I pulled out of the driveway with a squeal of my tires and flew off down the road. I rolled down the window and let the crisp fall air wash around me. The smell of the fallen leaves could only relax me for a moment. I had to get there, as fast as I could. There could be no turning back...I had to fix everything, I would do anything for Damon Salvatore...no matter the cost.

THE BOARDING HOUSE

Damon heard her car squeal away. He slid down the wall, sitting there in silence gazing at the canvass sitting in the middle of the room. He closed his eyes and pictured her sitting by the tree. The fireflies dancing around her. He distinctly remembered how the tiny globes of light reflected in her dark eyes that looked on in wonder. The way the wind felt rushing past his face as he chased her playfully through the woods. That night...THAT night, that didn't exist. He threw the brush across the room. He pulled himself up and walked to the painting, running the tips of his fingers across the rough surface. He then pulled the top of it and let it fall to the ground. He then walked away, trying everything humanly possible to brush it off his shoulders, but it wasn't quite as easy in this form he was in. He still felt the sting of tears as he made his way upstairs, he still felt the sinking of his heart and the twist of his stomach. He felt hurt, a genuine inescapable hurt for the first time in 145 years. He went into the a natural instinct of trying to shut it away and turn it off, but the sensation of relief didn't come.

Stefan met him in the hallway upstairs taking in his brothers distraught expression.

"Damon, I'm sorry." He said. And he was. As much as it pained him know how Elena really felt, he still couldn't stand the sight of this look on Damon's face.

"I just...I though it was real. I thought there was truth behind it." Damon said.

Stefan walked up and put his hand on Damon's shoulder. "This is heartache brother." He said.

Damon smiled through his tears looking to the floor for a moment to let the tears hit the floor and then he looked back up. "This is what everyone's been whining about?" He tried to joke. Then he turned away and walked to the room.

ELENA

I pulled into Bonnie's driveway and ran to the door. I pounded on it until she answered.

"Elena?" She asked, startled.

"Bonnie, you have to help me...please?" I begged, nearing hysterics.

"Elena, what is it?" She asked,shaken by my intensity.

"I just had to explain to Damon that I didn't love him and that everything he remembers is all in his imagination!" I nearly yelled. "I'm sure I just broke his heart in two. Do you have any idea how hard it is to do something like that to the face of someone you love!" I cried.

"I thought it was for the best." She said, trying to make understand.

I shook my head violently "No, no...it's not for the best. And apparently Katherine came to see Damon. I know she's behind this Bonnie which means it's not for the best. Not if she is involved. There is no telling what she has planned for Damon." I explained.

She shifted her weight uncomfortably at this news.

"I know you think it's the right thing to do, but is letting Katherine go by her own rules the best for anybody?" I asked.

She stood for a moment thinking deeply. She finally looked back up to me, her jaw set strongly like it always did when she had strong feelings about something.

"Okay." She said.

"Okay?" I gasped.

"Okay, I'll help." She barely got to answer before I wrapped my arms around her neck.

"Oh, Bonnie thank you...thank you!" I cried.

I stepped back and looked at her. "Bonnie, we have to go see Tabitha, the witch that's been helping Katherine. I'm going to make her tell us what we need to know. Or at least tell me where we can find it." I told her.

"Elena, she obviously has a protection spell on her. It takes a lot of power to be able to over come that." She explained doubtfully.

"Yes, I know. She had the protection spell on her for vampires here in Mystic Falls that haven't been quite set to the right diet in a while. I'll take care of that." I explained.

Bonnies eyes widened but then relaxed. "Well, I've been doing a lot of research in grams old books for any information I could find on this spell. I hardly found anything, because it's set back so far in history. But what I did find...you need to know." She said in a serious tone. "Come on in."

BOARDING HOUSE

The Next Day

"Great..just great. Damn it." Damon fussed to himself as he pulled the thermometer out of his mouth reading 102.7. He had a fever for sure. His nose was stuffed, his throat was sore and he was burning up. He pulled another kleenex from the box and walked out into the hall.

"Hey, Stefan!" He called. A moment later Stefan stepped out into the hall. Damon approached him quickly from down the hall. "Hey let me hit that." He said pointing at Stefan.

Stefan raised a brow. "Um...what?"

"I'm sick, you can heal me...just hold up your arm and let's please ignore how creepy this is going to be for me okay?" He snapped.

Stefan squinted at Damon taking in the details of his face. He noticed he was pale, but flushed in his cheeks with fever and he had a light sheen on sweat on his face.

"You have a cold?" Stefan began to laugh.

"How is that funny?" Damon scowled.

"It's just like...classic, you know?...human 101." Stefan laughed again.

Damon began a round of mocking Stefan's laughter with his own sarcastic laugh.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. They both headed downstairs. Stefan walked to the door and opened it finding Jeremy standing there.

"Jeremy." Stefan said.

"Hey, no offense but move aside." Jeremy said pushing past Stefan. Stefan shut the door once Jeremy walked in and watched him cross the room to where Damon was leaning against the couch looking miserable.

"Hey, dick! We need to talk!" Jeremy thundered.

"Actually, my name is Damon, and what brings you to these parts?" Damon stood slowly walking up to Jeremy.

Jeremy didn't say another word, he just threw a punch hitting Damon on the side of his mouth. Damon stumbled backwards, and his bottom lip began to pour blood.

"That's for ruining my sisters life!" Jeremy yelled.

"The hell!" Damon hissed. "I suggest you don't do that again." Damon warned.

Jeremy's eyes widened in shock.

"Why did that just hurt? How are you bleeding?" He asked in shock. He remembered seeing how vampires had taken punches like a stone statue.

Damon took a second to gain his composure. "Because...I'm human." Damon replied.

"Your full of shit." Jeremy said.

Damon reached out and took Jeremy's hand and laid it on his chest.

Jeremy felt the pounding under his hand and jerked it back.

"I'm human." Damon repeated.

"Oh, well great, in that case..." Jeremy thrust his fist again, against Damon's chest. Damon coughed from the blow and stepped back.

"I said not to do that again." Damon warned once more. But Jeremy didn't listen and punched him in the chest again.

"Fine then." Damon said, punching Jeremy so hard he flew to the ground. Jeremy jumped back up.

"I thought you were human!" Jeremy snapped.

"I am, but that doesn't change the fact that I can kick your ass Gilbert." Damon said wiping his bleeding lip with the back of his hand. "Why are you even here, what's your problem?" Damon asked.

"Your my problem! You changed Elena, she's a vampire!" Jeremy yelled.

"So? I didn't do it. He did." Damon pointed at Stefan.

"No, you did. Elena said so." Jeremy snapped.

"So what's it to you anyways?" Damon asked.

"Damon...I want you to listen to me and listen carefully." Jeremy said walking closer to Damon. Damon smirked. "Your a bad person. You have killed people. People who were loved by other people. The had wives and husbands, sisters and brothers...children. You murdered them in cold blood. For revenge, or spite...or maybe because you were just in a bad mood. You killed Vickie. Matt already has a mother who is never around...and then you killed his sister. He's in high school Damon...and now he lives by himself...eats breakfast alone in the mornings and goes home to no one at night. You have ruined peoples lives, broken their hearts. Unfortunately for them they can't be as heartless as you, so they just have to live in the hell you have created for them. You use people, manipulate people. Now...you even went as far as turning my sister. You want to know why that's so bad? I lost my parents, and Vickie...thanks to you. Eventually Elena is going to have to leave town...because people can't wonder why she looks the same when shes thirty. Thank you Damon...she's really the only thing I had left to call family. To call home. I won't ever be the best man in her wedding because …. well let's face it...what does it matter when your the undead. I won't ever get to hold my niece or nephew...cause she can't ever have children can she?" He asked...tears brimming over his lashes.

Damon's face had already fallen into misery. The more Jeremy spoke...the more Damon's face grew tired, withered and in pain.

"Jeremy...I." Damon looked to the floor not knowing what to say.

"No, don't even bother with an apology. I'm way past it. I don't care. Do us all a favor Damon and get rid of yourself. Especially while your in this condition...you have a chance. I hate you." Jeremy practically spit out. He turned and left, leaving Damon standing there in complete mortification.

Upon hearing the door close Stefan instantly walked to Damon, startled by the shock and sadness on Damon's face. He went to put his hand on Damon's shoulder but Damon jerked it away.

"Don't!...I'm sorry Stefan." Damon said as he fled upstairs.

ELENA

Bonnie opened a large leather bound book and laid it on the table.

"Here." Bonnie ran her finger to a spot on the page. "It says here the spell is called Étoile Traversée." Bonnie explained.

"Is that French?" I asked, surprised.

"Yes. It's where it originated. Apparently it's only been used once. It roughly translates to Star Crossed. According to this, almost four hundred years ago a vampire and a witch fell in love. It was somehow conjured or created for their benefit and their benefit only. It's a very difficult spell to cast...it takes a long time to prepare for the strength it requires. Apparently Tabitha is very talented." Bonnie said, looking up at me.

"So, what exactly was it used for?" I asked.

Bonnie looked back down to the page and then back up to me. I realized by the look on her face that she didn't want to answer me.

"Please...just tell me." I asked.

She sighed. "Well, I'm not exactly sure...I mean I can only understand a small bit of this. But it seems that when the witch and the Vampire began their lives together that it wasn't long before they wanted to have a baby to call their own." Bonnie said.

My eyes widened in shock. I wasn't expecting this answer.

"So..." I said.

"Apparently this is a fertility spell Elena. Damon has been turned human in the purpose of being able to father a child." Bonnie answered.

THE BOARDING HOUSE

Damon opened all the drawers in Stefan's study. He opened and slammed them on his mad search. Finally he found a cream colored blank paper and began to leave the room.

"Damon, are you okay?" Stefan asked.

"It's just a cold Stefan...nothing to worry about." Damon said.

Stefan looked over Damon carefully. He had grown very thin. His face was pail but flushed with fever even brighter. His voice sounded thin and scratchy with congestion.

"Damon, your perfectly aware that I'm not talking about your little cold." Stefan fussed.

"Just move.' Damon pushed by Stefan leaving the room. Stefan listened to Damon's footsteps as he made his way down the hall and slammed the door to his room.

Damon scrambled to un ball the paper he had gotten from the study. He laid it out straight and grabbed a pen nearby. In perfect penmanship and loose calligraphy Damon began to write:

Dearest Elena,

ELENA

"Oh my-" I gasped standing up from the table.

"Do you think this is what Katherine's up to? Do you think she wants a child with Damon?" Bonnie asked.

I almost felt sick. I put my hand up in protest trying to get Bonnie to not say anything like that again.

"She's not human." I stated.

"No...not yet." Bonnie said.

"What do you mean?" I asked, beginning to grow in panic.

"I told you, this spell calls for a lot of energy from a witch. Tabitha must be biding her time to gather enough energy to change Katherine as well, and in the meantime...make sure they get Damon moved away with Katherine. It's actually a clever plan...if that's what she wants from Damon." Bonnie said.

I realized now just how smart that bitch was. She set it up and it was the perfect storm. She made me forget...driving Damon to forget...sending out a witch with a powerful spell to make him a human. Telling me he would die if I told him of our relationship, causing me to break his heart and to send him...running back to her...just in time for her to be turned...human.

"Does it say how to reverse the spell?" I asked.

"No. It only specifies that they cannot be turned back to a vampire the traditional way...making them drink your blood. But it doesn't say how to actually do it or if you can. It may be designed to keep them human...or to die." Bonnie said.

"It's time to go, Bonnie." I said.

"Where are we going first?" Bonnie asked.

"To get what I need for Tabitha to turn over information." I answered.

We arrived at Matt's house only a little while later.

"What are we doing here?" Bonnie asked.

"Bonnie, please just wait here okay?" I asked.

She nodded, but I could tell by the look on her face that I didn't have long before she would follow me into the house. I got out of the car and flashed to front door. I knocked only once until Matt opened the door.

"Elena? What are you doing here?" Matt asked smiling and surprised.

"Hey, is Caroline around?" I asked.

"Uh..no...she's at the car wash at the school. I was about to head out." He asnwered.

"Mind if I come in, I need to talk to you." I said.

"Yes, come in." Matt said.

I stepped hesitantly through the doorway making sure my foot could make it passed the barrier. I walked into the kitchen.

"So what's going on?" He asked. But before he could finish the sentence I looked him dead in the eye.

"You will not be afraid of anything I do." I said. Compelling him to obey.

"I'm not afraid." He repeated lifelessly.

I lunged toward him but he didn't move an inch, he just stood there as I sank my teeth into his neck, taking in the warm flow of his blood. I had to quickly remind myself, I'd do anything for Damon Salvatore. I'd do anything to get what I want, and nothing would stand in my way.

I felt every fiber of what was me being charged up with energy and strength like I had never felt. I realized quickly that Matt's legs were beginning to grow weak and he was swaying. I had to stop or he would die. I had to stop. I...had ...to..

"Stop!" Bonnie screamed from behind me. I swung my head around to look at her. Her face grew to horror. I'm sure how she saw Matt standing there with blood staining his neck and my face taken over with darkness it scared her.

I looked back at Matt.

"You fell in some water and and hit your neck on something sharp." I said, my eyes piercing his.

"I fell and hurt my neck." He repeated.

"I was never here, nor Bonnie." I said.

"No one was here." He said.

In a flash I grabbed a glass off of the dining room table that was half full of water and through it on the floor. I then pushed a chair to the floor ..the fruit bowl rolled off and crashed. I had to set up a scene that would make sense. I then looked up at him and touched the side of his face.

"I'm sorry." I said, with tears in my eyes. I turned and left grabbing Bonnie's hand to lead her out quickly.

We both made it to the car and got in. I pulled out and headed towards the house Damon and I had just gone only days ago.

"What the hell Elena! What was that!" Bonnie screamed,

I shrugged. "I needed the strength." I answered. "He was the only one close enough to me that he would trust me walking straight in. I didn't need much of an explanation." I explained.

"I can't believe you Elena! I didn't think you would ever do something like that!"She said.

"I needed to do it. He's fine Bonnie." I said.

She gave me a long steady look. "Your becoming like him." She said coldly.

It took everything I had inside of me not to shrug again. I just shook my head.

"I won't do it again." I said.

We made it to the mansion on the hill from the other day. Bonnie and I got out of the car and made our way to the door. After a few knocks Tabitha answered the door.

"Interesting combination this time." Tabitha smiled.

"Can we talk?" I asked.

She opened the door and let us in. "Sorry the place is such a mess." She said laughing. The place wasn't a mess of course. It was spotless in all it's stretched marble floor and lavish decorated glory.

"Katherine here?" I asked.

"Uh, no...she headed to New York to set up a place there." She said.

"For her and Damon?" I asked, knowing that by showing my jealousy that it wasn't sticking to the plan.

She smiled. "What can I help you with Elena?" She asked.

"You can tell me how to counteract the spell you put on Damon." I said flashing my eyes into hers. To my absolute joy she snapped into the zone, indicating that I had trumped her protection and was now compelling her, thanks to my new found strength.

"I don't know how." She answered. "I only studied the first part to it. Not the counteraction." She explained.

I stepped closer to her. "You will give me the book on counteractions." I said.

She walked away and came back quickly handing me a book that was so old you had to hold the binding together.

"This should be all you need." She answered.

"Thank you Tabitha, your much more easier to work with when your being controlled by me." I smiled sarcastically.

Once we were in the car I handed the ancient book to Bonnie. I Dropped her off at her house to study further into the book and she was supposed to meet me at the boarding house when she found some solid answers.

I made my way back and made it inside.

"Stefan, you will never believe what's going on." I said as I walked into the living room. He looked over to me but looked distracted.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

Stefan's brows creased together as if he were concentrating. "I left to hunt a while ago and I just got back. I don't here Damon in the house, do you?" He asked.

I listened carefully and was only met by a completely silent house. I looked at Stefan.

"I'll go check." I said flashing upstairs and to Damon's room. He wasn't there. I turned to head back to the living room when I caught a glimpse of a piece of paper sitting on the edge of his bed.

I picked it up.

Dearest Elena,

I've made some tragic decisions in my life and more so in the post years of my life. I've done bad things to a lot of people. Including you and I'm in love with you. Please try to do the best you can with the eternal life ahead of you and be happy for me. My brother will always take care of you because he's a good soul and he always has been. This is more then the matter of my darker deeds and more to do with the fact that I can't feel the right way about what I've done. I love you Elena, but there's nothing holding me here anymore. I never wanted this life, but here I am. I have the chance to do what is right for the first time and so I will. I'll never forget you wherever and whatever I am after this life. I love you.

Damon Salvatore

A scream escaped me before I could even think. In seconds Stefan arrived in the doorway.

He picked me up where I had collapsed to the floor.

"What's wrong?" He asked in complete horror.

"Damon...he's going to end his own life." I sobbed jamming the letter into his hands. "I have to find him, I can follow his scent." I choked out.

"What are you going to do if you find him, you think you'll be able to stop him?" Stefan looked at me doubtfully.

"I'm going to tell him the truth." I said. "The only thing that matters enough to him..is me." I answered.

I have a pretty big chapter in mind for the next one. Please leave reviews! I need to know what you think of this chapter to be sure of what I'm doing in the next. Thanks guys. Reviews reviews reviews. :)