Here is chapter 9! Enjoy everybody

I woke up with my arms around her, holding on tight so she couldn't just slip away. I had lost her once before and there was no way in hell that I would let that happen again. I felt her stir against my body as she slowly slipped into consciousness.

"Good morning," I whispered into her ear as she wiggled around to face me.

"Right back at you," she mumbled back, nuzzling her head into my bare chest. I inhaled deeply the scent of her coconut scented shampoo and tilted her head towards mine to place a gentle kiss on those perfect lips.

"It's been too long," she finally spoke.

"A day without you is too long, so yes, we have been long overdue."

"I know." I heard her sigh and I knew that she felt guilt for not coming back the moment the three years of oblivion were up.

"Hey, you're back now, so that is all that matters. Besides, we have an eternity to make up for lost time."

She smiled lightly before rolling over and sliding out of bed. I rolled onto my back to watch. She just sauntered on over to my bathtub and turned on the faucet while pouring about half the bottle of bubble bath in. Then, she dipped a foot inside and then the other, taking her sweet time settling into the fast rising bubbles.

"You know, I've always loved this bathtub right?" she teased, turning the faucet off with her toe, "except there is just one problem."

"Now, what's that?"

"You see, I am not a very good swimmer, so I am going to need some supervision is this big tub of yours."

"Hmmm," I muttered playfully, "I could always hire a lifeguard or attach a lifejacket to you."

"Or…" she started to blush, "you could get your naked ass over here and take care of me."

I ran over there at "vamp" speed, already naked by the time I reached her. "Don't worry, babe, I got you."

I climbed into the tub and laid on top of her, my mouth encasing hers, allowing the water to wash over both of us as we went under. And being dead, we didn't even have to waste time coming up for a breath.

For two days and two nights, we spent every moment together. We made pancakes and drank coffee while lounging around in pajamas. We snuggled on the couch, kissed constantly and had lots of sex, even next to the fire. Everything was perfect and how it should be, but then her phone started to ring

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"No!" Elena interrupts once again. We sat in the living room, where so much of our history had happened and she still had no idea. "It's Lon on the phone, isn't it?"

"You had to have seen that coming, right?"

"Well, I just figured that she would dump him and go live with you."

"It's not that simple," I laughed, "if you have learned anything from this story, it should be that NOTHING is that simple."

"Your love for each other is," she says so…simply. "I think your love for each other is so deep, but the fire that fuels it is simple and it burns that bright."

"It sounds like you know the feeling," I smirk, wishing and hoping she would come back to me.

"I feel like I have, but I don't know where." We sit in silence, letting what was said just hang in the air between us.

"Could you please continue?"

"Sure."

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"Hi," Elena got up and answered the phone to her fiancé. I closed my eyes to listen close to what he was saying.

"How is it going? Is Mystic Falls in the running for the destination for the wedding of the century?" Lon chuckled.

"Yeah, it is really pretty out here," Elena's voice cracked.

"Good, because you deserve the best."

"Thank you."

"Hey, I just wanted to check in on you, but I have to go much too soon. My work is calling. I love you and can't wait to marry you."

"I…I…I'll see you soon." She hung up and shoved the phone into her pocket, avoiding my stare.

I nodded my head in acceptance as the realization hit me; she was still going back to him. We stayed in complete silence for a very long time.

"What are you going to do?" I asked, more for my own confirmation that I was really going to lose her again because I already knew. Just a few words on the phone made it pretty clear.

"I don't know, Damon."

"What about the past couple days? They happened, Elena."

"I know that they happened and they were wonderful, but they were reckless and irresponsible, Damon."

I rose to my feet and gazed out the window, feeling our future slip away.

"I have a fiancé who I already made a promise too." I shook my head, feeling the anger eating at me, but it wasn't because of her. I was angry at the situation, the timing, and the cold hard truth.

"So you sleep with me and then go back to him. Your promise is shot to hell now, don't you think?"

"I don't know, but I guess I'll find out."

"I know that you know what you should choose," my voice turns into a yell, "but I can't figure out why you aren't choosing it."

I followed her as she walked outside, "Please, stay and choose me." I remembered back to 1864 and 2012 when all this happened. I felt history begin to repeat itself, but there wasn't a single doubt in my body because I knew that this was it. We were meant to be together for the long haul; forever, however long that was.

"Damon, you once said that we don't work and I didn't believe you," her voice cracked, sending a shiver down my spine, "maybe this is what you meant."

"I was right. We don't work, but we make it work," I stared deep into her, knowing how hard she was fighting it.

"Maybe we are just wrong for each other, Damon."

I grabbed her hand and pressed it against my heart.

"Does this feel wrong?" I whispered, taking my hand and pressing it against her beautiful face, "does this feel wrong?"

"Cheating on my fiancé was wrong. Being here with you is wrong," she cried.

"But you are here anyways, Elena. Don't go back to him and take the easy way out because I believe that you know what you want. And what you want is me."

"But no matter what I do, somebody gets hurt. There isn't an easy way out."

"Stop thinking about what I want or what he wants! What do you want?" I pressured.

"What do you want?" I asked quietly again.

"I have to go," she whispered. I nodded my head in defeat. She made her choice, she was going back to him and so I stepped aside and let her leave. I stood there and watched as she got into her car and drove away.

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"Why didn't you stop her?" Elena has tears in her eyes.

"I wanted her to choose me because she wanted to," I state the truth as easy as if it were an arithmetic problem, "she needed to make the choice for herself."

"But don't you see, she made the wrong choice."

"The story isn't over yet."

"But you are alone right now, so how can this story have a happy ending," her voice trails off.

I don't say a single word because I don't want to scare her away from finding the truth.

Elena moves over to a mirror on the wall. She stares at her reflection, being careful to notice every detail as if she was looking at herself for the first time. After several minutes, she runs up to my room, so I quickly follow behind.

She goes over to the nightstand beside my bed and picks up the one picture that I kept out. Bonnie had advised that I put all of the pictures away while Elena's consciousness was MIA, but I could not bring myself to put this one away. It was our wedding photo. She was dressed in white, looking as beautiful as she always did. I had on a simple black tuxedo and a black bowtie. My arms were wrapped around her as she rested her head of beautiful brown hair onto my shoulder. We were both smiling and we were both happy.

Elena traces her thumb over the photo while sinking to the floor.

"Your name is Damon and this is you in the photo," she whispers and then points to the picture of herself, "and this is Elena."

I just nod my head and take a seat next to her.

"What's my name?" she looks at me with those familiar brown eyes.

"Your name was Elena Gilbert, but on September 24th, 2015, you became Elena Salvatore."

She smiles as her eyes water and points back to the photo, "and that's me." This time, it isn't a question. This time, she knows.

"That's you."

I take her head in my hands and kiss her. Our lips move rhythmically together as I pull her into my lap.

"Damon, I'm so sorry. I don't know what's happened to me," she cries, pulling away from me.

"It's ok; you just went away for a little while," I stroke her cheek with the back of my hand, " I've been keeping Bonnie updated and she thought that if I could get you to a point of remembrance she might be able to do a spell that will block this from ever happening again, just in case."

"Then what are you waiting for? Get her over here."

She snuggles in deeper into me and I wrap my arms tighter around her because this is how it is supposed to be.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and stay tuned for an epilogue and remember to review!