rolling the words over his tongue, "I'm not so sure that is going to work for me."

"Damon," Stefan growled.

"Tell me," Damon started, ignoring the warning as he straightened, "Have you touched her yet, brother? Have your hands known the heat of her pleasure? Because she let's out this little gasp, right as you push into her, and-"

"Enough!" Stefan bellowed, as Elena flinched, embarrassed.

Embarrassed because Damon had taken that moment with her, and embarrassed because, despite the absolute wrongness of it, his words brought back her longing for him, and she wanted nothing more than to feel his hands on her.

"You took advantage of her," Stefan insisted angrily, "She's confused, and I've seen those powers of yours at work. There's no telling what you've done to her that-"

Damon was laughing.

"What I've done to her?" He verified, "Please Stefan, you know me better than that. You're just pissed that I've won."

Elena could already see where this was heading, and stepped around Stefan, despite his arm coming up in protest.

She met Damon's gaze head on.

"I am not a competition," she told him icily.

His face softened as he looked at her, "Oh darling, you are to him."

"You see, Stefan has always wanted everything I've ever had," he looked up at his brother, "When we were young, it was my games, my horse; my toys. Then as we aged, my crown. My kingdom. And now, you."

"You took her from me," Stefan reminded him.

"I took nothing!" Damon's voice rose, as he stepped toward them to meet his brother head on, "You were suffocating her, with all your rules and studies. You wanted perfection for a bride, and she was killing herself to be everything you and our father demanded! I didn't have to take her! She left you of her own free will, or is that too far outside of comprehensive abilities to understand? She chose to love me, knowing what it could mean for her, over being your queen!" Stefan flinched, but Damon wasn't done, "And this act you are putting out as a high school boyfriend has nothing on the burning nights she and I spent together. She chose me, even in death, and despite your desperate attempts to sway her, her heart is still mine. As her body will soon be as well. You can't catch up at this point, Stefan!"

Damon was close enough now that Elena could reach out and touch him, but his eyes burned into his brother's.

His words shook her, and she didn't know what to say.

But Stefan did.

"Five hundred years, and you still haven't changed," he remarked, "Elena could hate you, and you'd still take her for your own, just because that's what Damon wants. To hell with the feelings of anyone else."

Damon took a breath, then his smirk was back, "Tell me then, Stefan, what makes you so sure Elena doesn't want this? That she wouldn't choose me, yet again."

Stefan answered before Elena could, "She doesn't even know you."

"As well as she knows you," Damon shot, his hands reaching out and pulling Elena to him.

The quick movement made her lose her balance, but then her back was against Damon's chest, and one of his hands had hold of her waist, his other, around her throat.

Stefan moved toward her, but Damon jerked her back, causing a wince to slip from her mouth.

Then he was pulling a knife from his pocket, and the blade was pressed against her neck.

"What are you doing?" She gasped, fear filling her for the first time in his presence, that day.

"Shhh," he purred into the hair on the side of her head, "I am just making a point."

His other hand settled on her shoulder.

Stefan watched him warningly, "Let her go, Damon."

Damon ran his hand down Elena's arm, but kept his grip secure.

"My brother thinks I'm a monster," he told her, "He'd have you believe it too...but I'm going to show you just how little you know about your boyfriend. I'm going to show you who the real monster is."

He pushed her hair back, then, with eyes on his brother, used the knife to slice the skin of her neck, just under her left ear.

"Damon!" Stefan yelled, as Elena cried out.

But Damon had already dropped his head to the wound, his tongue running over it.

He released her, then, throwing his head back in a moan.

"God, it's been too long, my love," he breathed to her.

Elena's heart was pounding.

The pain called her attention, but so did the situation at hand.

Stefan, a monster? What was he talking about?

Her blood trickled down Damon's chin, and he smiled.

"Can you smell her, Stefan? Can you imagine what she tastes like?" He taunted, and Elena was surprised when Stefan remained silent, his eyes squeezed shut.

"Stefan?" She called, and he turned his body from them.

He was hiding.

"Stefan, what is he talking about?"

Damon laughed, "Yes, Stefan, do tell her, please."

"Go to hell," the younger Salvatore spat.

Damon grinned, "I've already been, brother. Now it's your turn. Face us. Show her the kind of man she's been spending time with."

"Damon...please," Stefan croaked.

Elena swallowed.

Why was Stefan begging Damon? Was he magic too? He'd had to survive somehow.

"Will someone tell me what's going on?!" She pleaded.

"In time, my darling," Damon promised, reaching over to her wound, gathering some of her blood on his hand, before letting his gaze settle on his brother's back, "But for now, Stefan has the stage."

He reached out, grabbing Stefan's shoulder, forcing him to turn.

Elena took a full step back, her bleeding neck, temporarily, forgotten.

Stefan's eyes were filled with red, veins running under them, like some kind of demon.

He pushed Damon's hand off his shoulder, "No!"

"Oh, come on," Damon taunted, running the hand covered in blood down Stefan's face, leaving a red trail, "Don't hold back."

Stefan moaned, and his mouth opened involuntarily, two sharp teeth elongating, like canines.

Elena's hand flew to her mouth, "Stefan?"

A cry escaped his lips, as he hit his knees, "Stop! I can't...the blood," he gasped, his eyes finding Damon, "I'll kill her."

Damon seemed to understand whatever was happening.

"It wouldn't be the first time," he spat, leaning down, "How do you expect to protect her from me, when you can't even protect her from yourself?"

Then, Damon snapped his fingers, and Stefan's neck cracked; his lifeless body falling to the floor.

Elena screamed.

Damon watched as Elena rushed to his brother's side, tears filling her eyes.

"How could you?" She looked up at him, "How could you?!"

Damon rolled his eyes, "He's fine, Elena. I've dealt with creatures of the night before. In a few hours time, he'll be back on his feet."

Her head was shaking, but she seemed unaware of the movement.

Slowly, he reached down, pulling her away from Stefan's body, and to her feet.

"Elena," he stated calmly, stroking the teardrop from her cheek, "You're going to be okay."

She was trembling, "What is going on? What is he? Why is he my boyfriend if he's your brother? Why does he care that you're here? I don't understand!"

"I know," Damon assured her, "It's a lot to take in."

"Just answer me," she begged, and he nodded.

"Stefan had us killed at the stake," he reminded her, "You wore that amulet."

Instinctively, she reached up to hold it.

"The necklace is powerful," he told her, "Powerful enough to protect itself from the fire. Stefan found it. The rage within him fed the amulet, fueling its power further, turning him into what you just saw, a creature of the night, a blood drinker. I believe the modern terminology is vampire."

Elena glanced at Stefan, "You're joking."

"Why would I joke about this?" Damon asked.

She swallowed, looking back into his eyes, "Witches...vampires...what's next? Werewolves?!"

Damon's eyebrows creased, "No, the moon's children were hunted to extinction back in the-"

"Sarcasm!" Elena interrupted, covering his mouth, "I don't need any more bombshells. I need time to process."

She plopped onto the nearby couch, letting her head fall into her hands.

"Elena...," Damon inquired, "Have I upset you?"

She let out a humorless laugh, "I'm a medieval princess who was burned with my lover for murder, while my fiance turned ex turned boyfriend became a vampire, and is now in competition with you, my past self's epic love, who happens to still like killing for some kind of blood power thing, for my untimely fate, which has to be decided this weekend, or half my soul is forever lost, and we are contemplating this in my best friend's grandmother's house, because she happens to be a witch from the same bloodline of my slave lady whatever in the past, who was killed by one of us. Oh and I just watched you kill your brother and then I'm told he'll just walk it off in a few hours," she huffed, "So, please, forgive me if I seem just a tad bit upset!"

Damon had sat down beside her, and now a smile played at his lips.

"What?" She demanded.

He looked over at her, "You're kind of adorable, all worked up like this."

She blushed, "Don't start being all pushy and sexual again. I can't deal with that right now, either."

Her head fell back into her lap, and Damon chuckled.

His sweet little Elena.

"Come with me," he grabbed her hand, "I know what you need."

Her eyes shot up, "I'm not sure that's a good idea."

He sighed, "Stefan will be fine. The Bennett witch won't be back for hours. He'll be safe here."

Elena exhaled, and met his gaze, "It wasn't just him I was worried about."

Damon blinked, "I would never hurt you."

She sighed, considering his offer.

She didn't want to leave Stefan.

She didn't want to trust Damon.

But whatever feelings she'd been fighting off we're starting to break through again, and she found herself nodding.

"Where are you wanting to go?"

Woo, chapter finished!

Can't wait to read the reviews!

And know that I have some good stuff coming up for the next "past" chapter! ;)

Catcha on the flip side!