Rose was lying next to Damon, watching him sleep. She wanted to reach out and caress his face but resisted, knowing that if she did, he would wake up and it would ruin the moment. She wanted to prolong this moment. She wanted to linger in her fantasy that Damon would actually fall in love with her, as she had fallen in love with him.

Rose examined his face as he slept. It was rare to be able to leisurely study him like this - relaxed, composed and peaceful. This wasn't the normal Damon. The normal Damon was passionate, amused, angry, frightening, and sometimes threatening. Rose shuddered as she recalled the events of the last few months. Damon was a violent man, of that fact there was no question. However, she had also seen tenderness along with intense loyalty as well.

Painfully, she remembered him and Elena together, and knew there was nothing he wouldn't do for her. For some reason, Rose saw things in Elena that no one else seemed to see. Everyone who knew her seemed to believe that she and Stefan belonged together, that theirs was the perfect couple, even Damon who loved her thought that she and Stefan belonged together. Every one believed it - except Rose. Maybe it was because she loved Damon herself that gave her clarity. Whatever the case maybe, she knew that Elena was made for him and he for her. Rose might be enjoying him now, but ultimately she would not get the guy.

Finally, Rose could resist no longer, and ran her fingers lightly through his hair. As she expected, his eyes opened immediately and he looked back at her in amusement.

"Good morning," said Rose.

"Good morning, Rose. Do you know, you have the perfect name for saying good morning? Rose." When he last spoke her name, he savoured the sound. It was almost a physical pleasure to hear her name spoken like that. Rose closed her eyes and allowed the small pleasure to wash over her. She realized she was in serious trouble if such a small thing could feel so good.

Damon placed his hand on Rose's hip and slowly drew it up her body until it rested on her breast. Cupping her breast in his palm, he caressed her nipple, all the while staring into her eyes so, she could see the tenderness he was feeling and observing her delight.

Rose shivered with pleasure and slid over slightly towards Damon, pressing her body against him, and gave him a gentle kiss on his mouth. Damon responded with increasing passion as his hand continued its exploration and stimulation of her body. It didn't take long before they were once again making passionate love.

Once Damon brought Rose to the point of fulfillment, she rested her head on his shoulder and looked into his face, memorizing every detail. "Damon. Do you realize how beautiful you are?"

Not sure how to respond to such a compliment, Damon evaded, "Waking up like this certainly beats the hell out of coffee and a cigarette, doesn't it?"

The intimacy and tenderness of the moment vanished as quickly as a soap bubble produced from a child's toy vanishes when it touches the ground. Rose was both annoyed and grateful. Comparing last night to coffee and a cigarette was the apex of a long list of insensitive comments Damon had uttered in their short relationship. Nevertheless, he had saved her the humiliation of exposing herself and her feelings for him. She knew her cause was hopeless. She knew that Elena held his heart and the only way to drive her out of his heart was to drive a stake into it. Coming that close to telling him how she loved him convinced her the time had come for her to leave. If she didn't she would make a complete fool of herself and force Damon to drive her away.

Rose forced a smile and quipped, "I don't know, depends on what's in the coffee."

Damon barked a quick laugh, gave her a quick kiss on her nose and rolled over, away from her. "Whatever you put in your coffee to rival this must be really something."

Damon climbed out of bed, and grabbed his shorts. "First dibs on the shower," he called as he headed into the bathroom. Rose laid back into bed and gave a sigh of relief and regret while lying quietly considering her next step. She listened to the water in the shower running and Damon's tuneless whistle and cursed him for being an inconsiderate bastard by grabbing the shower first.

Rose's hearing picked up on the sound of a car driving up, and guessing who it was and with a malicious grin, jumped out of bed and went to the bathroom. "Scoot over Damon, you can't have the shower all to yourself. I need it worse than you," Rose demanded as she entered the shower with Damon, gasping at first, from the very hot water.

"If we're going to share, you can wash my back, and I'll wash yours, you first," drawled Damon.

"Fine, give me the soap." Rose grinned mischievously. She took the soap out of Damon's hands and rubbed it producing a good lather. Then standing behind him, began washing his back enjoying the feel of his muscular frame.

It was at this moment they heard the front door open and Elena call out, "Damon, Rose, it's Elena and Bonnie."

"What are Elena and Bonnie doing here?" queried Damon turning around to face Rose. "What time is it, anyway?"

Rose giggled, "Its a little after 10, weren't you expecting them this morning?"

"Damn, I hadn't realized how late it was. Elena had said she wanted to come over to talk about Stefan. I forgot." When Damon turned around, Rose began taking liberties with her hands, exploring Damon's body. "God, Rose, you have to stop doing that!"

"What's the matter Damon? Getting a little excited?" teased Rose.

They heard the bedroom door open and once again, Elena called out, "Damon, where are you? Where's Rose?"

"Rose, you're being a bitch," Damon growled through clenched teeth. "You knew she would be coming up here." Then he called out, "Elena, we're, I mean, I'm in the shower. Give me a minute, will you? I'll see you downstairs."

"If you're looking for me, I'm in the shower as well, Elena. We won't be down in a minute," called Rose, laughing.

For a moment of silence, and then they heard Elena slam the bedroom door closed as she left the room.

"What do you think you're doing, Rose? Are you trying to stir up trouble?" Damon asked angrily.

"Now, I wonder why should this cause trouble?" Rose asked. "If she's with Stefan, why would she care if we're taking a shower together? Perhaps, she's not just with Stefan, perhaps she has interests in you as well. Maybe you should think about that. Now go on out and face the music," laughed Rose pushing him out of the shower.

Damon quickly dried himself and put on some shorts. As he left the bedroom he grabbed a shirt and was pulling it on over his head as he walked out. Rose took her time as she finished washing. Then she dressed and went down to the living room to join the others. As she had been dressing she overheard Elena vigorously deny any concerns about Damon and her. "I just think it's pretty callous on your part to be having an affair when your brother is obviously in serious trouble, Damon. Stefan should be your first priority, yet you just ignore his absence and just want to sleep the day away with Rose."

For reasons Rose did not understand, Damon was reluctant to tell Elena anything about his efforts to track Stefan. As a result Elena was becoming increasingly frustrated with him about his apparent inactivity. Rose realized that walking in on her and Damon together in the shower didn't improve Elena's mood either.

Feeling a little guilty, Rose apologized, "Hi Elena, I'm sorry if I embarrassed you. I wanted to embarrass Damon a little, I wasn't thinking about how I might be making you uncomfortable. I'm really sorry."

Stiffly Elena replied, "You have no reason to apologize, Rose. What you and Damon do is none of my business."

Rose smiled at Elena's obvious lie, "Well, in any case, I'm glad you're here. I need to tell you all that I've decided this morning that it is time I leave Mystic Falls. I need to move on. I'm free of Klaus and I need to start building my own life."

"Why do you have to leave, why can't you stay here?" asked Damon, annoyed at this abrupt announcement from Rose.

Rose shook her head, "There are too many vampires here already. I need to move on."

"Where will you go?" asked Bonnie.

"New York. It's a great place for vampires, lots of people in public places. It's an easy place to feed and remain unnoticed."

Damon was mollified by the prospect of going to New York periodically, to see Rose, nodded, "New York is good. It's certainly a lot of fun; I can come up often to see you, Rose, but I wish you didn't feel like you have to leave. There's plenty of room here."

"As though you two need plenty of room," Elena muttered to herself, forgetting how well Rose and Damon could hear. "When do you plan on leaving?" she asked Rose.

"Tonight, when the sun sets. I'll drive through the night and should arrive well before dawn."

"Oh, of course, I had forgotten," exclaimed Bonnie. She pulled out a small box from her purse. "Elena had asked me to make this for you. She said she owed you for the help you had given." Bonnie handed the box to Rose.

When Rose opened it, she saw a silver ring with a blue sapphire mounted on it. Attached to the sapphire was a jade leaf on each side. "It is lovely," observed Rose as she tried it on. "Thank you very much, it's a sweet keepsake."

"It's a lot more than that," explained Bonnie. "Elena asked me to make you a day ring. Damon picked out the ring, and I placed the spell. You can travel in day light now, Rose."

Rose went to the window and gingerly placed her hand in the sunshine. When nothing happened she stepped fully into the light. For the first time in centuries, Rose was able to feel the full heat of the sun on her skin. She stood still for a moment, then, with vampire quickness, Rose ran outside and stood in the yard, her arms outstretched basking in the sunlight. Her face turned to the sun, her eyes closed, simply soaking it all in. The others followed her outside and watched her joyful celebration of freedom.

With tears of gratitude, Rose went to Elena and hugged her. "Thank you Elena. I feel like I've been given a new life."

Mollified by her gratitude and the knowledge that she would be leaving soon, Elena returned her embrace. "It was the least I could do, Rose. It's good to know I have a friend in New York. Keep in touch, let us know how you make out."

Rose answered, "I'll do that, Elena. I hope we can continue to be friends." Rose turned to Bonnie, "Thank you Bonnie, for being so generous."

Bonnie shrugged, "It wasn't much. You're one of the good ones, Rose. We witches need to be sure to help the good ones. It helps balance out the bad. Remember, Rose, you were once human. Don't forget where you came from."

Soberly, Rose nodded. "I won't, Bonnie. I remember every day." Waving her hand with the day ring, she said, "This will help."

Bonnie glanced at her watch, "Look Elena, I have a lot of things to do in town, we need to get going."

On a sudden impulse, Rose interjected, "You know Bonnie, I could really use Elena's help getting packed. Elena, could I borrow you for a few hours, it would be a big help."

Surprised at the request Elena simply shrugged. "I guess, but how's Bonnie going to get back?"

"Oh – Damon will be glad to give Bonnie a ride, won't you, Damon?"

Actually the prospect of driving Bonnie anywhere was not appealing at all to Damon. He'd enough of her brain fry witchery to last an eternity. He wasn't convinced she wouldn't do it again, just for fun. However, he wasn't about to admit that out loud, besides Bonnie didn't want to ride with him anymore than he with her. "Sure, why not? Come on Bonnie, I'll take you into town, no problemo."

Bonnie and Elena exchanged looks and Elena simply shrugged. "It's up to you, Bonnie. I don't mind either way."

"Go on Bonnie, it will be okay," interjected Rose. "It's just a quick ride into town. Besides, Elena and I need some time together before I go."

Finally, Bonnie acquiesced. "Fine, Damon whenever you're ready."

Damon glanced with concern at Rose and Elena, wondering what Rose was up to, then shrugged. "Sure, let me change and grab some things."

As Damon left, Bonnie spoke to Rose, "Are you sure you have to leave? You and Damon seem to get along well together."

"Bonnie, I'm sure Rose knows what's best for her. New York isn't that far away, she can always come back to visit," Elena interjected.

Amused at Elena's eagerness to have her leave, Rose affirmed, "Yes, it's best if I get used to living on my own for a while. Honestly, I have a feeling Klaus isn't done with Elena yet. Once he learns she is still alive, he'll have other uses for her. If you need my help, let me know, but otherwise I would like to establish some distance between Klaus and me."

Elena shivered at the prospect of Klaus returning. What would it take to get him out of her life?

Damon returned at the end of Rose's observation. "You're right, Rose. Just the fact that Stefan is with him says that we're not done with him yet." Giving Rose a tender kiss, he asked, "You'll be here when I get back?"

"Of course, we need to give each other a proper goodbye." Damon's calm acceptance of her decision told Rose everything she needed to know in regards to any future they may have. If she had any reservation that she needed to leave, this dispelled it completely. Rose noticed Elena scowling as she wondered what a 'proper goodbye' meant. Rose grinned. She really liked Elena, but couldn't resist pulling her chain a little. After all, it was Elena who was getting the guy.

After Damon and Bonnie left, Rose smiled to Elena, "Okay, Elena, cards on the table. I've fallen totally for Damon, and I want to see him happy. Like it or not, you're a big part of his happiness, so I want to make sure you understand a few things about yourself, and I'm going to explain it to you."

Defensively, Elena objected. "So, you're an expert on me now, Rose? Why should I listen to you?"

Rose smiled indulgently, "How old are you Elena?"

"I'm 18."

"You realize, you're still a baby, even if you're growing up fast."

Elena stiffened resentfully, "I know you're like 500 years old, but that doesn't make me a baby. I've been through a lot, and I've grown up, a lot."

"Of course you have, but you still have a ways to go. Maybe calling you a baby is a little strong, but you have a ways to go before you can really make right choices for who you are. You're still trying to figure that out. As you said, I've been around a long time and there are some things that I want you to think about. Elena, I want you to be serious about where your future lies. Typically, humans who become involved with vampires either become vampires or become dead. Being a doppelgänger is another strike against you. You're in love with two vampires, two very different vampires and that's strike three."

"I'm in love with Stefan, what makes you say I'm in love with two vampires?"

Rose gave Elena a pitying look. "You can either face it or ignore it, that's up to you. Anyone who has eyes can tell you love them both. The fact is, Elena, the odds of you having a normal life are very, very slim. Now, let's look at the two Salvatore brothers, Stefan is safe, and Damon is dangerous. Right now, you need safe, so Stefan is your first choice. But will safe be enough next year, next decade, next century? Frankly Elena, I don't think you're wired for safe. I think you're wired for dangerous. Like it or not, you and Katherine have a lot in common, besides how you look."

"I'm not at all like Katherine!" Elena protested.

"I understand, you've lived different lives, made different choices, and have different values. But underneath it all, at the core, you're alike. Katherine is a bitch, no question, but before you start thinking your all good and she's all bad, ask yourself what you would be like if you had lived her life. What you have in common is that when either one of you decide on something you want, you don't hesitate to go after it. That's not a bad thing Elena, but you need to understand the kind of person you are before you make any final decisions regarding Damon and Stefan."

"You think I should choose Damon."

Rose nodded, "Ultimately, yes."

"You tell me this, even though you love him, I know you do. What do you get out of this?"

Rose shrugged, "I have too much pride to love a man in the shadow of another woman. If I help the two of you, it soothes my pride to know that even though I didn't get the guy, I helped him to be happy."

"You expect me to just throw Stefan over and throw myself into Damon's arms?"

Rose laughed, "It would be funny to see Damon if that were to happen, but no, you need Stefan right now, you're not ready for Damon. You just need to understand where your future is, Stefan is temporary, Damon is forever."

"You make me sound very selfish. You're telling me that I'm using both Stefan and Damon for my own needs."

"Aren't you? You've known that they both love you. What have you actually done about it? Be honest, it pissed you off that Damon and I were together last night, but you're with Stefan. You like having both of them around. Don't feel bad, Elena. I like selfish people who know what they want and go after it. Just be honest about it. Stefan and Damon are big boys, if you're honest with them, they'll survive."

Elena stood up and paced. She was deeply moved by what she had been hearing and what she realized about herself. What kind of person was she, really? She also thought about her future. She had always believed that becoming a vampire was the last thing she wanted. But was that really true? Why was she in love with two of them, if she wanted to stay human? Why had she broken up with Matt if a normal human life was all that she wanted?Should she go after what she wanted or should she make herself want the things that she thought she should?

For the first time Elena understand what Rose said about her and Katherine being alike. She didn't think she was capable of making herself want what she should. More importantly, she couldn't stop wanting the things she shouldn't.

Rose watched Elena's expressions shift as she processed what she had been told. Rose's feelings at the moment were bittersweet. Rose knew that she and Damon could have been happy, if they had met under different circumstances. However, even though she would never have Damon for herself, she was still content. She had been around too long to think that there couldn't be happiness without him. Besides, she was free! Completely and totally free! Free of Klaus, free of the sun, free to go and do as she pleased. Even though Elena held Damon's heart, Rose didn't envy her at all. Elena was destined for vampirism, of that there was no question. It was going to be a hard road for her to deal with.

Yes, Damon was special, but Rose wouldn't trade places with Elena even if she could. She reached out to Elena, embraced her, and gave her a kiss. "I really wish you well, Elena. If there is ever anything I can do, if you need a place to stay, anything, don't hesitate to call. I'm going to get my stuff, hunt Damon down to say good-by and be on my way."

Elena hugged her back, "I'm going to miss you, Rose. I think the time will come when I'll need more of your advice."

Rose chuckled, "Giving advice is easy, taking it can be hard. We'll see each other again. The world of vampires is pretty small and getting smaller."

"You're assuming I'll become a vampire."

"Either that or you won't be alive very long. If Damon or Stefan have anything to say about it, they won't let you die, so there you are. This is a hard world, and you've chosen a dangerous path. Stop kidding yourself, Elena. Don't break Damon's heart by being stupid."

With a last hug goodbye, Rose left Elena to find Damon to tell him goodbye.