"Shoot me, Jeremy! It's the only way. I'm going to kill you otherwise. I can't stop" Damon yelled. "Jeremy! No!" Elena argued. Damon lunged for Jeremy and a shot rang out…
"DAMON!" Elena screamed, sitting up in bed, tears streaming down her face. "Elena!" Jeremy called, running through the bathroom into her room. He flipped on her lamp and sat down on her bed, wrapping his arms around her. "Shhh…it was the dream again?" he asked. Elena sniffled and nodded. Matt walked sleepily into Elena's room after jogging the stairs. "Nightmare again?" he asked with a yawn. Jeremy nodded."You sat with her last night. I'll do it tonight. Go on back to bed." Matt told him, slipping into Elena's bed, pulling her from Jeremy's arms into his own, stroking her back. Jeremy bent down to where he was face to face with Elena. "I'm so sorry….Elena. I didn't…I didn't know what else to do." he said. He'd repeated that to her every night since the night Damon died. Elena never responded. She moved and buried her head in Matt's chest. "She knows it isn't your fault, Jer." Matt assured him. Jeremy nodded solemnly and went back into his room. "Just go back to sleep, Elena." Matt soothed. "I can't." she sniffled. "Everytime I sleep, I see him die. I can't sleep, Matt." she said. Matt sighed and stroked her hair. "Just try, 'Lena…okay?" he asked patiently. "I'll be here to wake you up if you start dreaming." he promised.
Months had passed since Damon's death…and Elena still wasn't coping. The nightmares remained…but memories of Damon faded…getting fuzzy in her head. She fought to remember…every smile…every kiss, every time he'd made her laugh. Matt had permanently moved in, caring for Elena and Jeremy…more like a parent than someone their age. Stefan tried to visit…but Elena refused to let him in. She didn't blame him, he wasn't even there…but she couldn't look at him without thinking of Damon.
On this day, however, Elena let him in. He followed her upstairs and sat in her windowsill. "Why is today different?" he asked. "Why let me in today?" "Because…I can't deal with it anymore. Jeremy has someone to take care of him…and I can't…I don't know how to survive…how to make a life…there's no world for me, if there is no Damon." she said, a fresh set of tears streamed down her face. "Elena, no you wouldn't…Damon wouldn't want—" he stuttered. "I have to…Stefan. I can't live like this anymore." she sobbed. Suddenly, he was gone, vanished down the stairs and out the front door.
Stefan ran straight from Elena's to the boarding house. He zoomed up the stairs, into Damon's room, where Damon was folding things, putting them into a suitcase. "You have to come with me right now." he said."What? Why?" Damon asked. "We agreed…Elena will grieve, move on…when she breaks the sire bond, we'll figure-" "She's going to kill herself, Damon. She as much as flat out told me. We have to go. Now."
Elena walked up the stairs, stake in hand. Jeremy and Matt had went out to get groceries. Elena walked into her room, taking a deep breath. This wasn't her…she wasn't this weak…but she felt hopeless. There was no world for her, if there was no Damon. Bringing the stake up, she pointed it toward her heart. "There are a shortage of perfect breasts in this world, princess. It would be a pity to damage your's." she heard a voice say. Elena screamed and dropped the stake. She spun around, seeing Damon laying on her bed, teddy bear in hand, that damned smirk on his lips, proud that he'd just quoted her favorite movie. She blinked rapidly, trying to figure out how he could be there. "Wha-How-" she stuttered. Damon rose and walked over. He leaned down and kissed her. "He missed my heart. Just…by a fraction of an inch…but he missed it. I was…dying…Stefan saved me…took me home…helped me heal. We decided I should leave…at least until the sire bond is broken. Let you think I was dead until you could make the decision yourself." he said. Elena pulled her hand back, connecting it with Damon's cheek in a sharp SLAP! "Do you have any idea what I've been through?!" she screamed, tears streaming down her face. "How dare you?!" she pulled back to slap him again and Damon grabbed her trying to calm her down. "I was trying to do what's best for you, Elena. "I'm sorry…obviously, I screwed up."he said. "When Stefan told me what you were planning to do, I came straight here. Elena…you can't. Whatever happens to me in the future…promise me you'll never, ever let that thought cross your mind again. I'll always find a way back to you, Elena." he said, framing her face. Elena pushed him away angrily and he grabbed her, pulling her close again, Elena punched his chest defiantly as he wrapped his arms around her tightly. Finally, she gave up, sobbing into his chest, wrapping his arms around her. "Ssssh….it's okay…I'm here, Elena." he said. "Promise me you'll never leave me again." she sniffled. "Elena…I can't…with everything…I can't pr—" "PROMISE ME!" she demanded, pulling back and looking up at him, tears streaming from those big, brown doe eyes. "Okay, okay warrior princess. I'll never leave you again. I promise. I'm not going anywhere." he whispered, wrapping his arms around her again…and pulling her close.