One-Shot taking place between 3.02 & 3.03.

I don't own the characters.

Enjoy & leave a comment :)

Damon leaves the Gilbert's house with an idea in mind : finding the only person who will be able to help him bring his brother back home. A person crazy enough to brave all the dangers they're going to face. A person who wants Klaus dead as much as him, maybe even more. Probably more. Someone who will do anything to be free forever.

The first thing he does is giving a phone call. He's not surprised when he doesn't get an answer. He leaves a quick message and hangs up. He sighs, because really, there's no time for playing hide and seek. He needs to know where she is. And suddenly, Damon knows where to start.

He calls Bonnie and asks her a favour. She's not too keen, but she complies anyway. He waits in his car with the radio displaying some crap music. But he can't deal with silence right now, so he just lets it on. He thinks about Stefan and how he killed Andie the previous night. And then he remembers tonight and his brother saving his life, again. Damon doesn't understand what's wrong with Stefan and his hero complex. He knows that he blames himself for their mother's death. Maybe by saving him over and over again, Stefan believes that he's making it up to him for taking his mother away from him. But Damon would like for him to stop feeling guilty. He just doesn't know how to tell him.

Bonnie calls back an hour later, when he's almost asleep on his seat. She gives him an address and wishes him good luck. He smiles and thanks her. Then he starts the car, and an instant later, there's just a cloud of dust left behind.

Damon jumps out of his car and uses his supernatural speed to reach the door of the small house Bonnie told him she's supposed to be. And judging by the light he can see inside, there's definitely someone in here. He knocks on the door and waits. He can hear footsteps coming closer. And then, the door opens and reveals the person he's been looking for.

"Damon. You just couldn't stay away, could you ?"

"Old habits die hard."

There's this smirk on her lips. Her signature. He loves it and hates it just as much.

"I'm glad you're alive, though. It would've been boring to see Elena without her second option."

"Are you going to let me in or what ?"

"Oh, but of course, come in Damon."

She steps aside and he walks past her, their bodies almost touching. He's surprised to see that he doesn't feel any animosity towards her. Maybe because she saved his life a few months ago. Or maybe because he still remembers the last words she said before she vanished. It's okay to love them both. I did. Was it another lie ? Or was she being honest for once ?

"So, how did you find me ?"

"Bonnie."

"Oh. Still away from Mystic Falls ?"

Damon gives her a weird look.

"How do you know ?"

"I'm well-informed."

"I can see that. Hey did you kill the owner of the house, or what ?"

"I compelled her to leave for a few weeks and continue to pay the bills."

Of course she did. She is smart. And she's looking at him expectantly.

"So, Damon, are you finally going to tell me why you travelled all this way during the night to find me ? I mean, there was a time I would've been convinced it was just because you loved me, but I'm not so sure about that anymore… How's Elena by the way ?"

He ignores her last comment and says :

"I need your help."

"And why should I help you ?"

"It's about Stefan."

At the mention of Stefan's name, he sees her confident smile fade slightly, but she remains stoic.

"What about him ?"

"You know what's going on with him. You know Klaus. You saw Stefan being forced to drink those blood bags."

"He wasn't forced to. He did it for you, Damon."

"I know ! I keep saying this to myself, but it doesn't help ! It just makes me want to punch his face ! Why did he have to sacrifice himself for me ? I had to die ! I should've died that day !"

She just stands there, watching him as he paces back and forth in front of the couch. Finally, Damon takes a deep breath and stops.

"Feel better ?"

"Yes. Will you help me ?"

"You seem to forget that I'm Klaus' number one target. I'm not going to run into his arms."

"What if he doesn't know you're here ?"

"You're being naïve, Damon. Klaus will know it if we go anywhere around him. He's expecting us to come."

"So I'm supposed to let my brother turn into a ripper ?"

"No. But you need a plan, and a good plan takes time."

"Are you in ?"

She looks at him, and he knows that her decision is already taken. She's got nothing to live for, except for his brother.

"I'm in."

He spends the whole night with her, and much to his surprise, she's really committed. She doesn't try to mock him or fight him, she suggests ideas and they talk about it. Damon knows the sun is about to rise and eventually he'll have to go home.

"Promise me this will stay between you and me."

"Oh, so you're hiding secrets from Elena now ?"

"Klaus doesn't need to know she's alive."

"How about Bonnie ? Will she help us ?"

"I haven't talked to her about it yet."

"It's always good to have a witch on your side."

"I'll tell her."

They remain silent for a moment. Only then they realize how weird the situation is. They've been lovers, then enemies, each other's saviour, and now they're allies. Damon has a question he's got to ask before leaving, otherwise he won't be able to sleep.

"What you said right before you left…"

"I meant it. Every word."

"Then why did you lie to me when you came back ? I was ready to forgive you for abandoning and betraying me !"

"Because I don't need your forgiveness, Damon, and I don't want it."

"Is it true that you love Stefan now ?"

She smiles and leans against the wall.

"My feelings for him never faded. They're still here. Yes, Damon, I love him."

"What about me ? When was it, then ?"

"I don't exactly know. I suppose I loved you in 1864, but always less than Stefan. But you meant something to me, Damon. You've always loved me, more than Stefan ever did. You accepted my true nature without fear or disgust. You were easy, Damon, and I liked challenge. I was running after the wrong brother only because I knew I wouldn't have to run after you."

"You knew I'd be the one to do that."

Damon doesn't know what's going on within him. A year ago, he would have done anything to hear these words. Now he just stands here, motionless. She just admitted that she loved him. And he honestly doesn't know what to say. The only stupid thing that comes to his mind is :

"I love Elena."

"I know. But she's not me, Damon. You'll never love her as much as you loved me."

"I already do."

"That's a lie. You want to know why ? Because in your heart, Damon, I'll always be the number one. You haven't spent 145 years in love with her, and when she'll die, you'll be the first to look for me."

Damon hates to realize that she's right. If Elena lives her human life, she'll die. What will he do then ? He'll go back to his previous love. His true love. And Stefan won't give up on Elena anyway. He'll fight for her if Damon brings him back. And he will bring him back, because he's his little brother. He can't let him turn into that monster again.

"Damon ? Don't think about it now. Focus on Stefan."

"Yeah."

He thinks it's crazy that he's never seen that side of her before. She seems almost human. Almost like… Elena.

"I wasn't always a cold-hearted bitch, Damon. I used to be human too, and have feelings. Now go home."

He nods and he walks to the door. They look at each other, and she smiles a small, sad smile he's never seen on her face. She reminds him so much of Elena right now that he almost wants to hug her. But instead, he opens the door and disappears into the fading night.

She's got him wrapped around her finger once again, she knows it. But she's not playing this time. She's not trying to mislead him, or to break his heart. She'll run and he'll chase, that's how their relationship has always been. As she closes the door, Katherine smiles. Maybe this time, she'll let him catch her.

What did you think of this ? I hope you liked it :)

Season 3 will be a dark season, I swear. I'm more in love with Stefan than ever !

OTH-FOQ