Elena ran back to the car, casting constant glances over her shoulder. She hadn't dared to drive right to the boarding house. There was too much danger the house was being watched. Instead, she'd concealed the car about a mile away, just off the road under some low trees. It wasn't perfect, and Damon was probably going to kill her when he saw what shape his car was in, but he wasn't in any state to protest. Blessedly, he'd lost consciousness. While her emergency blood transfusion had helped his superficial wounds and given him the strength to flee, his gut still gaped open, and she knew the pain must be extraordinary.

The duffel bag banged against her knees as opened the car door. She'd stayed in the house only long enough to grab essentials: an armful of blood bags, clean clothes, and wet wipes for Damon, the first aid kit and a few sugary energy drinks for her. She'd jumped at every sound, started at every creak of floorboards. But in the end, she got in, got out, and got back to Damon safely.

He was still out cold, but he stirred when she ripped the first blood bag open. She held it to his lips, and he guzzled the cold, thick contents, veins bulging beneath this eyes as blackness spread along his cheekbones. Elena never ceased to marvel at the fierce beauty of his vampiric features, how the blood spread like finest lace and transformed him into a dark god of vengeance and fury.

Elena helped him to drink three more bags before the hole in his stomach finally began to close. He was able to drink two more bags under his own power while Elena tried to bandage her wrist. But it was no use, her hands shook too badly.

The adrenaline that had fueled her for the past hour was gone, and the full reality of what she'd done hit her like a physical blow. Damon, pale and brave and drenched in blood. Elijah, calmly repaying his debt. Klaus, mutilated by his screaming, demonic siblings, his face a bloody ruin. Her own role in it all, the revenge Klaus would exact upon her when he finally broke free. The feel of Damon's teeth scraping against her wrist, blood flowing out of her in an endless stream. It was all too much. Her breath came in short gasps, her heart raced out of control.

Then his hands were on hers, steadying her. "Let me," he said, his voice weary but full of strength and vitality. The dark god was gone, and his hands were gentle as they wrapped the gauze around her wrist. "We're going to have to do something about all your cutting," he teased.

"Thought I lost you," she managed.

"For a minute there? So did I. But then there you were, being all Xena, and I knew I was stupid to worry," Damon said, tucking the end of the bandage into the wrapping. "Not quite as stupid as you were for trying that stunt, but still." He smiled, and she flung herself into his arms. The gearshift dug into her hip, Damon was sticky with blood, but she didn't care. He drew her into his lap, holding her close, stroking her back and whispering nonsense into her ear. "It's okay. I've got you now. It's okay."

She didn't know how long he held her, fingers twining through her hair, but eventually, her heart slowed, her trembling stopped, and she accepted that this was real, that he was whole and safe again, if only for the moment.

"What happened? How could you let him catch you?" she asked, climbing off his lap and offering him the box of wet wipes. Damon began cleaning the blood and gore from his face and hands.

"You make it sound like I did it on purpose," Damon complained. "Trust me, there was no heroism, just terrible timing." Damon had been lurking around the house, trying to eavesdrop on conversations inside, but everything was quiet. Too quiet. But he didn't realize the danger until Klaus was right behind him. "Then it was all fun and games for an hour or two until you showed up," he concluded. "But how did you know what happened?"

"Elijah. He left your ring and a note." She dug the crumpled paper from her pocket, offering it to him. "I can't believe you signed a note to him 'hugs and kisses,'" Elena said. She cracked open one of the energy drinks, taking a long gulp. It was nasty stuff, but she needed the sugar now, needed to regain her strength after her blood loss. Their day wasn't over. Not by a long shot.

"Oh come on, Elena. With that hair and that Eurotrash accent, you know he's dreamy," Damon said with a wink. "Guess it worked, though. His gratitude saved my ass."

"No, his gratitude let me save your ass," Elena corrected.

"Oh, yeah. And while I'm grateful for the knight-in-shining-armor routine, you can't do things like that, Elena. You can't risk your life for me," he said, picking up the clean shirt. "You definitely can't threaten to slit your own throat for me."

"It worked, didn't it? What else could I do, Damon? I can't fight them physically. Mortality was the only weapon I had," she said.

"You could have let me go. I've lived three lifetimes, Elena. You haven't even had one. You dying for me isn't just wrong, it's unfair," he said. He pulled the shirt over his head, wincing at the movement. She reached for him, but he shook his head, warding her off. "Just a little tender. I'm fine. And while we're at it, who the hell do you think you are feeding me your blood, anyway?"

Elena stared at him. This was the thanks she got after risking everything for him, opening her own veins for him? "You aren't serious right now, are you?"

"Damn right I am. I'm glad I'm not dead and all, but didn't we go through this? You're my endgame, Elena. Without you, there's nothing to keep me here. You jump, I jump."

Elena blinked. "Did you really just quote Titanic to me?"

Damon threw his hands up in exasperation. "Really? That's what you want to take out of that speech? A Leo DiCaprio reference?"

"Yeah, because the rest of it's too stupid to even talk about. This isn't all about you, Damon. I'm not your damsel in distress. If either of us is going to survive this, we have to be partners. You save me, and I save you right back. So cut this macho bullshit and deal with the fact that your girlfriend just saved your life. Wait twenty minutes and you'll probably have a chance to pay me back," she said.

With that uncanny speed, his hands were on her face, eyes intense and sober. "Partners, Elena. That's what we are. You've already saved me more than you'll ever know. But don't ever forget: I will always choose you. No matter what I have to do or who I have to sacrifice." He stroked her cheek. "No matter what, you have to endure. That's your burden, and I will force you to carry it," he said fiercely.

He started to kiss her, but her phone buzzed insistently and she pulled away, looking down at the thing. He sighed and began to shimmy into the clean pair of pants she'd brought him.

"Looks like you'll get your chance to repay me sooner than you thought," she said grimly. "The coffin's open."