Thank you to my awesomely amazing beta Kitty (trouble and she knows it) for making this chapter as good as it is.


"My name is Elena Gilbert, and I WILL get past this. This will not defeat me." Elena said to her reflection in the mirror Monday morning.

"Nothing can beat you." Damon said walking into the bathroom and kissing the spot where shoulders met neck.

"So you're still willing to drive me to work?" She clarified running the brush through her hair.

"If you're intent on going to work, I'll drive you. No problem." He said kissing her cheek.

"You really need to put some clothes on then. If you don't and you continue walking around in just those pants, we won't be going anywhere." She said turning around so she could kiss his lips.

"Hmm, that doesn't sound so bad either." He said kissing her again before she sighed and pulled herself out of his arms.

"Go get ready. I want to get back to my life." She said walking back into the bedroom to find a pair of shoes to wear with her dress pants and blue shirt combo.

"Yes ma'am." He said grinning as he followed her back into the bedroom to find something to wear. Shamelessly he dropped his pants and pulled a pair of black jeans on, before grabbing a clean black t-shirt.

"I think you're the only one on the planet that can make that monochromatic look work every single day of the week." She said appraising his look.

"Of course I can. And why would I want to change it. I look hot in all black. Kind of like the bad boy you know I can be when I want to." He said shrugging.

"You may be a bad boy on the outside, but there is something incredible inside you." Elena said softly.

"That person never existed before now. That person only exists because you brought him back from where I left him in 1864." He admitted walking over to her.

"I can honestly say now, that I would probably be dead without you. I am so happy I have you in my life. You've helped me in so many ways; fixed me in so many ways. You're doing it again by insisting I get back to my life, which sadly has to happen right now." She sighed when she glanced at her watch.

"Way to ruin a moment Gilbert." Damon said dryly and backed away from her.

"I'm sorry Salvatore. But you have to get me to work, so I can show everyone how ugly I am." She said trying to insert some enthusiasm into her voice no matter how fake it may be.

"Don't worry about it. You'll be fine, and if anyone says anything about your face, tell them to fuck themselves and for the record, you're beautiful, even looking like that. At least you are to me.." He said shrugging his shoulders.

"You may be able to do something like that, but I doubt I could actually make the words come out of my mouth in regards to a co-worker." She said.

"It's easy. You say fuck all the time baby." Damon said as he walked downstairs ahead of her.

"Yeah, but it's usually because you are making me feel so good." She argued.

"That's okay. I'll teach you. For today just ignore them. Maybe if someone pisses you off enough, you'll find it in yourself to fight back." Damon suggested.

"Let's just go. You better have something epic planned for me if I make it through this alive." She said staring pointedly at him as they walked out the door.

"If you make it out of this alive, we will do whatever you want." He promised her.

"Deal." She said holding out her hand to shake.

"Uh uh, no. We don't seal the deal with a handshake, we do it with a kiss." He said pulling her against him and kissing her quickly but passionately, effectively leaving her breathless. "Now let's go." he said.

She got into the passenger seat of the car, and he drove her to work, chatting amiably the entire way. He could see how nervous she was, by how she fiddled with the strap of her purse the entire way to her building.

"Hey, stop that. You're going to be fine. If you're not, I'm just a phone call away." He promised her, pressing her cell phone into her hand. She nodded her head and took a deep breath as he pulled up to the curb.

"Do you need me to walk you in?" He asked seriously.

"I'll be fine. I think I can do it on my own." She said trying to find even an ounce of bravery inside her.

"Okay. I'll be here at 5 sharp to pick you up." He said leaning in to kiss her quickly. She kissed him back before pulling away and opening the car door.

"I'll see you at 5." She said getting out. He nodded and waited until she was inside before driving away.


"Oh Elena, you're back! I hope you're feeling better." The receptionist said as Elena walked in.

"I've been better, but it's all good now." Elena answered smiling at the older woman.

"What happened to your lip?" She asked seeing the slowly healing cut on her lip. It was times like this, that she wished she had allowed Damon to give her his blood to heal her. But she hadn't, and now she was going to be stuck with people looking at her.

"I fell." She answered reflexively.

"Why are you wearing sunglasses inside?" The woman probed.

"I have to get to my desk. I'm sure I missed a lot when I was gone." Elena said quickly.

"Alright. Have a good day Elena." The receptionist said as Elena rushed away.


"Elena could you come in here for a moment please?" Dennis called from his office a few minutes after Elena had arrived. Elena stood up and smoothed out her pants before walking into Dennis's office. "Shut the door. We should talk." He said his hands clasped in front of him with a concerned look on his face.

"What's wrong?" She asked worried.

"I just want to make sure that you're okay. You're in here wearing sunglasses. You were sick the other day. This room is closed, no one can listen in. Elena, please know that you can come to me with whatever is going on. You can depend on me" He said struggling to find the words.

"What do you mean?" Elena asked confused.

"I know that you are very much involved with Damon Salvatore, and I know that your father used to hate him, but now they're on… good terms..." He started.

"What does this have to do with Damon?" Elena asked her voice filled with confusion.

"Elena, you and I both know that domestic violence exists in homes, and it's very common. I want you to know, if that is a situation you are involved in, there are several outlets for you to go to. It doesn't have to happen like that." He said staring at her completely shocked face. "You have options available to you, resources, both within the company and outside of it, I can help you find resources."

"Excuse me!?" She asked completely shocked at the accusations.

"I think it's a very real possibility, but I didn't want to mention it to your dad unless I talked to you first." He said his face a mask of concern. "I'm concerned that it's a very real possibility. I haven't reported it because I don't have enough information but taking your recent sick day into account and your bruises I think we need to have a discussion with your family."

"Believe me when I say that Damon had nothing to do with this! I was attacked a few days ago, when I went to my apartment to pay a bill. I was just planning on stopping in and I didn't even make it inside." She said gesturing to her face, still covered by the glasses.

"It looks like a case of domestic violence to me Elena, I've gone to training to recognize this. Hell I've taught how to recognize this. You don't have to defend him, at least let me see the damage." He insisted.

"Fine." Elena said taking off the glasses causing Dennis to gasp.

"Your face!" He said covering his mouth with his hand, at the sight of Elena's bruised and ravaged skin.

"Damon didn't do this to me. Without him, I probably wouldn't ever recover from this." She said softly.

"Who did this to you? Did you report him? You did go to the police with this didn't you?" He asked firing off questions a mile a minute, his face growing progressively red with rage.

"No I didn't go to the police. Believe me when I say that Damon took care of it. I feel safe with him, and that's all that is important to me right now." Elena said. "He saved me from the monster that did this to me, and it's because of him that I'm even able to be here today. The man who did this, took away my right to say no, and he assaulted me when I tried to say no."

"Elena, I have to know, did he sexually assault you? if he did, you have to press charges." Dennis said completely aghast.

"He did,but I can't press charges. Like I told you before, Damon …took… care… of… it." Elena looked him straight in the eye enunciating each word slowly words heavy with double meaning.

"If you were raped, there is no way Damon could have taken care of it, No punishment he could execute would be fit for the crime." Dennis said still trying to convince her.

"He didn't rape me, thank God… he did other things. I don't want to discuss this anymore. All you need to know is that Damon will ALWAYS save me." She said smiling slightly at the thought of her vampire boyfriend.

"Okay. Are you sure you're okay?" Still concerned, But ever aware of the Gilbert stubbornness.

"I'll be fine, I have Damon." She said smiling softly at the thought of him.

"Okay. I'll let you get back to work now Elena. I apologize for my mistaken assumptions, but it looked bad and adding up what I knew there weren't a lot of other possibilities, especially taking into account how much your father disliked him." Dennis said apologetically.

"It's okay. I know how it must have looked when I walked in here. But now of course I look worse. It's kind of a lose-lose situation for me." Elena said softly. Adj doesn't make much sense here so I used past tense.


When lunch time came Elena went into the staff room to grab the lunch that Damon had packed for her. Damon truly was an excellent lunch packer: she had all of her favorites in that one bag. She suspected it was because he wanted to make today as easy for her as possible.

"Hey Lena... do you want to eat lunch together?" David, one of the writers in the office asked. She snapped back when he laid his hand on her back in a mostly friendly gesture.

"Please don't touch me." Elena said turning to face him.

"Holy shit! What the hell happened to you? If it's alright with you I'm going to revoke my offer for having lunch with you. You look like a train-wreck." He said unapologetically.

"So you just wanted to have lunch with me because I was good to look at?" She asked outraged. She was starting to understand what Damon was talking about when he said she would find it in her to fight back.

"Pretty much. You're hot. Or at least you were." He said shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly.

"You know I'm pretty sure I would have turned you down anyways. So why don't you just walk back off to your little cubicle and leave me the fuck alone. Understand?" She asked glaring at him, feeling a rage inside her that she hadn't known existed. He was the last thing she needed right now. She was fighting to get over the attack, and he was making it worse."

"You're a measly assistant, I am a writer. You should be fawning over me, not telling me off." He said annoyed at her.

"I don't really care. At the moment I don't really care for anything. That's what getting sexually and physically assaulted does to a woman." Elena said glaring at him.

"Whatever." David said walking away with his lunch. Once the microwave beeped Elena grabbed her lunch and went back to her cubicle internally ranting about her argument with David. When she got close she sees Damon sitting in her chair and immediately started grinning.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" she asked leaning down to kiss him.

"I thought I'd join you for lunch, and see how you were coping." He said.

"Did you hear my argument with David?" She asked wearily.

"Yep. I have half a mind to tear him limb from limb. But I know that would upset you …eventually anyway. How are you doing?" He asked as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her onto his lap.

"It's okay. Dennis called me into his office first thing this morning, thinking that it was you who did this to me. I put him off that idea right away." She said.

"I'm never going to get away from my bad reputation, am I?" He asked.

"I like your reputation; it makes me feel safe. I fell in love with you regardless of your reputation, maybe even because of it." She whispered, tucking her head into the spot that seemed fit just for her.

"If you like my reputation, then I'm fine with it too. Have you given any thought to my suggestion from the other night?" He asked curiously.

"Which one?" She asked.

"You should move in with me. You having your apartment is mostly just pointless since you spend almost every night with me anyways. Even before the attack." He suggested.

"That idea is sounding better and better all the time." She sighed happily.

"Then you should take it. I want you to move in with me. Do you want to move in with me?" He asked allowing a bit of uncharacteristic vulnerability seep into his voice.

"I want to. But what if living together ruins us?" She asked worried.

"It wouldn't, I wouldn't allow it to. How about you think about this today, and take your time. It's not a decision that has to be made now. You should eat your lunch." he said pushing the plate towards her. She smiled and kissed his cheek.


When the day was over Elena packed up her desk and met Damon outside. She had thought about his proposal all day. She walked right into his arms when she saw him leaning against his blue Camaro.

"How was work?" He asked kissing her hair.

"Fine. Tomorrow will be easier now that everyone has seen my face and heard the story." She told him.

"Yes it will. So you give any thought to my suggestion?" He asked again.

"Yes I have." She answered coyly.

"And?" He prompted, eager to hear her answer.

"I'm not telling." She answered smirking at him.

"Why the hell not? I think that this involves me too." He glared at her.

"Fine. I'll tell you when we get back to the boarding house, and you feed me something delicious." Elena bargained.

"Deal. I will expecting your answer right after dinner." He warned her.

"You'll get it right after dinner, I've already decided." She assured him.

"Good. Now let's get home, so I can feed you, so you can tell me that you love me and want to be with me forever." He said opening her door and then flashing around to his side.

"You do realize that this is a public place right? You can't vamp speed in public." She said disapprovingly.

"Yes mother." He responded sardonically.

"Shut up." She said elbowing him in the ribs, albeit with a wide grin on her face.

"You know you love me." He said smirking widely. She wisely chose to ignore him, she knew that she couldn't lie, and neither of them needed his ego to get any bigger. She shook her head and looked out the window and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get the stupid grin off her face.

"What does my girl want to eat?" Damon asked when they walked in the front door.

"Whatever you want to cook her. Your girl is famished." She answered, planting herself on a stool to watch him cook. He looked so at home in the kitchen, and she loved watching him, he was a culinary master, and she hoped she could learn some of what he did by osmosis.

"You know you could help." He stated after he worked for a while with her watching him.

"Nah, I'm quite happy watching you work your magic on simple ingredients." She said shrugging her shoulders.

"I'm sure you are. But sadly, you are too distracting for your own good, so you either bring that sexy little body over here and help or you go run along and entertain yourself." He said leaving the choice up to her.

"I want to watch though." She pouted.

"Come on pouty, make a decision. I can't work under these conditions." He said dramatically.

"What conditions? You are in a fully stocked kitchen, with state of the art appliances. I would say these are pretty damn good conditions." Elena said glancing around at his kitchen.

"Under this intense scrutiny?" He said glaring at her.

"I am scrutinizing you?! That is a laugh." She said staring at him open-mouthed.

"Yes you are. So either come over here and help, don't worry I won't let your questionable cooking ability damage my masterpiece, or you go sit down and twiddle your thumbs until I call you." He said giving her the choice once again.

"Fine. I'll help you." She growled as she got up and walked around the counter to where he was standing.

"You're so cute when you're angry." He said mockingly.

"Shut up and tell me what to do." She ordered.

"Bossy little thing aren't you?" He asked smirking at her. His comment had her slapping his arm and glaring at him.

"Fine fine. First wash your hands. That is highly important when stepping foot in a kitchen." He said pushing her over to the sink. When she was done, he had her chop green and red bell peppers while he continued working at the stove. A short time later they were finished cooking and Damon had the food divided onto the plates.

"Now eat, so you can tell me if you're going to move in." He said placing the plates on the table and pulling her chair out for her. She obliged him, seeing how anxious he actually was to hear her answer, and ate her dinner. The atmosphere was tense surrounding them, demonstrating how important this conversation was. When she had eaten her fill, she pushed the plate away and Damon looked at her with a mixture of expectation and vulnerability etched into his face.

"Well?" He asked anxiously.

"Do you really want me to live here?" She asked casting her gaze downward.

"Yes. I'm not habitually into these conversations where I become vulnerable, but yes I want you to live here." He told her.

"Why?" She asked.

"Because I love you. Is there any other reason I need?" He asked.

"No. Why do you love me?" She asked again.

"I don't know. I just do. You're Elena. You're everything I'm not and everything I've ever wanted." He said running a hand through his hair, a gesture she had come to realize was a nervous one.

"Okay." She said nodding her head.

"Okay what? Will you just put me out of my misery and just tell me already. I can take it if you say no. It doesn't have to be right now." He told her.

"I'll move in with you. I really want to." She said smiling softly.

"This isn't because of the attack right? I don't want you moving in for the sole purpose that you don't feel safe anywhere else. I mean, yes that is as good a reason as any, but We don't have to do this now." He said.

"It has nothing to do with the attack. How many nights have I actually spent at the apartment, without you being there since I got it?" She asked.

"That's why I want to move in. What is the point of having another place, when all I want is to spend every moment with you?" She asked rhetorically.

"Okay." He said unsure of what else to say.

"Okay?" She asked uncertainly. Instead of continuing the game they were playing with words, he got up and walked around the table, pulling her into his embrace and kissing her senseless.

Her hands immediately went into his hair, anchoring his face to hers as they devoured each other.

"Upstairs." She was able to say in between bruising kisses. He picked her up and she locked her legs around his waist instinctively as he walked them up the stairs and into his bedroom, where he let her slide down his body to the floor. He kept his arms wrapped tight around her, keeping absolutely no space between their bodies. Clothes were quickly shed as the couple tenderly but passionately undressed one another. Once their clothes were all littering the floor, he lifted her up and carried her over to the massive bed that dominated the space.

She slid back into the middle of the bed, and slid under the covers with Damon following close behind her. He rolled back onto her, and raised himself up on his arms so he didn't crush her fragile frame. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and pulled him down so he was closer to her. She ground into him but he still managed to refrain from thrusting inside her.

"Please." She begged.

"Not yet." He said as he slid his firm length to lay between her folds.

"Please." She begged again. He silenced her with a kiss and slid inside her slowly. Her nails dug into his back as he slid inside her inch by glorious inch. He linked their fingers together on the pillow by her head as he slowly rocked into her. She pulled her knees up to give him more space between her thighs as she mirrored his movements.

"Bite me." She whispered, knowing he could hear her. She didn't want to ruin the moment with speaking.

"What?" He asked opening his eyes to stare into her wide brown eyes.

"I want you to bite me." She repeated, the conviction clear in her eyes.

"Are you sure?" He asked needing to make sure.

"Yes. Please Damon. Bite me." She insisted.

"Okay." He said.

"Can I have your blood too? You've told me how intimate blood-sharing can be." She said nervously.

"Of course. But if you take my blood, the bruises and all the wounds will be gone. You know that." He warned her.

"That's okay. I don't need them anymore. I don't want to remember him anymore." She told him.

"Okay." He said letting his fangs drop and biting into her neck. She moaned and the combined sensations of the pulls on her neck and the deep thrusts into her body caused an orgasm to erupt inside her. Her mouth dropped open in a silent scream as he drank, and wrung every little bit of her orgasm out of her.

"Oh my God." She sighed when she came back down and realized that he was still inside her.

"I want to take your blood." She whispered. He reached for the little knife that he kept on the bedside table and sliced a gash down his neck. He wanted the intimacy of her drinking from his neck, the wrist was too impersonal as far as sharing blood was concerned. She latched onto the bleeding wound and felt all the bruises heal themselves. He continued to move inside her, as he pushed her towards a second orgasm. He moaned and picked up his pace in response to her sucking his blood from his body. When she had her fill she pulled away and he kissed her lips, licking away the remnants of his blood on her lips. He picked up his pace when he felt his impeding orgasm inching closer.

"I'm so close again." She panted as she fought to keep up with his frantic pace.

"God. Me too." He groaned. There mutual orgasms crashed over them at the same time. When he could move again he rolled off of her and laid down beside her.

"I love you." She said, breaking the comfortable silence in the room.

"I love you too." He said turning to face her.

"So when are we going to break the good news to your parents?" Damon said a gleeful smile upon his face

Elena's face blanched as the meaning of his words sank in. "Shit." She said with feeling.