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‘The Vampire Diaries’ returns Jan. 5 — and so does the intense sexual tension between Damon & Elena.

Remember when Elena (Nina Dobrev) decided she was going to “let go” of Stefan (Paul Wesley) on the last episode of The Vampire Diaries? It looks like she wasn’t making idle threats. This new batch of photos from the Jan. 5 and Jan. 12 episodes find Elena getting awfully touchy-feely with Damon (Ian Somerhalder). But does that mean Stefan’s out of the picture for good?

Of course not! While he may be MIA from this crop of pics, Stefan is still very mich out and about in Mystic Falls — as is his master-turned-nemesis Klaus (Joseph Morgan.)

But the shots that intrigue me the most — plot-wise, anyway — are the ones of Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen) training in the woods with Tyler (Michael Trevino.) Besides the fact that it’ll be cool to see Jeremy do some real fighting, you’ve also got to admit: Dude looks good holding a crossbow.

— Andy Swift

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