Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year!

1 week later

Elena's worried about Damon. She has been since the day he brought her here to Georgia months and months ago. She saw a different side of him, and ever since then she can't not worry about him. Even when she wants to hate him, tries so hard to be mad at him and never forgive him, she still worries. She can't stand to think how badly it would destroy her if something happened to him.

Sometimes she thinks that it was her destiny to be with Damon, that for her there was never a choice. Because no matter all the bad he's done, she still irevocably loves him.

She was willing to let Stefan go, after less than a few months. And here she is almost a year after Damon walked away still fighting for him. For them.

They are a battle she will never get tired of, never give up on. Unless he gives her a real reason to believe there is nothing to fix.

He never gave her an answer when she asked if she was too late, and she has been dying to ask him the same question he asked her so very long ago.

This whole week Damon had been civil. Elena had made herself at home. She unpacked her things, and went shopping for food and other things they needed. Lucky for her Damon Salvatore always wanted and got the best.

She remembers when they crashed at this hotel for one night. It was beyond extravagant. A huge bed- though not nearly as big as Damon's at home- a big bathroom, a living room and small kitchen area. But now it she was glad it was so big, afterall she wasn't sure how long she would be here.

Every night her and Damon went to bed. They each stayed on their own side. And everytime he thought she had fallen asleep he would brush her hair away from her face, and trace her jawline with his fingers. She felt his eyes on her, and she wanted so badly to open them to see what they were saying about him, but she never does because she knows his walls would automatically go back up.

Those moments at night were what kept her here.

Katherine had thrown herself at Damon numerous times, and every time he turned her down. That was how she knew that Damon was finally over Katherine. He didn't even like her enough to have quick easy sex.

So he couldn't hate her that much, he still touched her, slept with her, practically lived with her.

Damon had come back after a long day of looking for a new blood bank. He couldn't steal from the same place more than a few times before they started to notice the serious depletion of blood. She knew he wouldn't be back till night. He had been here for months, he would have to drive a decent distance to find others.

"Your still here." He says after putting the blood in the fridge and making his way to the bed. She's not sure if he's trying to start a real conversation or if he's just in the mood to fight with her.

"Damon?"

"Elena." He replies back with a condecending tone.

"Have a lost you forever?" He looks at her intently, and she can see his resistance crumble. His eyes are soft, and all of his sarcastic tendenices disappear.

"Elena..." His voice softens, and she prepares herself.

"No. It's okay. I can handle it."

"Yes, you have lost me forever." Her head drops at the framilliar words and she nods. He knows that tears are going to fall from her eyes soon so he speaks up quickly. "But I lost you forever too, and look how that turned out." He continues and she looks up confused and with tear filled eyes as he expected.

"What?"

"I lost you forever, you told me that once too, turns out forever isn't very long when it comes to us. We just can't seem to hate each other for that long. Elijah told me something."

"What did he tell you?" She asks in a shaky voice.

"When I forced my blood on you, before the sacrifice, he said that you will never forgive me, and never for a vampire is a very long time."

"But Damon, I do forgive you. I did a long time ago."

"I know. That's why I'm telling you this. We go against the grain. We should hate each other, but we forgive each other and move on instead. We are the exception to every rule."

"I'm confused. Have I lost you forever or not?"

"I wanted to hate you for being with Stefan, even though I left you two to be together. You didn't put up that much of a fight, and I know how you don't like to hurt anyone so I just let go for you. So you didn't have to feel bad. I thought it was what you really wanted."

"But it wasn't."

"I didn't know that, I thought you were just being you, worried about everyones feelings. Then you show up here. When you should have been with Stefan, and you didn't want to leave. You wanted to be here. I'm not use to being wanted. I'm usually second best. I just don't know Elena."

"But you'll try?"

"I'll try."

"That's all I'm asking. We try to fix what's broke."

"And if we can't?"

"I don't know. But I'm not going to think about that. I just want to get some sleep. I'm tired."

"Why did you wait up then?"

"I was worried about you. I couldn't sleep untill you were home safe."

"This isn't home Elena."

"I know where home is Damon, and it's with you. Where ever you are is home."

He looks at her like she has multiple heads.

Then he wonders if she hit her head. Maybe she really had lost her mind.

She smiles and takes pleasure that she has rendered Damon Salvatore speechless.

He climbs into bed and turns out the light, and she does the same.

She wishes that he would hold her like he use to, but she won't push. She's just glad they made some headway.

He was her home. He repeats the words over and over in his head.

What he does next suprises them both.

It's as if he can read her mind. That thought is comforting to her.

He pulls her to him. He wraps his arms around her. He really can't believe he went this long with out touching her.

She leans into him, and gets as close to him as possible.

Her smell is intoxicating to him, the way his name sounds comming from her, the way she fits in his arms like she was molded for him and he wonders how he survived this long with out having her with him.

She had only been here a little over a week and he felt more whole than he had for seven months without her. He thought foolishly he would be okay with out her. How wrong he was.

It's the best night sleep both of them has since their last night together all those months ago.

She crawls into Damon's bed as she had been doing for the last few months. She leans into his arm and he holds onto her tightly. placing a kiss on her forehead.

"You okay Damon?"

"Remember when ghostly Uncle Mason was here?"

"Yeah. He's not back is he?"

"No, but when he was Mason told me he didn't need revenge, he needed redemption. If he's right and if nothing else matters-"

"What Damon? If nothing else matters what?" She lifts herself up so she can see into his soulful eyes.

"You are my redemption Elena." He tells her brushing his fingers across her cheek. He knows his eyes are betraying how much he feels right now. How he's scared to lose her, scared to keep her.

"You don't need me for redemption. Your doing fine." She tries to reassure him, as she knows only she can.

"Without you I wouldn't be."

"Don't say that." He pushes himself up and she sits up further still facing him. He's leaning against the head board and he's fighting a battle in his head. She can see it.

"It's true. And it's also selfish. If I can't do right by you, the person that brought me back to life, who I love more than my own life. Then I'm a lost cause. I've spent so many years trying to get revenge on Stefan, for what? For him to sacrifice his life to save the brother he loves? The same brother that hated him for so many years."

"You don't hate him Damon."

"I thought I did."

"Just as you are Stefan's humanity he is yours."

"You are my humanity."

"So is Stefan. You love me, but you love him too. You love wth everything you have Damon. Everything you do, everything you are is from the way you love. It makes you who you are."

"You always see the good in me. If I really wanted to do something to redeem myself it would be to walk away from you. Let you live in peace. I don't want to destroy you." His words make her feel warm all over, the love he has for her is undoubetly earth shattering.

"No. You won't. All you do is save me. You help me keep my sanity in check. I don't want you to go. And if you do leave for such a dumb reason I'll never forgive you for it." She knows he doesn't want to be Stefan's replacement and she doesn't want that either. She needs to show him. She moves onto him and straddles him. Needless to say he's suprised at the gesture.

"Why won't you let me go, Elena?"

"Because I can't lose you. Don't you get it? I don't want you to not be in my life. Its better with you in it, but if you don't want to be here I won't beg you to stay. Just don't use me as an excuse. It's always been real with us, I want to keep it that way." She's still scared that maybe he'd want to leave too, afterall she isn't sold on being a vampire, and who wants to wait for something that may never happen?

"Hey. Stop. With you is the only place I want to be." His words stop the panic her heart is in from his earlier words and leans down to him. Her lips hovering above his.

"Elena, think about what your doing. If you start this there is no stoping. No going back." He tucks her hair behind her ears, and moves his hands to cup her face.

"Finally. No going back. Best thing I heard in a long time. Only forward."

He pulls her to him, and when their lips meet they know that this is right, because it feels so good. Nothing has ever felt better, they both know that nothing ever will.