Summary: Damon tries to regain his strength after the wolf bite, while trying to locate Stefan and keep Elena safe. Delena friendship/potential romance, with a dose of character angst thrown in.

Spoiler Warning: Various references to Season 1 and 2 episodes, though mainly 2x22 As I Lay Dying. Minor spoilers for Season 3 in later chapters.

Author's Note: This is my attempt at filling the gap between the end of Season 2 and the beginning of Season 3. Please leave a review; I love to hear what you think.

Disclaimer: I am not associated with, nor do I own The Vampire Diaries.

Tomorrow is Another Day

Chapter 1

As quick as she had appeared Katherine was gone, leaving confusion and a whole lot of unanswered questions in her wake.

Elena stared at the vial she now held in her hands, it was blood it had to be. The idea should have disgusted her, but living in a world of vampires the fact that blood was the cure didn't come as a surprise. However who's or what's blood was still a mystery and if Katherine knew the answer she had chosen to keep that information to herself. Information was power in her doppelganger's world.

Elena looked over to Damon for the first time since catching the vial. He was trying to prop himself up in bed. He stared at her with such disbelief in his eyes, his eyebrows rising in puzzlement.

"He didn't…" he whispered hoarsely.

"Damon we have to find him."

"I know."

Elena placed the vial on the night stand and immediately dug her phone out of her pocket and started texting:

Damon's okay. Where R U?

She hit send and waited… Her phone beeped indicating that the text had been received. That was a good sign, at least wherever Stefan was he had his phone on and the text had got through.

She started pacing the floor along the side of Damon's bed, just staring at her phone, waiting…

Nothing.

The more she paced, and the more time that went by, Damon could see her face begin to drop more and more. Unable to keep holding himself up, he flopped back against the pillows.

Still no reply.

"Elena…"

"Don't say it," she dismissed his words with a wave of her hand, "he's okay, he has to be."

Damon tried again, speaking quietly, "He might not be able to reply, he might not have his phone anymore, or he might not want to reply…"

His last words hung in the air between them; Elena didn't want to accept that. Stefan would be fine and he would get them a message if he could. But he hadn't yet.

Elena sat down heavily on the foot of Damon's bed and let out a long sigh, still staring at her phone, willing it to make a noise.

Damon's heart broke while watching her. He now had another reason to feel guilty, to add to his already long list. His little brother had sacrificed himself, given himself over to save him, to the biggest baddest 'were-pire', 'wolf-vamp' or whatever the hell he was. Why did he do it? Out of a sense of loyalty, guilt or even love?

Damon had gone out of his way to make Stefan's life a misery. But even after all he had done, Stefan was still his brother and he knew that if their positions had been reversed (if it was Stefan who lay dying from a werewolf bite), Damon knew he would have done anything and everything to save him. They were brothers. The only difference was that Stefan was good, he deserved to live and he deserved the life he had created here in Mystic Falls. Whereas Damon knew that he himself had deserved to die, and had told Elena so. Damon had already made his peace with the world; he was prepared to die this evening. In fact if he had had his way he would have died earlier that morning in front of the window. The rays of sun had warmed his cold skin and he knew what he had to do. Taking his ring off and waiting for death to consume him had been the right decision to make. But his baby brother had saved him then too, determined to keep him alive, if that's what they are.

Elena gave up staring at her phone and looked over at the recovering vampire, his eyes were half closed and he seemed to be fighting sleep. One part of her wanted to hit him and tell him to get himself up and get Stefan back, but the other part of her wanted him to rest and recover fully. 'Damon's okay' she had put in her text message to Stefan. She had not really considered those words when she had typed them furiously into her phone earlier. 'Damon's okay'. He's going to be alright, he's going to recover and he's not going to die tonight. The relief she hadn't realised had been holding itself back now washed over her. She wasn't going to lose anyone else this night, and although Stefan was God knows where, he was still alive she knew that. She knew that Klaus had plans for him, but she also knew they would get him back.

As if echoing her thoughts Damon barely whispered out "I'll get him back I promise." His eyes fully closed.

Elena got up and rushed to the head of the bed, throwing her phone onto the night stand. She knelt beside the bed and placed her hand gently on his face, she let out a relived breath when she realised that he had just fallen asleep, he was exhausted. 'Damon's okay'.

Elena was torn about what to do. Should she rally the troops and start hunting for Stefan now before it was too late? But the other part of her, which was starting to become more prominent, wanted to stay with Damon and make sure he was going to be alright. He shouldn't be left alone tonight. Staring down at Damon's face, she realised how peaceful he looked while sleeping, the hard edges he had to his expression when he was awake were gone. He wasn't so scary.

Realising all her problems would still be there in the morning, Elena made a decision. She climbed back onto the bed and found herself in the same position as before, lying against his side, head on his shoulder and hand wrapped around his.

Her life was messed up. She had a boyfriend to save and get back, but she knew she was also lying to herself if she didn't admit there was something there between her and Damon. And they also had the small matter of deathbed confessions and that kiss to deal with.

Tomorrow was another day, and with that she fell asleep. For the time being her phone was left forgotten on the night stand.