"Come up to meet you. Tell you I'm sorry, you don't know how lovely you are. I had to find you, tell you I need you. Tell you I've set you apart…Oh lets go back to the start." ~The Scientist, Coldplay

Ch.25

Damon's feet hit the floor of the hospital in a sleek steady rhythm, but all he could hear was the beating of his heart. Moments after he had hung up his cell on Katherine he had received an urgent message from the hospital. Damon's chest constricted as he attempted to focus on the nurses questioning.

"Hello?"

"Good morning, this is Mercy Regional Hospital. We are calling about a current patient here who is a Jane Doe. We haven't been able to locate any ID but she spoke your name when questioned. She's a young woman, around 20 years of age, long brown hair, brown eyes…" the nurse drifted off, hoping Damon would fill in the blanks for her.

It took him minutes to respond, he was still in shock over Elena being harmed at all. Even more so now that he knew what Katherine was capable of.

"Yes, her name is Elena Gilbert. She's my girlfriend. Is she going to be ok?" he croaked out.

Girlfriend…it was the first time he had uttered the word out loud. For all he knew it could be the last.

"Sir, I'm sorry but we really can't disclose any other information over the phone unless you're a living relative."

Shit. He knew he needed to get a hold of Little Gilbert, but he didn't have time.

He huffed into the phone wanting to say, 'Look lady, I don't know what fucking protocol you have to jump through but you could at least tell me if she's alive or dead?'

Instead he breathed and attempted to gain composure.

"But if I come there, and show you some ID, you'll let me see her?"

"That depends entirely on the patients consent."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" he demanded, reaching the hospital and parking with a jerk.

"Currently we don't know the cause for the injury. Her case is currently under investigation and we can't allow anyone else to see her at the present time."

"But she asked for me. Look, I'm already here I'll speak with you more about this shortly." Damon spat, clicking off his phone and trudging through the hospital. The smell of pine sol and Clorox immediately hit his senses and his stomach lurched. He hated hospitals. After his mothers' death he could barely find the strength to stand them. The pain in his heart came rushing back as soon as he realized he hadn't been inside a hospital since his mother's death. Now he was here for Elena, and the morbid thought instantly crossed his mind that this could be the last he saw of her as well. That individual thought tormented him, twisting his mind into a vortex of swirling despair. Determined, he walked faster toward the circulation desk.

He was going to find out what happened to her, and she was going to be all right if he had anything to do with it.

The sound of his heartbeat pounded loudly in his ears as he walked towards the emergency wing.

Finally reaching the receptionists desk he asked hurriedly.

"I'm here to see Elena Gilbert, where is she?"

The woman behind the counter looked even younger than Elena. Her light blonde hair was tied into a small knot at the back of her head, and her neon pink scrubs screamed 'newbie'.

"I'm sorry sir, we don't seem to have a patient here by that name. Is there another patient you're looking for?" she inquired, waiting for him to respond.

He read her nametag and acted on impulse, "Rebecca, is it? What a lovely name." Damon said noticing her smile spread at the mention of her name.

"Have we met?" she asked leaning forward with her lab charts.

"No, we haven't, but I have a feeling we're about to be very close."

The girl's cheeks turned pink and she came closer to him to ask, "Why is that?"

Damon loved insecure little Barbie dolls. It really wasn't fair the effect he could have on some of them.

"Because….we're going to share a secret." He replied, adding a smirk to his mouth and twitching his eyes.

Rebecca looked at him once more, hanging on his every word she asked, "What secret?"

"Oh you know…" he whispered, "the one where you tell me where the new Jane Doe is." He said, winking at her and causing the young woman to drop her charts. As she scrambled to pick them up off the floor, Damon joined her on the floor, and decided to drop the act.

She giggled up at him, and his face instantly changed to stone.

"Where is she blondie?"

"Uh…. down the hall room 206."

"Thank you. You've been most helpful in locating my girlfriend." He said smirking at her bemused expression as he left her in the dust.

Standing, he briskly walked down the hallway, attempting to avoid any official personnel. Reaching the door he turned the knob, ignoring the no trespassing sign, and drifted inside quickly locking it behind him.

Turning around he finally saw her, and couldn't believe the torment he felt as he gazed upon her. Her broken body was covered in tubes and wires. His eyes stared longingly at her cut up and bruised face. A cast held her arm in place as she slept soundly on the bed. Stepping closer to her, he finally heard the heartbeat he'd been so desperately waiting to hear.

He let out a breath knowing that until now he wouldn't have dared to breathe without her.

Coming up to her bedside Damon raised his hand and clasped her cool fingers under his. As soon as his hand felt secure inside hers he noticed the heart machines rapid beeping filling the room. He smiled knowing the effect he had on her even while she slept.

"Oh Elena, what did she do to you baby?" he asked, softly sitting down on the bed beside her listless body. He stroked her hand and let his other hand lift to smooth her tangled hair from her gauze-covered face.

Without warning he felt her body suddenly move beneath him, and her eyes open into his.

"Damon?" she groaned out, as his smile deepened at her recognition. He was so afraid she wouldn't know who he was.

"Yes, baby I'm here." He said leaning in to leave a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"Mmmm." She hummed.

As he leaned back he noticed her eyes closing by the simple gesture.

He loved her so much.

"How do you feel?" he asked, hoping that these quack pots they called doctors had at least given her some decent morphine.

"I'm fine. What about you?" She said, putting on a brave face for him. That was his Elena, always putting others needs first instead of herself.

"Personally,I'm dandy." he said smugly then allowing himself to be serious asked, "do you know what happened?" gently continuing to hold her hand.

"I was leaving….and I was crying," she whispered out so softly Damon almost hadn't heard her.

Then it dawned on him. She had been ready to leave him.

The thought alone felt like a wrecking ball straight to his heart.

"Elena…" he breathed, hoping to change her mind.

"Wait…"she said, lifting her hand, "I was crying and it was raining. Then there was something…. someone in the road." She said, her face constricting as she attempted to recall the memory.

"Did you see who it was?" he asked. He wanted to make them pay, whoever they were for doing this to her.

"I think it was a man, but I couldn't make him out. It was dark, he was in black and the next thing I knew I was wrapped around a tree."

"How did you get here? Did someone find you?" he asked, attempting to find out if Katherine had been the one to call in.

"My SUV has allstar, they were alerted I think, and I assume the rest just fell into place."

She said wincing at an invisible pain, her hand lifting to press against her head.

"What hurts baby?" he asked. He still didn't know the extent of her injuries and he was worried.

"I have a broken clavicle, a bruised sternum and a bump on the head but I'll be fine Damon."

Ignoring her insistent murmurs that she was fine, Damon reached for a washcloth on her bedside table. Walking to the sink he turned on the faucet, wet it, and returned, placing it on her head.

She sighed in comfort, as his strokes gently patted and soothed her. He loved being able to take care of her.

After a few moments Elena quietly reached up and stilled his hand with her own, causing the washcloth to drop between them and their fingers to intertwine.

Feeling her hand in his, Damon's heartbeat sped up and he leaned in, wanting to kiss her. He hoped to remind her of how much he needed her, and still wanted her.

Unfortunately in that moment, Elena pulled away stating, "I can't…Damon. It's not right."

His hand fell instantaneously.

"Can't, or won't?" he countered.

"Both." She replied.

"Well I know this isn't the best time to talk about this, but we should discuss what happened last night."

"Damon, I just can't deal with this right now." She said, recoiling from him even further.
Finally catching her drift, he stood up and leaned over her, his hands grasping at the bedposts on either side of her. Taking into account that this new position effectively alarmed her, he smiled inside. If there were anyway he was going to get Elena Gilbert's attention, this would be it.

His piercing blue eyes remain fixed inches away from hers. He could practically feel her breath hitch as he licked his lips, and watched as her eyes drifted towards them. The magnetic pull between them had returned with a vengeance and he could tell that she felt it too.

"If you want to forget what happened fine, but I can't Elena. I can't forget you, or us and I refuse to let you go." He said, hoping that he was effectively breaking down all her walls.

Without a sound he crushed her mouth to his, reveling in the feeling of her sensuous lips beneath his own. There he stood, their mouths the only thing connecting their bodies, as if put together by an arch of heavenly fire. Although he wanted to continue demonstrating his desire he forcefully tore himself away from her.

"What? … Wait, Damon." she said as he stood to leave.

"I'm glad that you're alright Elena, but I can see that I've hurt you. Possibly even worse than what you're body is going through right now. I know you need time."

"It's more than that Damon," she said, but he lifted his finger and held it over her mouth, effectively stopping her from speaking so he could continue.

"Listen Elena, I'll wait as long as it takes. If it takes weeks, months, heck even years I'll wait. You are my life Elena. I don't care who knows it. I don't care about Katherine or Rick or anyone else. I'm not going to let someone else's idea of who I am, or who you are, stop me from loving you or building a future with you." He said above her, causing her eyes to well with tears.

"You are mine." He said emphasizing each word.

"What if I can't get past this Damon?" she asked, her voice breaking.

"Then I'll be here Elena, everyday to remind you why I chose you." He said simply, causing her tears to finally fall.

"Just in case you need something to remind you." He said, simultaneously slipping his hand into the back pocket of his jeans and drawing out his wallet. Opening the worn leather, he carefully slid out a small picture. The paper was worn as if it had been held a hundred times, and when he handed it to her he could practically see the hope and longing fill her eyes. Sensing he needed to leave her with her thoughts, he turned and walked out of the room wishing that it had been enough. That he could finally be enough.

Elena's heart tightened in her chest as she stared down at the image in her hands. The picture seemed to be from a million years ago, even though it had only been a month. The image was of them, her and Damon.

She suddenly recalled their first date at the Quarry. The joy she'd felt as he'd led her from the porch, the anticipation she'd had as they'd neared the water. She'd been so focused on her past with Stefan, but he had made her see past all of that. They'd parked and he'd shown her his world. She remembered stealing his camera, and taking a picture of them. Knowing what it must of meant for him to instantly trust her with something as valuable as his camera should have tipped her off. But no, she'd been too captivated with the idea of tarnishing Stefan's memory that she had forgotten. She'd forgotten what it had truly meant to have him look at her the way he had. To love her way he had. The picture in her hands was proof enough of that. It was of their first kiss at the Quarry. The one where he'd leaned in unexpectedly, and she'd snapped a picture. Looking at the result she could practically see his want for her coming to life in her hands. The tears she thought had dried up were coming up again as she remembered that day. Leaning back into her mattress she held the picture to her heart and let her grief overtake her.

3 hours later…

Elena had slipped in and out of consciousness for hours. Recognizing the sound of heels clicking the ground by her bedside she awoke to a startling discovery. The eyes she was looking intently upon reflected her own completely.

"Katherine."

"Hello sweet baby sister." She said leaning over Elena's bedside railing. The look in her sister's eyes sent an eerie chill through her body. Without thinking about it Elena instinctively withdrew, backing up towards her pillows behind her.

"Oh, don't be frightened," she said icily, "We're going to have so much fun together."

**************AUTHORS NOTE****************

Well this is officially the most angst filled chapter I've ever written, but I'm surprisingly proud of it. Sure hope you enjoyed the read. Stay tuned for more Katherine baby drama. Can't wait to see what scandal she's got up her sleeve...

ps I'm still contemplating a sequel, but if I don't trust me I won't leave you hanging with a cliff hanger ending. I hate those.

Thank you for all your support! Love you all! Review please ;)