He opens the door and they are finally face to face.

She remembers the first time she met him all over again.

Except then he was a jerk and she kind of didn't like or trust him. Even for being an alive dead person he always looked good, and now he looks like death. Everything about him is off, and he's disheveled. He's worn out and tired.

"Elena?" He has to stop himself from getting lost in those doe eyes of hers.

"Hello, Damon." She has to stop herself from melting into those artic blue eyes of his.

She tries to find the courage that got her to him in the first place. That extra push that woke her up and made her leave in the middle of the night. The strength that made her pack a bag, leave a note on the fridge, and drive off to find him.

And it's just hard. Because everything that got her here is scaring the hell out of her now.

"How did you find me?"

"Can I come in?" She asks quietly.

"Are you a vampire now?"

"No." He steps away from the door and she's hit in the face with the smell of alcohol as she walks in. But she expected it. He was Damon Salvatore afterall, and he loved his burbon.

"Then I guess you don't need a formal invite." He spits out, walking away from her. He throws himself on the bed. One arm behind his head, and the other across his chest, looking as impatient as ever, waiting for her to tell him why she was here, and how she found him.

Elena closes the door behind her and throws her bags on the couch. She slowly takes a seat at the bottom of the bed and faces him. He doesn't say a word, then again she didn't expect that either. She knew that she would have to be the one to start the conversation.

"It was easy to find you. You couldn't stand to be so close to me so you left, but you still needed to feel close to me. And that's here. In Georgia, at what was Bree's bar, and the hotel we spent the night at. Even the same room. I know you Damon, it was as easy as breathing to find you."

"Your quite full of yourself."

"Your not telling me otherwise."

"Bravo Elena. You can go now." He looks at her and it's more of a glare. There is nothing behind his hypnotic eyes. It scares the hell out of her.

"You know me better than that Damon. You really think I drove all this way just to go home after I found you?"

"I was hoping."

"I thought you didn't hope."

"Your right, memory lapse. Too much burbon I guess."

"It's been seven months Damon."

"I'm aware of that Elena. Either you leave or I leave."

"You already left. You broke your promise. You owe me this."

"I owe you? And what is it that you think I owe you?"

"A chance to figure things out."

"Why?"

"Because. You. Owe. Me." Her voice gets louder, she's angry now. "You broke your promse. You told me you'd never leave me again. Well you did."

She gets off the bed and starts pace back and forth.

"You had Stefan back."

Elena stops and stares at him. He spoke the name that brought them together and broke them apart.

"I listened to you Damon. You asked me to trust you the night of Homecomming. I did, and everyday after that."

"That was over a year ago."

"Whatever you asked of me I did."

"Ditto."

"That maybe so, but I need you to listen to what I have to say. Hear me out. Then I'll leave if you still want me to."

"Fine, but I'm going to need more alcohol."

"No. We do this sober."

"Fine, then I need to get some blood."

He gets off the bed, careful not to get too close to her. He moves to get dressed, avoding all physical contact with her.

"While your out will you pick me up some food and drinks?"

"Why the hell not?"

"I want a burger-"

"No pickles and cherry coke. I know. I remember."

"Your comming back right?" There is no way to hide the fear in her voice and she didn't want to either. If he saw how scared she was maybe it would give him enough incentive to come back.

"I may be a dick Elena, but I won't lie to your face. I'll be back." He adds with a cocky tone, as if she should know this and never question it. He closes the door behind him and she starts to wonder if she waited too long. Was all the damage done beyond repair?

She grabs one of her bags and heads into the bathroom to grab a shower. The hot water pours off her body and closes her eyes and remembers back to when she admitted the feelings she had for Damon out loud.

The night of Homecomming... (Elena's P.O.V.)

Bonnie and I were sitting on the couch, and across from us Tyler and Caroline were cuddled up and looking at each other like no one else was here. Damon, Ric and Jer stood by the fire each with a glass of burbon. They were rehashing all the deadly details of tonight.

Damon could have died killing Klaus. The white oak dagger could have worked just like the regular dagger dipped in the white ash, killing the person who used it.

We got lucky, Damon got lucky.

Klaus died by Damons hands. We were all safe from him now, and Stefan had still left. All complusion gone, Stefan still walked away, and here Damon stood. A year ago I would never have believed Stefan would have been the one to leave me. I should have been mourning Stefan. I should have been celebrating Klaus' death. The only thing that mattered was what if Damon had died? That fact was just hitting me now. He still would have done it, for me. As long as Klaus was dead and I was safe his life didn't matter to him. It should have mattered. I needed him. Didn't he understand that? I had to get rid of the smug look on his face, it was making me sick. I walk over to him and slap him across the face as hard as I could.

"What the hell Elena?"

"You. Could. Have. Died." I choke out, willing the tears in my eyes to go away, and at the least to not fall. Jeremy and Ric give me a confused look before backing away.

"But I didn't." His reply is cocky and it just makes me that much more mad.

"Don't you ever do something so stupid again."

"So only you can do stupid things?" I did do stupid things, but Damon was always there to save me. It didn't matter how much he hated what I was doing or did, he was always on my side.

"If you died killing Klaus what would have happened to me?"

"You'd be doing this. Minus me." He downs his glass and slams it on the table. He looks at me getting angry and confused. He really didn't know what I was getting at. I find every ounce of strength left in me, and take a deep breath.

"Your a real son of a bitch you know that? I'd be mourning you. I can't lose you Damon. You are the only constant in my life since you came into it. Annoying me, making me laugh. I'd be dead without you, don't you get that? Your damn ego gets in the way, skrews up, and saves the day. I've lived with losing all of my parents, Jenna, and Stefan. I can't lose one more person, especially not you. So please save me, protect me, just don't be a hero and die for me. I won't survive it." Damon looks at me shocked and speachless, as does the whole room. I look at everyone and they are completely silenced. I finally look back towards Damon. His eyes are sad, the reality of my words hitting him. They were hiiting me too, what was I really confessing? We agreed to let Stefan go. I was letting go the person who I thought was the love of my life, yet here I was holding onto Damon as a life raft. My last life line. The whole situation was skrewed up. I felt like I was breaking and he was the only one who could put me back together.

I wasn't sure how long we stood there looking at each other, I only noticed everyone left when I was startled by the font door closing. I walk closer to Damon and cup his face in my hands.

"We survied this. We always survive. We always will." I whisper. Affirming the fact-more to him or myself I wasn't sure of-that we were in this together.

"I won't let you break Elena." He speaks as if he can read my mind. He couldn't read minds, he just knew mine that well. I lean into his chest and he embraces me for the first time. With his strong arms around me a weight was lifted off my shoulder.