Disclaimer: I own nothing. I make no profit.

Author's Note: Spoilers through Season 1. This starts off at the Grille where Elena meets back up with Stefan post-fire rescue. Rated M for smutty goodness to come in Ch. 2. I felt like the characters needed a little turn before any real lemons between Elena and Damon were believable or sustainable. The sex is coming though! The title is not a lie! Also, what do you think of the title? My friend and I were watching the season finale, and when the infamous Damon/Katherine scene came up, we had no clue it wasn't Elena. We talk to the TV, so when Damon started expressing his thanks, she yelled "Say 'Thank You' with SEX!" at the screen. And, really, I couldn't agree more. :) My first thought was, "There needs to be a fanfiction with that name." Enough of my rambling. Reviews make me giddy and smiley for hours on end, not to mention make me drop whatever I'm doing to write more fanfics. So PLEASEPLEASEPLEASE review me.

Elena was still shaken up as she stood by the bar. She hadn't even begun to process the events of the night, and her adrenaline was running high. She saw Stefan across the room and tried to compose herself so that he wouldn't notice her jitters and become worried.

"The fire's out," she supplied in lieu of a greeting, "The story is that the building's old wiring is what caused it."

She watched as Stefan nodded, hardly interested. "Did you see where Damon went?" he asked, looking anywhere but her eyes. She could tell he was afraid to look at her when he brought up Damon, as though he were afraid of what he would discover in her face.

She shook her head at the near-accusation of jealousy in her thoughts. Stefan was only concerned about his brother. Damon had just been attacked with vervain and left in a burning building to die. It was natural to wonder where he vanished to after that ordeal. "No, he just, kind of…disappeared," Elena replied, a worried edge to her voice now.

Stefan let out a harsh, low laugh. "Figures." Elena reached her arms up to hug him. She knew that the go-to emotion for both brothers was anger, but she didn't want Stefan to be angry at Damon right now. He had been through enough tonight. They all had.

As Stefan's strong arms enveloped her waist, Elena sighed, "I'm so glad you're OK." She let go and leaned back as she felt Stefan's body relax underneath hers.

"I try so hard to hate him," Stefan said looking deeply into her confused eyes, "I guess it's just pointless."

"You care about him," Elena said soothingly, "so do I." Stefan looked dejectedly at the floor when she said that. Elena immediately felt like she had violated some truce and needed to make amends. "But I love you, Stefan," she added.

He wouldn't meet her eyes. It was as though he was punishing her for those three syllables she had let slip about his brother. Elena needed him to look at her with the softness and understanding he usually had when she declared her love to him. "And I know that you're worried about that," she whispered tenderly. Elena wasn't sorry she cared for Damon, but she knew how insecure Stefan was even after so many months with her.

Stefan tossed his head moodily, "Nah, I just," he looked at her then quickly away, "You know, I-" Stefan stopped again, not knowing how to express himself, "I know my brother," he finished lamely.

Elena took his head in her hands to hold it still. He was going to look at her. No more of this sullen child behavior. "But I love you, Stefan."

Stefan just looked at the floor. Elena turned his head so that he would have no choice but to look her in the eyes. Stefan looked directly at her but continued in a petulant tone, "I know the trouble he can cause."

Elena shook her head, exasperated, "I love you, Stefan. You." She reached up to kiss him, but he turned his head away. "But I don't know what you want from me," she said as she let his head go. "I have never lied to you. I'm not going to say that I don't care about Damon or that I'm sorry I do," Stefan's gaze was unreadable so she continued. "I'm sorry it bothers you. I really am."

Stefan seemed to be holding back some deep rage. His voice was even and persuasive, but Elena could see fire in his eyes when he spoke, "It does bother me, but not because I don't think I can trust you. It's because you trust him. I can see it whenever you're with him. Elena, I love my brother, but I will never make the mistake of trusting him again." He tried to hold her gaze, but this time it was Elena who took a step back.

"What is love without trust?" she retorted angrily. "How can you stand there and say you love me, or that you care about Damon, and then say you don't trust us? Because that's what it sounds like you're saying," Elena asked passionately. "You're saying that as long as I trust Damon, you can't trust me."

Stefan's face was a flurry of emotion. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, Elena put her hand up to silence him. "No," she said calmly, taking a deep breath. "You listen to me for just a minute longer. I trusted you from the start because I loved you from the start. It wasn't because you had earned it, and we both know that it wasn't because you were always honest with me," Stefan looked like she'd just slapped him, but Elena pressed on. "But with Damon, I distrusted him on day one because you told me to. And it's true that he has done more awful things than I'll probably ever know. But the one thing Damon has never done was lie to me. Never." She repeated the sentiment, knowing that Stefan understood her emphasis. Sure, Stefan always had his excuses for lying to her, but in the end the truth always came out.

Stefan was reaching for her now, trying to pull her back into his grasp. "Elena, I-" He stopped when she took another deliberate step back and crossed her arms over her chest. Her body language was telling him that he'd already lost this battle, but Stefan still had artillery to fire. "I saw your face when you found out he was in that burning building. That was more than caring or trust," he accused. Elena could only stare at him, aghast. Stefan didn't know what to say to bring back the Elena who had been confessing her love for him only moments before, "You know our past," he said more calmly, "and you know that Damon has made it his mission to make me suffer for it. I deserve it, but I don't want to see you get hurt by him when he's only trying to hurt me." Stefan watched her face change as he spoke.

Elena was glaring at him, hating the hypocrisy she saw. "You don't have to like it, Stefan, but Damon has earned my trust. No matter what you may think of your brother and his motivations in being my friend, I know Damon well enough to know that he doesn't put much effort into deceit. He's straightforward and usually more candid than necessary," Elena almost smiled a little, thinking about Damon's utter lack of shame, "You will never convince me that his plan is to hurt me. Damon wouldn't do it because he knows that I would never hurt him. I guess that's more than either of us can really say about you, isn't it?" Elena finished hotly. She turned on her heel and stormed out of the Mystic Grille, leaving a stunned and angry Stefan in her wake.

As soon as the cool air outside hit her, Elena stormed off in the direction of the school. She might as well pick up her Founders' Day costume and go home. Her head buzzed as she walked the few blocks, but she couldn't form a coherent thought. Elena was in shock. "What did I just do?" she finally asked herself aloud as she entered the school.

She had just accused her boyfriend of hurting her. No, of deliberately hurting her. That was even worse. Stefan had hurt her, several times. But Elena didn't really believe that he had meant to. Most of the time, he was trying to protect her from something or someone, and it blew up in his face. She used to think it was sweet that he cared enough for her to try to shelter her from some of the pain of life, even though never worked out. But in the end, she was always more bruised than if Stefan hadn't been involved at all.

She didn't need him to protect her anymore. This horror was a part of her life now too. Elena needed someone to guide her through this dark new world and help her learn to live in it. Damon had always done that. He never questioned Elena's ability to cope with the supernatural. But he was always available when she needed help dealing with it. That's why Elena trusted him. Damon never treated her like a child. He treated her like an equal.

As she gathered her clothes, Elena checked her phone. She wasn't expecting a call, but it was a habit. It felt strange that no one had tried to contact her in the last few hours. A side effect of everyone having a far too exciting evening, she supposed. Suddenly her thoughts raced back to Jeremy, and a wave of shame rolled through her.

Everything she had just fought with Stefan about, she had done to her little brother. She was more guilty of being overprotective than Stefan was. She actually had Jeremy's memories erased in order to protect him. If Stefan had ever done something like that to her, she'd be furious. Elena couldn't believe she had been so insensitive to what she had put Jeremy through. Yes, Elena had been trying to spare Jeremy pain and keep him out of her treacherous world, but that was no excuse. Elena never wanted Jeremy to feel about her the way she was feeling about Stefan now.

That thought was like a bucket of cold water. She didn't know how she was feeling about Stefan right now, but it wasn't good. Elena made up her mind right then that she would be completely honest with Jeremy about everything and be there to support him as he dealt with it. She would do for him what Damon had done for her. She'd be his shoulder to lean on, but a less cocky, sarcastic shoulder.

With that thought and a smile on her face for the first time in all night, Elena left the school building and headed home.

A/N I know it hasn't earned its M rating yet, but I promise to deliver in Chapter 2, if anybody's interested in reading Chapter 2. So let me know! Click Review and tell me what you thought. What was good? What wasn't? What did I forget? What do you want to see happen? lovelovelove