Stockholm

Day One. 10:57pm

"Where am I?" Elena voiced as she fluttered her eyes open. Had it all been a dream or had she been in a robbery and felt attracted to the robber?

"At the hospital" said the nurse that happened to be in the room at the time Elena woke up.

"What happened?" Elena tried to sit in the stretcher but the pain in her midsection surprised her and she had to retreat.

"Don't you remember what happened?" she offered sympathetically and softly.

"Where is Damon? He was in my arms, what happened to him?" Elena seemed to finally remember.

"Who is Damon, dear?" she asked back.

"The guy with me, I was holding him, he saved me. He saved all of us" the desperation was clear in her voice.

"Oh, the hero, didn't know his name. Unfortunately things don't look good for him. He had lost a lot of blood. One of the bullets punctured his spleen and another his lung. He's been on surgery for eight hours. I'm sorry" the nurse could clearly see that Elena had a different connection to the man that the whole city had been talking about.

The moment Elena heard the words her face dropped and her expression became even more broken.

"Does he have a chance?" Elena whispered as a tear rolled down her face.

"There's always a chance, dear. By the way, there's a man outside waiting for you to wake up. For security measures we didn't allow any non-related visitants to see the patients today. He says he's your fiancé" the nurse revealed and Elena's heart skipped a beat.

"Matt…" Elena sighed. What had she been thinking? Matt must be really worried about her and yet she couldn't think about anything else but Damon.

"I'll call the doctor to tell you what happened to you and if you want I could ask the man to get inside too. He seems really worried" the nurse kindly offered but Elena only shook her head.

"Would you give me more time? The memories are all coming back and I want to have everything clear in my mind before I see anyone but the doctor" she asked showing how vulnerable she was. But truth was she needed a moment or two before she faced her boyfriend. This was the first time she was effectively thinking about him ever since she met Damon. The architect seemed to have stolen all her thoughts and she was really anxious to have news about him. Just in that moment he was more important to her than Matt was.

"Sure" the small woman offered a smile and left the room.

"I know I don't talk to you a lot of times, but don't let him die. I'll be a mess, I need to figure it out, but especially because he doesn't deserve to die. I'm sure you were the one that put him there in the first place, so I beg you to save him. I'm sure there's a family and maybe even a girlfriend that are going to miss him miserably because I've met him less than twenty-four hours ago and I know I'd be really hurt if I lost him" Elena prayed with her hands joined and her eyes closed "I guess I have to say Amen, right? Amen" she concluded the moment the doctor entered the room.

"Good night Ms. Gilbert, I'm Dr Amber Roberts and I'm the surgeon that operated on you" the brunette announced.

"Did I have surgery?" Elena started to think about herself for the first time since she woke up. She had realized she was in pain but she didn't imagine that she had surgery.

"A minor procedure. The bullet didn't affect any of your organs but you lost some blood and you had some internal bleeding, that we had to stop. You won't have a big scar and we'll keep you here a couple of days to prevent any infection and also monitor your recovery" the doctor explained and Elena was relieved to know that she was okay.

"Do you have any information about Damon? The guy that helped us?" she asked tensed.

"We're still working on him. But you should focus on your own recovery, Elena. You were lucky that the shot didn't affect any vital organs and that you'll be okay" she tried to keep Elena stress-free because Damon condition was really critical.

"No doc, I'm lucky because Damon Salvatore was there to save me, God knows if I'd be here without Damon and if it's possible I'd like to be kept posted about him" and as she spoke her eyes got teary. Damon had to survive.

"I can only give information to family"

"I'm his girlfriend" she lied bluntly.

"How come if your fiancé is waiting for you?" the woman challenged.

"I guess that being in the jewelry store to return the engagement ring and having Damon's fluids inside my body will prove who I'm with" Elena had again forgot about Matt and the determination and even the offended tone in her voice convinced the doctor she was telling the truth. It wasn't like she wasn't with Matt. She was, she loved the blond but Damon could die and she wanted to know. She needed to know because she truly believed the raven haired man saved not only her life but everybody else's that made it through the robbery. Also they did have sex and though that pig watched it was still something intimate she and Damon shared. She couldn't pretend like Damon hadn't become important in her life in less than six hours because he had.

"Sorry, Ms. Gilbert, I had no idea" the doctor apologized embarrassed for doubting Elena information.

"No problem, everything between us has been so fast, sudden and intense and I need to know if he's okay" Elena told the truth this time. Everything with Damon had been unexpected and probably out of time because engagement or not, she was still with Matt.

"Mr. Salvatore had a lot of injuries and unfortunately all bullets affected organs and made a lot of damaged. We've been able to control his bleeding and now we're working to see if he's going to need any transplants and trying to keep him alive. Unfortunately he already crashed twice on the operation table and we don't know if his heart will resist. So far he's been brave and it seems like his body is really fighting to hold on. As soon as they finish I'll have someone let you know and to keep you updated" the surgeon tried to make it as mild as possible for Elena but she could see in the brunette's eyes that she had hurt her the same way.

Elena only nodded, looking away briefly as the tears rolled down her face. At least he was fighting, she thought.

"I still want to talk to Matt. He doesn't know about Damon and I'd appreciate if you didn't say anything. Actually I prefer if nobody knows it other than you" she asked thinking about her real boyfriend. Matt. He was probably dying out there to talk to her, to see by himself if she was okay. She knew that if the situation was reversed she'd be dying to know how he was and she'd only calm down after she'd lay eyes on him.

"No problem, confidentiality is part of my work" she offered a small smile "I'll go get Mr. Donovan. He's been asking me non-stop about when you'd wake up and why was it taking so much if your procedure had been simple"

"Thank you Dr. Roberts" her voice was really low and when the doctor closed the door behind her she broke into tears. Not because of herself, not because of the man the doctor left to get to see her but because of other man that was lying on another stretcher in that same hospital, fighting for his life. She couldn't brush his eyes from her mind though most of the time they spent together Damon's eyes weren't as sweet as when she had met him for the first time or when he told her about himself but those few times had been already unforgettable and remarkable. He had the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen and she needed to see those eyes again, wide open.

Earlier than she wanted but definitely longer than she should have allowed, there was a knock on the room's door and she knew it was her boyfriend.

The knock wasn't really to ask authorization to get in but only a protocol and a heads-up that someone was getting inside. Once she saw the blond running towards her while the nurse closed the door her tears only intensified.

"Elena, oh my God, I was so worried Baby, are you okay? Oh Doll" he rambled as he reached for her hands and then moving to her face, he cupped it, hugging her carefully. The doctor had explained that her midsection was sore and because she had her side operated on there shouldn't have any weight on it and she shouldn't make radical movements.

"Matt! I love you so much!" and for the first time in the past twelve hours Damon wasn't in her head anymore. She hadn't thought of Matt a lot but now that she was in his arms, she had realized that she would be devastated if she had lost or almost lost him. She wasn't prepared to let the blond go away. As much as Damon had stirred some feelings or reactions in her, she loved Matt. She had been doubtful until that moment but now everything seemed clear and she was thankful for Damon to have saved her… so she'd be with Matt.

"I'm so sorry" she cried leaning her head on his chest "If I had said yes, if I had taken the ring that you chose for me, I wouldn't have been there, we wouldn't be here, I'm so sorry Matt, I want you so much. I want to be your wife, I want to marry you" she confessed while his tears poured onto her hair.

"Hey Doll, it doesn't matter, okay? I love you and I want to be your husband and you're alive and that's all that matters. I'll buy you a new ring, I'll propose again. Let's forget everything about that ring, okay? It's probably cursed" he comforted his girlfriend relieved not only to know that she was alive but that she had also accepted his proposal.

"I love you, Matt, I love you" she pulled him by the collar and brought his lips to hers. She had a feeling of desperation inside of her telling her that she needed to kiss him; that she needed to be with him.

"I love you too, Elena" he said as they broke the kiss, kissing her hair again and moving to sit on the bed so she could rest her head on his chest without causing her further pain.

They were in the same position when Dr Roberts came nearly after midnight to update Elena about Damon. The doctor thought it was odd for Elena to be with her ex when her boyfriend was in surgery but she could only imagine what those people had lived through in the hours they spent with those psychopaths. Elena probably needed reassurance, safety and stability. Most victims needed it after being kept hostages, especially in such a violent environment and it probably wasn't different with Elena. If she had been engaged to the man holding her now he'd probably have a very special and huge role in her life at some point and the doctor was sure the brunette was going to need the people she loved and trusted most around her. They probably had a recent and civil breakup, the doctor thought before moving close to Elena, nudging her softly to wake her up. Matt who was really tired because hours of tension while Elena was inside the store and lately when she had been in the hospital, didn't even stir as the doctor called Elena's name.

"Elena" she repeated and the college student finally fluttered her eyes.

"I have news" the doctor told her and looked to Matt under her. "And I also need him to leave. You need to rest and this stretching position is certainly not what your injured body needs for the next eight hours"

"Matt, Matt" Elena turned to the man beneath her as she brushed his face softly "Matt, wake up"

After some more seconds he finally opened his eyes.

"The doctor is here to run some routine tests and she told me that I need to be straight in the bed at least this night. I guess you'll need to leave" Elena said to her boyfriend. Damon was again in her head and she just hoped Matt wouldn't give her lie away and kiss her or demand to sleep in the room with her.

"Oh" Matt said as he brushed his eyes, trying to fasten his waking up process.

"Why don't you go home, take a shower and get some rest. Hate to break it to you Broody, but you look horrible" she smiled softly as he removed himself from under her.

"I guess you're right, Doll" he smiled back leaning down to kiss her. Luckily for her he had only aimed her head and offering another tender smile he turned to the doctor.

"She's okay, right?" his voice was filled of concern.

"Yes, she just needs to have a nice night of sleep and I need to check her medication, heartbeat and other simple tests" the doctor got Elena's cue though everything she said was true. She needed to check on Elena and the brunette definitely needed to rest in a comfortable position.

"Okay" he said relieved.

"I'll be back in the morning, I promise" he turned to Elena, caressing her cheeks.

"Not so early and make sure you bring chocolate pancakes" she smiled and he winked, leaving the room.

"It's not what it looks…" Elena tried to explain to the woman she had lied to before.

"Elena, you don't need to explain. You need safety and certainty now and it's clear that even though you're not together anymore, you guys truly still care about each other. You're going to need not only him but also everyone else that gives your life stability" the doctor calmed Elena down.

"How is he?" Elena asked tensed and concerned. She couldn't read the woman in front of her and it could never be a good sign. People with good news are easy to be read.

"They did everything they could to re…" the surgeon started but Elena cut her off immediately.

"No…." she said loudly and the sobs initiated promptly.

The doctor then realized how it must have sound at first and cursed herself. She totally misled Elena.

"No, Elena, that's not what I mean. What I was going to say is that they did everything they could to repair the damage and that now it all depends on Damon's body to heal. He's in coma but we believe it's because of the shock and damage. While we're hopeful he'll wake up, there's a chance he won't and if he does, there's still the risk of having any other complication. His body is under a lot of stress and the reactions can be really unpredictable at this point, but the worst part is done"

"Is he alive?" Elena confirmed if she had understood what the doctor just explained her.

"Yes, he is" Amber offered with a smile "And now I do really need to run those tests that you wisely mentioned"

"What are his chances, really, you guys always have percentages" the brunette still cried though the sobs were now subsiding.

"I didn't ask them exactly but from everything that I've seen, fifty/fifty"

"So he has as many chances to make it as he has to… die?" the sobs intensified again. The same chances of living or dying didn't look like a good prospect.

"Yes, Elena, but I'd say it's time for you to look at the glass half full. When Damon was admitted his chances were less than ten percent"

The reality of losing Damon hit Elena again and she didn't even answer the doctor. She was crying her eyes out and she couldn't even say why. She just thought about Damon dying, about never seeing him again. Flashes of the moments they spent together in the store crossed her thoughts. Her whole body shook and the more she cried, the more she felt like crying. Damon was literally in the middle of life and death and she was a mess. Everything was so confusing and the images of his bloody body on the floor and in her arms wouldn't leave her mind. Then everything calmed down all of sudden. Everything went absolutely bright and then dark. Absolutely dark.

The following morning Matt arrived at the hospital but he had to wait for hours until Elena woke up. She had been sedated by Dr. Roberts. He had questioned why she needed to be sedated as she was absolutely calm when he left the previous night.

The doctor kept her word to Elena and didn't say anything about Damon but said that it was normal and even expected for patients in the same condition as Elena to have sudden mood swings for awhile. Again she had been able to tell him a fitting truth and cover for Elena.

The brunette woke up by lunch time and after talking to Matt for about half an hour she told him she was really tired and wanted to rest a bit more. She told him he could go to college and keep his normal routine that she was just tired and felt like she needed some time alone. Matt interpreted it as her shutting him out. He knew she had a hard time letting people around her when she was vulnerable and he couldn't think of anything more brutal and wrecking than the experience she had the previous day. He didn't question her reasons and gave her the space she needed and the first thing she wanted to do with this space was to check on Damon.

Cindy, the nurse from the previous day steered her to Damon's room. She should have tried to prepare herself better to see what she saw the moment she steeped in the room. There were wires attached all over his body and a lot of machines. He was wearing one of the hospital's horrible gowns but she still could see the curatives under it.

But it wasn't until she moved her eyes to his closed ones that everything seemed to have changed. His face looked so serene and if she couldn't see the wires and machines and bands around his body she'd say he was sleeping. His breath was heavy but he looked peaceful. The oddest thoughts then started to rush in her mind. She thought about how that was the first time she actually watched him sleep. She imagined if he was a lighter sleeper like her or if he snored. There was a very thin curl to his lips and then she wondered if he was dreaming. Would he remember his dreams or would he be really frustrated in the morning like her, knowing that a lot of things had been in her mind during her sleep but she couldn't for her life remember any of them?

"Hey" she finally said as she brushed his hair softly "It's me, Elena. Do you remember me?" her first comment showed how this whole situation was twisted. There were moments in the past twenty-four hours that she seemed to care more about the man in front of her than the boyfriend she had dismissed only some minutes ago. She couldn't understand and she had a hard time accepting how Damon had turned her life upside down and still she wasn't even sure if he'll remember about her when he wakes up. If he wakes up, she reminded herself.

That wasn't an option though. It couldn't be an option. Remembering or not, caring or not, being crazy or not, she needed him to wake up. She wanted him to wake up.

"Well, I'm sure I won't ever forget you and I guess most people in that room won't either. You know now you're our local hero? Well I guess not really local as Los Angeles and Hollywood make everything global. So, now you're a hero. People are talking about you in the newspaper and they all praise your brave and noble actions yesterday. You made yourself very famous, Damon Salvatore, though for some reason they won't let the media know your name. I guess that's because they know you were one of them at first. Today the police are starting to talk to the hostages and I guess they already suspect that you were with them. It seems like the hostages you freed before everything went to hell told them that you were one of the criminals. But don't worry; I'm sure if it comes to it everyone will testify for you. You saved our lives Damon, you're our real hero and heroes never die and that's why you can't die. There's always this saga and the next chapters to tell. They do everything that's necessary but they never die because they can't die; because they owe their lives to the people they saved. Those people can't live thinking that another person died because of them, because of total strangers" she didn't realize but by now she was already crying hard again while she held one of his hands.

"And more than anyone else in that room, I need you to live. You saved me from many things, some of which you have no idea and I need you. I need you to make it and I need to give you a hug of gratitude and for you to be a part of my life for the rest of my days. I'm so confused. Matt, my boyfriend and almost fiancé, was here today and yesterday and when I was with him I finally had all the answers and all the doubts were gone and I have you to thank for that because you gave me a chance to be with him again" she told him about what happened the night before, except that now it didn't seem as right as it was when it happened and she was in Matt's arms.

Looking at Damon now, for some reason, a very selfish and inappropriate reason, her mind drifted to their intimate moment the day before. Surely along with it also came Donald's disgusting face but then it moved back to Damon's. She remembered the feeling she had when he was inside of her and when they kissed. First it was the kiss when they had sex, then the kiss after she reassured him that she cared about him and then it was the kiss she gave him while she held his almost lifeless body in her arms. It gave her shivers to remember the moment when she thought she had lost him forever.

But why was she remembering the kisses and why did she have butterflies in her stomach as she remembered their intercourse? Then the grin he sported to her before their final kiss appeared in the mix of pictures running through her mind. It was the first time she had seen his killer smile. He was such a beautiful man but his smile was the sweetest she had ever seen.

"Damon, I need you to make it. I don't know what's happening but I can't let you go. Maybe you did more than save me yesterday and I need you to be here for me to figure it out. For us to figure it out" she looked straight at his face and then moved her gaze to his lips. His red and perfect lips and she didn't know why but she couldn't stop herself from feeling and tasting them again. She leaned down and softly brushed her lips on his. Surely he couldn't answer and his mouth was motionless but the more Elena felt it on hers the more she needed to feel it. It wasn't a rushed kiss, especially because it was only her doing the kissing, but she prolonged it for as much as she could and had only stopped when Dr. Roberts entered the room.

The doctor had been touched by the scene in front of her. She had no doubt that Elena really cared about Damon but as she saw the brunette kissing the sleeping man, while her tears wet his face she imagined that Elena maybe had deeper feelings for Damon. It was the way she held his face with such care and the way her whole face looked so peaceful as she kissed him but totally tortured as she broke apart startled by her presence entering the room.

"I'm waiting for you, Damon" Elena whispered and then moved her lips to his forehead, taking a little longer than she should.

"Hi, Elena" Amber offered softly.

"Hi, Dr. Roberts. How is he?" Elena sat back in her wheel chair and held his hand as the other woman read Damon's charts.

"Still no progress but it's normal to take him some hours to finally begin to answer. His body had been under a lot of stress and damage" she repeated her words from the previous night. "The good news is that he isn't worsening either"

Elena only nodded and looked to Damon again, moving her free hand to his face while keeping the other in his.

"Do you have any family number that we can contact? Nobody came to see him although the police included his name as one of the hostages" she asked while she took some notes.

Elena panicked a bit, letting go of his face. She had no idea of Damon's family. Damn it, she barely knew Damon and the only reason she knew his last name was because he said it when Jessica asked. Jessica… Elena had totally forgotten about the others that had been with her in the robbery. She actually had liked Caroline and felt a connection with the blond She'd ask Dr Roberts about her…

"Elena?" the doctor interrupted her thoughts.

"No, I don't. As I said everything with us had been so fast. He mentioned them a few times but I don't really know if they live in Los Angeles or not" Elena lied through her teeth but that was the best she could come up with in that moment though she thought it was odd that nobody came to visit him.

"Do you know his middle name?" the doctor asked and again Elena couldn't answer but this time she preferred to not lie.

"I guess I'll go back to my room, I feel really tired" she avoided the question and the doctor nodded. Amber knew Elena was avoiding it and for a moment she questioned if Elena really was with him or if it was a case of Stockholm syndrome.

Seeing the look that the doctor was giving her Elena knew she had to do something.

"He's an architect and he loves it. Ever since he was a little boy he used to wonder about the buildings and the constructions and the people living inside their houses. He knew for sure that he wanted to build places like that and he likes to imagine that he's actually building nests of love for happy families. He likes to drive by the shore to relax his nerves and he has the biggest heart you'll ever meet. He cares and he's brave and special. And his eyes and smile are the sweetest a man could have" Elena looked to him the whole time and the tears were streaming down her face again.

"That's all that matters, isn't it?" Amber offered and Elena only nodded as she resumed her ministrations on his hair and face.

"But Elena, I'm sure the cops are going to ask more complicated questions to you than me. I shouldn't know this, but I know he's one of the criminals. He was wearing the same pattern of clothes and I also heard a conversation that I wasn't supposed to hear. I told them what you asked me to and I didn't say a word about how you two are together because if I understand you correctly you were there to return your engagement ring. So to me a few pieces seem to be missing but it's not my job to pull them together. Just be prepared to talk to them and whatever they ask, just don't lie because they'll find the truth. The Mayor's daughter was involved and the leader made it really clear that they had planned to do it while she was there and when important people are involved they get their best to do the investigation"

"I'll tell the truth, I promise and the truth is I have no idea why Damon was there. It doesn't make any sense. It's really not like him to do something like that. Trust me, that's one of the questions that I really want to know the answer"

"I trust you" she answered as she closed the chart in her hands.

"Thanks, Dr Roberts, for everything. I know I asked you too much and I know this seems really weird and confusing but I'm telling you the truth. I don't know why he was there and it had be a big coincidence that when I went to return my ex's engagement ring, Damon happened to be there, robbing and then saving the day"

"Well, I'll leave you two alone. I'll ask Cindy to bring your medication here, if you want"

"Yeah, I'm going to spend the afternoon with him if there isn't any problem" Elena looked tenderly to the man under her touch and then to the doctor.

"No, that's okay, Elena. I'll be back later to check on both of you"

"Okay" Elena answered not moving her gaze away from Damon this time.

"You don't really fit into the criminal scene, Damon and I hope you can tell me how you ended up there" she whispered thinking that it was one of the first things she'd need to know to help her to figure out her feelings because right now she had no idea who she really wanted to be with. And that thought alone was crazy given all the circumstances of her relationship with Matt and her involvement with Damon.

AN: See? I was mean to leave you with that cliffhanger but I totally made it up for you by posting this 24h later :P and I know you don't have an answer but at least he's not dead yet while Elena's feelings are all over the place. Share your thoughts.

Thanks a lot for the reviews and a special thanks to my beta May.

xoxo

Babi