After a long, awkward discussion with Caroline and Stefan regarding alternative ways to fix their problem, Elena and Damon left Caroline's place.
The car ride home was mostly silent, but Elena's thoughts were loud. She was thinking about Katherine and Klaus and Damon and Stefan. She felt bad for Stefan, but she didn't feel bad about what she did. After all, she didn't get to choose who she loved.
When Damon was pulling into the Salvatore mansion driveway, Elena broke the silence.
"I think I need to talk to Bonnie," Elena said. Damon put the Camaro in park and turned off the engine. He turned his head to look at her and leaned back in his seat.
"That's probably smart," He responded. Elena nodded and kept her eyes glued forward, staring with a furrowed brow at the Salvatore boarding house. Damon knew that look: she was troubled, but trying to not bother anyone with her problems. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Elena said, attempting to fake a smile. Damon raised an eyebrow at her.
"Liar," He said. Elena looked at him full-on for the first time since leaving Caroline's house.
"I'm fine," Elena lied. She reached for the door handle, but Damon quickly locked all the doors.
"I know you're not," He said.
"Fine, I'm not. But, I don't want to talk about it, okay?" Elena turned on Damon.
"Okay," Damon responded. He unlocked all of the doors and leaned back in his seat, looking out the windshield at his house.
Elena cocked her head to the side in shock. She didn't expect him to give in so easily, and for some reason it bothered her…it bothered her a lot.
"Good," Elena said. She reached for the handle and began to open the door. She looked back at Damon confusedly. He was glued in the same spot. Elena sighed and slammed the door shut. She leaned back in the passenger seat. "I just hate the fact that we're hurting Stefan so much!"
A smug smile curled onto Damon's cheeks and he turned to look at her. When Elena saw that smile, she knew exactly what Damon had done—he got her to tell him what was bothering her by using reverse psychology.
"Dammit," She muttered and Damon's smile widened.
"Don't worry about him. He'll get back to his normal self soon enough." Damon reassured her.
"Will he? We obviously did some major damage," Elena said. She ran her fingers through her hair anxiously, "I can't even imagine how much it must hurt to see the person you love with your sibling."
"It sucks," Damon responded.
Elena internally kicked herself at his response. She didn't even consider her past with Damon, all the times she blatantly shoved her relationship with Stefan down his throat. She didn't like to remember the part of her life where she would hurt Damon without consideration.
"I'm sorry, Damon. I didn't even—."
"It's fine," Damon interrupted her. He was obviously still a little upset. He sat silently for a while with a clenched jaw. Elena stared at him in worry. After a moment, he spoke up again, "I just wonder if you were ever this worried for me when I was in Stefan's current position."
Elena gulped and internally shamed herself for even bringing up this conversation.
"Later, yes," Elena answered. "After Stefan returned from Klaus, when I started to fall in love with you."
Damon stared ahead coldly. Elena watched him anxiously. She already had too much going on in her life, she had already damaged too many of her relationships; she couldn't be on the outs with Damon on top of everything.
"Does it even matter now?" Elena pleaded with him. Damon heard the fear in her voice and instinctively looked at her. "I love you, Damon. You. Not him."
Damon silently stared at her. He saw the worry in her eyes, and he didn't like it. He didn't like it when she was upset. Instantly, the hardness in his face relaxed. He leaned over the divider and rested his hand on her knee.
Elena calmed down at the contact and a smile replaced the worry that pained her countenance.
"Kiss me," Damon demanded, locking eyes with her. Elena nodded eagerly and leaned forward.
She kissed him, inhaling deeply. His scent overwhelmed her—the leather of his jacket, hints of smokiness from burning firewood, and the faint taste of bourbon lingering on his lips.
She ran her tongue across his bottom lip, tasting more of him. Damon opened his mouth and deepened the kiss.
She placed her hand on his stomach, feeling the definition of his abs separated only by his thin, black tee shirt.
This kiss was plagued with lust. Even though she had him just the night before, she wanted more. She always wanted more of him.
Just then, Elena's back pocket vibrated and she grunted, pulling away from Damon's lips. She pouted as she reached back and grabbed her phone.
It was a text from Bonnie requesting that Elena meet her at the Town Center Square.
"Can I borrow your car?" Elena asked. Damon raised one eyebrow.
"I can drop you off," He said.
"That's not necessary," Elena insisted.
"I don't trust you with my car, I'm taking you." Damon started the car and backed out of the driveway. Elena laughed and leaned back.
"I'm insulted!" Elena joked. Damon shrugged.
"I've seen you drive. I'm just trying to protect my girl." Damon patted the steering wheel. "From my other girl." Damon flashed Elena a smile and she smiled back. She loved that, being his girl.
Damon and Elena rolled up to the town center. Since it was such a beautiful day, they had decided to take off the top.
Damon stopped the car in front of the fountain and turned down the music. Elena looked across the yard. A lot of the people in the town were there, just hanging out. The majority of them were curiously watching Elena and Damon, obviously wondering why they were together. Mystic Falls was a small town, meaning that everyone was nosy and everyone knew everyone.
Elena spotted Bonnie sitting on a bench across the yard and smiled and waved to her. Bonnie returned the wave and gestured for Elena to come to her. Elena nodded and opened the door to the car.
She got out and slammed the door shut. She turned around the look at Damon. She playfully leaned against the side of the Camaro and flirtatiously smiled.
"Thank you," She said.
Damon nodded with a smug smile. Elena shifted her weight and then turned around. She was about to walk away when Damon stopped her.
"Don't I get a goodbye?" Damon asked. Elena turned back to him.
"Goodbye," She said with a smile. Damon raised his eyebrows and shook his head.
"You know what I mean."
"No one here knows that we're together, yet," Elena said, gesturing behind her to everyone in the Town Square. Damon shrugged.
"They're about to," He responded. Elena smiled and bit her bottom lip.
She hesitated before deciding that now was just as good as any time to go fully public with Damon.
She jogged around the car to the front seat. She bent down at the waist and matched her lips with Damon's. She placed her hands on his neck.
Her vampire hearing allowed her to eavesdrop on the reactions of everyone.
"Is that Damon Salvatore and Elena Gilbert?...Kissing?" One person inquired.
"Oh my, I wonder when that happened." Another said.
"Wasn't she just engaged to Stefan?" Someone else asked.
"Isn't he a little old for her?"
The last comment made Elena chuckle. She broke the kiss.
"I love you," She whispered.
"I love you too," Damon responded. He brushed his thumb across her cheek and pulled away. Elena smiled at him. He smiled back and revved the engine quickly before driving away. Elena watched him go before walking away towards Bonnie.
"So, things are going well with you two?" Bonnie asked Elena when she reached her. Elena sat next to Bonnie and nodded, a smile still plastered on her cheeks. "I've never seen you more happy." Bonnie observed.
"Really?" Elena asked.
"Yeah." Bonnie smiled, "It's good. I like it."
"Me too." Elena pulled down her shorts and leaned back, tossing her arm across the back of the bench, "It was defiantly unexpected."
Bonnie nodded in agreement and then quickly straightened her face.
"So, Katherine has Stefan's blood…" Bonnie got to the point of the meeting. Instantly, the smile was wiped off of Elena's face. She nodded.
"We need to stop her before she does anything that can harm Damon and Stefan." Elena said in all seriousness.
"I agree," Bonnie said.
"Do you know of anything we can do?" Elena asked. Bonnie hesitated before speaking.
"I thought of one thing…" She began, "But it's extremely risky."
"Tell me," Elena insisted, sitting up in intrigue.
"Well, Katherine and Klaus have one flaw in their plans. Klaus is determined to keep you alive, and he's not likely to kill Caroline. Katherine is determined to keep Stefan alive, and she's not likely to kill Damon." Bonnie paused. Elena gestured for her to keep going, eager to hear her idea, "So, I was thinking we could link everyone."
Elena cocked her head to the side and furrowed her brow.
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"If we are all linked together, whatever happens to one happens to all. It's extremely risky, but it gives us leverage. Klaus won't kill anyone because he'd be killing you. Same with Katherine because of Stefan." Bonnie explained. Elena nodded slowly as Bonnie's words sunk in.
"Let's do it," Elena said. Bonnie took Elena's hand.
"Okay, but I have to stress how dangerous this is." Bonnie said, looking Elena straight in the eyes to make sure she understood, "Anything that happens to one of us, happens to all of us. Not everyone is an immortal. Also, there are other intrusions that linking has. We will all have a psychic link as well."
"I don't care," Elena responded. "Is everyone else fine with it?"
Bonnie nodded, "Yeah, I've asked everyone. They are willing. They will do whatever you think is best."
"Okay. Then, do it."
"I might be able to find an alternative—."
"We don't have time for that. I'm desperate, Bonnie. Please, just link us." Elena interrupted.
"Okay," Bonnie conceded, "We'll do the ritual tonight."
A/N: Please review!