The next few days passed without much event.

Elena and Jeremy hadn't made much progress—well, actually none at all, which did nothing to help rid themselves of the remorse and guilt they both carried with them all the time.

Every second that ticked by resulted in Elena growing progressively anxious—not only were they losing precious time but she kept picturing Damon there lying in that harsh cell, his body quickly deteriorating…him suffering…It was enough to make even her lose confidence in this wild, rash, and quite impulsive plan that she never really had been all that sure would work. She wanted to see him so desperately that she felt it in every part of her body—it was like he was in her.

The time passed in painful rhythms and lulls, but pass it did.

The Originals were discreet, with an exception of Rebekah—well, via Caroline babble anyway. She'd aversely shared that after Elena and Stefan had fought that night he'd visited Rebekah and they'd slept together, much to her consternation. Elena was filled with disbelief more than anything, paired with all the underlying emotions she hated that she felt: anger, resentment, hurt. Jealousy—not because of Stefan but because he could be with her of all people while she couldn't even see Damon; couldn't talk to him, couldn't look at him, couldn't touch him.

It didn't seem fair.

She told Caroline that Stefan was free to do whatever he wanted—which he was—after Caroline had gone on and on about how they were both in denial and how they surely could work through the scar tissue her sire bond with Damon had caused—supporting her theory of how Elena's "epic love" was Stefan and would always be Stefan. Damon was just a phase (she was just a victim of the sire bond) and in the end, Stefan would be the one who she woke up to, the one she loved. It made her livid—that she couldn't deny. Even Bonnie had been accepting of her relationship with Damon—kind of—but Caroline just couldn't understand that she loved Damon, that a part of her had always loved Damon. And she couldn't make her. She couldn't explain how utterly alive he made her feel, how he changed her. She couldn't explain that without him near she felt like she'd lost a limb, like she couldn't quite breathe right. Like she was trying to breathe through these ruptured, corrupted lungs, lungs that couldn't fully expand without him.

Jeremy noticed the change in her. He noticed the dark circles under her chocolate eyes and the determined, almost frazzled air about her. Nothing he said could help, and as hard as he tried she remained distant, lost in a land where dangerous plots were all she had. "Hey," he'd said once, stopping her halfway to the living room noticing a tear on her cheek. He put his large hands on her shoulders, forcing her to meet his eyes. "We're going to get through this. Same as always."

"Nothing is the same," she countered, voice stiff, heavy with emotion. "Everything is different. Everyone is leaving and everyone is dying. We're changing, Jer. Everyone is. I'm doing things that I never would've done… and so are you. We aren't the same people our parents raised. And we're kids, Jer! We're supposed to be kids…but we aren't. I am a vampire…you're a vampire hunter. Nothing is the same."

It took him awhile to know how to respond—mostly because all of it was true. Finally, he figured it out, hugging her tightly. "It's good to be scared, sis." He hadn't called her that in a long time—not since before she'd become a vampire. "It means you still have something to lose."

"I'm not even really your sister, Jeremy… Not anymore."

"You're always going to be my sister, Elena. Always."

Elena thought about Damon. About Bonnie and Caroline and Matt and Stefan and everyone else she cared about that still remained. And then about her brother. She still had him.

They would survive—it was what she'd said to Jeremy a week ago, before she'd begun to lose faith. They always survived. It was what she'd told Damon, too.

I miss him, Elena thought sadly, feeling utterly and completely hopeless. Logic told her that being a vampire amplified her every emotion, but she couldn't help but think that even as a human and free of the sire bond she'd feel all the same. There we good parts to being a vampire and then there were the bad parts. These were the bad parts. All the time I miss him. It's not waves. It's constant. All the time.

Everything is intensified as a vampire, she knew. When we hurt, we really hurt, but when we love… Wasn't that what Lexi had said?

Screw it, she muttered quietly-not sure if it was out loud or in her head-pulling out her phone. She knew she couldn't call him, couldn't talk to him…but she could, however, burden his inbox. She could get rid of the feelings that were tearing her up inside.

Elena dialed his number.

Damon didn't answer—she hadn't expected him to.

"You've reached Damon Salvatore! Congratulations!" His voice suggested that she'd just won an Oscar. Hearing his voice felt a lot like she had. "If I don't answer it's either—obviously-because I can't, or just don't want to talk to you. You know what to do and when to do it. I…might…call you back. It all depends on who you are and why the hell you're calling me. Have a doomed day!" She couldn't help but smile. It was typical Damon.

"Hey," She breathed, voice soft. I doubt you'll get this, but I miss you, Damon. I miss you so much. It's been only a week and I feel like I'm just…falling apart. But it's going to be okay, Damon, because I love you and I have a plan. Hold on. I'm going to set you free.

It was supposed to only be one message, and then two, and then three…she lost count. Losing herself in the relief of unburdening her feelings—like writing in her journal. But for the first time ever, she didn't want to write them down. She wanted to share them—and there was only one person she wanted to share them with.

He never responded to these messages—either because he didn't get them or because he was afraid that he'd slip and tell her to set him free, she didn't know.

But then he did.

Stefan must have felt sorry for me, because he agreed to text you for me. I can't say all of the things I want to say, can't tell you all of the things that I'm feeling, but I know I will be able to soon. Don't do anything stupid. I love you. I miss you.

This is our time.

The fact that Stefan had done this astonished her, and she had enough good sense to push the irritation she'd felt at him away long enough to feel grateful, because the fact that he'd done this meant so much to her. It meant that he'd pushed aside his feelings…it meant that maybe someday they could be friends. Thank you, Stefan.

The message gave her hope, hope that filled her up that spread throughout her veins, hope that kept her heart beating. It was everything. She remembered the night they'd shared in bits and pieces, bits and pieces where she'd sworn that they were infinite. It was everything. It was nothing.

It was all she had.

The message also made her laugh softly, almost bitterly, because she was fairly certain that what she was planning was indeed stupid. Then her phone rang, something that seemed kind of ironic seeing as she'd just put it away. Bonnie's familiar face appeared on the screen.

"Hey Bon," she said, smiling in spite of herself.

"Hey," Bonnie answered. "How are you?"

She wasn't sure how to answer that. "I'm… alright. Where are you?"

"I told Caroline that I'd take her place at the Decade Dance prep but none of the rest of you showed."

Damn it. Elena picked up a bowl full of popcorn that had been lazily left on the dining table as she watched her brother and Matt yell at the TV as if it were Super bowl Sunday as they shot at god only knew what. If anything, she was grateful that Jer was getting some normality in his life, albeit a twinge of annoyance that they had to fight in the supernatural world and in video games. "I'm sorry," she said, voice sincere. "I had to though. I've got Jeremy under house arrest because Kol wants to kill him and Klaus wants to take him on some vampire slaying road trip. And since neither of them are invited in… it's the only place I can keep him safe."

Bonnie accepted that, readjusting the phone to her ear. "Why does it sound like you're under fire?"

"Apparently I'm living in a fraternity house now," she said, voice a lot more annoyed than she really was. Their fun was the only thing to distract her from missing and worrying about Damon—not that it helped much—since she'd decided to give Stefan some peace from her constant voicemails, all of which consisted of her saying that she loved Damon and that she missed him and a million other things that she felt it was cruel to share with him and things that were truthfully only meant for Damon's ears.

Jeremy turned around , peering over at her over the couch. "I'm training," he said, as if it were the most righteous reason in the world. Secretly, he was glad that Elena had some more perk in her step and light in her eyes, something she'd lacked until this morning.

"Me to," Matt agreed, laughing.

Pretending that Kol didn't want to kill her brother and that Damon wasn't locked in a cell desiccating she put on a façade of a stern mother. "Train yourselves to do some dishes." Jeremy had already gone back to the game, which left Matt looking about at her with an almost innocent and amused look on his face. "And put away these weapons before someone decides to use one of them on me." Earning a silent thumbs up she turned around, Bonnie's voice bringing her back to the matter at hand.

"Well it's kind of hard for me to enjoy dance prep while you're trapped in this house," Bonnie answered.

Preparing to tell her and visualizing a drum roll, Elena's face sobered, phone propped up against her ear. "Listen to this: I have a plan to put an end to all of this. I want Jeremy to kill Kol."

"You want him to kill an Original?"

"Think about it. The whole sire line must stretch to the moon by now. That means that whoever he's turned—not to mention who theyhave turned will die. Which means the hunters' mark will be complete and we'll have our key to finding the cure."

Bonnie considered this and then just nodded, brushing her hair out of her face. "I'm on my way. Do you think Caroline will notice if there are only eighty nine balloons?"

Elena laughed at that. "Actually probably yes."

And then they started planning.

Damon's ice blue eyes flashed in her mind as she dialed Kol's number.

Yes, it was her turn to be selfish. And if it saved her brother and her man and got them the cure? She'd gladly do it. After all… she had a lot to lose.

(A/N: As always, thank you everyone for reviewing. It means SO much to me to get all of your reviews.

DEstiny4eva: here you go (: thank you!

Hassanna4: Thank you so much :D Yeah.. Stefan REALLY annoys me. I've been trying to not make him COMPLETE jackass in my story just because that would hurt Delena (and I can't bear to hurt Delena!) That punch was SOOO amazing. And so hot. Yeah, definitely hot. –YouTubes- I'm so glad that Damon has stopped feeling sorry for him… yet if Elena had slapped him (like the multiple times she has slapped Damon) it would have been SO much better.

Vampfearie: thank you so much :D

My 2 guys: thank you so much :D

Lindayini973: Thank you so much :D I've been super worried to.. I mean honestly if he died I'd have like no reason to watch the show. But if he did it couldn't be for good and would probably be good for the Delena storyline. I just want Elena to hurt a little and fight for him… I wouldn't complain over a heartfelt moment "NOOO NOT MY DAMON DDD:" or DEx after a beautifully romantic reunion… even though it'd rip my heart out. Ahhhh feels.

Ugh I can't wait for this week's episode…

Oh guys I saw this adorable picture of Nian at the superbowl… They are so cute. It's amazing that I can have such extreme feelings for a real life couple, LOL. He is so gorgeous… dat's my husband. I hate that I can't even hate her because she's so nice and they're so adorable. Ugh. Anyway… I love you guys!

Also… was anyone thinking "That's for hurting Damon!" when Kol almost killed Elena? Call me crazy but… THAT'S FOR HURTING DAMON!

Thank you for reviewing, favoriting, following, etc. I really appreciate it.

PLEASE READ AND REVIEW AMAZING PEOPLE! :DDDDD I love talking Vampire Diaries so much, lol. Can you tell?)