Author's Note: It's that time again! The season two finale happened, and it's time to post a story! This one isn't going to be a day-by-day chapter, so I apologize in advance, but I hope you'll stick with it anyway. I'll try to finish it as soon as I can and get into a regular publishing schedule so you guys know when to check back for updates. Hope you enjoy!

Elena Gilbert looked up at the entrance to the living room, surprise, disbelief, relief, and an overwhelming sense of gratitude flooding through her.

"Damon," she greeted, setting aside her book and standing from the couch. "How are you feeling? Are you sure you should be moving around already?"

Damon Salvatore's normally confident stride was slower, a little more pained than usual, as he eased into the room and to the couch. His inhumanly pale coloring was still a little ashen, but it was starting to return to its milky hue. The waxen look about him was fading, his black hair still damp from his shower.

"I'm okay," he told her, his voice softer than she was used to. When Damon spoke, it was always so boisterous and full of confidence. But now he seemed muted, somehow, as if his brush with the werewolf bite and death had shaken him to his core and brought out something in him Elena didn't even know existed.

A vulnerable, almost-frightened, boyish side.

A humanity inside the ruthless vampire.

It brought out something in her, something she had never expected to feel toward Damon. A protectiveness. A fierce, burning desire to keep him safe. To shield him. To nurture him. To hold him until the nightmares eating at his soul went away and he returned to his former glory—cruel viciousness and all.

"It's okay to love them both," Katherine had said, before leaving Elena with the cure that would save Damon's life. "I did."

The thought made her shudder; made her insides twist and her stomach churn. She was nothing like Katherine. Nothing at all. And yet there she was—in love with Stefan, and holding Damon and comforting him in what they thought would be his final moments. Unable to imagine a day going by without him. Unable to picture her life without him doing something that would make her shake with fury—only to be later forgiven because it was Damon, and she knew in her heart Damon truly loved her and was just trying to protect her.

She opened her mouth to argue with him and send him back to bed for more rest, but Damon spoke instead. "Can you get that?" he asked, standing with cautious, careful movements. She frowned at him in confusion as he headed to the serving table of goblets, even as she heard the knock at the door.

She stood, startled. "Are you expecting someone?" she asked, caught off-guard by the sudden intrusion.

He turned back, a blood packet half-drained into the crystal cup in his hand. He flashed a half-smile, and for a moment, she could see a shred of the Damon she knew still in there, almost as if he were buried inside to gather strength before bursting forth again. The thought gave her strength, and she almost cried in relief. "An entire party," he returned.

She hurried to the door at the second knock, pulling it open. "Hi!" she greeted, overwhelmed at the small mass of people on the porch. In front was Alaric, looking a little disheveled but as strong as ever. To his left was Jeremy, who looked a little paler than normal but wore a slight smile. Behind him, holding Jeremy's hand, was Bonnie, wearing a smile and a firm look of resolve. To her right was Caroline, a bright grin on her bubbly face. To Caroline's left was Tyler, looking hesitant, almost fearful.

"How's he doing?" Alaric asked, peering past Elena and into the house.

"His hearing is fine!" Damon called back, from the living room.

Elena glanced back in his direction, then to the others. "Come in," she offered, stepping back to allow them access.

Alaric gave her a light squeeze on the shoulder and headed back to the living room. Jeremy gave her a gentle hug and stepped back, and then Elena found herself facing her two best girl friends.

It took everything in her not to burst into tears when the three folded into a fierce hug, as if the vampire and witch were trying to lend Elena some of their strength. Elena squeezed them tightly, drawing from their support, and trying to reassure them she was okay.

"How is he?" Bonnie asked, stepping away.

Elena nodded. "He's doing better. He's getting stronger. The bite disappeared, too. He's really cured."

"Elena, I—" Tyler began, his eyes full of sorrow.

"Here, wolfy-wolfy!"

They all froze at Damon's call. Elena watched Caroline squeeze Tyler's arm, then take his hand as she led him into the living room. Elena followed close behind, her heart in her throat. Damon was in no condition to fight, and he wouldn't anyway, would he? Tyler hadn't meant to bite him. Damon had to know that.

Damon was sitting on the couch when they entered. Alaric sat in the chair by the fire place, drinking a glass of amber liquid. Damon tipped his glass at them in greeting, then held up a glass with about an ounce of amber liquid in it.

"Here," Damon said, holding it out to Tyler.

Tyler hesitated. "Look, Damon, I didn't mean to—"

Damon's eyes narrowed slightly. "I'm not trying to poison you," he told him flatly. "It's a…" he trailed off, looking over at Alaric.

"Peace offering," Alaric supplied helpfully, smiling up at Tyler. Then he made a face at Damon. "Though you're really contributing to the delinquency of minors, and you know I'm a teacher, right?"

Damon smiled at him. It lacked the normal pretty menace, but Elena could still see a shred of it in there. He looked back up at Tyler. "Come on," he urged, an impatient look crossing his features. He shook his arm slightly.

Tyler approached slowly, as if he expected Damon to jump up and rip his throat out any second. He cautiously took the glass, watching as Damon instantly dropped his arm as if it weighed a ton. Elena forced down her urge to fret over him, even as he took a rather large gulp from his glass of red liquid.

They were all silent as Tyler hesitantly lifted the glass to his lips. He seemed to sniff it for a second, then tipped it, the contents disappearing into his mouth.

He immediately winced, dropping the cup. Elena felt Caroline beside her take a quick step forward, but Tyler suddenly started laughing, looking down at Damon. "That stuff is terrible," he declared. "Don't you vampires have better taste than that?"

Damon looked up at him with a slight smile. "Consider it thanks for trying to kill me," he returned. He looked back at the others. "And thank you all for coming."

"So is this, like, rescue Stefan headquarters now?" Caroline asked, entering the living room and dropping down onto one of the couches. "Because if so, it would be really nice if we could get some better lighting in here. And some color." She brightened excitedly. "Ooo! Can we get a white board?"

Damon gave her a blank look, even as the others filtered into the room and settled into seats. Elena slowly joined Damon on the couch, her mind spinning.

"Do you have a plan?" Elena asked Damon, hopeful and frightened at the same time.

"I always have a plan," Damon scoffed, but his voice was softer than normal, and it lacked the confidence he usually projected.

There was a moment of silence around the room.

"Too bad the other guys always have a better one," Alaric tossed out, breaking through the sudden weight in the room.

Smirks appeared around the room. Even Elena couldn't resist a small smile, especially when Damon made a face at Alaric. "Well this time it's going to be flawless," he announced. He looked around the room, his voice subdued and serious. "Klaus is the original. We can't kill him. We can't hurt him. If we're going to get Stefan back, we have to outsmart him."

"How are we going to do that?" Jeremy asked, frowning. "He's got centuries of knowledge on us. And we don't even know why he took Stefan in the first place."

"He must have had a reason," Elena mused. "When he said he was going to go to Klaus, he said Klaus had a chance to kill him and didn't. He seemed to think Klaus had a plan for him." She thought back to that day in the park, and Stefan hugging her. She had never thought it would be for the last time. Her heart felt like it was bleeding as she stared at her hands. "Guess he was right."

"And in that case," Damon continued, "we just have to figure out what it is."

"How are we going to do that?" Caroline asked, frowning. "Isn't Klaus long-gone by now?"

Damon wordlessly pointed to Bonnie.

Bonnie nodded strongly. "I can locate him," she agreed. "I might be able to give you a connection to him for a few minutes."

"A few minutes are all we need."

Bonnie stood. "Then I'll go get the stuff."