Katherine got her wish, she finally won. After all the struggle that her and Stefan went through to try and keep their relationship going, Katherine won. She got what she wanted and that was Stefan. All the lying and sneaking around to try and make it work, only ended up in Jenna getting hurt. Katherine compelling her to stab herself. She could not take the fact that Stefan was having a hard time trying to tell the two of them apart thanks to Katherine and her mind games. In the end Elena ended up being the one who got hurt the most.

Elena just couldn't stand the sight of Stefan and Katherine being together so she was doing everything she could to avoid running into them. A couple of weeks had gone by. No phone calls to each other, or stopping by the house to see them. Mostly she was keeping her mind on her school work and the things going on with Jeremy and Jenna. But the hurt she felt was so great to the point where it felt like it was going to split her in half.

Elena had gone to the Grill at first after school, and had a few drinks. Her friends and her family were worried about her, but there was honestly nothing that they could do to help her. Elena was sitting at the bar having her third beer, she was shocked that the bartender was letting her go that far. Normally just one was the limit.

Damon had been drinking heavily, for the past week or so. And with how much hard liquor he’d downed tonight alone, a human would be unconscious. He’d been hurt more than he wanted anyone to know. Katherine, she’d chosen Stefan again. Everyone chose Stefan. Katherine, Elena, then Katherine and Elena fighting for Stefan. Hell, even as far in the past as their human days, Giuseppe had always preferred his younger son over Damon. And it all just made the walls around his heart grow thicker and thicker, and the hate for Stefan grow stronger and stronger.

He sat at the far end of the bar, emptying yet another glass. His throat was burning, a mix of tequila and his thirst. His eyes firs scanned over the crowds sitting at the tables closest to him, then he looked further and further down the bar. Damon couldn’t stop the grin that pulled at his lips, Elena was drinking? And all alone at that. She must still be pining over the break up. His smirk fell into a scowl. Stefan was an idiot to choose Katherine over Elena. Every word Katherine ever spoke was a lie. And she couldn’t be trusted. He knew she wouldn’t want his company; Elena didn’t care for him much. But the alcohol in his veins gave him the drive to talk to her.

Damon sauntered over towards her, taking the seat directly beside her at the bar. He flagged the bartender for another drink. He’d had so many he didn’t even need to mention what he wanted. As the drink was set down in front of him, he toyed his finger around the rim of the glass. Not looking over at Elena as he took a sip. “So, he’s driven you to drink has he?” Damon asked, knowing that was exactly what was wrong with her.

Elena looked out the corner of her eye, and scoffed lightly when she saw who it was that was sitting down next to her. "No. He hasnt. Katherine has driven me to drink. She always wants it her way, and if she dosent get what she wants she puts other people in the hospital." She turned to look at him. "Jenna is doing better by the way in case you were interested."

Elena reached for the bottle and took another sip of beer, doing what she could to avoid to make that bitter beer face. Like he was honestly interested in anything she had to say. "What can I say Damon, I loved him, and I still do. I just hate the fact that Katherine was able to win. But of course how could I win against a vampire." She took another sip before she placed it back on the bar.

Damon bit back the urge to sink his teeth into her neck. She smelled lovely, and the fact that he hadn’t fed in a few days didn’t help. His pale blue eyes looked her over, knowing she was biting back the taste of the beer. “If you don’t like it Elena, don’t drink it.” He looked towards the bartender. Catching the young man’s eye for only a moment was all it took before Damon had him trapped in his gaze. “Two Strawberry Presidente Margaritas.” The man smiled and agreed, before turning away to make their drinks.

And Damon turned back to Elena. It was hard for him to talk about things like this. And he’d compelled Elena to forget the one time he confessed how he truly felt. And he knew now wasn’t the time, but he needed to say something. Anything to give Elena some sort of relief. “You’re not the only one hurting Elena. I searched the world for a way to get her out of the tomb.” And of course by ‘her’ Elena would understand he meant he Katherine. “I finally did find a way, and the bitch wasn’t even in there. She’d been alive and well for 150 years, and she didn’t bother to let me know.”

His grip tightened around his glass. “And now,” Damon paused, “She’s come back for Stefan. She made a deal with John Gilbert that involved saving either me or Stefan. And she gave me the dagger to go kill Elijah. She knew it would kill me too. I’m mad that Stefan always wins Elena. Katherine chose him, our father chose him, you chose him.” Damon’s voice broke, but he masked it quickly, hiding his face behind his glass.

That night that Damon confessed his love for Elena, he compelled her to make her forget that those words even passed his lips, before he placed the necklace back around her neck. Then in the blink of an eye Damon had dissappeared. Then it was just like nothing had ever happened, things went back to the way things were. "I didn't know that you were the margarita type," she said as she downed the rest of her beer.

Elena listened to him quietly. Damn her kind nature! She couldn't just get up and walk away. "I know Damon, I was there with you in the tomb remember?" Elena looked to him and placed her warm gentle hand on top of his. "I have to admit you have come a long way since the first time we met, well except for that one time that you killed Jeremy. You were just lucky he was wearing that ring."

Her thumb lightly caressed the skin on the back of his hand before she pulled her hand away. Elena, always being the one to care for others, to try and comfort them when they were hurting, and thinking more about how others were feeling instead of her own. "I just wish I could be more like you and be able to shut off all emotion, maybe then this would all be easier, if I just didn't care."

Damon didn’t acknowledge her comments on the margaritas. He had no intention to drink them, but he did have the intention of getting Elena drunk. She was quite fun after a few rounds. He’d found that out back in Georgia, and he’d actually had quite a good time himself. That was really the first time he and Elena had spent any time together. And yes he remembered Elena was there in the tomb, she’d been the one to go in and pull him out before he was sealed in there forever.

He also remembered the night he’d killed Jeremy. And though he somewhat regretted it, admittedly, he hadn’t noticed or cared about that ring. Damon’s temper had got the best of him, he was so unstable he lashed out at the first person to come his way. When Elena touched his hand he pulled his eyes away from the drink he was so interested in before, glancing over at Elena as she spoke. It was incredible, how much she looked like Katherine, but how vastly different the two of them were.

The bartender came, setting the drinks down in front of Damon, which he promptly slid them over in front of Elena. There was a short pause before he spoke again. “That’s a lie Elena. You can’t turn it off, not after a while. Stefan doesn’t know, because he doesn’t try to turn off that switch anymore, but it goes away after a few years. Only young vampires can turn their feelings off.” That was a confession he didn’t like to share, but it was true. Damon felt regret, and sadness and hurt, though he never let it show if it was possible.

Elena knew Damon enough to know what he was up to when he put those drinks right in front of her. She let out a small sigh and brought one of the glasses up to her lips and took a small sip of the red liquid. It was not half bad, a little tart but not bad. She took one more sip before placed the glass back down on the bar. Elena was definately no light weight when it came to consuming alcohol.

"Really? Because when we first met you made it seem to easy to turn off your emotions. Well sort of, I mean the only emotion you showed was mostly just irritation and hate towards Stefan. For a while you were actually starting to act like a normal person, caring in a way. Then Katherine shows up and you go back to acting the way you were before."

She downed the rest of the first strawberry margarita and placed the glass back down before she turned to look at him. "So after all this time, what changed to make you start caring? The last time I recall you buying me drinks was when we were in Georgia."

Damon smirked some, eyeing over her empty glass before taking another sip of his own drink. Finishing it easily in one mouthful. He’d had enough to drink that even he could feel the warm, loose, relaxation. Though it’d taken more drinks than any one human could survive. His smirk turned into a slight smile. “Elena, I think its best if we keep off of that.” His tone was serious, he didn’t want to go there again. Last time, he’d broached the subject he had to compel it from Elena’s memory. Which really, in truth, hurt worse than knowing she didn’t feel the same.

He stretched his back, and rolled his shoulders, enjoying the feel of the warm alcohol running his veins. He could feel it coursing through his body, and it did indeed fell wonderful. And though he hadn’t fed in a long while, he’d drank enough to erase the cravings. “And, speaking of Georgia. I think we had a pretty good time. All the more reason to buy you drinks if you ask me.”

(I do apologize for length)

"Yeah considering the fact that you pretty much kidnapped me." Elena looked to him again and smile. The memories of that night were a little fuzzy, though she had been quick to sober up when another vampire had taken her hostage and tried to kill Damon. It had been Elena who had kept that other vampire from killing Damon. The vampire thought that they had been together and that she was in love with Damon, that was the reason why he let Damon go.

"By the way sometimes I still think that you need a bib when you drink too much." She laughed softly. "But if I go home too smashed I will never hear the end of it from Jenna." Elena turned around, and went to stand up, nearly falling down to the floor, but she was able to catch herself in time before she could cause too much of a scene. "Yeah I think I have had enough."

Damon smirked, ignoring her comment and watching her get up from the bar stool. When she nearly slipped and fell he got up himself, putting his hand on her arm. “If you can’t go home to Jenna drunk, then don’t. Don’t you forget dear you hold the deed to the Salvatore boarding house. Or, shall I say- the Gilbert boarding house. And no, Stefan isn’t home.” His smile was playful, devious, but he truly had no ill intent. “You could use a night out don’t you think?” Elena had never been in Damon’s room to see the rich man’s play pen.

His hand moved down Elena’s arm to take her hand, lifting it and kissing the back in a gentlemanly manner. “And I would be glad to escort you Elena.” He bowed, motioning towards the door. Of course her vervien necklace prevented him from compelling her, but Damon’s charm was still hard to resist.

Elena pulled her hand out of his. "I don't believe you Damon. You act like this is some sort of sport and I am the prize." She shook her head a bit and grabbed her jacket and putting it on. "I can't go back there Damon. Katherine would only kill me, Jeremy, or Jenna if I go back. She will only think that I am trying to get Stefan back. I would rather face Jenna drunk than having to go back there."

Still Elena followed him out to the door. "If you could just escourt me home, I would really appreciate it, and I do not want to go back to the boarding house tonight, or any other night. Not as long as Stefan and Katherine are still here." The cool night air, was what she really needed after all the alcohol that warmed her body.

Once they were inside his car Elena buckled herself up. With the rythmic vibration and roar of the engin, it lulled her into a false sense of security. She rested her head against the window, and after just a few minutes of the drive, she was fast asleep.

The rejection stung a bit. But he simply stashed it away like he always did. Bottling it up for years and years until he had enough to unleash into a murderous killing spree, and, God bless whatever town or establishment is closest to him when that happens. But at the same time he was used to it. He was accustomed to the fact that, despite his own feelings, Elena had made it clear she was only fond of Stefan. Everyone he had ever loved was only fond of Stefan.

None the less he was willing to drive Elena home. She was obviously too intoxicated, it would be not only illegal for her to be driving, but he didn’t want to risk her safety that way. He glanced over periodically, and having noticed she was asleep, smiled a bit. She was far to trust for her own good. Last time she woke up in the car with him half way to Atlanta. But he pulled the car up along the curve in front of the Gilbert house. He got out, walked around to the passenger side and opened the door unbuckling the seat belt and carefully lifting Elena out of the seat.

With his strength it was easy to carry her, almost like she wasn’t there, though he made it look as if it involved some effort, as Jenna was now standing on the front porch. He smiled to her some, nodding his head. Jenna wasn’t overly fond of Damon, but she wasn’t against him either. “She fell asleep. Could you get the door?” He asked her, not having a free hand to open the front door, though he intended to take her up to her room.

Jenna was definately not very fond of Damon, but she didn't down right hate him. She just knew to stay away from him. She was just praying that Elena would be smart enough to do the same. But judging by the look of this, this was not going to be easy. Damon knew that Elena broke up with Stefan and now Damon was the one who was bringing her home?

Jenna didn't question Damon's intent. She was more worried about Elena, so she did as she was asked and opened the door for him. Elena lifted her head when he was halfway up the stairs. She wrapped her arms around his neck, just out of reaction thinking that he might drop her. "Thank you for bringing me home Damon." Once they were out of prying eyes in her room Elena leaned up a bit and lightly kissed his cheek. "You know you can be really sweet when you want to be."

Damon smirked, laying her down on the bed and leaning over for her just a moment. “Yes I can, from time to time.” Yes, he could be sweet, but then he would ruin it. His pride wouldn’t let him be sweet for long. He had to make some move to prove he didn’t care, about anyone. Which, all be it a lie, was all he knew how to do. His feelings were hard to express. “But you know me well don’t you Elena? I’m just a cold and heartless killer.” He folded his arms over his chest, glancing about her room. He’d been there before but, not in a long while.

The photos of Stefan were gone, and there was no evidence they’d ever been there. But he couldn’t blame her for taking them out. He hated Stefan’s face too. Even more so now, that he’d had Elena, but threw her away for Katherine. He was a fool. And Damon was still alone. Feeling his temper rising he pulled himself out of his thoughts and into the present. Smiling some, “You get some rest. Your head will be killing you tomorrow.”

Elena slowly sat up and placed her head into her hands for a moment. She at least had to attempt to get changed into something a little more comfortable. The last time he had been in her room was when he confessed his love to her, and then compelled her to forget it all. "Please don't remind me."

Elena moved over to her dresser a little wobbly. But she pulled out a blue tank top, and a pair of shorts to match. Going into the bathroom she changed out of her clothes. It was a couple of minutes before she would emerge again.

"Damon I know that this is going to sound a little strange but can you stay with me until I fall asleep? I have not been sleeping very well since the break up. I will understand if you don't want to." She moved over to the bed and pulled the covers back before she climbed in. She knew exactly what she was asking of him. She did like Damon a lot, perhaps they could have been together if he didn't kill so much, or would show his sweet side more often.

Damon had stood idly, almost as if he was waiting to be dismissed. His blue eyes scanning over the room, taking in every detail. The entire room looked, and felt like Elena. Warm, and clean, but slightly scattered. It was pleasant, though the fact he was the second to man to be invited into it wasn’t overly pleasing. When she came back out he didn’t make a show of looking her over, though he couldn’t help himself.

Elena’s request had caught him off guard. And she had no idea what she asking of him. But it wasn’t her fault. She didn’t know. But he would not refuse her, not over something like this. Damon nodded his head, taking a moment to slip off his shoes before he sat down on the edge of her bed, leaning back against the headboard. “I suppose I don’t mind. But don’t drool on my shirt, its John Varvatos.” He smirked playfully, and his tone was a bit teasing. Though he patted the bed space close to his side.

She could not help but smile at his little comment about not drooling on his shirt. "Well then I guess you will be happy to know that I don't drool in my sleep." Elena slowly moved over to Damon, and nestled up to him carefully. Making sure not to move the bed too much since they both had a little too much to drink. The last thing she wanted was to get sick on him.

Elena rested her head on his chest. He smelled wonderful, though weather that was the alcohol he drank or his colong she didn't know. Stefan would not like this little sight one bit. She nuzzled into his chest lightly and drapped an arm over his stomach, resting her hand lightly upon his chest. "Thank you Damon," she said softly. Though she found that she could not exactly sleep, this was just different was all. After a while he breathing became slow and even as she fell asleep.

Damon sat still, his arm wrapped around her, and his hand moving in slow circles along her lower back. Her warmth was incredible, and the sweet smell of her blood was more intoxicating than the alcohol in his system. His blue eyes looked down, smiling at the view. Elena was beautiful, but of course, he already knew that. Everyone knew that. He brushed some of her hair back from her face, letting his fingertips trail over her cheek. Then he sunk down into the sheets a bit more, though of course he was careful not to wake his sleeping beauty.

Once he was shifted into a more comfortable position, he let his own eyes close. It had been a few days since he went to sleep for any length of time, and he was quite tired. Sleep overtook him more quickly than he would have liked. Cutting his time to brood and appreciate Elena short. But the sleep was needed, and by the time the morning sun peeked in through the windows. Damon was laying on his stomach, his arms wrapped around a pillow, fast asleep. His shirt wrinkled badly and had ridden up a bit, showing a good portion of his lower and middle back.

Elena was not surprised to see him still in the bed with her. Though this was the first time in days that she had any sleep at all. The night was not totally horrible. Damon had brought her back home safe and sound and stayed until she fell asleep, but it turned out he stayed a little longer than he was supposed to. Elena was careful not to move the bed too much to wake him. Her head throbbed like hell but she was able to grabe a change of clothes, and shower.

Then of course she got the third degree from Jenna, who luckily forgot that Damon was upstairs in her bedroom. But the headach only got worse as Jenna shouted at her for getting smashed, and for coming home with Damon. But she reassured Jenna that there was nothing going on. Then she grabbed a cup of hot coffee, sneaking up a second one for Damon.

Elena sat down on the side of the bed, placing her hand along his back. "Damon. Come on, it's time to get up. I brought you some coffee," she said softly. "Plus your shirt is really wrinkled."

Damon had woken the moment Elena stirred in the bed. But he didn’t let it show, laying perfectly still exactly how he had been. He heard all the noise in the kitchen downstairs as Jenna went on and on about responsibility. She was one to talk though. Damon had heard a lot of stories, and seen some first hand, that Jenna could be very, irresponsible when she drank. None the less when Elena came back up with the coffee, he took a deep breath and sighed, sitting himself up on his elbows enough to take the coffee mug in his hands.

He raised one eyebrow some, looking over at Elena with suspicion in his blue eyes. “And how bad off are you today?” Damon’s voice was a bit rough from sleep. But he rolled over and sat himself up, pushing the sheets away from him and straightening his shirt out as best he could. Sipping his coffee, he looked over Elena. She looked likely about as great as she felt. Dark circles under her eyes, and the headache was obvious on her face. Damon knew exactly what would take that hangover away, but Elena would never consent. No matter how bad the hangover may be.

"Im okay. I can definatley say that I have had worse headaches than this one." Elena smiled a little and leaned back on the bed a bit sipping her coffee. "My head throbs but I think I am used to that part by now." She looked over to him and smiled softly. "I guess I should just be lucky that its saturday and I don't have to worry about going to school with a hangover."

She took another sip of her coffee. "See I told you I don't drool." She laughed softly, but just that little laugh had her head throbbing again. "So if you don't mind my asking, why did you stay last night? Not that I am complaining or anything. You looked liked you could use the sleep too."

Well Elena had managed to set Damon up for some seriously corny lines. There were so many to pick from, and all were applicable. ‘I couldn’t leave you.’ ‘I didn’t want to leave your side.’ ‘I can’t bear to be away from you.’ But, Damon wasn’t one for sappy words. Not to mention he’d be asking for a slap in the face. “I just fell asleep. Apparently I was more tired than I realized I was.” Sure, it was a partial lie, he was tired, but he couldn’t really tell her why. That would go back to the slap in the face thing. He took another sip from his coffee, enjoying the warmth, and knowing it’d warm his own body up some.

“So, if you don’t mind my asking-“ Damon smirked, playfully mocking Elena’s words. “Why aren’t you complaining? That’s very unlike you not to tell me to go away or be all snarky, moody acting?” He was so tempted to ask if she was missing Stefan enough that substituting Damon in Stefan’s place was what she’d resorted too. And, while he greatly suspected that, and it hurt more than he’d show, beggars can’t be choosers. He’d rather spend this time than no time with Elena. As pathetic as it was.

Elena shook her head a bit, knowing that he would turn her words around on her. "Believe it or not Damon, you are not the worst person in the world to be with. Plus I am not exactly in the state of mind to argue. After I broke up with Stefan I didn't feel safe, not even in my own bed. I guess that was the reason why I couldn't sleep. I was afraid of losing someone else."

Elena looked to him sadly. "I wish I could have been more like you. Be able to turn off my emotions and not care. Maybe then I would actually be able to get some sleep. But then I wouldn't be the person I am if I didn't care." Elena placed her coffee on the nightstand before she snuggled up against his side, resting her head against his chest again. "How do you turn it off Damon?"

Damon sighed some, sipping his coffee, but placing one arm around her shoulders. Resting his hand on her side. “There’s a switch, inside, once you’re like me. You can flip it on and off. Even choose with emotions to feel or not feel. It, it is hard to explain to a human.” His voice trailed off for a moment. “But that switch goes away, after about twenty years, its gone. I, I can’t turn it off anymore. But I don’t tell anyone, and Stefan doesn’t know. He decided to stop using it long before it faded from his mind. I’ve felt everything a normal person would, for the last hundred and something years.”

It certainly wasn’t something he was okay with sharing. But he’d formed a trust with Elena. As much a trust as he could form at least. Damon was extremely guarded. He didn’t let anyone know that he wasn’t a cold, heartless, killing machine. In his mind, the more people who knew he had a heart, meant more people could try and break it. "Trust me Elena, you don't want to be anything like me."

Elena was actually shocked that he would ever confess such a thing to her, but in a way a part of her had always known, that he was not the ruthless killer that every one always thought of him to be. She knew that he had another side. If he didn't care for her, he would have just let that other vampire kill her that night that her car flipped over on the road. Or defend her when Katherine wanted to dispose of her. "I just meant emotionally I wish I could. I never wanted to be a vampire."

Was it wrong that it felt right to be laying here against him? Wanting to just stay where she felt safe? She leaned her head up and lightly kissed his cheek. "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me," she said smiling lightly. "And you don't have to pretend with me Damon."

Her words cut deep. She had no idea, none at all. Though Damon wished with every ounce of his being that he didn’t have to pretend around Elena, it just couldn’t be. She didn’t feel for him as he felt for her. And it would be worse if she did. They were an impossible pair. He’d stay flawlessly young, and she would age, wither, and eventually die. But the other option was worse, he couldn’t bear to sentence her to this. Hell, Damon wouldn’t wish it on anyone. He’d only wanted for himself to be with Katherine. But now that the situation was reversed, he could not curse the one he loved like this.

Damon sighed, his eyes staring half-open at the wall in front of him. “Don’t say that Elena. You have no idea what that means.” His voice was hard now. You could almost hear the huge stone walls rising around his heart. though he didn't physically move away from her. Damon was shutting out the outside world as he always did. A learned defense for when he wasn’t comfortable with his feelings.

"Please don't shut me out Damon. I am not Katherine. I wouldn't hurt you, not if I could help it and not intentionally. But hurting is a part of living Damon." Elena knew of so much hurt more than Damon could know. She still felt the hurt of her parents being gone, especially since the accident was her fault. The fact that her brother was not a part of everything that was going on in her life, supernatural or not. Now with Stefan out of the picture, only made it worse. But at least Damon was still here with her.

"Please don't shut me out Damon." She nuzzled into his chest a bit, her hand coming up, her fingers curling up into his shirt. Then she leaned up and lightly kissed his cheek. "Thank you for staying with me last night Damon. It was very nice of you."

Damon only relaxed minimally. But regardless he wrapped one arm around her shoulders, and dipped down to please a soft kiss to the top of her head. It was a rare moment, and really the first time Elena would ever recall him being so gentle, so, un-Damon like. He sighed quietly, letting his eyes close. “I’m still surprised you wanted me to stay. I didn’t think you’d trust me that far.” He smirked a little, trying desperately to pull some familiar emotion into this mix. He was very uneasy with all these feelings. Being a vampire only made it worse, multiplying it so many times.

There was a long moment of silence, well, silence for Elena. Damon was listening to the TV in the living-room downstairs, and the various sounds of Jenna and Jeremy milling about the house. Totally unaware that he was in their home. How blissfully ignorant humans were. He glanced down at Elena. “You best not fall back to sleep. I’ll have to leave before Jenna comes up here to find you.”

She laughed softly, then groaned when her head started to throbe again. "Jenna won't come up here to check on me anytime soon. She is kind of giving me the cold shoulder and perfers that I just not be seen right now. Can't say that I blame her. It was stupid of me to go out drinking last night, not to mention you buying a couple of rounds didn't really help me much," she smirked.

"And I do trust you Damon. If I couldn't trust you, you probably would have killed me when you first met me. But I know that you care about me even if you don't really want to show it." She only sat up long enough to take another sip of her coffee before she laid back down beside him. "Besides, I really needed a friend last night, and I am glade that it was yours." Leaning up she lightly brushed her lips against his in a small kiss.

Damon froze, not believing what had just happened. He wasn’t sure what to think, his heart soared for a moment with hope, but it fell quickly. His life had proven that anything this wonderful, was a trap. It only took a second for his heart to shut itself away again. His eyes were getting colder and colder by the second. She was doing all of this, just to hurt him. She and Stefan probably weren’t even broken up. Everyone was against him. All of this thought, a reversion, in a fraction of a second it took for Elena to brush her lips over his.

In a heartbeat he had her pinned under him on the bed, his hands gripping her shoulders tightly. Pale blue eyes angry, full of hurt, and hate. “You think you can play with me like that? I knew you and Stefan couldn’t be trusted, but I never thought you would take it this far Elena. Or Katherine? You’re both so sick I can’t tell the difference anymore.” His voice was angry, and there would be bruises on her shoulders from his hands. But Damon wasn’t in a mindset to realize that yet. Just like the night he killed Jeremy.

Elena gasped when he flipped things around and was on her in an instant pinning her against the ground. Her heart was starting to hammer against her chest, not knowing what he was going to do to her. Fear could be seen in her eyes as she looked up into his. She could see that he was angry and his eyes pierced into hers, normally that would have paralyzed any girl but Elena was different, she started fighting back against him.

"What are you talking about Damon? You think the break up was fake? It wasn't Damon, I have not seen Stefan in weeks. I sweare that it was real. I have no reason to lie." She tried to push him off of her, tears were filling up her eyes. "Damon, your hurting me!"

It took a few seconds for the reality to sink in. Just as it had the night he killed Jeremy. But thankfully, Elena wasn’t dead. He let go of her quickly, scrambling to get away from her. Now he’d crossed a line. She would never forgive him, but his head was too cloudy to think straight. His heart ached, and his temper was on the verge of taking control. Damon sat, his back against the bedroom door, his head in his hands. Fists clenched tight in his hair.

Though it was rare for Damon to break down quite so severely, it was in his nature to be volatile like this. And Elena knew that. Damon clamed himself back down in a few moments, his head clearing of the rage, hurt, and confusion. His pale eyes glanced then to Elena, she wasn’t bleeding, and she wasn’t dead. He silently thanked whatever miracle that was. “I’m sorry Elena. I, I wasn’t thinking.” He sighed, getting up to leave her alone in her room.

Elena didn't know if she should go and comfort him or be afraid of him. She sat up in her bed, rubbing at her arms slightly from where he had pinned her against the bed. She knew that he didn't mean to hurt her, it was an accident. She also knew that he could have killed her with just an easy snap of her neck. But she didn't care, that was one of her flaws. If she saw someone else hurting she wanted to help them.

She got up from the bed and placed her hand upon his shoulder to stop him from leaving. "Damon, it's okay." She looked up into his eyes. "I know that you were just trying to protect yourself from getting hurt, but every now and then Damon you have to let someone in. I wouldn't hurt you on purpose and I have no reason to lie, and I care about you Damon."

She reached out and took his hand into hers, holding it over her heart. "Please believe me when I say that I really do love you." She realized what had just passed her lips and lowered her eyes for a moment before looking back up into his, not really wanting to see the reaction he might have to this.

There were way to many thoughts running through his head. Too many emotions, too much to process. But Damon didn’t shy away from Elena’s touch. He couldn’t believe what she was saying, and it was his natural reaction not to believe her. But this was Elena, he reminded himself. Not Katherine, Elena, she wouldn’t hurt someone that way. She was honest, and caring, and loving people was just in her nature.

Damon turned his pale blue eyes down to Elena, a look of mistrust, and disbelief obvious in them. “Do you remember when your necklace had been lost? And, the night you got it back? You were standing in your bedroom?” Of course she wouldn’t remember any of his presence that night, but he figured she would remember the nigh itself. “I gave it back to you Elena. I was there, in your room when you came out of the bathroom. I told you everything. Then I compelled it all away, and put your necklace back around your neck.”

He paused for a moment. “I, I just had to tell you, at least once. To know what you would do. And, as I figured, you chose Stefan. Everyone picks Stefan.” His voice trailed off at the end, obviously uneasy with the situation. He remembered as a human, he was always the sensitive one. The polite, kind, and caring one. But look where hat got him. Dead, and then worse, Undead.

But that one side of him is what Elena liked about him. Got her to be his friend again after he killed her brother, got her to fight for his life when Lexi's boyfriend was going to kill him. Elena knew that there was more to him than what he was letting on.

Elena looked up at him curiously when he mentioned something that she didn't remember happening. She honestly didn't know what to say or do after hearing that. But then he mentioned Stefan again and she walked away, folding her arms in front of her chest. "It's not going to be about Stefan anymore Damon. Katherine has her claws in him pretty deep and this time he won't be coming back from it."

Then she turned to face him. "I love you too Damon. You just don't make it easy for anyone to love you. Its like everytime you let someone get a little to close you immediately do something to make them hate you."

He knew she was right. Every time he let someone get close it would make him more and more nervous to the point where he wouldn’t be able to tolerate it. Lashing out with anger and violence, and showing his cocky self-centered attitude as best he could. If anything, to try and reinforce to himself that he didn’t need anyone. That he was ok alone. But he really wasn’t. He craved companionship, with or without the romantic element to it. Damon just needed someone, but he refused to let himself think that.

Hearing Elena’s last sentence he turned his pale blue eyes to her, his face worried at first. Unsure of how to handle all the intense emotion running through his head. And it would be a typical response to just let anger override everything else. But this was Elena, he didn’t want to hurt her again, or ever for that matter. You could almost see him forcefully relax himself, gently taking Elena’s hand in his own. Damon brought her hand up to his lips, kissing the back of it softly. Then returned his eyes to hers. “I love you too Elena.. I really do. I always have.” His voice was rough with heavy emotions, but he managed to keep his temper under control.

Elena watched as he lifted her hand and placed a kiss upon her soft olive skin. It was all so strange to hear those words come out of his mouth. She knew that he loved her, even others knew that about him. But he had never said it in his own words before. In a way it was refreshing for her to hear it and know that this time he was not going to compel her to forget what it was that he had said. Then she could see that he was struggling to keep control of himself, so she did the only thing she could do that might help with his anger.

She pressed her small form against his, looking up into his eyes for only a moment. Her free hand coming up and lightly caressing his cheek. Standing up on the tips of her toes, her eyes closing. Then she gently brushed her lips against his in a light kiss, only to place another. Elena took a small step away from him, not sure if he was going to be angry with her or not for the kiss. But she at least had to try and show him how she felt about him.

Damon smiled some as she kissed his lips ever so softly. Just like Elena, he’d just been holding by the throat a moment ago and here she was being tender and sweet with him. One of the things that set her so apart from Katherine, they may look the same, but they are completely different women. He pulled her back against him, wrapping both his arms around her gently and kissing the side of her cheek.

The sunlight was streaming bright through her bedroom windows, birds singing in the early morning. It had been quite a revealing last half-hour, and Damon was more than in the mood for a drink and a bite to eat. Besides he wasn’t sure how long he could handle being so gentle.That would definetly be something he weaned into. He carefully lifted her chin to kiss her once more before he vanished. The white curtains over her bedroom window now swaying in the morning breeze.

Elena blinked and he was gone. Just when she was getting over the heart ache of Stefan, it only seemed to return. It seemed as if Damon was the key to making her heartach dissappear. She really did care for him, but was it just caring or was it love? It was hard to tell.

In order to make it up to Aunt Jenna about Damon's apperance last night Elena had decided to go grabe a few things from the grocery store. She was still sort of recovering from the stab wound the Katherine had put her through, and so Elena didn't mind helping her. Elena's arms were full of groceries, and she didn't see the car coming. It was almost as if it was aiming for her. The way that it swerved to catch her in time before she could get to her own vehicle.

Everything happened so fast Elena never saw it coming. The car hit her head on and sent her flying over the top, causing her to lose all the groceries that she had in her arms. She could hear the snapping of several of her bones as she hit the pavement. Elena was slowly in trying to get up and liftd her head in time to see that the vehicle was backing up, about to run over her. She screamed as loud as she could.

Though Damon hadn’t been able to stop the initial blow, he damn sure wasn’t going to let the vehicle run over Elena again. With only a few inches to spare between the car’s tires and Elena’s body he lifted the rear bumper of the car, the wheels spinning rapidly in the air and the car going no where. It was a very Damon thing to do, wait until the last second to save the day. But he wasn’t in the mood to be sarcastic or rude today, he was down right pissed. His blue eyes set hard and vicious as he flipped the car over onto its roof and walked around to the driver’s door.

He yanked the person out from behind glass window, which he broke effortlessly with his fist, and promptly threw them to the ground. Damon quickly had them pinned and was slamming his fist into their face. He didn’t pay attention to who it was, or hell, even what gender they were. All of those minor details got lost when he was angry- and at the moment, he was out for blood.