A/N: This is the first story I have ever written, so please be nice ;)
This, as you could probably tell, is my own spinoff of Rose.
I will also probably include some quotes from Buffy the Vampire Slayer as well as The Vampire Diaries.
I, of course, do not own any characters or quotes from The Vampire Diaries or Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Enjoy!

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*Driving in the car, on the way to save Elena*

"Thank you - for helping me." Stefan says.

"Can we not do the whole 'road trip bonding' thing? The cliché of it all makes me itch." Damon fake-scratches his shoulder

"Oh, come on, Damon. We both know that you being in this car has absolutely nothing to do with me, anyway."

Damon raises his eyebrows "And the elephant in the room lets out a mighty roar."

"Well, it doesn't have to be an elephant, you know. Let's talk about it."

Damon tries to mask his feelings and says "There's nothing to talk about." While letting out a self-conscious laugh

"That's not true. Sure there is, just get it out. I mean, are you in this car because you want to help your little brother save the girl that he loves, or – is it…is it because you love her, too? Hmm?"

Damon just smirks and focuses on the road.

"I mean, come on, express yourself. I happen to like road trip…bonding." He says, trying not to sound sarcastic.

"Keep it up, Stefan. I can step out of helping as easily as I stepped in."

"Nope. See, that's the beauty of it. You can't."

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*You know what happens, so I'll just skip ahead.*

After Stefan's heartfelt apology, Damon just couldn't help but rehash things. Of course, the more he wanted to despise his brother, the more he wished he could be more like him: to just be the good guy for once…to have Elena.

He realized what he had to do.

He reached into his pocket and took out her necklace. So depressed, he welcomed the burn it gave him, taking some pain away from his dead and now shattered heart. He knew this would only make it worse, but, damnit, he just loved her so fucking much. He couldn't bear the way she looked at him anymore. He had to tell her.

Even if it killed him.

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Elena went to her bathroom. Overly exhausted, she couldn't help but think of what had just happened. The look on his face when she ran into Stefan's arms. It was heartbreaking. She wanted so badly to comfort him, but she knew how that would look to Stefan, so she had settled with mouthing 'Thank You'.

She knew it didn't help – that she had practically witnessed him falling to pieces – that he was probably just as depressed as she was right now, but she just couldn't admit it to herself. She loved him.

No matter how hard she tried to convince herself that Stefan was perfect for her, she always felt the electricity when she was around Damon. And it scared her. How much intensity could be too much?

"You need to stop thinking about him and just calm down." She told herself.

She finished her cup of tea she had laced with vervain and brushed her teeth to rid her mouth of the horrible taste.

Then, she made her way to her bed.

"Cute PJs."
This isn't happening, not now. You need to make him leave.
"I'm tired, Damon."
He walks towards her and her heart flutters. She finds herself thinking what he will do next, but instantly shoves it in the back of her mind. She can reminisce later.
He then held out her vervain necklace "I brought you this."
"I thought that was gone."
He shakes his head.
She grabs for it "Thank you."
He pulls it away.
Oh, god. Don't do this. Focus, Elena: you love Stefan.
"Please give it back."
"I just have to say something."
Something is going to happen, just make him leave!
"Why do you have to say it with my necklace?"
Damon is stumped for a second.
Does she really not trust you that much?
"Well – because what I'm about to say is…probably the most selfish thing I've ever said in my life."
God, she looks like she's been crying. Maybe this is a bad time. I just want to comfort her.
"Damon, don't go there." Because then, there's no turning back, and I don't think I can pretend much longer.
"No, I just have to say it once. You just need to hear it."
Oh, those lips…

"I love you, Elena."

She froze. She opened her mouth to speak, wanting so say it back, but he interrupted her.
"And it's because I love you that…I can't be selfish with you."
He looks so hurt. Is he about to cry? Say something, Elena!
"Why you can't know this. I don't deserve you."
Yes, you do, Damon! SAY SOMETHING, YOU IDIOT!
"But my brother does."
He kisses her forehead, and she becomes numb.
"God, I wish you didn't have to forget this."
What? Wait, no. NO! He doesn't know. STOP HIM!
"But you do."
He thinks he's compelling me. I wish I could say something, but, as I have been so many times before, I'm lost in his beauty. And the lone tear is ripping out my heart as slowly as it rolls down his cheek.

I only blinked once.

Then he was gone.

Overwhelmed, I sat on my bed.
That's when I got my voice back.
I ran to my window "Damon? DAMON?"

Damon's POV:

Why am I falling apart? Every step I take away from her leaves my pieces behind. And it's all falling out of my chest.
I fell to my knees then, curling into a ball to try to keep my insides from falling out.
Why is this so hard?
Then I hear her voice. She's calling my name.
Great, now I'm hallucinating.

Just get home, you can pity yourself later.

Elena's POV:

I need to talk to him. He needs to know.
Screw Stefan, he'll get over it. We don't have the fire that Damon and I do. We weren't going to last much longer anyways.

I threw on some sweats and a jacket, grabbed my keys and slid out the front door.

I could barely see through the tears and couldn't help but to think the worst.
What if he's left town?
What if I catch him with another woman?
What if he's already wasted?

It only made me drive faster.

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When she got to the boarding house, she didn't even bother knocking, she just ran inside – right into Stefan.

Passion... it lies in all of us. Sleeping, waiting, and though unwanted, unbidden, it will stir, open its jaws, and howl. It speaks to us, guides us... passion rules us all. And we obey. What other choice do we have?

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So, what do you think so far?

PS – the last little italicized part was an excerpt from Season 2, Episode 17 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.