Memories (Damon's POV)

My name is Damon Salvatore and I am a deeply emotionally hurt vampire. My world as I know it is shattered because Elena Gilbert, the human girl I love, is dead forever. I haven't cried for 173 years, but as I look down at her headstone in the graveyard, tears silently fall. I'm alone tonight, which I'm very grateful for.

"Elena, I never told you this because I thought it didn't matter, but you and I met first. We met the night you had a fight with Donovan about your future. I didn't want Stefan to know I was in town yet, so I made you forget that you and I met," I confess.

The flashback comes to me and I let it.

It's a dark night, as I lie in the middle of one of the many roads in Mystic Falls, waiting for my food, humans, to come.

A few minutes later, I hear what I think is Katherine's voice. So, at vamp speed, I arrive now far from her.

She looks up after putting her cell phone away and sees me.

"Katherine," I greet, though she smells human. Not only that, but she also looks identical to my Sire, Katherine Pierce.

"No, I'm Elena."

"I'm Damon."

I start to walk off, but then I go to stand in front of her at a human pace.

"I'm sorry. You just really remind me of someone," I add.

"I get that a lot."

"What are you doing out here all alone?" I ask her.

"Why? Nothing bad ever happens here."

I wait for her to continue on and she realizes this.

"Ex-boyfriend; I'm waiting on my parents. He thinks he has it all planned out."

"And you don't want it?"

"I don't know what I want."

"Well, that's not true."

"Okay, Damon; the mysterious stranger who has all the answers. What do I want?"

"You want what everyone else wants. You want adventure, mystery, and maybe a little danger."

We see a car coming and she says, "That's my parents."

"I want you to get what you want, but right now, I want you to forget this ever happened. Can't have anyone knowing I'm in town yet."

At vamp speed, I'm gone from her sight, when she looks back.

The flashback ends.

"There's something else, too. When I returned your Vervain necklace to you, I told you that I love you, but I made you forget. I wanted you to be happy with my brother as long as you could. I didn't think I deserved you, because of all the terrible things I've done. I'm sorry, Elena."

I get another flashback.

I stand in Elena's room, waiting for her to come out of her bathroom.

A few minutes later, she comes out and sees me.

"Nice p-j's," I comment.

"Damon, I'm tired."

I go to stand just inches from her.

"I brought you something," I say, and hold up her necklace so she can see it.

"My necklace."

She reaches up to take it from me, but I pull it back.

"Please give it back."

I have to say something," I inform her.

"Why do you have to say it with my necklace?"

"Well, because what I'm about to say is probably the most selfless thing I've ever said in my life."

"Damon, don't go there."

"You only have to hear it this once."

She's silent, so I continue.

"Elena, I love you. And it's because I love you, that I can't be selfish with you. I don't deserve you, but my brother does."

She silently looks at me and I add," Good, I wish you didn't have to forget this; but you do."

At vamp speed, I'm gone after quickly putting her necklace on her.

The flashback ends.

I let "Will You Remember Me?" play in my head. I then let memories of Elena surface as flashbacks.

I remember when she and Stefan were together, and I was helping her in the kitchen at her house. I had walked passed her, brushing our sides together. She had told me when I had done so, "You did that on purpose." I had replied, saying, "Yeah; I was purposely trying to get to the sink." She had smiled at me and laughed while she had shaken her head at me; probably in dismay or irritation.

I remember when a hybrid by the name of Klaus had killed her by drinking from her. I had made her drink my blood that afternoon, so I would know that she would come back. That evening, I had taken her body home and set her on her couch. As I had waited for her to awaken, I had said, "If you come back a vampire, I swear I'll kill you myself", because she had never wanted to be one. When she had awakened, I had asked her, "How do you feel?" She had replied, saying, "I feel…fine." I had sighed in relief that she wasn't in transition.

I remember when I was dying of a werewolf bite, since werewolf bites can be deadly to a vampire. At the time, we didn't know the cure for a werewolf bite. Elena had informed me on my death bed, when I had told her that she "should go," saying, "I'm not leaving. I'm here until the very end." Later, we had been told by my and Stefan's Sire that Stefan had given himself up to Klaus to get the cure; Klaus' blood.

I remember when I had rescued Elena from the hospital, when Klaus had compelled a nurse to drain her slowly of her blood. When I had had her at my place feeling better, she had asked me, "Where were you, Damon?" I had answered her, saying, "I promise you, I will never leave you again."

I remember after we had failed to kill Klaus, that I was so upset that I had shattered my glass and it had fallen in front of the fireplace in pieces. Elena had come up to me, as I had yelled, "We thought of everything! Everything, Elena! We even brought in Katherine so you wouldn't be part of the equation! We had him!" Elena had told me, "Hey, look at me. Damon, look at me. We'll get through this. We always do." I had looked back at her silently.

I remember when I had walked Elena home one night and had confessed to her, "For one second I thought I wouldn't have to feel guilty anymore." She had asked, "Guilty? For what?" I had answered, "For wanting what I want." She had replied, saying, "Damon." I had said, "Good night, Elena." She had said, "Good night, Damon." I had started walking away, but had turned around and come to stand in front of her. "No. You know what? If I'm going to feel guilty for something, I'm going to feel guilty about this." I had kissed her, before I had left her on her porch.

I remember when we had been looking for Mary, a vampire that had Sired Rose. We had stayed in a motel room with Elena's little brother as a tag along. I had left the room and Elena had followed me. A few minutes later, we had started kissing, before Elena's brother had interrupted us to tell us that Rose had found Mary.

I remember when Elena had saved my life in Georgia from a vengeful vampire, after I had saved hers in Mystic Falls after she had rolled her car and then blacked out on me, when I had been making sure she was okay.

I remember when I had hallucinated that Elena had rescued me from Rebecca torturing me for revenge.

I smile sadly down at her grave, as the tears stop, and the memories stop playing in my head. Then I leave the graveyard and head home. I'm silent, though I want to shout that she isn't dead. I wish she wasn't, but my wishes and dreams never come true. I'm hopeless and feel as if I want to die. I'm angry that I wasn't there to save her from drowning when the car went off the Whickery bridge. Stefan did what she begged him to do; save Donovan first. When he did and came back, she was dead. He tried to bring her back, but it was too late. My brother respected her decision. I don't blame him, but I also don't understand why she thought the world would be a better place with one more quarterback in the world. Sometimes I didn't understand her, but I will always love her. I will never let her go; my Elena.