One Day Until Christmas

Elena didn't remember getting home that night, in fact, all she could recall was running most of the way. She just couldn't bear to do it anymore. She had had enough with getting her heart broken over and over again. She was so tired of putting trust into someone to have it torn out again. But, most of all, she couldn't bear to go with the pain of that hope being shattered again.

All she could think about now was getting away from here. She stood in her bedroom for about ten minutes, just staring at the wall, trying to think of a plan on how to get herself out of this mess.

She stumbled into the bathroom and washed the makeup from her face, as well as her tears. They were still flowing down her cheeks and she couldn't do anything to stop them now. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw them. She saw Katherine holding Damon…kissing him and touching him. And then there was the fact that he had not shown any resistance at all.

Sighing, she went over to her wardrobe and grabbed her rucksack and started to throw all her clothing in here. Everything she owned, which wasn't a lot, went into the bag. She thought that maybe she could do this and get over Damon, but it just hurt too much.

Elena walked across the cold floor boards of her bed room. It was about the size of a prison cell, but it was her home. The same ugly blue-grey rug spanning across most of the hard wooden floor, but provided little distraction from the faded, pale green walls. There was a metal single bed pressed to the wall furthest from the door, with a black bedspread covered in pillows and cushions as well as a wardrobe and small writing desk. It wasn't perfect, but this was all she had.

And now she had to leave it.

Snatching her phone off of the bedside table, Elena quickly dialled the first name on the list.

"Caroline?"

"Elena!" Her friend cried, sounding worried. "Where are you? I've been looking for you everywhere!"

Elena swallowed thickly. "I'm…I'm at home…"

"What? Why?"

"I…I just got tired, that's all."

"What's wrong?" Caroline gasped. "You're crying!"

"Look, I just…things got a bit out of hand."

"What? What are you saying, Elena?" Caroline gasped. "Did someone hurt you? Did Katherine say something to you?"

At that, Elena started to sob hysterically.

"Look, I'm coming over there!" Caroline cried out when she heard her friend crying.

"No, please don't," Elena begged, "Please…I'd rather just talk."

"What happened, Elena?" Caroline said again after a few minutes.

"Katherine happened," Elena sobbed. "I lied to you earlier, Caroline-I feel something much more than attraction or friendship for Damon. And then I go there and see her in his arms after he had told me that he cared about me."

"Oh, Elena!" Caroline cried, "What did you do? Did you talk to him?"

"He tried but I just ran…I didn't want to face him. I still don't."

"Elena, there has to be an explanation for this," Caroline reasoned, "Why would he tell you that he cared if there wasn't?"

"I don't know, what could've happened? She just miraculously stumbled in his arms and kissed him by accident?" Elena asked, her voice full of rage. Then, she took a deep breath. "I'm leaving, Caroline."

"Leaving?" The blonde screamed, "And where are you going? Elena, you're not making any sense. Please, think this through, at least tomorrow when your head is clear…"

"I just don't want to feel this way anymore," She mumbled, but then took a couple of deep breaths to calm down. "Can I just spend Christmas with you?"

"Of course you can!" She beamed, "I was just going to invite you over myself. So you're going to think this through, then, right?"

Elena sighed but finally muttered a yes and hung up.

Once she was finished, Elena went back to the bed, curling up in to a tight ball under the covers and tried to block out the world. Tomorrow was going to be a new day and she had to at least try to make the best of it, no matter how much she was hurting inside.

Elena woke up to the sound of a violent knock on her door. In fact, it was such a huge knock that the room almost shook. She also heard a desperate voice calling out her name. His voice.

Elena's body filled with rage once again and she considered ignoring him, but then she decided against it-she didn't want to cause a scene.

"I'm coming!" She roared, "I'm coming, okay?" She opened the door and shot Damon a cold look, not even caring that she was in her pyjamas.

"Elena, please…you have to let me explain."

"Explain what?" She screamed throwing her hands up in the air. "Explain why that disgusting excuse for a human being was clinging on to you? I mean, why was she even there? Oh right, I remember, because you invited her!"

"I had to invite her! Her father is a part of my business; I didn't have a choice."

"Oh what, so she just magically turned up in your arms!" Elena scoffed, glaring at him. "Next, I suppose you'll tell me it was an accident that she was trying to kiss you."

"Elena-.."

"No! I don't want to hear any of it anymo-.."

"DAMN IT, ELENA!" Damon roared, making Elena jump back. "Will you just listen to me, for once?!"

Her eyes were wide as she looked at him, completely shocked by his outburst. He had snapped at her a few times before, but never like this. The look in his eyes was a mix of sadness and rage, something she had never seen in him before. Elena knew she was over stepping the mark in the way that she had shouted at him, and now she didn't know what to do.

His expression was blank and emotionless as he shook his head paying her no mind as he wondered over to her bed resting his hands on the bed post as he took some deep breaths.

"Damon." Elena spoke at last and watched as he stopped in his movements, hovering by the foot of the bed. "Damon, please say something."

"Like what?" He snapped, finally looking at her with sad eyes. "What do you want me to say?"

Her mouth hung open as she got to her feet taking small steps towards him. Her hands were shaking and it felt like she was walking towards a wild animal in seeing him so rigid and stiff as it he was about to attack. She'd never seen him like this before. Maybe hints or flashes of his inner anger before when she had snapped at him, but nothing like this before. He looked just as broken as she was in that moment.

Elena stopped just a few inches before him, not wanting to risk touching his bare skin in case it set him off on some rampage.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have judged you like that…"

"No, no you shouldn't, but you did." Damon said lowly. "Why? Why would you even want to think that?"

"I don't know!" She blurted out, running her hand through her hair. "I just…I…I don't! I saw you both together and I…I…didn't know what to think. I still barely know you!"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean!?" Damon asked, throwing his hands up in the air.

"I don't really know you at all, let alone what happened with Katherine. And then I saw you…dancing with her!" She sniffled, looking down. "How could you dance with her?"

"It doesn't matter what happened with Katherine during our marriage. That is the past."

"Yes it does matter, Damon!" She shouted, feeling tears feeling her eyes but no falling yet. "It has everything to do with who you are and don't you dare deny it!"

"I've told you already! What more do you want me to say?"

"You told me half that story, you won't even tell me what your relationship was with Katherine!" Her voice was starting to crack now, but she had to keep going.

Damon let out a bitter chuckle, finally turning to face her again, his lips pressed in to a thin line and his eyes narrowed. He started to pace the room, not taking his eyes off of her.

"So this is what it's all about? Katherine?" He questioned, crossing his arms over his chest. "You. Are. Jealous?"

Elena's lips parted to protest, but nothing came out. Was she jealous? She didn't know who Katherine really was only that she was a horrid bitch and she had this burning hatred towards her. It was because of the pain and suffering Katherine had put Damon through. It was because Elena cared about him. It was because she didn't want to see him get hurt again.

The mere thought that he may still be in love with that heartless, psychotic bitch made her blood turn cold. Elena knew all this doubt had come from what she had seen at the party and the things Katherine had planted in her head, but she couldn't help it. She knew she had to listen to Damon and she understood what she was saying, but the complete and utter fear of being emotionally scarred hadn't left her mind…until now.

Then she felt Damon's hand on her shoulder. Elena stiffened and turned to look at him with fear. She blinked hard, feeling the familiar burn behind her eyes and hating herself for it once more.

"I-I'm sorry…I shouldn't have …I should have listened to you." She choked with the desperation that she was feeling.

They stared at each other for a long moment and she felt her eyes water still. Damon's eyes had slowly started to soften, the harshness of his features falling part like a mask. He reached forward desperately gripping her hand and pulled her into his chest, running his hands down her back. Elena let out a hushed sob and her hands held on to his shirt tightly, not wanting to let go of him again and to just stay there in his arms.

"No, I'm sorry." Damon whispered softly, his breath hot on her skin. "I shouldn't have snapped like that."

Elena nodded her head slightly, trying to hold back her sniffles as a few stray tears leaked from her lids and slid down on to his shirt. Her knees felt as if they were about to give way, until Damon scoped her up in his arms and carried them over to the bed. Damon sat on the edge of the bed, holding her hand as Elena played with the blanket on her bed.

"I shouldn't have been so hard on you tonight." Elena whispered, staring at the ground as she clutched the blanket closer. "You've got enough on your plate without having me picking a fight me you."

Damon was quiet for a long time, watching her as he considered her words. He moved across the bed until he was a few inches away, taking her chin in his hands and pulling her face gently up to his.

"It's okay, I shouldn't have said what I said." He whispered, brushing a strand of hair from her face tenderly. "I just…you have to believe me when I tell you that it wasn't meant to be go like that. I didn't want to dance with her."

"I really am sorry." Elena whimpered, wanting to make sure he understood.

"Shh…" Damon hushed, placing a finger to her lips as his hand grazed her jaw, traveling lower to her neck. "It's not your fault."

He kissed her temple gently. "I'm sorry, Elena. I know why you were angry and I don't blame you. But Katherine came up to me and told me to pay attention to her or she was going to cause a scene and ruin the party. She said that she hated the fact that I had ignored her all night to look at you. She threw her arms around me and didn't let go. I didn't want her to cause a scene."

A few other tears slipped down Elena's eyes. "I'm sorry I judged you. I should've let you explain. But it's just that I've been hurt so many times that I don't even know whether or not I should learn to trust again."

"I know," He told her compassionately. "I understand, Elena. But I want to be a part of your life. We'll take it slow, I promise," He said, picking her hands and holding them tightly in his own, "Will you give me a chance? Will you give us a chance?"

"Yes," She told him without second thoughts. "I will."

"Okay," He nodded, smiling a little before kissing her head again. "I think we should both start taking more regular appointments with Doctor Wes. I think we still both need help with our different issues and then maybe we could start working on whatever we have together. Maybe have meetings as a couple?"

"I'd like that," She whispered. "I want to try at this…whatever we have together…if you still want me?"

"I'll always want you. I want to try anything to make you trust me and help you to become that funny, charming woman I know you are."

"Thank you, Damon. Thank you for being here for me."

"I'm always going to be here. That's why I want you to move in to my spare house and take the job I am offering you." He paused for a moment, taking a deep breath. "I know you don't want to accept it, but please do. I want to pay off you're loan for you and help you in whatever way I can to give you the fresh start you need."

Elena took a deep breath to consider his words. He was offering her everything she could ever want and yet she couldn't force the words out of her mouth. Damon cared for her and wanted to help her like no one else had ever done. This, see knew, was her last chance and changing her life for the better.

Just as Elena was about to answer, there was loud banging on her door.

"Are you expecting someone?" Damon asked, raising his brow.

"Just Caroline…she wants me to spend today and tomorrow with her."

"Oh…" He sighed looking down.

"But," Elena continued, "I would much rather spend it with you."

Christmas Eve and only one chapter to go! And trust me, I think this is the M rated chapter you have all been waiting for. The next chapter will take place one year later, but that is all I am going to say on that ;) This chapter was more about Elena realizing that Damon is who she wants to be with, however she is still not sure if she is the right person for him. That is why the next chapter is a year later and you will see the development in their relationship as well as Elena's self-esteem.

Amy and I thank you for all the comments, so please keep them coming and we will see you tomorrow :D

Next chapter: It's Christmas day one year later, and Elena has decided it is time to take her relationship with Damon to the keep level. Stay tuned ;)