Since he had hung up the phone, Alaric had been laying awake thinking about Meredith. 'Hell, I should just leave now', he thought to himself. He picked up the phone and dialed the airline. "Um, yes. I would like to see about booking myself on a flight to Virginia for tomorrow. Yes, as early as possible please."

He hung up the phone and started to pack. He had a flight in less than three hours.

"I am coming home, Mer. I am coming home"

Bonnie pulled the Cherokee to an abrupt stop and stared at her sister. "Mary? Are you ok?" They had just pulled into the college parking lot in front of admissions. Taking off her seatbelt she scooted over and took her sisters hands in her own. They were cold and clammy. "What happened Mary? You look like you've seen a ghost!" Bonnie studied her sisters scared _expression and noticed that she was breathing a bit harder. 'What the hell is going on with her?'

Matt studied Meredith silently as the headed toward her car. He really didn't feel like driving his old clunker back to the college till it was time for school, the old thing was an embarrassment enough plus he felt like he'd done enough driving for the past couple of days. He smiled at the remembrance of him and Bonnie speeding through Fell's Church to get to Caroline's. Bonnie had been so worried about the other girl and he wondered how Caroline was doing today. 'Probably went out and got her nails done or something to make herself feel better. Girls do things like that.' he thought with a shrug and turned to Meredith. "So what are you going to sign up for when you get there?" He asked her as he opened the passenger door.

"You know what, Matt? I don't know what I want to sign up for. What do you think I should do?" She got in the car, thanked him for holding her door open, and buckled up. Meredith waited until he'd gotten in the car until she continued talking. "So, what are you going to sign up for?"

Stefan quickly snapped his wrists out of Damon's grasp and pushed him a safe distance away from himself. It felt good to see his brother so shocked that he was able to do it so easily.

"YOU were the one that was stupid, Damon. I told you not to come here and you did anyways, just to spite me. THAT was stupid!" he shouted. "Do you really think Elena wants you?" he gestured toward Elena. "Do you think there is even a chance she loves you...? Huh? Well she doesn't. Why can't you understand that?"

Stefan breathed quickly as he became more frustrated with the situation. "This is useless", he said as he rushed at Damon throwing a punch toward his face.

Elena had been about to rise from the bed to greet Damon in a cordial, if not slightly puzzled way at his appearance. She knew that she could never hold much ill will towards Damon again, not after the way he had saved everyone in the clearing just a night before. But she stopped in mid-stand when Stefan rushed in, eyes blazing, and it was apparent to her that the brothers had found themselves in another of their obscene rages. Even now. Even after what everyone had been through.

Watching them through disapproving eyes, Elena didn't say anything at first when they started exchanging words, holding on to the thin hope that they would at least respect her dying wish to look out for one another, even though she was no longer deceased. And, as always, it wasn't Damon she was concerned for, because she knew that the dark eyed vampire was capable of taking care of himself. It was for Stefan who had worked himself up into a frenzy, which could only result in making Damon needlessly snap.

It wasn't until the first punch was thrown that she Elena fully stood, her lapis eyes icy, her expression stone cold. Watching this display of childish behavior between the pair was not something she could bear watching.

"Continue fighting if that's what you want," she said, firmly and just loud enough for them to hear. "But don't use me as an excuse to do so." Elena brushed past them and started down the stairs.

Damon easily dodged the punch Stefan's threw. Stepping back, he balled up his own fist, and readied to let it fly. If this was the way Stefan wanted to go then so be it. But then Elena spoke. Damon lowered his arm to his side, his fingers falling out of their tight embrace. "Good boy, Stefan." He sneered, "push her further away, makes my job a hell of a lot easier." He pushed past Stefan, and followed Elena down the stairs.

"I didn't get to welcome you back properly, Elena." He told her softly when they reached the bottom. "And it seems that my brother doesn't want me around, not that that surprises me." He let the corner of his mouth turn up in a slight half smile, quivering, as if for the first time Damon was unsure of himself.

"I'll leave that decision to you." He told her softly. "Do you want me to leave?" Stefan felt like he had just woken up from a bad dream. He fell to the floor putting his head in his hands. 'What have I done? What's WRONG with me?' he thought to himself. He felt like he was going crazy. Like he had no control over what he had done or said for the last.... he didn't even know how long it had been.

'What is happening to me?' He looked up at the ceiling, his head pounding with pain. 'I.........' and he lost consciousness.

Elena stopped at the foot of the steps, turning to Damon when he started to speak. "You've never been unsure of yourself, Damon. Don't start pretending to be so now. I was dead; it doesn't make me stupid."

Her eyebrows drew together thoughtfully, studying the elder brother. She would be insane to believe that Damon had changed and that he had anything but personal and selfish intentions. But Elena couldn't quite bring herself to push Damon away and out of Fell's Church.

"You have to make the decision of whether you want to stay or not yourself, Damon."

Damon turned the quivering smile into one of his sexy charming ones. He took Elena's hand into his own, and with a deep bow, kissed the back, his fingers rubbing the underside where the veins beat slightly as the blood coursed through it. "Well I guess the decision is made."

He let go of her hand and stood up. He glanced up the stairs where he felt Stefan's anguish, but chose not to inform Elena. Let the little bastard suffer.

"Then so my lady, it begins." He smiled at her one last time, before leaving her standing there, the boarding house door falling shut behind him.