Damon and Elena faced each other across the doorway. Tension crackled in the air and neither of them spoke. Elena stared at him. Had she really loved him as much as her diary said? She'd read some of her entries earlier, waiting for him to arrive. The words seemed foreign to her, as though someone else had written them. Now, here he was, and he seemed like a stranger too. Except…. her senses were heightened. She felt the hairs on her arms standing on end as his blue eyes held her gaze.

'Elena!' the voice came from down the hall, breaking the moment.

Elena let out a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding.

Damon glanced sideways, thoroughly pissed off. Caroline appeared seconds later, Stefan close behind her.

'What do you want?' Damon scowled.

'We have to talk to Elena' Caroline said, breathlessly.

'And it couldn't wait ten minutes?' Damon said. 'I've been waiting four months for this reunion and you guys show up thirty seconds in?'

'It's important Damon' Stefan said.

'Yeah, I'm sure it is' Damon smiled without any trace of humour.

'What is it?' Elena asked.

Caroline was looking at her weirdly.

'Can we come in?' Caroline asked.

'No you can't come in!' exclaimed Damon in pure frustration.

'Yes, of course you can' Elena glared at Damon and stood back to allow Caroline and Stefan in. Damon pulled a face as Caroline walked past him.

'This better be good, blondie' he muttered.

'So, Stefan and I just came from the hospital' Caroline began.

'Oh my God, Alaric – is he ok?' Elena asked, anxiously.

'Yeah, he's fine' Caroline said. 'That's the point, Elena. He's totally fine. He's human again.'

'Alaric turned human again, and is fine because he was saved from the thing that killed him' Stefan continued.

Elena looked puzzled.

'Yeah, I know that' she said.

'Well, duh' Caroline said. 'So, all we have to do is get you over the border and make sure there is someone there to do CPR on you, get the water out of your lungs. You'll be human again!'

Caroline looked triumphant. Damon's mouth dropped open in shock.

'Oh my God' Elena said, sitting down heavily on the bed. She looked at Stefan. He nodded in agreement.

'It should work' he said, softly. 'I saw it work tonight.'

'I would just need someone to stop me from drowning, right?' Elena said, glancing around the room.

Stefan nodded.

'Are you out of your mind?' Damon exploded. 'You have no idea whether this will work on you!'

'Damon, it worked on Alaric,' Elena insisted. 'You saw it for yourself'

'He got lucky!' Damon said, incredulously. 'He had a witch bent over him the whole time! Who knows what kind of spell she cooked up while we were stuck at the border.'

Stefan shook his head.

'No, Damon' he said, softly. 'This should work.'

Damon rounded on his brother.

'You don't know that' he yelled. 'She could end up just dead.'

'Damon, this is what she wanted for so long.' Stefan insisted. 'We spent months looking for the cure. Well, here it is.'

'No, it's what you wanted, brother' Damon snapped. 'You wanted to fix her.'

Stefan flinched.

'What and you don't want to fix her now?' Caroline asked, arching her eyebrows. 'Isn't that what you came over here tonight hoping to do?'

'Stop' Elena shouted. 'Stop it, all of you. Stefan's right. It is what I wanted.' She stood up and began pacing the room. 'The chance to lead a normal life. Have children, grow old with someone.'

Damon rolled his eyes.

'Normal is so overrated' he said in disgust.

Elena stopped pacing and looked at them.

'This isn't just a chance for a cure for me' she said, slowly. 'This is a chance for all of us.'

Damon smiled without a trace of humour. 'Yeah, well, I'm out' he said.

Elena looked at him.

'Really, just like that?' she asked, doubtfully. 'You don't even want to consider a normal life?'

'Nope' said Damon. 'I like things just the way they are. Well, just the way they were, actually, but if these two hadn't showed up, we might actually be back there by now' He looked pointedly at Stefan.

Stefan raised his hands.

'Stefan, what about you?' Elena asked.

Stefan paused.

'I don't know' he said, simply. 'This is all I've known for 165 years. I don't know how to consider normal. And, I don't know if I'd survive the gunshot wound.'

Elena and Stefan turned to Caroline.

'Caroline?' Elena asked.

Caroline looked at Elena, her eyes bright with tears.

'You mean would I like the opportunity to go back home, to live with my Mom, and she wouldn't have to be afraid of someone finding out what I am?' Caroline asked, forcing a laugh. 'A chance to have a normal relationship, maybe even think about having kids?'

Damon rolled his eyes again.

'Yeah, and to have wrinkles, grey hairs and middle aged spread,' he added.. 'You saw what happened to Katherine at the end. It was not pretty.'

They ignored him.

'Hell, yes' Caroline laughed. 'I'm all in.' She took Elena's hand. 'I say we go right now. Call Jo and have her bring some medical supplies down to the border.'

Elena stared at her, then looked across at Stefan and finally Damon. He was staring at her with a look of disbelief.

'Elena, you're not actually considering this, are you?' he said, incredulously.

Elena returned his gaze.

'Yeah, Damon, I am' she said.