For once I was thankful for the strong sweet scent Damon had acquired in his human form. I had made it deep into the woods without it once growing weak. I ran faster and faster until the trees were a blur on either side of me. I couldn't let this happen. I couldn't even except the possibility. Flashes of his face flew through my mind and each time it ended in a nightmarish scene of seeing Damon's still, lifeless body before me. He had become a part of me. He was inscribed onto my soul and I would forever be bonded to him irreversibly. His survival meant mine.

I began to pick up the scent of water mixed in with his and it was only a few seconds until I could hear the tranquil sound of it washing onto a bank. I began to notice a clearing in the woods and I recognized the place. It was the same lake Stefan and I had been to. The same lake I sat next to Stefan and assured him he had nothing to worry about with Damon. The irony.

I didn't know what Damon was planning on doing so I ran to the edge of the clearing and looked out to see him from afar. I was afraid if I rushed in on him, it would rush him into whatever was on his agenda. I scanned the lake's edge and the few trees that surrounded it. The moonlight was enough to light up the entire area casting black shadows across the way. Even the water as it rippled picked up tiny angles of light causing a shimmering blanket across the surface. Then, I spotted him. He sat against one of the trees nearest to the bank. He seemed to be looking out onto the water. He seemed calm and peaceful. It wasn't quite the meltdown I was expecting. Then I spotted something white in his hands, he seemed to be turning it over and over as he looked ahead. Finally it was in clear enough view for me to see it was a bottle. Most likely some kind of pill. I was suddenly relieved that I had made it there in time. I began to step forward to make my way to him when someone else appeared in front of him.

DAMON & KATHERINE

Damon looked up as soon as he saw the moonlight broken by someone in front of him.

"Katherine?" He asked.

She smiled. "You know, I can't tell if I love or hate how you can tell Elena and I from each other so easily." She said.

Damon huffed in a laugh. "Easy, I feel a presence of annoyance with one and generally happy with the other. Guess which is which."

Katherine sighed. "What's this?" She asked, taking the bottle from his hands. She read it and her face fell into a look of confusion. "Okay, either your planning on getting some very serious sleep or ….."

"Katherine, just give it back." Damon held out his hand. She stood up straight putting one hand on her hip and holding the bottle with the other.

"Are you serious Damon?" Katherine asked raising her brow.

"Just give it back." He repeated.

"You are serious! Damon Salvatore...you are way too selfish to kill yourself!" She snapped.

Damon put his hand down. A smile stretched slowly across his face. "Yeah, you're probably right about that." He said.

"What's your deal? I came back to get you and your sitting by a lake about to do yourself in? Is the option of coming with me really that horrible?" She asked on the highest level of whining.

Damon stood up and leaned back on the tree crossing his arms in front of him.

"Why would I go anywhere with you?" Damon said. Katherine's face fell for a moment with his comment but quickly regained her confidence raising her chin to answer.

"The way I see it, you can either sit here by the edge of this lake and … put yourself to sleep. Or you can come with me. I know your angry about the last...century or so...but I love you Damon. I know the only reason you were really hanging around here was for Elena. It's obvious she's to hung up on Stefan to care about you." Katherine said.

"Just...leave Elena out of your pitch, okay Katherine? It's really not helping as much as you think." Damon said.

Katherine smiled and took a step towards Damon. "Damon, I know your not happy with me right now, but just come with me. We can start over. I love everything you are and you can just be yourself and not worry so much. Plus...I seem to be the only one with an open door for you...so take care of what you need to here and come stay with me." She pleaded.

Damon stood for a moment looking at her, his expression blank. He looked to the ground and then back up to her. "Ok." He said.

"Really?" She smiled.

"Yeah, okay fine." He said.

She squealed with excitement. "Great! I'm going to head back to New York then. I have a place there. I'll get it completely ready. Just let me know when your ready to go. I'll be waiting." She smiled.

Damon nodded. She stepped closer to him and touched the side of his face. "You won't be disappointed Damon. I promise." She leaned in and kissed him softly on the cheek and disappeared.

ELENA

I felt rage and jealousy like I had never felt before. She was trying the good girl act to get Damon to leave with her. She made me out to not care for him at all knowing that I was in love with him and had threatened me into lying to him about it. Her master plan was quite genius I had to say so myself. She had managed to single handedly talk the love of my life into believing he was cared about by no one but her, and readied him for a life and children with her in New York. Katherine was growing up and ready for a new stage and she wanted Damon along for the ride. We were nothing but board game pieces to her and she had us moved into place just right.

Damon stood for moment after she was completely gone. He walked a few steps closer to the lake. I had, had enough, as soon as I knew Katherine was long gone I realized it was my time to ruin the plans for that bitch. Damon was mine.

I dashed out from behind the tree and ran to where he was standing.

"So that's it? Your just going to pack your bags and move off to New York? Ride off into the sunset with the ice queen?" I asked.

Damon turned quickly, looking at me in shock.

"Elena, what are you doing here?" He asked.

"I came to stop you from killing yourself Damon, and then I walked up to you and Katherine making plans to skip town with each other." I snapped. I knew I had no right to act angry towards him. How was it his fault? He had been almost burned in the sun, his memory erased, told he wasn't loved, lied to and manipulated. How was I able to stand here angry?

"Elena, I'm sorry. I've made a mess here. I've done nothing but destroy peoples lives. I've given you hell. You and Stefan are just fine together and ...I just...don't fit. I am what I am and I've come to realize that recently. I don't need to be around here anymore, especially for your sake. I've done enough damage Elena." He said.

"Oh really? You've made that decision? I need you here Damon please." My voice betrayed me, sounding more panicky then I had planned.

"Why would you need me here Elena? You have your friends, your going to finish high school soon and move on to greater things. You have Stefan and your a sweet girl who deserves nothing but the best. I'm not the best to be around." He said.

"First of all, I'm not as sweet as you think. Second, you seem to have an awful lot to say about yourself Damon. You seem to think your such a nightmare. If that was the case then how did I fall in love with you so easily?" I said before I realized it.

His face snapped into a completely different look. I look of shock, realization and confusion.

"What did you say?" He whispered.

I walked up to him until we were only two inches apart.

"You were right, Damon." I said in almost a whisper. "There is something wrong and I can't explain right now why you can't remember...but I love you. I love you more than I ever thought I could love. We were together, everything you remember is a memory not your imagination. I miss you so much and I want you so bad. You can't leave with her. Your mine." I said as I began to cry.

I felt his hand slide behind my neck. I looked up at his eyes scanning mine intently.

"Don't lie to me." He said softly.

"I swear to you Damon, I'm not lying." I said, tears streaming down my face.

Before I even finished the sentence he kissed me deeply, almost roughly.

Relief, happiness and absolute bliss rushed into me all at one time. He wrapped his arms around my waist kissing me so sweetly. Then it hit, the undeniable thirst for the sweet scent radiating from him. His heart that wrapped against his chest became loud in my ears. I held on for as long as I could until I felt my face begin to grow in darkness. I let my mouth leave his and began to run my lips to his throat. I kissed it lightly and then I pushed him back with a gasp.

He saw my face instantly. "Elena it's okay..." He said taking a step towards me.

"No." Was all I could say. I took another step back. I loved him but right now it was his blood that I wanted. It was all that mattered. I listened sharply to his heart thumping under his chest. The venom in my mouth began to swell.

He walked towards me. "Damon stop." I ordered.

"No, it's okay Elena." He said again. He came up and grabbed my shoulders. "Go ahead, do it." He said.

"Damon?" I gasped, looking at his eyes. He was calm...almost peaceful. "Get away from me." I said against my own wishes.

"No." He said. "No, Elena. I've spent too much time away from you." He said pulling me closer . "You can do this." He whispered, holding me to him.

I shut my eyes tight trying to control the thirst I had. I began to count the beats to distract myself. My face finally loosened a little. He pulled me back and met my lips again.

"I'm so sorry I lied to you." I whispered in between kisses.

"Shhh." He whispered. Before I knew it we were pulling at each others cloths. His shirt, my shirt, one by one the clothing fell to the ground.

He laid me down close to the bank of the lake where the forest floor was lush with ferns. His body laid softly on top of mine. It was heaven in that moment after so long living in hell. He kept his eyes on mine, his face stricken with the release of everything we had been through together but yet so far apart. His midnight hair hung around his face, trembling with every move and stuck to his face with sweat. I couldn't control it as my face grew dark again. He saw it and before I noticed he struck his hand on a low tree stump next to us bringing blood to the surface, and without a word he brought it to my lips. I had never tasted anything in my life that brought that much power to me instantly, like every part of me was on fire.

I listened to the night around me, his rapid breathing, his pounding heart. "I love you, Elena" He whispered.

A few hours later we made it back to the boarding house. As we made our way inside we found Bonnie sitting on the couch with Stefan.

"Welcome back." Stefan said smiling at Damon. "Maybe uh, you could get rid of that cold now." Stefan said holding up his arm.

Damon laughed lightly. "Actually, I'm cured." Damon said, his eyes flickering in my direction.

"Well good." Stefan said nodding, beginning to understand.

I would have found this all amusing but I was more concentrated on Bonnie, who, through this whole ordeal never faltered from her serious expression looking off from us all.

"Bonnie?" I called. She looked up and smiled although it never reached her eyes.

"Hey Bonnie, your over kind of late. Did I miss our date?" Damon winked jokingly.

"Not tonight Damon, you didn't miss it tonight." She joked sweetly back with him. But even then I knew Bonnie enough to know she was in no joking mood and was only trying to be nice. More nice to Damon than usual actually.

"Hey, Elena. Mind if we talk? Alone?" She added. I nodded, beginning to feel a growing sense of panic even when I though it wasn't possible. I had been so happy a second ago. On top of the world.

We made our way to the large patio on the back of the house. I followed Bonnie as she continued a few yards further.

"Bonnie, what's going on?" I asked. As soon as I said it she turned quickly. I noticed her face was drawn in hurt and tears were already forming in her eyes.

"Elena, It's bad." She said.

"What's bad Bonnie?" I said growing horribly afraid.

"To get Damon back the way he should be." She cried.

"What is it Bonnie, what has to be done?" I asked.

She placed her hand on my shoulder.

"Elena, to be a vampire again...he has to die." She said.

I flinched thinking about the idea of it. I didn't know how I was going to handle having to watch the horror of it.

"Bonnie, that's horrible, but...it's not that different from anyone becoming a vampire. He just doesn't have to drink a vampires blood." I explained.

She continued to look at me in immense sadness as if she hadn't heard a word I said.

"Bonnie...what's going on?" I asked.

She shook her head and then looked to the ground.

"Bonnie!" I said sternly.

She looked back up. "Returning to a vampire form with this spell...when they die...a lot of them don't ever transfer. They just...die." Bonnie cried.

Guys, thanks so much for your reviews last time. DamonLuver1 lol! Pretty intense chapter coming up next but I need your reviews, please! :) 3 Alexis