AN: Just a little note to start you off. As the last ep I saw was 1x06 this is set after it. I have a plot planned out so if my fic in future ends up being totally different from the show then I'm sorry, but I'm sticking to it.  Also, my ultimate ship is Damon/Elena which will be the main feature but I intend to involve the whole cast and all the relationships. Yes, this includes Stefan/Elena and Matt/Elena. If you are a Stefan/Elena fan that doesn't feel you can take Damon/Elena as my personal OTP then please don't flame, and I hope you'll check this out anyway. Please enjoy.

Believer

Chapter 1: Uninvited

There was a loud knock at the door.

Without looking away from her laptop screen Elena shouted, 'Jer, get that.'

She listened for the sound of Jeremy's door creaking open and his heavy footfalls crossing the landing. But, either he hadn't heard her or he didn't care. Elena rolled her eyes in exasperation. Grumbling to herself she stood, arching her stiff back and stifling a yawn. She grabbed a hair tie from her dresser and threw her long hair up into a ponytail as she crossed the landing and skipped down the stairs. It was probably Bonnie, maybe Caroline…as long as it wasn't Stefan. She was so not in the mood for that.

Whoever it was knocked again.

Elena frowned irritably, her dark eyes narrowed, 'I'm coming, I'm coming.'

She reached the bottom of the stairs with a sigh and yanked the front door open.

She saw one eye, one beautiful, piercing blue eye and tried to force the door shut again.

Damon's hand shot out to hold it in place. She saw his fingers grip the hard wood and Elena's heart stopped as a mixture of fear and anger coursed through her. Her eyes flickered to the ancient ring on one of his fingers and they widened in disbelief. Stefan had given it back? She glanced back at Damon, looking bolder than she felt and pushed with all her strength on the door. He cocked his head to the side, wholly unfazed by her efforts, and with a small smile he said, 'We're not really going to do this again, are we?'

Elena's face was flushed with exertion. Her muscles were straining and she wanted to scream in frustration. His knowing smirk infuriated her, so inviting but so dangerous. She gave one last effort but Damon didn't budge an inch. Her arms fell limply to her sided and she hissed through gritted teeth, 'Do what again?'

Damon stepped forward slowly, pushing the door open further and Elena had no choice but to step back and allow him to enter her home once more. He brushed past her purposefully, his eyes never leaving hers and she was fully aware of how easy it would be to lose herself within them. Her breath caught in her throat and her own eyes dropped to the floor, unable to match the intensity of his stare. The hairs on her arms were on end and her breathing was turning ragged. He was so close, too close and all she could think was that at any second he could rip her throat out.

'Well,' he said softly, still standing directly in front of her. Swallowing hard Elena shot a dark look upwards. She had to lift her chin completely to meet his gaze. His beautiful face smiling almost warmly down at her belied the monster she knew lay within. Damon smiled, flashing his perfect set of teeth, 'the whole you trying to shut the door on me thing is getting pretty old. Let's face it, I could just break it down next time,' He reached forward and Elena flinched, holding her breath as he leant towards her. His hand fluttered past her cheek, a hairs breadth away from brushing her skin, to push the door shut behind her. Then he stepped back and with one raised eyebrow he whispered, 'You might want to be a little more accommodating.'

Elena closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them again Damon's had stepped away and was pacing lazily around the hallway, glancing from picture to picture. Elena's nostrils flared. No matter how frightened she was she was not about to enjoy being constantly at the mercy of some mythological badass. She had had enough of being kept in the dark, enough of being played with and enough of constantly wanting answers but only getting half-hearted ones. She leant back against the cool wood of the door.

'What do you want Damon?'

He glanced back at her nonchalantly as he picked up one of the pictures and waved it in her direction, 'Is this you?' She simply glared. He shrugged as he put it down, 'you were cute.'

There was a creak from upstairs and Elena's heart skipped a beat. She took a worried step towards the staircase keeping a wary eye on Damon. His smirk grew ever wider as he leant against the wall and folded his arms across his chest.

'Elena?' Jeremy's deepening voice called over the dull thud of his music, 'was that Aunt Jenna back?'

'No Jer,' she shouted back, her voice sounding forcibly cheerful, 'its just…Matt.'

She waited for a moment, heart racing, praying that her brother would never be in the same room as Damon Salvatore. She heard his door ease shut and let out a long relieved breath.

'What,' Damon's teasing tone did nothing to ease her fear, 'don't want to introduce me to the family yet?'

Elena wanted to glare at him again but the fear that trickled through her, combined with the fact that Damon was almost the most infuriating person she had ever met, was draining any fight she might have had.

'What are you doing here Damon?' she asked in a tired voice. She leant against the banister of the stairs directly across from him and waited.

He didn't speak for a while so they just stood there staring at each other. Slowly, and to her great surprise, Elena began to relax. Despite knowing his true nature, he didn't feel much of a threat, at least not to her, and she still had on her vervain necklace. There was no way she'd be giving into his compulsion. She studied him as he studied her. Dressed all in black as he always was. His hair a scruffy mess that merely accentuated his chiselled cheekbones. And his eyes, the most piercing she had ever seen. He was the perfect example of a seductive but dangerous beauty.

His head tipped to the side again, playful with that constant underlying menace, 'Why haven't you been answering Stefan's calls? Not keen on a supernatural boyfriend?'

Elena started. Her surprise was clear on her face.

Damon took a step forward as he laughed, his face immediately lit up. Elena was struck by the difference it made to him. The darkness was washed away by something almost…normal.

'Really Elena, he's been moping around our house night and day,' Damon came to stand before her and reached forward to touch a loose strand of her hair, 'what else but a woman could drive a man to such depths?'

She slapped his hand aside and stepped around him, trying desperately to ignore the way her skin had tingled at his touch on her neck.

'What happens between me and Stefan is none of your business,' she spat in a voice that sounded strangely strangled. In a desperate effort to put some distance between them she stormed into the kitchen.

'He's my brother, I'm just looking out for him…'

Elena spun, ready to retort, only to find Damon a mere inch away from her face. She muffled a small cry and stumbled back. Damon's eyes twinkled with mirth and Elena felt her face flush deep crimson. She looked away from him in an attempt to regain her composure and her eyes fell on his ring once more.

She tilted her chin towards it and Damon glanced down at his hand. Elena spoke in a voice cool as ice, 'Just like he looks out for you?'

Damon snorted. He waggled his finger at her and responded in a tone just as icy, 'He owed me.'

Elena barked a laugh, her eyebrows shot up in complete disbelief, 'Owed you? He owed you?' She shook her head, her shoulders shaking with bitter mirth. 'After everything, all the trouble you have caused him. The people you…' Elena's expression darkened as she stumbled over the word. Saying it would only bring the reality of what he was creeping back. '…people you killed. Caroline! What you've done to Vicki!' She spun to face him, a raging fire burning within her. All her frustration came bubbling to the surface, 'Yet he owes you?'

Damon stood still and silent as a statue and Elena's furious tirade came to a shuddering halt. Her eyes widened as she took a step back. He may not have been moving but his smirk was nowhere to be seen and his brow was lowered, casting a dark shadow over his eyes. Suddenly all Elena could see was his face, all she could think was that he was a cold, calculating murderer and he was in her home looking as though he'd like nothing more than to add her to his list of victims.

Then the moment passed. He turned his back to her, breaking eye contact and said quietly, 'You shouldn't talk about things you don't understand.'

That simple statement caused a cascade of questions to rush through her head. But relief had fallen on her shoulders like a weight and she could barely breathe, let alone speak. With effort she pushed herself away from the kitchen counter, towards the large dining table. She fell into one of the chairs and lay her head on her arms.

Damon didn't move or speak. Neither did she. They stayed that way for what felt like hours, but was only a couple of minutes. Only when the large clock in the hallway chimed for nine o'clock did Elena stir. Her eyes peeked over her arm at him, but all she could see was the crinkled leather of his jacket.

'You know,' she said tentatively, 'my Aunt Jenna will be back any second now. If she finds you here she'll…'

'She'll what?' Damon threw a look over his shoulder, holding his hands out in question, his voice still cold, 'Throw me out? I don't think so.'

Then before Elena knew it, he was sat opposite her, chin resting on the palm of his hand. She blinked a few times, still not anywhere near used to the blatant displays of supernatural ability. Then her expression darkened once more.

'Just leave Damon,' she managed barely.

He stretched his arms behind his head and leant back in the chair, balancing it on two legs. He shook his head from side to side, mocking her with his eyes, then he leant forward again, 'I don't want to do that.'

Elena's nostrils flared. She leant forward herself and for the first time Damon looked surprised. His expressive eyebrows leapt up and his eyes sparkled with interest. Then she said bluntly, 'Fine, then I'll leave.'

She stood so quickly that her chair skidded back across the wooden floor. Damon laughed again, the corners of his eyes crinkling but that only served to make Elena more determined. She moved to leave but Damon's hand caught her wrist in an iron grip. She tried to pull away but it was impossible.

'Let go of me.'

Damon stood, keeping hold of her arm. He stepped around the table pulling her with him until he held her before his chest. Looming over her, looking down into her eyes he muttered darkly, 'You're really going to leave me here with a tasty morsel like your brother upstairs?'

It was Elena's turn to smirk even as her heart quaked with terror at the threat. She wrenched her arm away and this time Damon let her. Her voice shook with fury as she spat, 'Don't even try it Damon. You are not going to hurt Jeremy. Just like I know you are not going to hurt me.'

Damon's eyes narrowed. His jaw clenched, Elena could see the muscles tensing in his face. But he said nothing more.

She pierced him with one final look of disgust then stomped away, out of the kitchen and down the hall. She grabbed her jacket off the coat stand and reached out for the door handle.

She hadn't heard him move but Damon's arm was suddenly encircling her waist and wrenching her back.

'Let go!' she shrieked, struggling wildly. She realised she had misjudged the situation totally. Any second his head would dip towards her neck and all the fight would be drained from her. Would Jeremy find her, crumpled at the foot of the stairs? Or would it be Aunt Jenna? Tears pricked the corners of her eyes, she scratched and kicked Damon but it made no difference, he continued to hold her tight against him.

Yet, she slowly realised that that was all he was doing, holding her. There were no fangs sinking into the flesh of her neck. In fact, his grip on her was almost gentle. Her breathing slowed as her panic faded. A single tear rolled down her cheek as she slumped in his grasp.

'Just…let me go…' she gasped pitifully.

Damon didn't move. He didn't look at her. He simply said in an uncharacteristic monotone, 'You can't go out there tonight.'

Elena shook her head. It pounded painfully, unable to bear the constant strain the last few days had placed upon it.

'Why?' Elena breathed.

He remained silent, but his grip tightened around her pulling her against his warm chest. It was only then that she noticed how close he was and how heavily he was breathing.

There was a light rapping at the door, barely loud enough for her to notice, but notice Elena did.

Sniffling softly, Elena spoke, 'I have to get that.'

'No.'

Elena stiffened. Her brows drew together furiously. In her anger she didn't notice that Damon's own voice was shaking. She didn't consider that he was just as afraid as she was. All she could think of was herself. Of the fact that Stefan and Damon were vampires and that they were messing with her mind. Spouting lies, half-truths or nothing at all. She was fed up of letting them treat her as they wished.

The knock came again, this time louder though thankfully not loud enough for Jeremy to hear. Elena felt Damon turn slightly, his attention drawn towards the door. Her eyes darted around, her heart pounding against her ribs. Then she saw, barely noticeable, a small splinter of wood standing invitingly on the banister of the stairs.

Without thought, while his attention was elsewhere, Elena reached with her free arm, ripped the splinter free and dug it as far as she could into Damon's hand.

He hissed in pain and his grip loosened. Elena pulled free and with adrenaline coursing through her veins she yanked the door open.

'No!' Damon roared.

Elena froze and it felt as thought the world stopped around her.

She didn't hear Damon shout, or feel his arm pull her back. She saw herself, staring back at her. A second Elena, with slightly fuller lips and a more angular face. Elena grew cold. She knew without needing to be told that here, before her, stood Katherine.

Katherine's head tipped to the side, a perfect copy of Damon's own mocking expression that Elena so often saw. She regarded Elena with curiosity. Then she giggled girlishly, her eyes flickering with delight as they passed over Damon's rigid form, 'Hello Elena,' she said smoothly, 'may I come in?'

AN: I absolutely adore reviews and encourage constructive criticism.