Chapter 1

My head is pounding.

My whole body aches.

I just hurt.

I hear someone come into the room, close the door and pull up a chair. They take my hand and hold onto it with both of theirs. His scent is so framiliar. I know those hands, the hands that look so rough but are soft to the touch. Who would have thought a killers hands would feel so nice, so comfortingly strong. Sadly no one because I'm the only one who gets to see the man behind the reformed murderer. He is the antithesis of the monster he pretends to be. The better man, my best friend.

'Salvatore as in Saviour.' He once told me. Who knew then that he would be?

My own personal saviour.

"Elena, please wake up. I'm not one to beg but this is getting old. You have been asleep for two weeks. I'm saying asleep because I don't want to believe that you are in a coma, and I sure as hell don't believe that you are never going to wake up and I'm the fatalist here. You are so stubborn so in order to prove everyone wrong you need to do it, open those big beautiful brown eyes. I'm sorry we put too much trust in Katherine. I'm sorry we didnt have a back up plan. It seemed good enough at the time. This is Stefan's fault. Even if you don't want to believe it. He trusted her and he convinced all of us that nothing could go wrong. Him and the bitch are still here even though I asked, well more like told them to get the hell out of here. They are way too chummy for my taste and you wouldn't like it either. So what I need for you to do is wake up and kick Stefan's ass, I wouldn't let you try with Katherine, she would attempt to do damage, or in this case you could stake them. After all you do owe me now. I think my debt for you saving me in Georgia and from Bonnie is paid in full. I figured since you pretty much took down an original you could handle Kat and her animal eating sidekick. Look everything is over. Klaus is dead. You tricked Katherine with the dagger, you had us all thinking you were so innocent, but I always knew you weren't. You got one hell of a backbone, suprised the hell out of everyone but I knew you had guts. You are safe. You got what you wanted everyone you love is safe. Even I made it out alive. So get up, annoy me and be happy about it."

He didn't know. Katherine never said a word. She told Stefan she was willing to die for him so she would use the dagger to kill Klaus, to prove that she did love him. I was afraid she would skrew it up and someone I loved would die. So I took the dagger. No, not took it, she gave it to me. She knew what I was going to do. Boy was he going to be mad when I told him Katherine was going to sit back and enjoy the show.

I barely ever hear him sound so vunerable and this is by far the most he has ever sound it, even around me but his little speach is still inheretly Damon. His voice is sad but there's a little bit of anger there too. Somtimes I forget that when he loves he loves hard. There was no denying that anymore. He proved that and beyond. He wasn't going to admit it now and that was okay with me because I was not ready to touch that subject. It doesn't even suprise me anymore that he knows me so well. If anyone would have tried to stop me or was going to catch onto my plan I was sure it would be Damon, but he was so focused on saving and protecting me that he almost died. I knew what he was talking about. I did what I intended on all along. I was making sure everyone survived no matter what happened to me. Klaus decided Damon would be the one to die in the sacrifice. Klaus somehow knew that even though I was with the youngest Salvatore I had a very soft spot for the eldest. I could not let that happen. There was no way he was going to die for me. I pulled out the dagger that I had gotten from Katherine. All we needed was a distraction, we needed the advantage to get the upper hand. I caught Klaus off-gaurd, he was having too much fun torchering Damon and I stabbed him right through the heart but he didn't die quick enough because I didn't get the dagger in far enough but it was enough to make a difference. The last thing I saw was Damon hands over Jeremy's helping hold Klaus down and push the dagger all the way into him and then Damon running to me. But it was too late Klaus had me flying through the air, off the cliff and into the falls but all that mattered to me was that everyone was alive. It felt like I was going in slow motion watching everything. Damon saved my life. Then agian, he always saved me. Why should I have thought it would have been any different?

Stefan and Katherine? Chummy? Why? I had my suspicions or fears, whatever you want to call them, that he still had feelings for Katherine but he always denied them. Where was he? Where was Stefan when Damon was taking control? Not that Damon needed help but I don't remember Stefan doing anything or seeing him before I went over. I try to force my eyes open but they just wont. What the hell happened to me? Why cant I open my eyes? Coma. Damon said I've been here two weeks. Wherever here is...I'm guessing the hospital but today is the first day I'm awake...at least in my head. He squeezes my hand tighter and lifts it up to his cheek and holds it there. I try to squeeze his hand back and I try to move my body but it won't budge. I'm trapped in my own body. The door opens again and whoever comes in is wearing heels. All I can think is it better not be Katherine.

"Hey Damon, your still here?"

"I didn't want to leave her alone."

"You look like you haven't slept since she's been here."

"I have."

"Damon go home. Shower, sleep, change. I'll stay with her."

"Why are you being nice to me?"

"Because it's obvious. No matter how much I want to hate it, you feel for her and you were very willing to die for her Damon, even if we saved her and not you, you didn't care. I was there, I saw it. You didn't even put up a fight. So I owe you."

"You don't owe me. I did it because I couldn't lose her. He would have killed her before we had a chance to save her if I did."

"I know but it's over now."

"I should have just used the dagger myself. None of this would have happened."

"Then you would be dead and Elena would be devestated that you died for her. And even though I don't think vampires should exist, maybe you should. Maybe. Because when I look around it's you that's always there for her. I thought I would be saying this about Stefan but...it doesn't matter. You saved her. You even helped me. You were the hero this time and because of it Elena has a chance. Go home, Damon. I won't leave her, I promise."

"I'm trusting you witch."

"I'm trusting you to come back. Jeremy is comming by after school and Jenna afterwork."

"Oh, I will come back. How are they?"

"A mess. Jeremy has no doubt that she's going to wake up, Jenna does however."

"She will, Bonnie. Her and her damn determination, it use to piss me off, just like she did but now it'll work in my favor when she uses it to wake up."

"I think she would beg to differ and say you are the one that tries and succedes at pissing her off."

"Don't I know it. It's what we do, piss each other off and fight." I try to manage a smile and if I'm not mistaken the witch actually laughs at what I've said. Guess there is a first time for everything. Elena still looks as beautiful as ever. Almost like an angel. I tuck her hair behind her ear and run my fingers down her face before I grab my jacket to leave.

"Wait! Where's Stefan anyway?"

"With...her."

"I don't get it. Why?"

"I have no idea."

Stefan was with Katherine. That much I now knew for sure and a part of my heart broke at the thought of it. Bonnie being nice to Damon? Is this some sort of an alternate universe? Am I dreaming, talking and making promises with no brain bleeds? What did they know that I didn't? Trusting each other? I knew that they had made progress the night of the dance but I wasn't aware they were friends. This is all so confusing. Bonnie must sit where Damon was because I feel her lean onto the bed and take my hand.

"Elena, come on. I know you like being stubborn but Damon is turning into mush. I never thought I'd see the day. I get why you save him, why you are his friend and why you risked your life when Klaus was ready to kill him. He's so different with you. It's like because of who you are he's different, who he should be. I wonder if you could hear me? If you can I bet your loving this. I bet even getting satisfaction out of the fact that I see the Damon you do now. I'm trying to figure out when he became the hero but you always knew he could be one, didn't you?. We all know why he is though, it's because of you, Elena. But if he goes off on a killing bender, which I'm waiting for. He's pretty beat up for not being able to prevent you from getting hurt at all. I will be forced to, no not kill him, I know that's what your thinking, but I will have to neutralize him. I won't kill him for your sake because I belive you could fix it. Jenna and Jeremy are out of their mind worried about you. Jeremy wants Damon to give you some of his blood but he says it won't work unless your concience, so wake up, Elena, please? Your family needs you. I need you and so does Caroline. Damon needs you."

Fianlly someone else the sees the Damon I do. He's not a monster. Just misunderstood. Hmm. Is that even the right word? He doesn't want people to see the real him and for the longest time I couldn't figure out why but then I finally got it. It's because even when he is the better man he doesn't think it gets him anywhere. He's wrong. He's just scared to let anyone get to close. That's why he tries to hurt me and push me away. But I know it's all fake and pretend. If it wasn't he wouldn't want my forgiveness. Damon's dark and scary sometimes, but that's just one side. That's who he shows everyone but with me it was different. He trusted me. He trusts and loves with everything he's got and he's scared of what that means. He suprised me but he was doing that alot lately. There was still something that I was missing. Where was Stefan? Why has he not been here and what happened with Katherine? Stefan and I were fine. He loved me. I loved him. Why did it feel like right now that wasn't even enough? Poor Jenna and Jer. After everything that has happened to my family I had to be okay for them. Jenna is most likely going out of her mind wondering what happened. I wonder what they told her. The truth? Knowing Damon he would have just wanted to compel her and Stefan would have refused. Knowing Stefan he would have wanted to think of something, some kind of accident, Damon would have just wanted to tell her the truth now that the danger was over. At this point I had no idea who's argument won out.

Boarding House

"Stefan!" I call out as I slam the door as hard as I can.

"In here." He calls from the living room. I walk in and see him with a bottle of alcohol in his hand just staring at the wall.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"What does it look like?"

"Being a first rate dick."

"What do you want, Damon?"

"I want you to quit feeling sorry for yourself. Get the hell over to the hospital. Jenna, Jeremy and the witch are asking where the hell you have been."

"What did you tell them?"

"The truth."

"Of course. Always the righteous now right, Damon? Do you really think you are the saviour here?"

"Give me a break, Stefan. All I've done is save your ass. Hell I helped save everyones ass. All you did was plot and plan and sit back and watch. You could have gotten to her faster than I could have, you could have helped Jeremy shove that damn dagger all the way in to make sure he was dead but you ran to make sure Katherine was okay. What happened to save Elena, I'd die for Elena, Elena's everything. I love her. Well Stef which her do you love? Because Elena is in the hospital, in a coma and you haven't been to see her once."

"When would I, Damon? You barely leave her side. Everyone else is around the other time."

"Someone has to be there when she wakes up."

"If she wakes up."

"She will wake up, and I will tell her the truth. I won't lie to her. Not even for you, brother."

"Because you love her too?" He scoffs at me. How he finds this funny I have no idea.

"Because I could have died too, and you didn't even care. The first person you ran to was Katherine. All these years you mocked my obsession and here you are with one of your own for her. At least I was honest about it. I'm here for Elena for as long as she needs me or wants me. I was the one that was willing to die for her. Maybe I do love her but that her is Elena because of who she is, not because of Katherine. That bitch started all of this. I'll never forgive her and the worst part is I actually expected more from you, twice is enough. I won't make that mistake again. Just know that if Elena dies, it's on you. I will kill you myself. No more eternity of misery I'll be cut and dry and stake you both through the heart."

"I never wanted her to get hurt Damon, you either."

"I made the life and death decisions. Remember when I told you at the end of the day I'd be the one to keep her alive? Suprise. I did. I say what I mean and mean what I say Stefan." I turn and leave a stunned Stefan standing there. I had things to do. I had to shower and eat and then meet with Liz. She most likely wanted to make sure that there have been no more unknown vampire corpses showing up. Then I had to get back to Elena. I meant every word I said to Stefan. I don't want him to see her. I don't want him near her but it's not my call. Elena might. Maybe he's who she needs to wake up. I feel the disgust in me as I say those words. Where the hell was he when she needed him then, when I needed him? I won't lose her. I know she's going to wake up. She has to.