Damon held Elena tightly to him as if he was trying to pull her warmth into his body. His lips were frantic as he kissed her like he was dying and she was the cure. You have saved me. An endless chorus of She loves me repeated in his head. There were fireworks and angels and glorious music and every other cliché he thought was never meant for him as his whole mind reeled with a joy so intense he thought he truly had died. His entire body and soul seemed to release all the anger and frustration and pain that had built up over the last 145 years. He was at peace…and then that ended.

He came aware of Elena's hands scrabbling at him not in passion, as they were just moments ago. Her lips repeatedly mumbled something against his. He strained to focus and his heart just about broke as he heard her saying "Wait, wait, wait, wait…"

He tore his lips away from hers, stumbling back a few steps in confusion and desperately trying to hold the feelings of despair at bay as the traitorous voice inside his head whispered evil things. Now that you've had her, she doesn't want you. She could never truly love you. You are a monster, impossible to love. He shook his head, growling low in his throat. No! You're wrong! He looked at her.

Her chest was heaving, her eyes dazed as the pouring rain continued to soak her frame. Despite his crippling fear of the reason for her hesitation, he couldn't help but be a little proud of the effect he had on her. She never looked like that after Stefan kissed her. She still hadn't spoken, staring at him with trepidation. It couldn't be over so soon. He had to crush her doubts. To have been so close and have her ripped from him again…it just couldn't happen.

"Elena…" He moaned, his voice unintentionally deep and husky.

She shook her head and focused on his eyes, twisting her hands as the hope that had been on her features just minutes before devolved into fear.

"Elena…please…what is it?" He begged.

She took a deep breath, as if she was steeling herself for his reaction. So quietly he wouldn't have heard if he were not so attuned to her, she whispered, "What about Lacey?"

His eyes widened and he groaned, smacking his forehead with his palm. Of course that would be what was making her hesitate.

"Seriously? That's what's bothering you? Elena, we were reintroduced less than 24 hours ago. The last time I saw her she was six. I know my track record for abstinence is kind of horrendous, but do you honestly think I'd pursue her when you're right there? What the hell were you thinking?"

She continued to chafe her hands. "Well, you two just looked so happy…and she would laugh…and you would smile…and you never smile…and you did kiss…"

He sighed. "Honestly Elena, I took me 145 years to get over someone who treated me like crap, it's pretty obvious I don't move on that quickly. I'm not gonna suddenly move on faster now that someone actually treats me decently."

Elena smiled a little sheepishly at this, taking a small step closer and looking up at him shyly. "So…you haven't? Moved on I mean?"

He strode towards her, seriously, purposefully, cupping her cheeks in his hands and forcing her to meet his eyes. This ended now. This was their moment where all the pain stopped and their lives could start. "Didn't you hear me when I said you could never be too late? Elena, you saved my life. I haven't spent two years waiting for you and changing for you and trying for you to give up now."

A slow smile spread onto her face as she searched his eyes, seeing the truth of his words in them. He answered it with one of his own and gently met her lips with his, caressingly, lovingly, warming her with his touch. They separated just enough so they could look into each other's eyes wonderingly.

Elena's cheeks reddened and she glanced down at the question that was hovering on her tongue. She looked up to meet his blindingly blue orbs.

"Damon?"

"Elena." He drawled with a grin.

She swatted his arm playfully. "This is serious. I have an important question for you."

Damon prepared himself, trying to focus through his happiness at having her so close. He gave a little nod to show her that he was ready. She looked so adorably bashful it couldn't possibly be that bad, right?

"Well…I…I've told you how I feel about you…" She stuttered with embarrassment and a soft, slow smile crawled across his beautiful lips. "H…how do you feel about me?" She asked quietly, glancing up at him from under her alluringly long lashes.

His beautiful, fantastically hypnotizing eyes captured hers as she listened with bated breath for his answer.

"I love you Elena."

She smiled, her whole face lighting up radiantly. "I love you too." She whispered against his lips as she tugged his head down to hers. His lips smiled against hers as they moved together, softly yet still so passionate. She tunneled her fingers in his inky hair as he once again held her close to his body.

He broke away to let her breathe, leaning his head against hers as they panted together. He made a sound of satisfaction. She tasted so good. "God I love you. I'll love you forever if you let me."

And...once again she didn't react the way he expected. She stiffened at the word 'forever' her worries from when she woke up next to him came crashing into the small gap between their bodies. She tried to avoid his eyes, hoping he hadn't noticed her reaction that was once again ruining the harmony they had almost achieved for the third time in fifteen minutes. Damon prayed this doubt would be the last, this rollercoaster was giving him vertigo.

He shifted, trying to meet her eyes. She couldn't hide from him if he could just see her deeply expressive chocolate eyes. "Elena, please, what's bothering you now?"

She kept her eyes averted, playing with his hand intertwined with hers. "It's just…you love so powerfully. It consumes you. That's why I fought you so long I think. There was never any choice but…" Her voice broke. "I'm just terrified I can't love you the way you deserve…the way you love me…no matter how much I want to." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "I don't know if I can give you forever." She began to ramble. "I mean...I never wanted it with Stefan. I never wanted to turn…but with you everything is stronger. It always has been. Maybe…I just…there's so much…and this is so new…and…" Her voice broke on a sob.

Once again Damon heaved a heavy sigh at her insecurity. Didn't she know better? "Elena. I don't expect that from you. I'll never make the mistake of taking that choice from you again. Honestly, I would have loved you even if you had never chosen me. It would have royally sucked, but I still would have loved you. But you did choose me tonight, and as long as you stay with me I will be happy. I won't lie, if you decide to give me forever you would make me the happiest living…non-living person around. But even if you don't, I will stay with you as long as you want me around. For today, can we just be happy? You've finally admitted your repressed feelings for the undeniably better Salvatore…" He smirked when she elbowed him. "Let's just take things one day at a time okay?" He asked, pulling her close and tilting her chin up so he could look at her.

During the course of his uncharacteristically heartfelt speech she had grown more and more awed. She had always known there was this side of him but to see it displayed so prominently…over and over again as she voiced one doubt after another…it only convinced her even more that she had finally made the right choice. She smiled softly, shyly. "Okay."

"Finally" He said with a long-suffering groan. He tugged her to him and gave her the lip lock he'd been dying to plant on her the whole time she was busy worrying. Their lips literally fused together. He honestly didn't think he would ever be able to tear his away from hers. She tasted like sunshine and forgiveness and home. He would never have enough, not if they lived a thousand years.

As Damon's lips devoured hers Elena shivered agreeably, she had always suspected things would be intense between them because everything had always been so charged. Even when they hated each other it was passionate. Now, the way he cradled her body and the way their lips clung and tasted and clung again, she knew that if there was anyone who she would give up her mortality for, who she would want forever with, it would be Damon.

Damon couldn't help but feel Elena's tiny shivers of pleasure become more violent with cold and discomfort. It was still pouring and lightning continued to crackle dangerously across the sky. He pulled away and cursed quietly, smirking at Elena's moue of displeasure.

"Shit. I totally forgot about the rain. We need to get you inside. You're hurt and you'll get sick, not to mention how dangerous it is to be in a forest during a thunderstorm." He said, holding her closer to him and looking around, as if deadly lightning would jump out from behind a bush.

She nuzzled into his warmth, trying to stop her body's tremors that had now become violent. "What about the black horse?"

Damon grunted. "Eh. Fido will be fine. I'm still mad at him for dumping you. He's probably already beat us back anyway. Now come on. Hold on tight."

Elena giggled as he scooped her into his arms and turned her head to bury her nose in the warmth of his neck, inhaling the delicious combination of rain and Damon. "That's not really his name is it?"

"No. It's Hades, but whatever. Now do as I say and hold on."

Damon began to blur them through the forest as he held her like a large football, shielding her from whipping tree branches and pelting water. Elena squealed, not expecting the sudden burst of speed and clung to him as he ran.


In the space of ten breaths they were back at the ranch. When Elena felt the abrupt lack of wind and an infusion of warmth, she cracked open her eyelids, cautiously turning her head away from the safety of Damon's neck. They were in her room. The house was quiet; calm. The room was bathed in gentle yellow light from her bedside lamp. She looked up to Damon to see him smiling down at her. There was suddenly no need for words between them. He silently walked her over to the chair in the corner of the room, gently setting her down. She observed him as he moved around her assigned space.

He quickly picked up the knit blanket at the foot of her bed and draped it over her shoulders. He strode to the en suite bathroom and began running a bath. He turned to look at her as he tested the water temperature. She smiled softly and limped over to him, letting the blanket fall to the ground, her body officially stiff with the pain and injuries from her fall.

He rose as she reached him and put his hands on her shoulders, his eyes intensely on hers as he chaffed her arms. She reached behind herself and slowly pulled the zipper of her dress down, watching Damon as he watched her, both of them captivated. They were entranced with each other in the light of the new weight of their relationship, and the silence grew heavy with the fresh intimacy between them.

He spun her so her back was to him and smoothed the straps of her dress off her shoulders. She reveled in the feeling of his warm palms on her skin, so soothing. Her soaked, ripped, muddy covering slid off of her like an old skin to pool at her feet. She turned again to face him, unexpectedly completely comfortable to be bare before him, dressed in only her rain-soaked underwear. It actually felt normal, natural as his eyes studied her unadorned frame, because even before this moment he had always stripped her bare, bare of her lies and her deflections, bare of the heaviness of her life, and bare of the walls she put around her emotions. Just like she did for him.

Mirroring his actions, she rested her warm little hands at his waist, curling around the hem of his black shirt. He rested his hands over hers and they drew it up his chiseled torso together. He tugged it over his head and dropped it onto the floor next to her dress. The contrasting black and white material bled water that blended together on the tan tiles.

He quickly shimmied out of his damp jeans and she in turn perused the beauty of his body. Combined with the beauty she had unearthed in his soul he once again took her breath away. She smiled into his eyes and took his hand as she led him towards the bath. He helped her in and she sighed in contentment as the warm water soothed her aching body. She looked over her shoulder and tugged on his hand, smiling encouragingly when doubt crept onto his face. He slowly stepped to join her and they settled in the warm water together.

He cradled her against his body, careful not to jostle her injured arm. She leaned against him in relief, happy to let him support her. He cleaned her bruised and muddy limbs, the soft sponge like a gentle massage on her battered skin. When she was refreshed and relaxed he helped her out of the bath, wrapping them both in soft, full towels and rubbing her dry.

He scooped her up and set her on the bathroom counter, blurring away for a second. He returned, dressed in only a pair of loose pajama pants and with fresh underwear and a baggy shirt for her clutched in his hand. He helped her slide his large shirt over her body, careful not to jostle her arm, then turned away to let her change her underwear like the gentleman he wanted to be for her.

Once she was decent she again took his hand and they walked side by side to the bed. Damon pulled the comforter and sheets down, then scooped her into his arms, making her giggle quietly, and deposited her in the center of the large bed. He immediately joined her, pulling the covers over them, and she scooted as close to him as she could get, unwilling to put any space between them. He smoothed her damp hair off of her face, looking at her intently. Her eyes fluttered shut at his touch and she nuzzled into his hand, scooting closer still to rest her head on his chest. He wrapped his other arm around her shoulders and she draped hers over his torso.

She hummed contentedly. She had never felt so safe and happy. As she drifted off, exhausted, she mumbled something, her voice so heavy with sleep that Damon had to strain to hear it.

"Thank you."

"For what?" He asked.

"Loving me."

He smiled, letting his own eyes close. "You're welcome love. You're welcome."


Elena was in a field. A field with a hill that looked surprisingly familiar. And yet…it was different. Part of her expected this field to be warm and happy and full of light and another part expected this field to be somehow terrifying, but it was neither of these. It was an average field, with flowers and grass. The sky was perhaps a little dark and cloudy, but it was evening, the moon like a butter pat in the sky. She stepped forward curiously and felt a strange weight on her. She looked down to see that she was dressed in a heavy gold-orange gown, slightly mussed and wrinkled but still quite beautiful. Why was she dressed like this?

"Elena…"

Elena looked around, confused, for the person calling her name. There had been no one in the field a moment ago. There was still no one. She picked up her skirts and stepped forward cautiously, years of being hunted and kidnapped making her wary. Disembodied voices never boded well.

"Elena…please…"

The voice was more substantial this time. Elena whirled around. A smoky, shadowy form wavered in the mist several yards from her. She carefully strode towards the form. As she drew near the insubstantial shade coalesced into the form of a woman that Elena had never met and yet seemed strangely familiar. Elena looked around, wishing she had a stake or one of Alaric's nifty vervain grenades so she could defend herself if need be.

"I mean you no harm Elena." The woman spoke.

Can she read my mind?

"No, but you project your thoughts very forcefully. They are hard to miss. That is one of the things we will need to work on. Come, we have much to do."

"I'm not going anywhere with you. Who are you? What do you want with me?" She demanded.

The woman sighed. "We do not have much time. The storm is fast approaching and there is much you need to know before it arrives. But I can see that you will not follow unless I answer…at least in a rudimentary fashion." The woman gestured and out of the mist two high-backed chairs and a small table materialized. "Please, have a seat."

Elena cautiously sat down, her skirts swirling around her ankles. "How did you do that?"

"We do not have the time for me to answer every question that appears in your head. Suffice to say, for the duration that I reside in your mind I have some limited ability to shape what you experience. When I am done with you this will hopefully no longer be possible."

The woman settled herself in her own chair and folded her hands gracefully in her lap. "Now, to answer your previous questions…I am…a teacher. For the purposes of our relationship you may call me Silph. As for why I am here…like I said, there is a danger coming, a confrontation, and you are the solution. You must become your fullest self if there is to be any hope of survival."

"What? My fullest self? What are you talking about? And what danger?"

Silph sighed again. "So many questions…we really do not have time for this…must you have these answers before we begin?" Elena stared at her determinedly. "Very well. You know you are the doppelganger. You have been pursued and persecuted for the role you play in manipulating and breaking the laws set forth by Nature and Her servants. However, what you do not know is that, as the key to changing Nature, you yourself in your most true and realized form have the small power to manipulate and channel Nature as you choose to see it, to an extent. Imagine it almost as a slant reality, where things remain exactly the same except for whatever thing you choose to change. As to the danger I speak of, I cannot tell you what it is, but suffice to say this suppressed ability of yours is the only hope of defeating it."

"You've got to be kidding…" She couldn't even be surprised. She had been faced with so many ridiculous things that this new revelation really wasn't so far out of the realm of possibility. What was surprising was that this new thing wasn't inherently designed to hurt her but might actually be…helpful. Go figure.

"I assure you I am not…kidding."

Elena rolled her eyes. "Why should I believe you? I've been burned enough times to know someone randomly haunting my dreams and telling me fantastic things should not be believed at face value."

Silph looked at her intently. "Because. If you do not, Damon will most assuredly die in the approaching battle. And he will not be the only one."


Elena jerked awake, sitting straight up in her bed, her heart drumming. Her eyes darted around the room fearfully, looking for any source of danger before settling on the man beside her sleeping soundly. She sighed in relief to see him safe and still with her, Silph's words echoing in her brain. It can't have been real. It was just a dream, wasn't it?

She continued to study Damon, her features softening with happiness. He really did look like a different person in his sleep, especially tonight. His body was relaxed, free from the tension that had been haunting them since Stefan left. He was breathtaking. A soft wind ruffled his messy hair, almost like a lover's caress and he shifted slightly, a small smile on his perfect lips. The movement seemed strange to Elena and she looked around her in the half-light. She started, looking at her hands when she realized what was odd. There are no windows open.

"Shit." She exclaimed, clapping her hands over her mouth a second too late as Damon stirred.

"Elena…?" He mumbled.

She looked down at him sheepishly. "Shh…I'm here."

"Mmmm…c'mere you." His hands reached for her and he yanked her down against his chest. "You wrn't thn'kn f'gettn 'way were you?"

She giggled at his sleep-talk. "I wouldn't dare."

His eyes opened slowly, brilliantly cornflower blue in the pre-dawn light slanting across his face. He smirked. "Good. Now you wanna tell me what has you cursing before five?"

She sighed, slipping out of his arms to rest against the headboard. "Not really."

"You're not having second thoughts are you?" He asked, propping himself up on his elbow.

She looked up at him in surprise. "What?" He looked so vulnerable. She would have to be extra careful to assure him of her affections always, especially in these early days. She grabbed his hand and clutched it in her two. "No, of course not. Don't be stupid. I love you."

His face broke into a radiant smile at her words. "I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearing that."

She smiled back and leaned down to brush his lips with hers. He moaned and tangled his hand in her hair, holding her to him. She was driving him insane. This kiss was so different from the desperate, passionate ones they shared in the rain last night. Combine that with the dizzying realizations that a) She was wearing only his shirt and her poor excuse for underwear, b) he had woken up beside her and she was currently pressing her warm little body against his, and c) she loved him and his mind was officially fucked. Was it possible for a vampire to die from delirious happiness?

They broke apart so she could breathe, but both of them were panting.

Damon groaned happily. "I love that I'm allowed to do that now. But you're distracting me. What's bothering you?"

She looked at him sheepishly. "I'm worried you'll laugh…or worse, take me seriously."

"Huh?"

She sighed. "I had another dream."

"Ugh, Steffie again? I swear I'm gonna kick his ass so hard the bunnies will feel it."

"No, no, it wasn't Stefan…though it was in the same place…I…I met a woman. She told me her name was Silph and that there is some kind of battle coming…though she was pretty vague on the details about that. Anyway, she told me that I'm the only hope we have of winning this battle and that because the Doppelganger is the key to manipulating nature I have the ability to manipulate nature myself but first I have to reach my 'fullest form' whatever that means and I woke up when she told me if I didn't you would die and I don't know what to do or if it was just a dream…" Her rambling petered out as she watched Damon's face grow more and more incredulous.

"You're kidding right?"

"Not really, no."

"And you're still wearing vervain?"

"Yes of course, I never take it off." She pulled her necklace out of his shirt to show him.

He cupped it in his hand. "Yeah, we're gonna need to replace this soon."

She rolled her eyes. "That's really what you're worried about right now?"

"Hell yeah. Better that than think you're actually serious, or right, and we have some new someone who wants to kill you to deal with." He sat up and ran his hand through his hair. "We need more information."

"I know, but I don't know how to contact her. I think…I think I heard her once before right when I woke up." She shut her eyes. "Maybe I can only see her in dreams?"

"Well that's just sucky planning." He griped. "I think…crap…I think we need to go back to Mystic Falls. Dammit. I had a whole plan…"

She smiled, nuzzling close to him and cupping his face in her hands. "We'll get through this. We're together now."

He returned her happiness, wrapping his arms around her. "Yes we are." He twitched gleefully. "Ric's face is gonna be priceless!"

She nudged him. "You're ridiculous."

"And you're wonderful."

She smiled up at him, her bottomless chocolate orbs glowing with happiness. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"And that's all I need."

You are all I need.

A/N: Okay, a couple things.

1) Sorry! I know it's been too long since my last update (again). The new semester started for me and in the craziness of getting started with class and everything it was hard to find time. Add to that the fact that I had a really hard time figuring out how to start on this and also the fact that TVD has given us very little Delena goodness these last few weeks and my inspiration was sort of shot.

2) On the topic of TVD, WHAT THE HECK? What is going on with Damon and Elena? I'm so mad right now. They kissed, it was epic and then everything went to hell. They were so close and she said she trusted him and he was there for her through EVERTHING and then she just randomly starts treating him like crap. What are the writers thinking? She didn't even apologize for that completely ridiculous denial of his love at the ball. You don't say something like that and not apologize, even if she really doesn't love him which she totally should. And now, this whole giving up nonsense, ugh. And a hiatus? I'M. SO. MAD.

Sorry about that, needed to rant.

3) About this chapter. I really hope you liked the new development about Elena. I really like bits and pieces of this chapter, but as a whole I'm less sure. Please tell me what you think. Am I moving too fast? Too slow? Too much description? ( I'm kind of an adjective whore.)

Review! You know you want to.