Elena laid curled up in Damon's bathtub, his leather jacketwrapped around her fitting loose, and his bottle of bourbon tightly pulled against her chest. His ring hung freely on a chain around her neck. Her eyes had bags under them, for she hadn't slept or fed since Damon died. She had been locked in his room. Periodically Alaric would come to the door and knock, "Elena please come out, we are worried about you." After several beats of silence he moved back down the stairs to the living room where the fire had burnt out, when before this moment they hadn't realized that it had always been burning.
Elena looked up slightly and there he was. "You look horrible." Damon said, his blue eyes shining. Elena smiled at him and tried to sit up.
"I feel horrible." She admitted, her voice hoarse.
Damon climbed into the bathtub sitting across from her. "You should eat something." He said touching the dark circles under her eyes.
She exhaled. "I can't, Damon." She whispered.
"You have to baby." He whispered back. "This is killing you."
"But then I have to admit it." She said tears falling.
"Come on Elena, this isn't what I want for you."
"What I want…" She said upset. "Is for you to be alive."
"I'm here right now, okay?" He said pulling her against him. "Please don't cry, Elena, I hate to see you cry."
"But it isn't real…" She sobbed against his shirt.
He pushed her chin upward with his index finger so she would look him in the eyes. "Does it really matter?"
"No." She admitted. "It doesn't."
He leaned in and kissed her gently.
"You lied to me Damon." She said her eyes watering again.
"I didn't, baby, I just didn't make it in time." He pushed her hair out of her face and behind her ears. He held her face in his hands.
Elena was crying now. "I didn't want to leave you." She sobbed. "They made me. "
"It's okay Elena."
"No it isn't!" She shouted.
A knock came on her door again. "Elena? Elena please." It was Stefan this time. Elena looked at the door and back to Damon, he was gone now.
"No!" She screamed smashing the bourbon bottle against the wall. She buried her face in her hands sobbing.
Stefan busted down the door and walked to her. "Elena." He said looking at her. She looked up at him, her face shades of gray from her makeup running.
"I can't do this Stefan." She said quietly.
"You don't have to do this alone." He said sitting outside of the tub next to her.
"He's gone.." She whispered in tears, Stefan was the first person she had really talked to since it happened.
"I know." He said his eyes watering too. "I know"
"I see him." She whispered.
"You… what?"
"I see him, he was just here."
"Elena when was the last time you fed?" Stefan asked concerned.
"I don't know." She looked away.
"Elena." He sighed. "You're hallucinating. It isn't real."
"Does it matter?" She looked at him, her eyes watering and red. "I left him behind Stefan, I left him."
"You're not the only one that misses him Elena." He said coldly.
Elena sat up angry and threw another bourbon bottle at his head, it missed him, but just barely. "Fine." He said quietly. "I'll leave you alone." Stefan turned on his heel and slammed the door behind him.
Elena collapsed back into the tub.
"You didn't have to upset him." His voice was clear as day.
"You could've shown him that you were here." Elena looked up at him.
"You know I couldn't, baby." Damon's eyes came together, he grabbed her arm and led her to his bed, laying her down and tucking her in.
Elena's lip was trembling as she looked at his blue eyes. "I can't…"
"Can't what?" He asked pushing her hair out of her face and tucking it behind her ear.
"Live without you." She murmured a tear escaping her eye and sliding down her face.
"You lived before me, Elena, and you will live after me." He reached down and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "You taught me how to love, Elena, and you deserve to love again."
"Don't leave me…" Elena cried, as she felt her body collapse from exhaustion, hunger, and utter heartbreak.