"How is she?" Damon asked as he accepted a drink from Alaric. They stood in the kitchen at opposite sides.
"She's better. Hanging out with Jeremy, Bonnie, and Caroline has gotten her more comfortable and familiar with them. But she still can't remember what happened the day of the accident. Dr. Hanson said that sometimes because of the trauma our own brain block out the memory of the event." Alaric took a sip of his drink. "Except she's blanking on our names and faces though also. He said he doesn't believe it's permanent though."
"Just and that to our ever growing list of life problems." Damon chugged down the rest of his drink. "So I guess it's my turn for some quality time today huh?"
"Yeah I guess so." Alaric looked at him. "You sure you can handle it? Should we hang around or something?"
"Who do you take me for Rick?" Damon stood up defensively. "I'm just as bummed about this whole accident as everyone else is! I care about her and you know that. Don't talk to me like I'm some stranger trying to take advance of her!"
Alaric was silent for a moment.
"I know how much you care about her. I'm sorry Damon." Alaric said. "Just call if you need anything though. Not that I don't trust you—"
"But you don't trust me." Damon grinned.
"For the first time in my life I feel like some sort of parent." Alaric shook his head and grinned. "Just humor me."
"Fine." Damon placed his glass in the sink. "Where is she now?"
"Looking for me?" A voice asked from the steps. Elena came lightly down the steps.
"Elena!" Damon's spirits lifted just seeing her. "How are you feeling?"
"God I hate that question." Elena whispered to herself. Damon chuckled to himself.
"You heard that?" Elena looked at him. How could he hear me?
"I can imagine how all the attention is making you feel. You always hated it." Damon grinned at her.
"You're right I do. You are… Damon? Right?" Elena came into the kitchen. Alaric started pouring something for her to drink. "Are you my babysitter today?"
"Still snippy I see." Damon crossed his arms and leaned against the counter still grinning.
"I am not." Elena crossed her arms across her chest. Why was he messing with her?
"You sure she doesn't remember anything Rick? She still prefers to argue with me." Damon raised an eyebrow at her.
"Were you always this annoying?" Elena snapped back. Alaric laughed. Damon shrugged. "You just try being cooped up in a house with everyone asking you the same questions and trying to make you remember things as if you're a child."
Elena left and went back up the steps. They heard a door slam. Alaric gave Damon a look.
"What!" Damon said innocently. "Why do I have to be the one to deal with the attitude? I didn't even do anything."
"Just go fix it. I'm heading to the school." Alaric headed to the front door and grabbed his jacket. "Try not to have her annoyed the whole day, Damon."
Damon sighed.
"Oh Elenaaa." He called as he walked up the steps. He knocked on her bedroom door. After a moment he heard the knob turning.
Elena stood in the doorway, her arms still crossed. She looked expectantly at him.
"I'm sorry for being soo… annoying." Damon smirked. When she didn't crack smile. He took a step closer and searched her eyes. She didn't shy away.
"What's really going on Elena?" When he asked something in Elena ached. It's like she knew those eyes; those piercing grey eyes.
"I… I just don't understand anything." She finally broke away from his gaze. She went and sat on the edge of her bed.
"What are you trying to understand?" Damon entered the room and looked around. Things were out of place and a bit of a mess. Photo albums and notebooks lay around. He sat on the bed next to her.
"I have known Bonnie and Caroline and Jeremy and Alaric for a long time. At least that's what I'm told." Elena looked around her room. "And that's what I've seen. But you…"
Damon raised his eyebrows.
"It's silly really." Elena shook her head.
"What about me?" He leaned closer interested.
"There's something about you." Elena looked at him. "I want to remember you, more than anyone else." Tears filled her eyes. "But I don't know why I want to and why I can't."
Damon's heart broke; the same heart that she had brought back in him, his humanity.
"I'm sorry, I'm crying." Elena wiped her eyes. "You probably think I'm silly or something."
"No. I don't." Damon stood up. "Come on."
"What? Where?"
"You want to get out of here right?" Damon stretched out his hand toward the door.
"Yeah I do. Where are we going to go?" Elena stood up.
"A little place I like to call home… well I guess it's technically your home too." Damon led the way out. Elena followed willingly.
"What is this place?" Elena asked as she looked around. They stood outside the Salvatore house. Damon smiled proudly at it.
"Beautiful isn't it?"
"It's so old!" Elena exclaimed.
"Excuse me?" Damon turned to her in disbelief.
Elena looked at him from the corner of her eye and smiled. Then she continued walking towards the door.
Did Elena Gilbert just jest with me? Damon smiled to himself.
As they walked through the door Elena started looking around. Touching different things as if she were seeing them for the first time. Then she just held the sides of her head and closed her eyes. Damon immediately went to her.
"Is it your head?"
"I… I remember that smell." Elena stuttered. "The fireplace the old books… this house. It's so familiar."
"Really?" Damon was shocked. Who knew this would work?
"Yes!" Elena said with shock and excitement. "I do!"
Elena roamed around the living room. She stopped at where the liquor table was. She picked up a bottle and a glass.
"You drink." She stated. "A lot."
"Um, yeah it helps." Damon crossed his arms.
"Helps with what again?" Elena tilted her head.
Then Damon realized she must not remember about vampires, werewolves, Claus… Stefan. Did she choose to block that out too?
"Well it's not good for you. You shouldn't drink so much." She said after he didn't answer.
"Damon, a lot happened in this house. Right?" Elena left the liquor alone and went over to him.
"You have no clue do you?" Damon said sadly.
"I know something." Elena said. "Why does everything here seem… normal? Did something happen… between us?"
Damon in that moment thought about the possibilities of what he could have told her. He could have made up stories, new stories, happier memories… but he'd come too far along with her to start taking advantage of her now.
"Well, between you and my brother definitely." Damon sighed. "How can I tell you this is simpler terms?"
"I won't understand?"
"How about we take it slow. Do you mind if we take a trip down memory lane? Or would you prefer to look around?" Damon asked.
"I think I want to know everything." Elena said.
"Let's take a seat then. I'll get us something from the kitchen to eat." As Elena turned to go take a seat on the couch Damon went to the kitchen at inhuman speed and returned with a couple of apples.
"That was fast." Elena looked up at him wide eyed. "I thought you were going to the kitchen?"
"Uh, yeah." Smart move Damon. "Turned out these were hanging out closer by." Damon gave a crooked smile hoping that she wouldn't ask any more questions.
"Oh, okay. So what's the story?" Elena got comfortable on the couch and pulled a pillow close.
"Well, I guess I'll start with my brother and I coming her to Mystic Falls. He fell in love with you…"
"So where is he now?" Elena asked about Stefan. After going through the story and trying to cover up the parts that had anything to do with the supernatural Damon had finally gotten to the end. But being so void of the whole truth just made everything seem like a dramatic lovers struggle against the world and opposition.
"I honestly don't know." Damon stood up and went to get a drink.
"Well, is he coming back?" Elena asked.
"Same answer. Would you like some?" He lifted up a bottle to her with a grin.
"I'll pass." She rolled her eyes. "I feel like something's missing."
"You mean besides your memory?" Damon mused.
"Yes." Elena sat thoughtful for a moment.
"What are you thinking about?" Damon took a swallow.
"Why isn't it you?" Elena said still in thought.
"I don't understand." Damon said.
"Why didn't something happen between us?" She looked at him. As if it were that simple.
"Ha! It's a lot more complicated than that sweetie. Did you miss the part about Stefan?" Damon came over and sat in favorite chair.
"No I didn't but you are leaving something out. It seems like we've been through a lot together. You "saved" me—" Elena started rambling on.
"I had too. My brother loved you." I loved you.
"But you care about me too!" Elena leaned towards him.
Damon knew he did but Elena in this state, with memory loss, could be dangerous… or an opportunity. She didn't know anything anymore. Maybe this was Damon's chance to let her go before she could be harmed anymore. She could have her shot at a normal life. With Claus and Stefan gone, she could go on with her life. Damon had to give her that chance. Right?
"I'm your friend Elena." Damon said dully.
"No." Elena said cautiously. "It's more than that."
Damon got up and started towards his room. He had to walk somewhere. She wasn't trying to let go. And she wasn't giving up. Let go, Elena, let go!
"Wait! Come back here, I'm not done!" Elena jumped up and followed him. "You aren't telling me something. You aren't telling me how you feel."
"Elena, please, you don't know what you're talking about okay. That was Stefan. I'm Damon." He reached his room and started going through his closet. He tried to look busy. Maybe he could find a picture of Stefan. He went to the closet where he was tracking Stefan before.
Elena walked in and looking around at the room. Her heart pounded. She walked to his bedpost. She liked his bed. She remembered the first time she came in here; she was shocked by how nice it was. She held on to the bedpost. She closed her eyes. Then a memory came back. She and Damon were talking right in this spoke. He was so close to her. Those same eyes searched her face:
"I will always...Choose...You"
Elena eyes snapped open. "You said you'd choose me. You'd always choose me."
"What?" Damon quickly turned around.
"I remember you said that to me once." Elena came close to him and her eyes begged for it to be true.
"Did you lie?" Elena asked.
"Elena, what ever it is that you remember… it's just not the same anymore. It can't be." Damon said softly.
"Why can't it be?" Elena said, annoyed.
"Dammit Elena, let it go! You don't know anything. It can't be. End of story. Too much has happened that you don't remember—" Damon spoke louder.
"And that's my fault?" Elena yelled back. "I know I don't remember much, but the memories I do have are of you! What you said to me! Why won't you acknowledge that?"
Damon turned his back to her. Running his fingers through his hair.
"I don't feel this way, whatever it is, about anyone but you. You're the only one that seems to be able to get inside my head. You're the only one who I trust, you're the only one, that inside, I know that is true." Elena walked around him to face him again. "Stefan, and whatever he is to me, isn't here! You are Damon. It's you. And I want it to be YOU! Why don't you get that?" Elena's eyes were wide with anger and frustration.
Damon willed himself to remain silent. But he wanted to pull her close and kiss her, and never let go, to apologize. His arms burned for her.
"God, just forget it!" Elena threw her hand up in the air. "Take me home, please. I just want to go home."
Elena left the room and didn't look back.
Damon walked to his closet and closed his eyes against the door. Then he punched through the wood with a loud bang. Splinters of wood fell to the floor. He looked at his hand and pulled out the small pieces of wood.
Then he walked downstairs and saw Elena waiting outside by his car. She had her arms crossed as she waited almost patiently.
He closed the door behind him and walked to the car.
Maybe it really was over…
The car ride home was a very silent one. You could cut the tension with a knife.
They finally arrived in front of the Gilbert home. Elena unbuckled her seat belt and got out of the car. Then she turned and bent down to the window.
"Don't come around here again." Elena took one last look at him and then walked away to her front door.
Damon unbuckled his seat belt and was about to run out after her. But he decided against it.
Elena Gilbert had to be rid of the Salvatore brothers. Damon had to let her go. For her own good.
So he pressed hard on the gas sped off down the street. All that was left was to leave town.
Goodbye Mystic Falls.
Goodbye Elena…
