Set up – Elena and Stefan find Damon hurt while trying to track down the cure. I'm ignoring Vaughn and Rebekah being there, etc. This is just what I wish would have happened instead of being subjected to Stefan/Elena bonding crap in the 2/14 episode.

Can't Go Back

Damon's eyes closed and he felt the pain overwhelming him, turning his surroundings to black. He had fought for her, for the woman he loved more than his own existence and certainly more than his happiness. He wanted to find the cure for her so she could be happy even though he was certain it would mean losing the one piece of true happiness he'd ever had. The love she felt while sired to him would certainly evaporate as soon as she became human again. And her love for Stefan would return as if nothing had ever happened between them.

"Damon! Damon, open your eyes! Look at me. Stefan, he's not waking up! Help me." Elena became more desperate and panicked with each moment that passed without Damon opening his beautiful blue eyes.

Stefan knelt down beside his brother, torn between hate and love. Both were equally strong in this moment but he knew the love he felt for his brother would ultimately win out over the hate he felt. Because it wasn't Damon he hated, not really. It was that Elena could love Damon. And no longer love him. "Damon, don't you do this to us. You can't leave us. You can't leave Elena."

Elena looked at Stefan and realized that though she was no longer in love with him, she would always love him deeply for the man he still had inside of him. She kissed his cheek then turned to look at Damon.

Of course that had been the instant he opened his eyes. She saw the pain flash through the brilliant blue, turning it dark. "I'm fine; you don't have to worry about me. Why don't the two of you go on without me? That's the way it should be after all."

Elena rolled her eyes as did Stefan. "Damon, stop it! Don't put those walls back up." She held his face in her hands and forced her to look at her. "Why don't you believe that I love you?"

Stefan stood up. "Look, I'm going to track down the others and see if I can keep the cure out of Rebekah's hands. Damon, listen to Elena and for once, forget your pride okay? She loves you. If I can admit it, you should be able to accept it."

Elena sat facing Damon, her hands still on either side of his face. "Please look at me."

His eyes met hers again, filled with tears. "You need to go after the cure. It's what you want. I'll be fine here."

"I can't take it. There's only one dose, Damon."

"All the more reason for you to follow Stefan! It's your only chance to get what you want, Elena."

"Damon, listen to me. We have to get the dose, yes. But not for me. We have to give it to Klaus so we can kill him. Otherwise we're all dead."

Her words finally began to sink in. She wasn't going to be human again. He saw the sadness in her eyes and it hit him that while he was getting what he wanted, for the first time in his existence he was truly sorry that he was. He wished that he could take back the words he said to her during their fight. "I'm sorry Elena. I know how badly you wanted to be human again."

"You didn't want that."

"I was being selfish. As usual."

"Damon, you're not…."

He interrupted her. "This time I was. I was afraid if you became human again and the sire bond was truly broken you wouldn't love me anymore."

"I know," she whispered. "Damon, I wish you believed me when I say that I love you, sire bond or no sire bond. Look, I've realized something while we we've been here."

"What?" His eyes were uncertain. It broke her heart to see the confident, cocky man she used to know being insecure. And it was her fault.

"I'm not different just because I'm a vampire. I'm different because of what I've been through, all of it. My parents died. I fell in love with Stefan. Jenna died. I lost Stefan. You became my best friend. I fell in love with you. Stefan came back. Alaric died. All of that changed me too. It wasn't just going off that bridge and becoming a vampire. Even if I became human again, it wouldn't make me the same person I was before. That's why I know it wouldn't change my feelings for you. I loved you before I became a vampire. Otherwise the sire bond wouldn't have formed. I will love you forever, sire bond or not."

He smiled. "You're sure?"

"I'm so sure," she whispered as she leaned in to kiss him. "Now, are you ready to go help Stefan keep Rebekah from getting her hands on that cure?"

Damon nodded and pushed himself up off the ground. Elena knew better than to offer him help that he didn't ask for. He loved her but he was still male and still had pride. "Let's go. I'm holding you to forever, Elena."

The End.

Ok, I feel better now. LOL