Disclaimer: Still don't own The Vampire Diaries. Sigh.

Told you the wait wouldn't be as long. Hope you enjoy this chapter! The song for it is "Ready to Question" by Gabrielle Aplin (By the way, let me know if you've checked out the songs and what you thought of them, on their own or whether you like the way they fit the chapters).

I look at Damon and give him a small smile.

"Hey."

He steps back and gestures for me to walk in. "Come on in, make yourself comfortable."

I step past him and look around. The front doors open up into a massive lounge with a beautiful view of the city.

"Would you like a tour?" I smile and nod.

He points to our right, "Over there is the kitchen."

Kitchen? Understatement. The cabinets are a dark cherry and all the appliances look new. Between the massive window taking up the back wall and the cabinets sits a huge island with professional knives and chopping boards set up.

"Just behind us to the right is a bathroom, the one you can use while you stay. I went ahead and put some clean towels out. The water is also fine to drink if you want and there is no limit on the hot water so feel free to take your time when you shower or take a bath."

He leads me down a small hallway to the left of the lounge to a mezzanine with some stairs leading down to an even bigger lounge area with huge sofas with warm brown cushions. We head down the stairs and I walk straight up to the window and stare at the ocean.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

"Never seen anything like it. You're a very lucky man, Damon." I turn around and look at him, standing a few feet away from me. He smiles wryly and gestures to two hallways behind the lounge area.

"The hallway on the left is where your bedroom is and the one on the right is mine. There's also a study in the hallway opposite my bedroom with a computer and quick internet. I like having access to it for work but feel free to use it whenever I'm out or not using it myself. I'm sure you would like that for your work? There's also a phone in there as well as one in your bedroom, use that any time. Come on, let's put your bag in your room and then we can sit down and relax a little. After all," cue the crooked smile, "I think we deserve it."

A short laugh bursts out of me. "Yeah, I think we have."

I follow him down the hallway and into another huge room with a king sized bed leaning up against the left wall. The window at the end of the room looks down on the water and the streets below. Damon puts my bag on the bed.

The room is decorated with light green colours, the pillows on the bed matching the tones. The furniture is light brown and the entire space seems massive.

I could get used to this. Scrap my original estimate, this place probably costs more a month than I make a year.

I look at Damon who tilts his head towards the door and we head back out to the lounge.

"Take a seat, I'll be back soon. Would you like a drink? I have a pretty good selection of red wine."

"That… would be great. Thank you so much, Damon. I don't know how to repay you."

He starts shaking his head before I've even finished my sentence. "No need to thank me, I just want you to feel better. I'll go get the wine. Be right back." He goes up the stairs and I can hear cabinets opening in the kitchen. I stare out the window again.

That view really is breath-taking.

It's getting darker outside now but the sun hasn't set yet. Instead, the ocean is reflecting the dark purple of the sky, making it seem like the edge I can see is the edge of the world. It's a scary thought and yet, I've never felt safer.

I step back and go sit down on the sofa.

I definitely just sat on a cloud.

Damon walks down the stairs and hands me a glass of wine before sitting down at my side. "Do you want to talk about it? Or just sit here?"

"Would you mind if we just sat here for a bit? I still don't know how to process the past few days," I look at him apologetically.

He smiles gently and leans back before taking a sip.

I do the same and close my eyes. His taste in wine really is excellent.

This is just what I needed.

I keep my eyes closed and after a while of just sitting and listening to the dim sounds of life going on outside the windows, I open them again. Damon is looking at the water and his jaw is slightly clenched. I put my wine down after taking a sip and pull my knees up, crossing my arms around them and leaning my chin down.

I turn sideways, knees still on the sofa and face Damon. He turns his head towards me, his eyes soften slightly and the side of his mouth lifts a little.

"I think I'm ready to talk now," he nods in response and keeps looking at me.

I take a deep breath and start to explain, "I got home after… everything, and Stefan told me that he had been offered to train Marines somewhere abroad. I don't know where exactly, he couldn't say of course. And I understand why he wants to go, I understand his duty, I understand his commitment to his job but then,-" I break off and shake my head a little, grabbing my wine and taking a larger sip than before.

"Then?" Damon prods.

"Then he said that they had given him a while to make a decision. And that in spite of that, he accepted immediately. I get that he would want to go but he just accepted!" My voice gets progressively louder and I stand up and pace the room.

"I mean, I'm not saying he had to stay, I would never have forced him to do that, I know how seriously he takes things but how could he just go behind my back and accept a dangerous post, who knows where, without talking to me first? I mean, regardless of whether he would have accepted, I deserve to be part of the process! Do I mean that little to him?" I pull at my hair, frustrated while keeping up with my pacing.

"I mean, honestly Damon, I know you don't know me all that much but I am reasonable! All I would have wanted was to be informed, be there when he made the call! How could he put so little faith,-" I stop and clench my teeth.

"How could he put so little faith in your understanding of his sense of duty? How could he not trust you to understand and accept his decision?" Damon finishes.

I look into his eyes and nod feebly. "I know his job is important but aren't I as well? Even a little?"

"You are important to him, Elena. I know my brother, whether we speak a lot to each other or not, and I know he wouldn't move from base to Chicago for anyone. You do matter to him Elena. It's just that…" he sighs, "being a Marine before anything else is sort of his default setting. He's always wanted to be a Marine and he takes it seriously. You matter, but he'd be letting himself down if he didn't accept immediately. As well as all those who count on him, in his mind."

He gets up and wipes a tear from my cheek before wrapping his arm around me. "Trust me Elena. You do matter." His voice fades a little at the end.

We stand there, arms around each other for a while before I lean back and look at him.

A/N: So, we see where Damon lives and Elena gets some things off of her chest.

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Till the nest chapter(within the next week or two, I'm setting a maximum of two weeks between updates when possible, provided RL doesn't kick me like it has recently).

~xxEternityxx.