The Veil was being restored, calling all their friends back. Stefan left and Elena was going to school to search Jeremy, hoping she was in time to say goodbye. Only Damon was at Salvatore's house, slowly sipping Bourbon near the cozy fireplace. Memories were still bright, staring at the same fire he was looking few minutes before.
Elena broke into the hall, looking somewhat angry to him.
"I wanted to apologize.", he said, feeling her presence.
"Good.", she replied, standing next to him, her arms crossed.
"Let me finish.", he said abruptly, turning his head to her. "I said I wanted to. And then, I realized I'm not sorry!".
"You would rather die than be human, and you expect me to be ok with that?!", she asked remembering the fear she felt that day. The fear of losing him forever.
"I didn't say you were supposed to be okay with it, I just said I'm not sorry.", his voice became louder as she whispered nervously, "You know what I really am? Selfish! Because I make bad choices that hurt you! And yes, I would rather die than be human! I would rather die right now, then spend a handful of years with you, only to lose you when I'm too old, sick and miserable and you're still you! I would rather die right now than spend my last years remembering how good I had it and how happy I was! Because that's who I am, Elena. And I'm not going to change. And there's no apology in the world that encompasses all the reasons that I'm wrong for you!".
After few moments, he slowly returned to watch the flames of the fireplace dancing in front to him.
"Fine.", said Elena, surprised by his speech, "But I'm not sorry either!".
Damon inquisitively looked at her as she continued.
"I'm not sorry that i met you! I'm not sorry that knowing you has made me question everything! And in death you're the one that made me feel most alive!", just a whisper paused her voice, "You've been a terrible person! You made all the wrong choices and all the choices that I've made this will prove to be the worst but I'm not sorry that I'm in love with you!"
Damon was astonished as she repeated firmly: "I love you, Damon!".
Few meters between them quickly disappeared before he passionately kissed her while she was saying one last time her love for him. Elena avidly replied to the kisses, that kisses she missed since too much time.
Lost in their kisses, they stood embraced in each other's arms for endless moments, until Damon looked at her saying softly: "I love you too". Elena pushed him against the near wall keeping kissing him, and began to unbutton his shirt.
With a huge effort he stopped her and said: " Elena stop! You should go look for Jeremy and say goodbye, before it's too late!"
But she ignored him and continued to kiss him, he could not resist, too much time had passed since the last time he had her in his arms, too many times he had thought it would no longer be his girl. He pushed her on the couch while his mouth descended on her neck and on every inch of skin that the dress left exposed, Elena groaned and stretched out her hands to unbutton his pants, but with the last gasp of sanity he had left pulled away from her and said: "I can't! Do not get me wrong, I want make love to you more than you can imagine, but I'd never forgive myself if you didn't say goodbye to your brother, like you wouldn't have peace if you don't do it. And then if I don't stop now I don't think I would have the strength to do it later."
She blushed and said: "You're right, I should go look for him, but I missed you so much that I lost control.
He smiled at her and said:" Don't worry, I'll be right here to wait you and then I'll not let you go out from our room at least for a week!"
She threw a pillow at him and replied: "Do not be silly!" But then she said: "I'll see you later!" She kissed him and looked at him with mischievous eyes, after that she walked away.
In the meantime, Elena lay on the floor after the fight with Katherine. When the wounds were completely healed, she got up and looked at her evil doppelganger, wondering what to do with her. She decided to leave her there, so she would have to wake up alone and terrified by the evolution of events.
After spending a few more seconds watching her, she walked towards the exit but did not have time to take a few steps before she heard a sound of footsteps, coming from inside the school, so she turned and went further into the building to find out who was. After turning the corner she saw her brother Jeremy and she froze.
He smiled to her and he said: " Elena, it's me Jeremy!"
She replied. "It's impossible! You're dead, Bonnie put the veil back on a few minutes ago and you should be on the other side." The girl began to think that this was not her brother, but Silas, somehow freed from the spell that turned him into stone and said: "I don't believe you! You don't fool me Silas!"
"Elena, it's me! Bonnie did a spell that brought me back to life." He replied.
"If you are really in front of me, prove it!" She said.
Jeremy thought about what to say that would convince his sister and that Silas was not aware: "Once when I was five I stole your stuffed bunny, you chased me all over the house until I fell, hurting, in a first when you got back the plush but then after seeing me cry you left me saying that you were now grown up to play with it. "
Not yet convinced, Elena remembered that, shortly after her transformation, Jeremy told her about the conversation he had with Rose, during the return trip from Denver. So, she asked, "Do you remember what Rose said that night during the return from Denver?"
He smiled and said: " Sure! She told me that I wanted to protect you from Damon, but I was young and I couldn't see what she saw. You made him a better person, but it wasn't just this, he changed you too, he surprised you, he challenged you, he made you question your life. She told that Damon could be the best thing for you or the worst."
Listen to this episode, Elena convinced herself that her brother was right in front of her, so she ran into his arms while tears of joy rolled down her face.
They held each other for several seconds without saying anything, until she said:" Where is Bonnie? I would like to thank her for having you back with us."
Jeremy looked up and saw Bonnie, who said: "Tell her that I have to go away to celebrate graduation with my parents and that I'll spend the summer with my mother "
Jeremy told his sister, who seemed at first surprised that Bonnie went away in such a hurry, but she turned away those thoughts, being too happy to have found his brother and said: "I'll call her in a few days to say thank you. But now let's go home, too much has happened today. "
" What house? If you remember our house is burned down with my body inside" He asked.
"We'll stay at Salvatore's house from now on, there are enough rooms for all of us" Then she blushed and continued: " Besides, I cleared things up with Damon and I don't think that he'll let me go easily, and neither do I wanna go away!" She replied.
He ran a hand over his face and said: "I knew this would happen! Now I'll have to tolerate you two lovebirds all over the summer!"
"Can't you be happy for me once, Jer? At least for five minutes." She replied.
"Yeah, don't worry but if he hurts you I'll kill him!" He said.
She laughed and said: "If he does such a thing i'll take care of him by myself."
Then they retraced the road back and when they found Katherine he said: " What the hell happened here?"
" She tried to kill me so I have thrown the cure down her throat!" She said.
" You what? This cure was supposed to be for you!" He froze.
"I know but I didn't have a choice. it was me or Katherine!" She replied.
" Ok, ok! I understand! What do we do with her?" He said.
"Let's leave her here, she deserves to wake up lonely after losing everything" She replied.
They passed and left the school, then they got into the car and drove up to home.
