AN: Sorry for the long overdue update. I, heh heh, kind of forgot about this fic.

The feeling of Damon's lips against Elena's and vice versa was phenomenal. Elena started to cling herself to Damon by bringing one hand behind his neck and the other was holding the back of his hair. Damon did the same, except one hand was at the side of Elena's neck and the other held a handful of her gorgeous hair.

Damon suddenly froze. Elena felt Damon stiffen and unclung herself from Damon to see what had gone wrong. Damon had felt the feeling before it happened, but failed to prevent it. His eyes were glazed red and his fangs were elongated. Gentleman-like, he tried to turn away from Elena, much as Stefan had done, to save her the horror of having to look upon his demonic face.

"Damon," Elena breathed quietly and understandingly (and also filled with shock at what she had done). Damon's face was emotionless, unreadable.

"Let's go," said Damon, his voice unbearably controlled, as he suddenly accelerated the car.

This had definitely not been part of Damon's plan. Kissing Elena? he thought, Stupid. She hadn't spoken a word to him since...but he hadn't said anything either. He had to stay focused. He was doing this all for Katherine. He stole a glance at Elena; she was staring out the window. Damon did a double-take. Her expression...it was dejected. Impatient. Angry. Hurt. Confused. Heartbroken. Stubborn. And he could tell she was fighting tears. But she hid it so well that only his vampire eyes could've detected any of those emotions hidden in her face.

In a different situation with Elena, Damon would've done something, but he was too full of determination to carry out his plan to worry. Yet there was a nagging feeling-his conscience?-telling him he should not leave Elena in her wallowing state of mind. He mentally shook the thought. She was not Katherine.

Elena felt like crap. She was not sure what emotions she was feeling, but she didn't want to confront her feelings. She was betraying Stefan, but hadn't he already betrayed her by not telling her about Katherine? Damon had treated her...kindly. Oh yes, she had seen that Damon had been wearing a mask of indifference when around her, but she understood Damon somehow. He reached her on some level. When their lips had met, all walls were down, on both sides. It was all so confusing. It also wasn't right. Elena closed her eyes, breathed in deeply through her nostrils, and pulled her fingers through her hair. She was ready to go home and face whatever came next. She just wanted out of the car. Away from Damon. Away from this situation.

Elena had drifted to sleep awhile ago. When Damon was sure she wouldn't wake up, he reached over to wipe the tears from her eyes and stroke her cheeks. His face was crestfallen.

It didn't matter now, though. They were back in Mystic Falls. Damon passed the Welcome sign well over the speed limit. All sadness forgotten, his excitement was building like roller coaster about to reach its peak.

Elena jerked awake. She blinked a few times, then looked around. She was back in the city. She looked at Damon, who looked as though he had no intention of stopping anytime soon. Suspicion returned.

"Damon, where are you taking me?" Elena demanded. She pushed her hair behind her ears.

"So we're back to that again, are we?" asked Damon in a smug but still emotionless voice.

Elena rolled her eyes, "I'm serious, Damon, what do you want with me?"

"If I were to tell you, that would ruin the surprise and it wouldn't serve my greatest purpose," replied Damon, mysterious and frustrating as ever. Elena crossed her arms, eyes darting towards the door.

"Don't even think of jumping out." Damon warned as the lock clicked.

"What if I do?" Elena retorted. She was sick and tired of being told what to do by Damon. The least he could do is tell her the truth or ask her opinion.

"You wouldn't dare because I would not hesitate to kill you." Damon threatened through his teeth. Okay, he would not actually kill her, but he needed her to get Katherine back. And quite frankly, she wasn't bad company-annoying and sassy at times, but that's what made it fun.

"Is that a promise or a threat?" Elena asked sarcastically, not sure if she really meant it. Damon was pissing her off. But being a secretive jerk probably just came with being a vampire.

The car stopped. Finally!

"What're we doing here?" Elena asked. They were in the old church ruins. Above the tomb.

Damon flashed a malicious smile for a second, then replied, "You'll see." He unbuckled his seat belt. "Stay here."

Elena watched as Damon got out of the car. She undid her seatbelt, casually. Her jaw was stubbornly set. She was going to run. She probably wouldn't get far-heck, she knew she was going to get caught-but she wanted to be a nuisance. It didn't hurt to try.

Elena opened the door and cautiously stepped out. She peeked her head around the car to see what Damon was doing. He glanced at her, then went back to opening the trunk. Elena watched him, keeping her curious face on when she could actually feel her body swimming in adrenaline. She nonchalantly looked around the woods, trying to figure the best way to run without drawing Damon's attention.

Elena bolted. Her hair blew behind out behind her and her shoes were starting to get soaked from the messy, wet mass of leaves littering the forest floor. She was pumping her arms, hoping it would help her to run faster. Her breathing became faster and her heart was pounding like a jackhammer because of the exertion.

Then, it happened. Damon was blocking her path. Elena stopped in the spot. She put her hands on her hips and bent over, breathing hard. She wouldn't fight Damon. He just watched her catch her breath. Oh yeah, he was angry. Elena was angry, too, but she was fighting tears again.

"Bad move, Elena," Damon said. His voice was...off.

"What..." Elena started, desperately, angrily, tiredly, and in between breaths "...do you...want...with me...Damon?" She lifted her head as to see him properly. He stared for a brief second, blue eyes flaring.

"I-I want Katherine back." Damon admitted, looking away.

"Oh." Elena was confused. "Why do you need me of all people to help?"

Damon gave her an isn't-it-obvious look. He inclined his head and motioned to back to the old church, "C'mon."

Elena didn't reply. She glared at Damon. "No."

He was at her in an instant. His face was unreadable even though he was literally inches away from her. She thought he was going to bite her neck, rip out her throat. His left hand had an iron grip on Elena's right wrist. He was staring into her eyes, searching for something. He leaned closer. Elena recoiled, flinched back. His eyes moved down to her lips. Elena's heart was fluttering. She didn't know what from.

"Elena," Damon whispered seriously.

Using her left hand, she slapped him. He wasn't expecting that. His head snapped to the side. Damon's eyes were...seething when he looked back at her. He forcefully readjusted his hold from her wrist to her arm and started to tug her-carelessly-behind him. He didn't bother to keep her pace. He even let her get caught on branches.

Elena's eyes looked like an abandoned puppy's; they were wet. She had a fearful pout on her face. She didn't bother to struggle against Damon. She just cried out everytime Damon was too rough.

Once back by the old church, Damon threw Elena to the ground, but with enough force as to not hurt her, just so she would get the message. Elena was in the middle of the witch symbol with the star in a circle. Also in the circle with Elena was the picture of Katherine and the curious paper bag Damon had picked up.

Elena gasped and had a slight sob in her voice when she spoke, "You're going to use me to bring Katherine back, aren't you?"

"Very good, Elena," Damon congratulated. "It's too bad, really. You're much too smart for my brother. But now-" he opened some museum-worthy book and walked over to Elena. He never finished his sentence; he was too concentrated in reading from this mystery book.

"I am sorry, Elena." he suddenly replied, his voice sincere, yet he never looked up from the book. "She's all I want. One hundred and forty six years I have been waiting. So don't take this personally. You are related to her, somehow, you must be." he looked down at her, crumpled. "Please understand." His eyes were begging.

"All for love," Elena whispered to herself. It was amazing, seeing this side of Damon. She might actually start to care for him more if he hadn't been so self-serving.

"It's called the Blood Ceremony," Damon said, eyes glued back in the book. "It shall bring her up from being trapped below with that spell...somehow. I have gathered all that I need for it here-" he indicated the pile by Elena. "And I don't even need a witch to perform this spell."

He appeared at the center of the circle, starting a fire. Except it didn't burn orange and blue, but green. He deposited the contents of the paper bag into it. He muttered what sounded like gibberish, then looked at Elena.

"Give me your hand." Damon demanded. She did so reluctantly, knowing what to expect, but-oddly-feeling no need to resist. His touch was so soft and gentle now like a feather moving along her hand. He bent his head down to her wrist and Elena looked away, feeling his teeth rip into her sensitive skin. What she didn't feel beforehand, though, were the tiny kisses Damon placed, almost in apology and something else still undeveloped. Elena gasped and bit her lip to keep from shrieking. Blood welled up and he dripped it over into the fire.

"Thanks," he said so quietly Elena wasn't sure if she even heard it.

He muttered some more mumbo-jumbo, then finally picked up the accursed picture of Katherine and dropped it into the flames.

The fire cracked, sending sparks flying everywhere. Elena scooted away as fast as she could in a crab-walk position. Damon stood his ground, eyes a little crazed from desparation.

The fire exploded. All was white. Damon was knocked against some tree twenty feet away by the force of it. Elena screamed from wherever she was. The fire was still burning white when Damon looked up.

The flame was so bright even though coming from a now small fire. A silhouetted figure with long hair staggered towards Damon. Damon's eyes widened, his arms outstretched. He couldn't tell who exactly it was.

"Katherine?"

The End