With vacation and my work pile-up when I got back home, it was really hard finding time to write and reply to reviews. So I am very sorry for taking so long to post this and also for not responding to many of your reviews. I appreciate each and every one of them so much and I love seeing what you guys think, so THANK YOU!

Huge, and I really do mean huge, time jump between this chapter and the last. But I figured you'd only want to read moments that feature Damon in them and it just seemed unrealistic for him to come back in a short amount of time.

Also, I know some of you wanted to hear a little more about all of the other character's lives, so I included a brief bit about them in this chapter.

I hope you like it! :)

- June 2019 -

I tightened my lips into a picture perfect grin as the photographer snapped a picture of our group. The smile wasn't forced because we'd all been counting down the days for Jeremy and Bonnie to finally tie the knot and I couldn't have been happier to welcome one of my two best friends into my family.

I squeezed Bonnie's hand as the photographer motioned for one more snapshot. She squeezed back and turned to face me; face flushed with vibrant bliss, and squealed, "We're finally sisters!"

I rolled my eyes playfully and objected, "We've always been sisters. Now it's just official."

We both giggled, which resulted in an annoyed huff from the photographer and immediately recomposed ourselves for the shot.

Once the final portrait of the night had been snapped, all of the spare guests trickled away to gather their things leaving only our essential cast. The wedding reception was over, but we were all so involved in our lives now that events like this that brought us all back together we're extremely cherished and we wanted to make it last.

To my left stood Caroline and Tyler, holding hands and discussing their activities for tomorrow. The two had become inseparable since Tyler finally moved to the big city after college and proposed. Their wedding was in October, which meant only four months until the big day and Caroline was knee deep in bridezilla mode. She'd landed her first lead roll, which still baffled us considering what she was and how inconvenient being in the public eye would be in the future. It had happened only days after his proposal and she was now juggling the stresses of that along with planning the wedding.

But being Caroline, she was doing brilliantly. She was organized, prepared, and soaring high. Her life was on the fast track, but she always made time for our girl's weekly brunches. And Bonnie and I always made time to seat ourselves in the front row of her productions to show our support.

Ric and Meredith stood directly in front of me. His hand was wrapped around her back and it was clear to see they were still completely in love with each other. I smiled, remembering the trip we'd spent searching for Damon two years ago and how the time had given me the opportunity to understand Meredith and her compassion towards the realm that encompassed our lives.

Ric had been honest with her from the start, careful not to make the same mistakes he had with Jenna, and as a result their relationship was solid. She empathized with our past and never once asked us to hide it from her and for that I was truly grateful. And it was one of the reasons she'd been so willing to offer her and Ric's assistance in my impossible year-long charade of finding my vampire. We'd been unsuccessful of course, but instead of regaining Damon I'd managed to gain another friend.

Laughter sounded from my left and I turned to take in the sight of the glowing newlyweds. I had never seen my brother so delighted and my heart swelled at the notion that Bonnie was the one he had ended up with.

Jeremy was now a graphic artist working for Virgin Records and most of the CDs that covered the shelves in the stores had been designed by him. Bonnie had followed her grandmother's footsteps and taught a few classes at NYU. They all involved history, folklore, and witchcraft, and didn't often consist of more than 10-15 students, but she was happy and they made her feel closer to her heritage.

The only two people that weren't here were – well, I wouldn't let myself think about that and I especially wouldn't allow myself to think about whose arm should have been interlocked with mine at this very second. No; I definitely wouldn't think about that. Not right now.

Almost as if sensing I needed some strength, Bonnie turned in my direction and shot me an eye-squinting smile. I pulled myself out of my mini-funk and smiled back at her when my date slipped his hand through mine. "Are you ready to get going?" he asked.

The others had already started gathering their things, so I nodded my head and replied, "Yeah. Let me just say goodbye to everyone," and made my way through the circle.

Once all of the proper goodbyes and hugs had been given, we waved down a taxi and headed for my apartment.

My date's name was Brandon and he was forced onto me by Bonnie. She worked with him at the office and refused to let me attend her wedding without an amicable bachelor on my arm. I'd obliged because the idea of sitting at the table while all of my friends danced with their dates wasn't exactly appealing and it wasn't like he was the first guy I'd gone on a date with since Damon's dismissal from my life. Of course they'd all been for recreational fun and never anything serious because my past made it impossible to ever give up holding onto him.

I stared out the window and watched the buildings fly by as my thoughts drifted back to my past. It had taken me a year and a half to move on from my own personal destruction. That first year was spent with Ric and Meredith scowering the country in hopes of any sign that could point us in the right direction of Damon. The trip had been a bust and afterwards I'd felt drained; not just physically but emotionally drained as well. So much time had been spent and so much optimism had been wasted on a lost cause that when I arrived home, I let myself sink back down into that familiar emotional hole again.

Then six months passed before I found the ability to piece together my life again. It was still an incomplete puzzle with random shapes missing throughout, but there were still enough pieces to create a solid structure.

A few more months had passed when I'd actually picked up writing again and finally found the capability to finish my first novel. I ended the last chapter exactly how I should have ended, or restarted, my relationship with Damon; with the promise of eternity.

Since the vampire phenomenon was still, miraculously, in full blast, I'd sent it to my publisher on a whim and was surprised to hear she was still interested in printing the piece. A few edits were made the following weeks and I became a published author; a successful one too. Four more books had been added to the series since the first and instead of feeling the sting of my past while writing them, I instead felt comfort.

Having that world flow through my fingertips felt natural; it always had. And once I'd embraced that it was because it was my world; the one I'd denied for so long, but now knew I was as big a part of as I could possibly be, everything suddenly became easier. These books were my way of keeping it alive in the seemingly "normal" existence I had fought so valiantly to obtain. But, most importantly, they were my way of keeping Damon a part of it after he'd made it so very crystal that he no longer would be.

And yeah, maybe I hoped Damon had stumbled upon them at some point so that he could see the way my feelings towards him poured out onto each page, but I wasn't holding my breath.

So that's where I stood now. I was one of those 3D puzzles missing a few pieces, who was content for the most part, but still a bit shaky from time to time. I'd relearned how to stand on my own two feet again without the assistance of a vampire by my side, but a heavy breeze always threatened to bring my pieces toppling over.

I saw my apartment building slide into my line of vision and suddenly realized that I hadn't said a word to my date the entire way home. I felt my cheeks flush in embarrassment over how rude I must have appeared, but if Brandon took offence he didn't reveal it. He stepped out of the cab and opened my door, allowing me to exit. He then told the cab driver to wait and shut the door behind me.

"I had a great time tonight," he said as he took one of my hands in his.

Honestly, I'd had a great time with him as well. He was very attractive, had a great personality, and made me feel comfortable. It had been one of those unblemished first dates that normal women dream about, but unfortunately I wasn't most women.

Brandon was a catch, there was no denying that. But the warmth of his skin felt unnatural, the shade of his blue eyes wasn't quite right, and his brown hair was short instead of untidy in that way that shaped the features of his face to perfection. Point was, he wasn't Damon and therefor had no chance of obtaining my heart.

Of course, I'd long since accepted that Damon wasn't coming back to rekindle what we had, but that didn't mean I had it in me to start a relationship with someone else. My heart forever belonged to Damon, whether he came back to reclaim it or not, and I'd accepted that fact a long time ago.

But before I had a chance to respond to Brandon's comment, he leaned in and kissed me. The kiss wasn't bad; in all honesty he was a great kisser. His lips moved with ease against mine and the act felt nice. But that was it; just nice. Fire didn't erupt and there was no rocket's red glare, only the sweet sensation of his lips against mine.

When he pulled away, I shot him an appreciative smile and concluded, "Thank you for a wonderful evening." I then turned and headed into the building without offering up my phone number. I could feel his eyes on me as I entered the doors and when I rode the elevator up to the top floor I momentarily felt bad for not giving him an explanation for why I wasn't interested. It wasn't his fault and I didn't want him to think it was, but I figured I'd have Bonnie talk to him once she came back from her honeymoon.

My hands instantly became sweaty as I stepped foot off of the elevator and onto my floor. It didn't make sense, but as I slipped my key into the lock of my door, I found myself anxious to get inside. I quickly turned the metal until I heard it click and pushed open the door. Then I flipped on the light only to have my heart skip a beat and resume with a pulse rate at least doubled what it had previously been.

Damon was seated in one of my bar stools with his elbows rested against my island countertop. He had a drink, probably concocted from the stash he'd left behind that I very rarely took advantage of, in his left hand that was halfway finished.

He looked exactly the same, but of course he did. His leather jacket, steel grey V-neck t-shirt, and dark jeans clung to his sculpted body, enhancing what rested underneath. His jet black hair fell in random chunks around his face and he was breathtakingly striking.

His demeanor screamed bad boy with a reckless confidence, but I knew what really hid underneath and I waivered hesitantly in the doorway unsure which version of him would grace my presence.

I got my answer when Damon didn't look at me. He simply held his drink in the air and deadpanned, "He seemed like a real prince charmer." The statement had been edged with jealousy, bitterness, and a bit of cynicism as he brought his glass to his lips and took another swig.

The verbal whip slashed across my chest and I hated the fact that Damon had seen me with another guy, especially since it so rarely happened, when in reality a large chunk of my time was still spent transfixed on him. It would always be.

I just stared back at him, unsure of how to physically or verbally approach the vampire I'd been begging to have reappear like this. My heels remained firmly adhered to my hardwood floors and I wished that my arms were elastic so I could stretch them out to him. His face was so shadowed, but it did little to shade the splendor that consistently lit up his face and all I wanted was to run my fingertips down the dips and contours I'd ached for throughout the years.

I bit my lower lip and felt my eyes narrow as tiny droplets of energized moisture developed in the centers and begged he wasn't a figment of my imagination because there was no way in hell this vampire would ever have appeared in my, our, apartment like this.

He took another sip of his drink and spoke again, "You can wipe the perplexed look from your face. I'm not a mirage and you're not dreaming; you've got me in the flesh." He then turned to look at me and my heart abruptly stopped beating in my chest. I'm sure it had something to do with the arrow he shot from his eyes with the precision that never failed to miss its mark on my heart. God, I was such an easy and willing target that it was impossible for him to miss.

"What are you doing here, Damon?" I questioned just slightly above a breathy whisper and immediately regretted it. The last time I'd asked that question of a vampire I hadn't seen in four years things had ended terribly and it wasn't an ending I wanted to recreate; especially not with this vampire.

He shrugged his shoulders and replied, "Curiosity, boredom, nostalgia. Take your pick."

My shoulders sagged and I let out a sigh. I didn't want to play this game, not with him, not after all of this time. "Damon," I tried to softly reason.

"Elena," he mocked back.

I shook my head slowly back and forth and removed my heels because the bases of my feet were killing me. I then let them drop to the floor and shut my door before making my way to the opposite side of the island. I wanted nothing more than to join him, but I knew he was nowhere near ready to have me in that close of proximity just yet.

As I leaned my back against my countertop, I felt like my heart was going to jump right through my chest, across the space separating us, and into the palm of his hand. I wanted to start confessing everything that was still locked inside of me, but I couldn't just yet. Because that wasn't the way you handled the arrogant Damon Salvatore. What I had to do was sit back and wait for that wall to crumble so that I could ensure my words got through.

So instead of speaking the words I had really wanted to say, I instead stated, "You obviously came here for a reason and I hardly think it's fair to play this game considering how long it's been since I've talked to you."

"But it's so much fun," he replied with a faux sense of enthusiasm. He then took another sip of his drink and lifted it out into my direction. With his head cocked to the side and that signature smirk of his plastered across his face, he added, "And I didn't think it was very fair of you to throw my heart into a blender and set the speed to liquefy, but that didn't stop you did it?"

Verbal attack number two slashed across my chest and I cringed at the contact. I lowered my eyes to the ground, not sure if I could face his chiseled expression when speaking of what I had done to him and replied slowly, "No it didn't and I'm sorry for that."

Then something switched in my thought process and I realized that he was here, which was certainly an improvement over our last conversation. He was still as unresponsive as ever, but he had to of been here for a reason. I didn't let my hope drift too high and still kept the frown curved across my lips when I looked up at him and softly declared, "You know I am."

He narrowed his eyes and asked, "Do I?"

I shrugged my shoulders and prayed like hell this was headed where I was hoping it would and answered, "Yeah, I think you do."

Those crystalline eyes penetrated into mine for the longest time, but then they broke away from the string of contact pulled between us and I knew the direction was about to change. Damon let out an unnecessary sigh and for a short second I could see the damaged creature he'd hidden behind his sarcastic wall as he finished the dwindling contents of his drink and admitted, "I never found Klaus. I've spent the past four years searching for a lunatic I assumed would want me dead for killing his little protégé only to come up empty handed."

This wasn't exactly what I wanted to talk about when our big elephant still consumed the majority of the space in the room, but it was clear to see he needed someone and I guess I was the only one he had. He must have reached one hell of a pit to get here, but I was more than willing to help him out of it. Plus, I'd gladly do anything to keep the melodious sound of his voice streaming through my ears.

So I put my wants aside and played the part I needed to at the moment; the friend with reason. "Maybe that's a good thing," I disputed.

He shot me an incredulous look and questioned cynically, "You don't honestly believe that do you?"

Miraculously, it was easy keeping my levels at bay when I answered, "I believe you want revenge for what Klaus did to Stefan because we all do, but you said the two of you were linked. Didn't you ever consider that since he was unable to kill you that you'd be unable to kill him?" Damon had consumed quite a bit of my brain waves over the past years, so I'd given this a ton of thought.

He flashed to his old liquor cabinet and was back seated with a full glass of brown liquid before I had time to switch my weight from one leg to the other. He then took a long drink and shot me one of his cocky smiles. "Of course I did, but the opportunity to give him a good ass whooping was still available."

I knew Damon so much better than he was giving me credit for and I couldn't resist calling him out on it. "You'd have still felt unsatisfied because it wouldn't have been enough. And he's stronger than you so inevitably you would have gotten hurt."

I then took a deep breath and knew I was being selfish, but I couldn't contain what I wanted to say. I took a step forward, placed my hands on the island counter, threw as much concern into my voice as humanly possible, and asked, "Do you understand how scared for you I've been?"

He laughed at me. It was a bitter cold laugh that frosted my insides. He then shook his head from side to side and wore his amused grin as he countered, "No. You don't get to do that. You don't reserve the right to feel nervous for my sake because you made it all too clear that I meant nothing to you."

Apparently my words had slammed into a brick wall. The timing wasn't right, but I had to offer him something to latch onto that could send this conversation in the right direction. Frustration boiled under my surface and I tried my best to keep it under control, but I was having a difficult time as I replied, "And then I told you how much of a monumental fuck up that had been. I tried to apologize, but you threw your sarcasm back in my face because you didn't want to hear it."

"That's because you didn't deserve for me to hear it!" he shouted back. Apparently I'd managed to break through a bit because I'd learned in the past that when Damon got angry it meant you got through. I didn't like being the recipient of his anger, but I figured that at least we were confronting the issue.

Damon rolled his eyes at me and frantically shook his head from side to side as he continued to scream at me. "Jesus, Elena, you broke whatever chunk of a heart I still had left in me after all of the shit that we'd put each other through and expected me to come crawling back after some tear spilled apology."

How could he not see that he wasn't the only one I broke in the process? Desperation for him to accept this notion flowed through my limbs mixing with my previous irritation at this stubborn vampire as I shouted back, "And in the process I broke my own heart and had to live with that everyday! I haven't exactly been the poster child for 'It's A Wonderful Life," Damon, and I know what I did was a mistake because not one day has gone by where I haven't thought of you and the life I gave up."

My fingers had become balled into fists and they were trembling against the countertop. I was infuriated because yes, I'd made a mistake, but so had he; many times in the past. I hadn't always forgiven him right away, but damnit I hadn't made him wait four years for it. So I threw my frustration into my voice and accused, "And I expected you to come back because I thought you of all people would understand the mistake of making an impulsive decision!"

He slammed his glass against the countertop causing a line to crack up the side. This didn't startle me in the least because our fights always increased to this intensity. Items always got broken and hearts were always bare and exposed. If my voice rose, so did his and vice versa; we were always matched. But the difference between this fight and our others from the past was that there was no certainty that he wasn't going to walk away afterwards.

The fact terrified me as I watched the alcoholic contents of his glass slowly start to leak through onto the countertop and he argued, "That wasn't impulsive! You'd been considering it for months. But I have to know, why did you choose the moment after I killed my brother to cut the fucking cord?"

His accusatory stare struck right through me and his armor was up. I could see that there was no plausible way I would walk away from this fight the victor, neither one of us would. We'd both only walk away more damaged than before and I couldn't bear the thought of hurting him again, especially considering how damaged he was when he arrived tonight.

So I lowered my voice and removed my eyes from that cold stare of his and declared, "I don't want to clear this up this way. Not with us screaming about it the way we are because it's not going to get through to you anyway."

But apparently this was exactly the way Damon had wanted to clear everything up because he shouted back, "Well it's now or never, Elena. Here's your chance and if you don't take it now I'm not sure the opportunities ever going to come knocking at your door again."

I wasn't sure if he just needed someone to fight with and he knew my fiery nature and desperation to fix things would be a good match for him or if he really wanted to repair the damage and this was the only way possible. Regardless of his reason, I couldn't let him walk out of the door with the chance that he might never reappear again. I'd already gone down that road and look at where it had left me.

I really wasn't sure if anything I said would get through that well-crafted security gate of his, but my desperation and frustration spiraled together as I screamed, "Fine! I did it then because I saw Stefan lying on the floor and blamed myself for bringing you two into the mess I had. I screwed around with him and then moved onto you when he wasn't around and hated myself for it."

The tiniest ting of a flinch rippled across his expression and I realized that my words hadn't come out the way I had expected them to. So I clarified, "But not because I'd moved onto you, but because I felt like I'd toyed with you both the way Katherine had and I thought that by letting you go I'd spare you the need to risk your neck for me only to get yourself killed like he had."

Damon stood up from his bar stool and jolted his index finger in my direction. If he had the ability I'm sure fireballs would have shot in my direction because that's how much heat was radiating from those blue irises of his as he accused, "That's not the only reason and you know it!"

But I matched his fire with as much fury and shouted back, "I wasn't finished yet!"

The blaze left his eyes and he actually appeared amused by my heightened state of intensity. I knew he'd always appreciated my ability and determination to stand strong against him considering he could snap my frail little body like a twig if he chose to, but I failed to see how he could appreciate something as minute as that while this argument was happening between us.

"Well by all means, go ahead," he urged as a smug smile played across his lips. He set his leaking drink onto the counter top and sat back down into the chair.

I couldn't help but notice that he was enjoying this scene and part of me wondered if it was because, for once, the roles were reversed. So many times he'd been the one begging for forgiveness and while a part of me wanted to slap him for enjoying my floundering, the larger part of me wanted to make the most of the situation.

So I calmed my nerves and felt the heat of his spotlight against my face as I gave it my best go. "Before I do, I need you to know that I am sorry for pushing you away after Stefan. It was beyond terrible for me to do and I shouldn't have let you go off alone. You've always been there for me in the past and it wasn't fair of me to throw what you had just done back in your face. You saved my life and in return I pretty much said that it was for nothing. I know I hurt you and the timing was all wrong and if I could take it back I would."

I stared at him, desperate for some acknowledgment that he'd actually heard a word I'd just spoken, but he narrowed his eyes and said nothing. So I just took it as my cue to continue on.

I took another deep breath and spoke from my heart because a rehearsed speech wouldn't possibly be enough to get my point across. "But I also did it because I felt like I had never been given the opportunity to live a normal life and I wanted it more than anything. For so long my world had revolved around you and Stefan and I wanted the chance to live it for myself. I needed to see if it was possible to separate myself from your world because the idea of simply handing over my humanity on a silver platter, especially after so many people fought and died to keep it intact, scared the shit out of me."

Damon rolled his eyes and muttered, "Well I'm glad the idea of spending the rest of eternity with me terrified you."

He was so stubborn that it was infuriating, but I understood why he could misinterpret my actions that had ripped us apart and I needed him to understand. "Don't you see, it was never about being terrified to spend the rest of my life with you, Damon. I was terrified of being frozen in time and I wasn't ready to give up everything I wanted for my future. But then you left and everything suddenly came into focus. I still regret the way I ended things, and I will always regret what happened to Stefan, but I needed to be separated from you in order to understand that I'm not normal and I have no chance in hell of ever being satisfied with everything I originally thought I would be."

I saw the first bits of his exterior crumble and fall away as I began to let out the last bit of my heartfelt declaration. "I've only ever really felt normal when I was with you. Because I'm living this life now that's on the exact same track it would have been if we'd stayed together, but it's missing all of the highs that you brought to it. I'm 26 and single; that guy out there was no one because I've never let go of you and I have no desire to make myself available to anyone else. So don't you see, I'm no longer scared of being physically trapped for an eternity because with you I'm always going to live exactly the type of life I wanted to and I'm always going to be moving forward."

I watched him hopefully for any sign that my declaration had made an impact as the tears trickled down my face.

The edged features of Damon's softened a bit as he looked down at the countertop and sighed. "Do you know what cut the deepest? It was the fact that you expected me to ask you to turn, which proved you didn't understand me at all. Even from the beginning you were the only one with the capability to pull out the humanity in me. You always pushed me to embrace it because you were the only one that believed it was still there. Before you I'd buried it so far down because I missed the way it felt being a human and the pain was unbearable. But everytime I was around you it seeped out a little more and you fell for me just a little bit harder until I finally stopped fighting it. I gave in and it no longer hurt because you made me realize that feeling my humanity and the pain didn't coincide."

He then finally looked back up to face me directly, all of the anger and resistance had vanished leaving only the sadness that I had the capability of pulling from him as he continued, "So don't you see, I would have never asked you to turn for me because I've always missed being what you are. I loved you and I loved you even more for giving me the opportunity to live that lifestyle with you. You gave me everything that had been taken from me a century and a half ago. And I loved you enough to never force that type of decision onto you because I know the regret that comes after it. All I wanted was to spend the better part of a century with you."

"I'm sorry, I never knew that," I replied weakly.

He looked at the countertop and started drawing lines in the spilled liquid with his fingertip. I watched and waited for his next line when his eyes finally latched back onto mine. "That's because I never told you. But it stayed with me. Everywhere I went, and everything I did, you were still in the back of my mind forcing me to remember that I didn't have to fully embrace what I was because I had the ability to be better. I couldn't switch it off and I was so angry with you for causing that change and then stepping away and leaving me to deal with the results."

I couldn't fight the urge anymore, and maybe it had something to do with the fact that his confession hadn't included any witty one-liners and that his wall was no longer established, but I suddenly found myself crossing the divider to his side of the island. I didn't stop until I rested inches from where he sat. My hand lifted to touch his face before I realized where it was headed and slammed it back against my side.

Restraint, Elena. One step at a time.

"I was scared, Damon; you have to understand that." I pleaded because there was no going back now and he had to understand. "I never wanted to hurt you and it killed me knowing I did. I'm so sorry that it took all of this for me to understand that you were the only thing I wanted for my future and that I'd do anything to keep you. I'll turn, I'll stay this way. Whatever you want, it doesn't matter. All that matters is that I have you."

His eyes narrowed, but the tiny spark in his eyes ignited as he questioned skeptically, "You'd seriously turn for me if I asked you to?"

I nodded my head and answered, "Without hesitation because I know now that no matter what, I'm always going to choose you." Because after all of this time and after everything he'd been through, someone needed to. And I forever would.

Damon lifted his hand slowly to cup the side of my cheek and I felt the missing pieces of my puzzle fitting into place. As my heart picked up its pace at his touch, he misread the reason and his eyes began to drift over me in search of any sign that my statement had been fabricated. But I knew I had nothing to fear because I'd meant every word of it and that's exactly what he'd see.

Our faces rested inches from each other's. His mouth was a fierce magnet forcing vibrations from the metal fillings of my childhood as they fought to drag my lips closer to his. But I resisted because this was his choice to make. I'd laid my cards on the table and it was up to him whether he chose to accept me or not.

So I waited and watched the uncertainty waiver across Damon's features. He was stuck somewhere between unsure and 100% where I was. I breathed in and out so many times that I wasn't sure he would ever come to a decision, but then the uncertainty disappeared clearing way for the radiance of his love that I had missed so much.

He inched closer and I suddenly found myself caught in suspension. Time seemed to slow down as my yearning for his lips to be on mine increased to astronomical proportions. As my breathing became ragged, I saw a flicker of his blue eyes before his lashes drifted down to cover them and mine followed suit.

Then his lips were on mine. Tender and soft and everything I had remembered they'd been. It was one of those universe long, slow rediscovery kisses that had my insides igniting in lust and my need to never let him go expanding for miles. Because it had happened; Damon and I had reunited and the fire burning inside of my belly was stronger than ever.

There was no way in hell I would ever take this feeling or Damon for granted again.

That fire exploded as our lips pushed more roughly against each other. The motions transitioned from sweet to passionate as we each fought for dominance over who would get the first taste. Damon's ultimately won out as my lips parted to allow him entry into my mouth. His tongue struck with precision and swirled with mine in that familiar dance we'd both been dying to finish.

Within seconds my breathing became heavy, my kisses became sloppy, and my hands were frantically roaming his body. But it was alright, because everything stood true for him as well.

When the desire became too much, Damon pulled me into his lap and slid my dress up so that I could straddle him appropriately. I could feel all of him trying to break free from under his jeans against my center and I pushed into him as my hands tangled themselves in his locks.

I slid back and forth as his hands gripped onto the fabric of my expensive bridesmaids dress and ripped the thing down to mid-length. One hand moved to white-knuckle my hip, aiding in my motions against his manhood, while the other massaged my overly-sensitive breast.

His lips broke free of mine and I leaned back and moaned as they made contact with the side of my neck. There was a mixture of warm tongue strokes and hard fang scrapes as I pulled him further into my skin. Everything about the act was carnal, hungry, desperate, and I couldn't get him close enough.

I tightened his strands through my fingers and felt myself get sucked further into our emotional twister when even the breeze seemed to pick up around us. But then I felt my back slam against something solid and cold; the refrigerator.

As Damon's lips came crashing against mine, he ripped the remaining pieces of my dress and threw them haphazardly through the air. I felt my panties slide from my body in one swift motion and before I had time to prepare myself, he was inside of me. My down below had seen less action than a nunnery over the past four years and I was astonished at how swiftly he had been able to slide in. But I let out a wicked gasp as he filled me, reclaiming what was his, and shuddered at the sensation of once again being melded into one.

His lips devoured mine as Damon began moving in an out and it took everything I had not to release from the impact. His thrusts were fast and rough, driven by his overwhelming desire to satisfy his deprivation, but nothing else would have sufficed for me either at this point. I didn't want it gentle. I wanted the demon that lurked underneath because when it combined with the softer angelic side of him later, the precise mixture of both was what really made him extraordinarily special.

I held onto the back of his neck for dear life as he repeatedly slammed into me. As his hips shifted and he started stroking that perfect spot, I ripped my lips from his and cried out his name. I tried to wrap my legs around his torso, but they'd become jello and only had the ability of swaying back and forth to his rhythm.

My breathing was coming out in jagged gasps, when I felt myself teetering that blissful edge. My inner walls were singing in pleasure and I knew only a few more strokes would send me crashing through the solar system when Damon latched his hand onto the strands directly above my neck.

He forced me to look directly into his ocean blue eyes and growled, "I need all of you."

I knew exactly what he wanted and there was nothing I would deny him, especially this. So as his length slid along my insides, I rolled my eyes from the pleasure and managed to reply, "Whatever I have is yours."

I barely felt the air swirl around us as my back fell onto the bed. All I could feel was the superb way he hit my sweet spot and the desire to keep myself going like this forever. I bit my lower lip and managed to crack my eyes open as Damon's transitioned into black.

His mouth arched open and the mere sight of his fangs, with the intention of lodging themselves into my neck, was enough to send me over the edge. I moaned his named as his fangs pierced through my skin and my inner walls clamped down. I shattered into a million tiny pieces underneath of him and with each pull from my bloodstream, I broke a little more. With each suck, I rode a new wave. And with each new wave, I called out his name.

After the fourth pull, Damon dislodged his fangs. He picked up the pace as his grunts became out background music and seconds later he had reached his own climax along with another one of mine. We shuddered against each other and I gripped my nails into his back, pushing my body as flush against his as humanly possible.

He finally let out an unnecessary breath of air as our bodies relaxed into a satisfied humming state. My body was covered in sweat and as he pulled out and rolled beside me, I twisted into him and absorbed the relief it offered.

His arm slid behind my back and I rested my head where his heart should have been beating, listening to the silence that came from within. The absence of sound was soothing and I couldn't believe that it had ever been a justifiable reason to let him go.

His hand swept through the chestnut ribbons of my hair and I smiled because I was back where I belonged. Nothing about this could be more right and I couldn't wait to spend the rest of eternity together with him.

With my head still resting against his chest and my eyes closed, I laced my arm around the front of his stomach and confessed, "God, I missed you so much."

There was a stretch of silence as his hand continued working its way through my hair. I felt myself clench with the notion that this had just been a physical thing and not the promise of rekindling eternity like I had assumed. But then he finally responded, "I missed you too."

A smiled spread across my lips and I twisted myself around so that I could peer up at him. I pulled my arms into triangles across his toned chest and rested my chin on top of my stacked hands. He stared down at me with the same smile I was shooting in his direction when I asked, "So where does this leave us?"

Damon shrugged and then wrapped his arms around me and pulled me up so that I was close enough to see every feature that covered his face. "I've given you my fair share of fuck-ups in the past, so it was only a matter of time before you returned the favor. So, I guess you're forgiven."

He then shot me his signature smirk and his eyes had the glimmer they'd been missing when I first saw him today. The sight nearly took my breath away and I swore to myself that I would never let that gleam disappear again.

"Well, you don't have to worry about any more from me," I declared. "I love you and I promise to make it unconditional for eternity."

As the words left my lips, there was a brief moment of discomfort on Damon's expression before he masterfully hid it behind his adoration. The average human would never have picked up on the brief flicker, but Damon was an open book to me and every action of his played out in slow motion.

I chalked the uncertainty up to my previous actions. It would take some time to earn back all of Damon's trust the way I had it before and I'd known this fact coming in. But the act still made me nervous about my ability in doing so.

But then he pushed his face forward and his lips pressed against mine. When he pulled away he smiled at me, the same way he used to; face lighting up with everything he felt, and declared, "I love you too." And I knew that we we're going to be alright.

Please read and review. :)

I've finally figured out the remaining in-between steps to reaching my ending, so there are three chapters left in this thing. Two chapters will be of the future and the last will be when Elena returns to the present.