A/n: Just another short Delena fic. I was initially going to release this all as one, but I ended up putting a lot of detail into this part so I decided to just release it in parts. It will be about a three - four parter. Rated M for later chapters - much smut and angst. It's basically loosely based off the end of 4x20 and the promo for 4x21. I hope you enjoy and please let me know what you think :)

They Saved Each Other.

"The girl that we lost is right there, Stefan! I'm not stopping until I get her back."

The words came out of Damon's mouth naturally, as though they were meant to be said. He was fuelled by his emotions – so many emotions, some that he didn't even know how to deal with. Anger. Guilt, for what they were doing to Elena, even though it was for her own good. Desperation. And mostly, a need that could not be fulfilled – a need only Elena could fulfil. A need to feel loved again.

Elena was everything to him. Without her, Damon didn't know how to exist. He didn't want to exist. He'd saved her so many times before, and she had saved him too – saved him from his own self -hatred, his destructive behaviour. Saved him from a life of lashing out and never being loved. It was true what he'd said; he would get her back, no matter what it took. He would get her back, even if it was the last thing he did.

"The screams are starting to hurt my head," Caroline groaned, putting her face in her hands. "How much longer will we have to do this?"

We? All you did was call her a bitch, making her more agitated and even less likely to turn on her humanity, Damon thought internally, but he didn't retort – he was too troubled and emotionally exhausted for that. The blonde vampire he so often mocked had been complaining for the past two hours, and it was starting to get on everybody's nerves.

"As long as it takes to get our Elena back," Matt replied encouragingly, though even he had doubt in his eyes. For a fragile human, he was holding up surprisingly well – Damon might have been slightly impressed, if he wasn't so caught up in his own torment.

They were all sat around the fireplace, while Damon was slowly pacing the room, trying not to listen to the agonising screams coming from downstairs, where his brother tortured the girl he loved. Except, she wasn't. She wasn't the girl he loved. That was what Stefan kept reminding him. Don't feel sorry for her. This isn't Elena. Yet this girl had the same big, beautiful brown eyes; the same hair, the same voice. She even had the same ferocity that he knew his Elena had. Why could his brother so easily detach himself, so easily torture the girl who after all, truly was their Elena at heart? It seemed impossible to Damon. No matter how much he tried to help, his instinct wasautomatically to save her.

Stefan said this was saving her. But no. Damon couldn't comprehend it. And there was something in his brothers' eyes, now and again. A little glint of something that could only be described as a sick, twisted glee. As horrible as it sounded, Damon sometimes thought Stefan was enjoying this – punishing the girl for taking away his human Elena, the one who loved him.

But after all, it was Stefan's fault she was a vampire in the first place – if he'd saved her at the bridge, she'd have been human. There would never have been a search for a cure, never have been Silas and…Jeremy would never have died. Elena would never have turned her emotions off. They would never have been sired. But then, would she have loved him? What if, what if…it could drive a man mad just thinking about it.

A loud bang from the basement snapped Damon out of his thoughts. What was that? How badly was his brother hurting Elena? But there wasn't any screams…

"I said, get out!" yelled a very familiar voice. It was Elena. How could she yell, when she'd been deprived of blood for so long? It seemed impossible to him.

Within a few moments, Stefan emerged in the living room, covered in blood. Caroline rushed over to him, concern written over their face. She'd been worried about Stefan a lot recently, Damon had noticed. "What happened? Are you hurt?" she asked frantically.

Stefan just shook his head. "It's not my blood," he replied, before adding "Or Elena's!" once noticing his brother's alarmed look. "It's the blood bag. I was taunting her with it, and she threw me and the bag half way across the room."

Damon had to stifle a laugh. Elena was half desiccating, but she was still badass. That's my warrior princess, he thought sadly.

"I'm going to take a break. I think we all need it," Stefan announced.

"That's a good idea," Damon agreed, a plan forming in his head. "Why don't you all go to the Mystic Grill for an hour or so? You deserve a break and…well, I think I know how to break her."

"Absolutely not," Stefan replied instantly, shaking his head. "You'll just let her go! I know what you're like, Damon. Elena is your Achilles heel. You feel like you have to save her, constantly."

Yes, Damon thought. I do feel like I have to save her. Why? Because I've had to save her from you many, many times. He didn't say it out loud, though, knowing it would not help matters.

"I'm not going to let her go. Just...trust me, okay? It's me that got through to her before, after the Hunter's curse. You can say that's because of the sire bond, but I understand her. She listens to me. I know this isn't Elena anymore but…she's still in there. And I'm going to get her back. Just give me one hour. One hour to try. If not, you can go back to your own torturing. Just one hour. That's it," Damon half begged. He hated begging, but it might be the only way.

"As much as I hate to say those words…Damon is right," Caroline put in, resting a hand on Stefan's arm. "He does get through to Elena – the real Elena. Maybe we should let him try. Besides, I could really do with getting out of here."

Stefan's eyes softened, and Damon knew he'd won. "One hour," he agreed begrudgingly. "And if you let her go…well, it'll be you desiccating in the cellar for the next hundred years."

"Yes, brother," Damon replied with an eye roll, trying to keep his triumphant smile hidden.

He had won.

And he was going to get his Elena back…even if it wasn't in a conventional way.

Sorry it is short and not much happened, but I got too caught up writing Damon's POV and I think it's important to know his mindset. The next part should be up soon and be prepared for a lot of angst and smut. Thanks for reading!