a/u: SO sorry about last chapter, I was writing on a different computer and I didn't know how to work it. anyways...from where we left off! enjoy! :)

"I LOVE YOU, you know that. We've been over it hundreds of times, now, your turn." Elena took a deep breath and swallowed hard.
"I love you, too then." She looked down to her hands, and finally she gazed up at him through her lashes. His eyes were full of wonder and…lust. Elena's stomach churned. His hands wound around her neck and he pulled her lips to his.
Bubbles covered Elena's cheek from Damon's hand. She was nearly falling into the bath water, but she kept a firm grip on the side of the tub. Damon needed her closer to him. It wasn't a tongue situation or anything, but it was pretty damn close to it. Heat was rising in Elena, her skin boiling everywhere he touched. "Elena," he whimpered. She rested her forehead against his. She wasn't sure what to say. So she said the first thing that came to mind.
"Yes?"
There was no response for an immeasurable amount of time. He just kept nuzzling her face, breathing her in as much as possible before he woke up from the amazing dream. When finally, he decided it was time to wake up, he pulled away, gazing into her eyes. He had a mesmerized expression on his face. Elena on the other hand, was shaking. Shaking with fear, and regret, and pain.
"Elena," he murmured again. "I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have-" he was cut off by another kiss. It was short, but sweet. "What...?" he wondered.
"I don't regret this Damon. I regret not telling you how I feel before you...died." Her voice was an inaudible whisper. He stroked her cheek, fascinated by the way her mind operated. "What are you thinking?" she asked, gazing into his eyes.
"I'm thinking about how much I love you." She smiled a very small smile, slightly embarrassed by the way he stared at her like that.
You're staring.
I'm gazing.
It's creepy.
It's romantic.

Her eyes fluttered to the floor, her stomach immediately sinking at the thought of Stefan. "You're thinking about my brother, aren't you?" Damon whispered through his teeth. Her eyes slowly peeled back up to look at his face.
She didn't answer his question. "Do you miss him?"
"Of course I do." Elena suddenly realized she was standing. "I should probably get out. These bubbles aren't gonna be here for much longer, and you're the one who made me take my underwear off, so..." Elena smiled, internally disappointed that his doors were locked again.
"Do you still need help?" He glared at her for a moment, his eyebrows raised, and finally she nodded, and headed for the door. "I'll be out here." Damon smiled and nodded. He was planning on having a lot of fun with Elena today.

STEFAN HELD HIS STOMACH, an odd pain was boiling there. He groaned and opened his eyes. He growled when he finally looked down to see the cause of the pain. There, in his stomach, was a stake. He groaned once more, letting his head collide with the floor, and his eyes rolled back into his head as he yanked it out. That was when he realized he was chained to the floor. "Ha, ha," he muttered to the empty room. "I'm awake! Isn't this the part where you come out and tell me your master plan?" he shouted. There was no response. "Damon? Katherine?" Suddenly it struck him.
"WHERE IS IT!" he screamed. "DO YOU HEAR ME? WHERE. IS. IT?" Stefan finally realized, the key, what Klaus needed, what heneeded, was with him when he blacked out. "I'LL GIVE YOU WHATEVER YOU WANT, JUST GIVE ME THE-" Stefan went limp on the floor, vervain suddenly running through his veins.

ELENA SAT ON Damon's bed quietly, her hands folded in her lap, while she waited for him to get out of the bathroom. When he emerged, he was wearing a black button down shirt, and black jeans. He smiled crookedly at her, and her heart started pounding in her chest. He came and sat down beside her, his fingers making small circles on her thigh. Their gazes locked, and Elena threw herself at him.
He was stunned for a moment, but went along with it. He moaned into her mouth as she straddled him, his arms wrapping around her waist, pulling her impossibly closer. His hands were in fists in her hair, holding her face to his. Hers were around his neck, doing the same. Elena separated for air. Her palms pushed on his chest as she heaved for air. He chuckled and buried his face in her neck.

"ELENA?" a high pitched voice screamed. Elena nearly fell off Damon's lap, if it wasn't for his strong arms holding her up, she'd be upside down on the floor. Damon sat Elena next to him, and she jumped up, ran across the room and tried to explain. "What the HELL!"
"Bonnie, what are you doing here?"
"Ric told me what happened, I came to make sure you guys were okay! How could you do this to Stefan, Elena?"
"Stefan's gone, Bonnie!"
"So what? Is Damon just a consolation prize? He loves Katherine and you love Stefan. You will never work." There was a terrible silence that followed Bonnies' squeal.
"He is not a consolation prize. If you just give me one minute to explain-"
"I think I'm just going to go home." And with that, Bonnie stared at Elena with a look as if she was saying, I'll forgive you if you back out of this right now. Elena shook her head, Bonnie nodded, and then turned on her heels and practically ran from the house. Neither of them spoke. Damon was the first one to break the silence.
"Elena, I am so sorry..." He was lost for words when Elena turned around with tears in her eyes. "It's not too late to back out of this, you know," he mumbled.
"No!" she spat after a moment. "Why does everything think I'll regret this? That I'll regret loving you? Regret acting on it? You're the best thing that's happened to me all year! And you love me for who I am, not because I'm related to Katherine.
"You didn't see me and decide you wanted to build a life with me. You love me for who I am. Not who my doppelganger is." Elena had tears running down her face now.
Damon got closer to her, and stared at her with pleading eyes. "What do you want me to do?"
"Nothing, Damon. It's not your fault. I'm an idiot." Those simple words stung Damon. Why is she an idiot? Because she loves me?
"Why would you think that?" he asked, his voice strained.
"Because I should've been more careful when making out with you." Damon smiled slightly, but something inside him knew...there was more to it than that.

"DAMON THERE'S A FOUNDING familys dinner tonight at the Lockwoods, are we going?" Damon smiled crookedly. Elena and him had been sharing loving gazes and kisses-pretty passionate ones-for at least a whole day. Damon was sure he was in heaven...right smack in the middle of hell.
"Of course. We're the founding families, I am on the council, whether I'm a vampire or not, still helping the community." Elena laughed, another laugh she hasn't had in a long time-Damon was getting a lot of those, and smiled everytime he did.
"Well, I have to go home then, get a dress and all that."
"Don't look too hideous." Elena scoffed.
"Don't you either."
"Girl, what are you talking about? I'm always perfect." Elena shook her head and smiled, and Damon kissed her neck.
"I'll see you later," Elena whispered, grabbing her bag and heading for the door.
"Okay, love you!" Damon shouted, and his only response was Elena's laughter.
"I know."

STEFAN YANKED AT THE chains once more. Pain was erupting all of his body from vervain, wood, and vervain soaked ropes. His eyes rolled around, looking for any sign of movement. Over in the far corner of the beaten up, wood room, was a man with black hair and a michevious grin. "Good...afternoon, Salvatore."
"Who are you?"
"You can call me...J." Stefan made a psht noise.
"Alrighty J, what do you want with me?"
"Oh, I want nothing with you. Maybe with what you possess..."
"And what would that be?" he played dumb.
"Klaus's emotions...and that." He pointed beside him. There was a giant wooden box holding Stefan's prize possession. "Do what I tell you, and this is yours." He patted the wood, smiling evilly. After careful consideration, Stefan came to his conclusion.
"Deal." J smiled and walked over to him. He ripped the chains from the ground and held out a hand.
"Get up, we've got a dinner to go to."

a/u: next chapter, LOCKWOOD DINNER! those always turn out SO well, don't they? I wonder when someone will realize it's NOT A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE BIG RANDOM EVENTS IN A TOWN THAT HOSTS VAMPIRES, WITCHES, HYBRIDS, AND WEREWOLVES. woot! so when Ian tweeted about eating steak, and somewhere I read about this, it's a Lockwood event. and Delena is so happening.
"When we come back in Episode 10, Elena and Damon are finding themselves in these moments where the romantic tension is a little bit deeper and the physical tension is a little bit hotter . . . They have to work together against Klaus, so they keep finding themselves in these moments that they're now both free to act on, without guilt." OMFG JULIE PLEC I LOVE YOU.
Will Damon and Elena finally get together?
"Stefan's behaviour is opening a lot of doors for Damon and Elena."
"Elena finally realizes she must move on from Stefan. It means that she's open to looking elsewhere..." DELENA FTW.
PLEASE REVIEW!-oh and in case you haven't noticed, this story is kinda based on every thing JP has said bout Delena ;)