Hello everyone :-) Happy Thanksgiving!

For those of you who are reading my other story, "Coping with Consequences," I'm sorry for the delay. After the promo for 4x07, this story here grabbed me and would not let go. I had to write it before I could work on anything else. But I do have two more chapters to post for Coping and I will get those up as soon as I can.

I also have about four chapters of this story ready to go, so I'll be posting at least once a day for a while. I really hope you all enjoy this story. It's based on 4x07's promo and sneak peak pictures. I tried to create a realistic idea for the episode while also getting lots of good Delena time after a bit of misunderstanding amongst everyone.

Thank you to my marvelous beta - Hannah Taylor1. She hasn't been feeling so well but she read this story for me anyway. Go check out her stuff because she's awesome!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

XOXO

Damon poured himself a drink and lifted it, contemplating the amber liquid inside. He could drink it and it would take the edge off of the last two days, but it wouldn't make him forget that he'd just pushed the woman he loved straight back into the arms of his brother.

He knocked the drink back and poured another. Alcohol was a much better salve than knowing that he'd taken the high road and done the right thing by her. Lifting his drink, he toasted his mental Alaric.

"Women," He muttered to his long-gone friend, "They'll drive you to drink every time."

He needed a shower and a bed, and he needed it soon. Placing his glass back down on the table, he rejected the temptation for a third drink. He wasn't going to become a complete slosh every time Elena held his hand and looked at him with those big brown eyes.

Turning, he strode out of the room, intent on a scalding hot shower, and nearly ran into Stefan in the hallway.

"Walk much?" Damon muttered, stepping around his brother. "What are you even doing here? You're supposed to be on Elena duty."

"Yeah, well, now I'm not." Stefan spoke tightly, looking past Damon instead of at him. "She's with Jeremy."

"Jeremy? How is that supposed to help her if something happens?"

"What's going to happen? She's at home resting. Her house is safe from Klaus, and for once no one is after her." Stefan kicked at the baseboard, staring down at the ground as he muttered, "She's fine."

"She's traumatized." Damon spat. "She needs someone to be with her. Isn't that your job?"

"Not anymore." Stefan finally looked up and met Damon's eyes. "Elena and I broke up."

That shocked Damon right out of his fit. "Oh…"

"Yeah." Stefan raised his eyebrows. "So, no… I'm not going to be the one staying with her today."

Damon shook his head, his mind sluggishly attempting to process what Stefan had just said. "You broke up? What happened? When I left her she was firmly back in the love-Stefan-forever camp."

Stefan snorted. "I think you might be wrong on that front, brother."

Damon nodded, trying to piece it all together and figure out what in the world this meant for him. "I'm… sorry. Maybe I can… talk to her or…"

Shaking his head, Stefan took a step toward Damon, leaning in. "Don't. Let's not pretend that this isn't the best day of your life."

Not knowing what to say, Damon just looked at Stefan for a long moment before finally dropping his eyes. Shaking his head, he tried to bite back the question. It came out anyway.

"Is she okay?"

"Go find out." Stefan pushed past Damon, heading up the stairs, "Guess that's your job now."

Damon watched his brother head up the stairs and let out the breath he was holding. Reaching for his phone, he ran his thumb over the screen, wondering what he was supposed to do now. Leaning back against the wall, he ran a hand over his hair, closed his eyes, and dialed Elena's number.

She picked up on the second ring.

"Hi…"

He infused his usual casual cockiness into his voice, "Can I not leave you alone for a minute without everything going to pot?"

"You talked to Stefan?"

"If that's what you want to call it. Are you home alone right now?"

"I'm fine, Damon."

"So that's a yes." Damon rolled his eyes. "Where's Jeremy?"

"He went out to get a few things we needed. He won't be gone long…"

Damon looked up at the ceiling and sighed, pushing away from the wall. "I'm coming over, Elena."

He'd expected an argument, but she didn't give him one. "Okay. Damon, did Stefan tell you why he and I broke up?"

"He wasn't feeling particularly chatty for some reason." Damon muttered, heading for the door. "So why don't you tell me? I'm all ears."

She paused and let out a sigh. "Can we just talk when you get here?"

"Fine," He strode down his driveway, glancing around for any nosy passerbys. "See you in a minute." Slipping his phone in his pocket, he sped down the street, taking the backwoods shortcut to her house.

XOXO

Elena was curled up on her couch, clad in her favorite plaid pajama shorts and a matching yellow tank top. Pink, fuzzy socks warmed her feet and the blanket from the back of the couch covered her bare legs. On her lap, she held an old photo album, flipping through the pages that showed the first ten years of her life, smiling as she touched her parents' faces.

Damon made her jump when he threw open the door and strode in, letting it slam shut behind him. He was suddenly in front of her, looking her over as though he'd expected to find her distraught or anxious or hurt in some way.

Instead, she smiled at him. "Want to see a picture of Jeremy dressed as a vampire when he was six? It's kind of ironic… don't you think?"

He seemed taken aback by her causal question. "I suppose that's one definition of irony."

"You have to come over here if you want to see it, you know." She patted the cushion next to her. "I'm too comfortable to move, and I've been given strict orders to take it easy today." She smiled, "Orders from you…. Remember?"

"Elena…" He moved to sit beside her, watching her closely. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She reached over and laid her hand on his knee, squeezing him for reassurance. "Don't look at me like that, Damon. I'm not going to break."

He nodded. "I can see that. But I have seen you cry over my brother too many times, Elena. What's different about this time?"

"Everything," Elena gave him a small smile. "Stefan and I haven't been… connecting since my transition. You know that. We can't seem to be honest with each other and rely on each other like we should… we've never been able to recapture the trust we used to have."

"Elena…"

"He doesn't feel the same way about me now." She looked up at Damon, meeting his eyes. "It's hard for him to be with me… to understand me now. And honestly, it's hard for me to be with him. I feel so much pressure to have this all figured out, to make this easier on him, to stay that person that I was for him."

She sighed and reached for Damon's hand, linking their fingers, feeling the contact steady her immediately. "I think… I think I was clinging to the idea that if I could just love him the same way again and we could be together the same way again, then all of the horror and fear of the past year would be worth something. Maybe I thought I could hold onto the past if I held onto him. I don't know…"

Her eyes were trained on their joined hands and she lifted her free hand, skimming her fingers of the back of his hand, pressing his fingers between both of her hands.

"I just know that, as sad as it was to see that chapter of my life end today, there was … relief too."

He still was quiet and she lifted her eyes to his, trying to read the expression on his face. There was none of the softness in his eyes that she'd seen earlier. He merely looked at her, his hand lying still between hers.

"Damon," She tilted her head, trying to illicit a response from him. "Say something…"

He shook his head and looked down, "Elena…"

She waited, but he said nothing else. After a few quiet moments, his eyes lifted back to hers, but she had no idea what emotion was shining out of them.

Not knowing what else to do, she moved closer to him, lifting his arm around her shoulders. Leaning back, she curled against his side, resting her head on his shoulder. "Talk to me, Damon. Please?"

For one brief moment, he held her close and she breathed him in, letting herself enjoy him guilt-free.

But then he was up, standing in the middle of her living room with his hands linked behind his head, looking at her as though she was somehow simultaneously the most terrifying and appealing thing in this world.

She stood too. "Damon…"

He dropped his hands, shaking his head at her. "I'll… send Caroline to come stay with you. I have to go, Elena."

"Why?" Moving toward him, she tried to reach out to him, but he stepped back. "Damon, I don't have any idea what happened…"

"I know you don't."

"Then tell me." Elena moved toward him again. "Damon, please don't go…"

He surprised her by closing the distance between them, taking her face in his hands. "I would give you anything, Elena. I would kill for you, I would die for you, I would find a way to get you whatever you needed no matter what it cost. But I can't be here with you right now." He dropped his hands from her face, the intensity in his eyes fading to a sadness so deep that it shocked her. "I can't. You'll be safe with Caroline."

Before she could respond, he was gone, the door slamming shut behind him. Too shocked to do anything else, she sat down on the coffee table and stared after him.

XOXO

So... I've been working really hard on this story and putting off some important school work to get it done. I would really love to hear from you guys - it would make working on this so much more worth it. So please leave me a review! :-)

Thanks for reading!